March 16, 2001
The rain may have delayed the match from yesterday until today, but it's hard to believe that the results would have been any different had the Fighting Illini women's tennis team tangled with Florida on the originally scheduled date. The Gators dominated Illinois to the tune of 7-0 at Linder Stadium in the Ring Tennis Complex in Gainesville, Fla., this afternoon.
A very balanced and talented Florida club had control of the match from the outset and never let Illinois win a single set all afternoon. The Gators, who suprisingly have no singles players in the nation's Top 25, and just one ranked doubles team (No. 18 Whitney Laiho and Jessica Lehnhoff) wasted no time in taking over. The UF No. 2 and No. 3 doubles duos won easily, 8-0 and 8-1. At No. 1, Illinois veterans Simone Kung and Jennifer McGaffigan managed to make it a match. They fell, 8-4, to Laiho and Lehnhoff, that was the best offensive output Illinois could muster on the afternoon.
The Fighting Illini fared no better in singles play. The domination was complete, as the Orange and Blue won no more than two games in any set at all.
"Florida played an outstanding match, they were tough at all positions," said UI Head Women's Tennis Coach Sujay Lama, a former prot?g? of UF Head Coach Andy Brandi. "We were never able to get any momentum going at any point during the game.
But regardless of the score, this was a tremendous experience for our team, especially the young players. I have no doubt that this experience against one of the best teams in the country will help us during the second half of the season," Lama continued.
Illinois has its longest break from competition during the season from now until March 31 with the team plays at Marquette before embarking on the second half of the Big Ten campaign.
Today's Illinois results:
SINGLES
1. Laiho (FLA) def. No. 89 Jennifer McGaffigan (ILL) 6-2, 6-1
2. No. 27 Jessica Lehnhoff (FLA) def. Eldina Fazlic (ILL) 6-2, 6-0
3. Stephanie Hazlett (FLA) def. Tiffany Eklov (ILL) 6-2, 6-1
4. No. 50 Lindsay Dawaf (FLA) def. Simone Kung (ILL) 6-2, 6-0
5. No. 94 Julia Scaringe (FLA) def. Michelle Webb (ILL) 6-2, 6-1
6. Annika Bengtsson (FLA) def. Carla Rosenberg (ILL) 6-2, 6-1
DOUBLES
1. No. 18 Whitney Laiho/Jessica Lehnhoff def. Simone Kung/Carla Rosenberg 8-4
2. Julia Scaringe/Stephanie Hazlett (FLA) def. Michelle Webb/Eldina Fazlic 8-0
3. Lindsay Dawaf/Annika Bengtsson (FLA) def. Evan Choe/Jennifer McGaffigan 8-1
