Michigan’s Rally Falls Short at No. 19 Florida

Michigan’s Rally Falls Short at No. 19 Florida

Site: Gainesville, Fla. (Alfred A. Ring Tennis Complex)

Score: #19 Florida 4, #3 Michigan 1

Records: U-M (11-3), UF (9-4)

Next U-M Event: Saturday, March 25 — vs. #17 Wisconsin (Varsity Tennis Center), Noon

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The No. 3-ranked University of Michigan women’s tennis team fell in an early hole and fought off match points at multiple positions but could not complete the comeback, falling 4-1 to No. 19 Florida on Wednesday afternoon (March 22) at the Alfred A. Ring Tennis Complex.

Michigan won the first doubles match off court, but Florida answered with back-to-back wins at No. 1 and No. 3 to secure the point. U-M’s No. 2 pair of Julia Fliegner and Lily Jones won a roller coaster match, winning the final four games for a 6-2 lead. The Wolverines jumped out to a 2-0 lead before the Gators won two straight of their own. After that, it was time for Fliegner and Jones to make their run by winning the last four games for the win.

At No. 1, Michigan could not cash in on break points throughout the match as Florida grabbed the 6-2 win to bring the doubles tally even at 1-1.

Florida clinched the first point of the match with an identical 6-2 win at the No. 3 position. Michigan fell behind early at 2-0, but Merri Kelly and Andrea Cerdan won the next two games to pull level at 2-2. The Wolverine pair could not come through on a couple of deuce points as Florida grabbed the win for the first point of the team match.

U-M got off to a slow start in singles play but eventually took first sets at No. 2 by Jaedan Brown and No. 6 from Cerdan. Brown was able to rally from a 4-2 deficit in the first for the win, with Cerdan winning four of the first five games to take control.

With Florida seemingly taking control of singles action in the middle stages of the second sets, Michigan began to mount a rally. Fliegner found herself down a set and 5-1 before fighting off five match points to eventually head to a tiebreaker for the second set at No. 3. Jones, who fended off set points in the first but dropped a 7-5 decision, grabbed a 4-2 lead in her second set at No. 4. Gala Mesochoritou was down 5-3 in her second set, also fighting off match points, to head to a tiebreaker at…