CARY, N.C.– Emily De Oliveira made a statement at ITA All-Americans despite falling in her initial matchup. The No. 29 ranked Gator received a difficult round of 64 draw and was selected to play No. 10 Sarah Hamner of South Carolina.
De Oliveira’s junior season was cut short due to injury making her Wednesday matchup her first collegiate appearance since February, 2024. De Oliveira was eager to get back on the court for Florida and came ready to compete against one of the nation’s best players, No. 10 Sarah Hamner.
De Oliveira made her return known breaking Hamner’s serve and gaining a 2-0 lead in the first set. From there De Oliveira kept the lead for the entirety of set one to eventually close out 6-2. Three games in the initial set went to deuce, forcing a deciding point and reflecting the close-knit match to come.
After losing the first set, South Carolina’s seasoned vet took the initial three games of set two for a 3-0 advantage. De Oliveira quickly returned the favor taking the next three games to tie it at 3-3. From there the set went back and forth until the score stood at 6-6 to force a seven-point tiebreaker. Hamner took the first few points of the tiebreak and ultimately closed out 7-4 to claim the second set.
The third set started with service breaks on both sides with Hamner claiming two over De Olivera in the first three games. De Oliveira got it back on serve at 3-2 and from there Hamner pulled away till the score stood at 5-3. Hamner had match point in the ninth game of the set but De Oliveira dug deep taking the score to 5-4. With De Oliveira creeping back into the set Hamner served for the match and closed out 6-4.
Head Coach Roland Thornqvist Says:
Coach Thornqvist on what he saw from De Oliveira in her first matchup of the season:
“I was very impressed with how Emily played with this being her first match since February and against a top 10 player.”
Coach Thornqvist on the impact De Oliveira will have on Florida this season being healthy and ready to compete:
“Emily will be a key piece in our championship hunt. She’s an amazing competitor and will help us be one of the toughest teams in the country.”
Main Draw Results (9/25):
Singles:
R64 #10 Sarah Hamner (S. Carolina) def. #29 Emily de Oliveira (Florida) 2-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-4
Up Next:
Singles Consolation Round of 32
Thurs. Sept. 26, (time TBD):
No. 29 Emily De Oliveira vs. TBD
*Time and opponent updates can be found here.
De Oliveira’s junior season was cut short due to injury making her Wednesday matchup her first collegiate appearance since February, 2024. De Oliveira was eager to get back on the court for Florida and came ready to compete against one of the nation’s best players, No. 10 Sarah Hamner.
De Oliveira made her return known breaking Hamner’s serve and gaining a 2-0 lead in the first set. From there De Oliveira kept the lead for the entirety of set one to eventually close out 6-2. Three games in the initial set went to deuce, forcing a deciding point and reflecting the close-knit match to come.
After losing the first set, South Carolina’s seasoned vet took the initial three games of set two for a 3-0 advantage. De Oliveira quickly returned the favor taking the next three games to tie it at 3-3. From there the set went back and forth until the score stood at 6-6 to force a seven-point tiebreaker. Hamner took the first few points of the tiebreak and ultimately closed out 7-4 to claim the second set.
The third set started with service breaks on both sides with Hamner claiming two over De Olivera in the first three games. De Oliveira got it back on serve at 3-2 and from there Hamner pulled away till the score stood at 5-3. Hamner had match point in the ninth game of the set but De Oliveira dug deep taking the score to 5-4. With De Oliveira creeping back into the set Hamner served for the match and closed out 6-4.
Head Coach Roland Thornqvist Says:
Coach Thornqvist on what he saw from De Oliveira in her first matchup of the season:
“I was very impressed with how Emily played with this being her first match since February and against a top 10 player.”
Coach Thornqvist on the impact De Oliveira will have on Florida this season being healthy and ready to compete:
“Emily will be a key piece in our championship hunt. She’s an amazing competitor and will help us be one of the toughest teams in the country.”
Main Draw Results (9/25):
Singles:
R64 #10 Sarah Hamner (S. Carolina) def. #29 Emily de Oliveira (Florida) 2-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-4
Up Next:
Singles Consolation Round of 32
Thurs. Sept. 26, (time TBD):
No. 29 Emily De Oliveira vs. TBD
*Time and opponent updates can be found here.
Match…
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