The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Florida
No. 7 Men's Tennis blanks No. 9 Florida, 4-0, advances to NCAA quarterfinals
05.16.2008 | Men's Tennis
TULSA, Okla. -- No. 7 Texas (23-5) came out aggressively in doubles play and maintained its intensity throughout the singles session, as the Longhorns posted a decisive 4-0 victory over No. 9 Florida (17-8) Friday in the round of 16 at the NCAA Men's Tennis Championship. Texas advances to Sunday's NCAA quarterfinals where it will meet either second-seeded Ohio State or 15th-seeded Illinois at 4 p.m. Central.
Texas asserted itself early on in doubles play to take the doubles point and assume a 1-0 lead. Senior Luis Diaz Barriga and junior Miguel Reyes Varela held off the Gators' Nestor Briceno and Alex Lacroix at the second slot, 8-6, and freshmen Ed Corrie and Kellen Damico finished off Jeff Dadamo and Greg Ouellette at first doubles, 8-4. Sophomores Dimitar Kutrovsky and Josh Zavala held a 7-4 lead at the third slot before the match was called.
Corrie pushed the Texas lead to 2-0 with an easy 6-2, 6-2 win at third singles over the Gators' Lacroix. Reyes Varela took the first set off of Florida's Johnny Hamui at sixth singles, 6-4, and broke Hamui late in the second set to emerge with a 6-4, 7-5 win to push the Longhorns' lead to 3-0.
Diaz Barriga and Florida's Dadamo engaged in a lengthy battle at fourth singles, where Diaz Barriga took the first set, 6-2. Dadamo broke Diaz Barriga's serve early in the second set and took the set, 6-3, but Diaz Barriga proved to be too much in the end, as he clinched his match shortly after Reyes Varela had done the same.
Diaz Barriga finished off Dadamo, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 to clinch the match for Texas and send the Horns into the NCAA quarterfinals. The remaining three matches were called given that the Longhorns had secured the team victory.
NCAA Men's Tennis Championship - Round of 16
Michael D. Case Tennis Center - Tulsa, Okla.
No. 7 Texas 4, No. 9 Florida 0
Doubles - Order of Finish: 2, 1
1. No. 9 Corrie/Damico (UT) def. No. 30 Dadamo/Ouellette (UF) - 8-4
2. No. 53 Diaz Barriga/Reyes Varela (UT) def. Briceno/Lacroix (UF) - 8-6
3. Kutrovsky/Zavala (UT) vs. Barton/Hochwalt (UF) - 7-4, susp.
Singles - Order of Finish: 3, 6, 4
1. No. 10 Dimitar Kutrovsky (UT) vs. No. 2 Greg Ouellette (UF) - 4-6, 7-5, susp.
2. No. 41 Kellen Damico (UT) vs. No. 52 Nestor Briceno (UF) - 6-3, 3-6, 2-1, susp.
3. No. 47 Ed Corrie (UT) def. No. 66 Alex Lacroix (UF) - 6-2, 6-2
4. Luis Diaz Barriga (UT) def. Jeff Dadamo (UF) - 6-2, 3-6, 3-6
5. Milan Mihailovic (UT) vs. Tyler Hochwalt (UF) - 6-4, 3-6, 1-0, susp.
6. Miguel Reyes Varela (UT) def. Johnny Hamui (UF) - 6-4, 7-5
POST-MATCH QUOTES
HEAD COACH Michael Center
An overview of the match against Florida: Well, I was really, really pleased the way we came out in the doubles. I though our energy level was excellent, we were more physical than we have been and we sustained it through the whole doubles. We really controlled all three doubles matches today, which was a great start and then I just told them this is a great team, great program, they are going to keep punching and they are going to keep fighting. Their backs were against the wall and they were going to come out after us. Then, to get five first-sets was really good, but I knew at some point they were going to make a run, and they started to make a little run. I thought our guys regrouped and really put it together to close that match out. So, overall I was thought it was tremendous match for us today.
SOPHOMORE Dimitar Kutrovsky
Recount some details from your match: I knew that my opponent was going to be a tough player and I was just trying to find a way to break his serve and hold serve as efficiently as I could. We were going back and forth, game by game, until I was on 4-5 serving and then he played a few good points and I missed a few easy shots. In the second set, I just had to play a little bit tougher and cut down on my mistakes. I was trying to figure out how to return his serve a little bit better. I had a bunch of chances in a few games before I broke him at five all and then I just stood with him, played a little more aggressively, and at the end, I broke him and I played a good game.
Had you faced him before and how do you prepare against an opponent you have never played before? No, it was the first time I had played him.You have a general idea what you are going to play against him. I definitely had to make some adjustments during the match.
Ed Corrie
On his win at No. 3: Coach has been talking about how important it is for every guy to focus on their court getting off the court as quickly as possible. It was clear to me early on that I was going to have that opportunity today. I really wanted to focus and get off the court with a win for the guys. That always helps to get a 2-0 lead after getting the doubles point. So, it was just a matter of focusing and playing. I had a rhythm on my serve today and he wasn't the best server, so I knew I was going to get plenty of opportunities to break. It was just a matter of concentrating and getting off court as quickly as I could.
