Razorback Netters Fall to No. 25 Gators 6-1

GAINESVILLE, Fla.. – Arkansas’ return to Southeastern Conference play was greeted rudely Friday by 25th-ranked Florida, as the Razorbacks were defeated by the Gators, 6-1, at Linder Stadium at the Ring Tennis Complex.

Friday’s match was the first SEC match for the Hogs since a, 6-1, setback against Kentucky in Fayetteville March 11.

The Razorbacks fall to 7-14 overall and 0-5 in SEC play. The Gators improve to 8-4 and 3-2 in conference action.

The lone Hog point was earned at No. 4 singles by freshman Dmitry Vlaskin, who outlasted Billy Mulligan, 7-5, 6-7(2), 1-0(4), in three sets.

The feature match of the day was on court one, where Arkansas’ 95th-ranked Blake Strode and Florida’s 4th-ranked Jesse Levine. Levine, the nation’s highest-ranked freshman, got the best of Strode, 6-2, 6-1.

Florida took the early lead by sweeping the doubles point. The Gators clinched the point with a tiebreaker win, 9-8(3), in the match at No. 1 between the Razorbacks’ 27th-ranked team of Strode and Colin mascall and Florida’s 6th-ranked tandem of Greg Ouellette and Jesse Levine. The loss was the first for Mascall and Strode since March 7th at Texas.

Arkansas continues its weekend on the road Sunday with a match at South Carolina. The Hogs and Gamecocks will have a noon, central, first serve in Columbia, S.C. Live scoring of the match will be available at Hogwired.com.

#25 Florida 6, Arkansas 1

March 23, 2007

Linder Stadium at Ring Tennis Complex, Gainesville, Fla.

Singles

1. #4 Jesse Levine (UF) def. #95 Blake Strode (ARK), 6-2, 6-1

2. #16 Greg Ouellette (UF) def. Colin Mascall (ARK), 6-3, 6-1

3. #118 Nestor Briceno (UF) def. Andrei Nicoara (ARK), 6-2, 6-2

4.Dmitry Vlaskin(ARK) def. Billy Mulligan (UF), 7-5, 6-7(2), 1-0(4)

5. Jordan Dolberg (UF) def.Jorge Villanueva(ARK), 6-1, 6-2

6. Dan Cash (UF) def.Gabriel Mattos(ARK), 4-6, 6-3, 1-0(2)

Order of Finish: 2, 3, 1*, 5, 6, 4


Doubles

1. #6 Ouellette/Levine (UF) def. #27 Strode/Mascall (ARK), 9-8(3)

2. Cash/Mulligan (UF) def. Villanueva/Vlaskin (ARK), 8-5

3. Briceno/Geoffrey Barton (UF) def. Mattos/Bradwin Williams (ARK), 8-5

Order of Finish: 3, 1*, 2