April 21, 2002
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Making their first ever SEC Women’s Tennis Tournament championship appearance, the 17th-ranked South Carolina Gamecocks fell to 3rd-ranked Florida 4-0 Sunday before a festive, near capacity crowd at the Maxcy Gregg Tennis Center on the USC campus.
For Florida, it is their second tournament title in the past three years.
The Gators (19-1) jumped on top early with a 1-0 lead in the match by winning the doubles point. USC, with tired legs from two grueling matches to advance to the finals, dropped the No. 1 and 2 doubles matches, 8-3.
In singles play, Florida proved too tough, winning the first three singles matches for the 4-0 win. Jessica Lehnhoff, ranked No. 1, beat Katarina Markovski 6-2, 6-1 at No. 1 singles while Julia Scaringe downed USC’s Tamara Sutton at No. 6, 6-3, 6-1.
Alexis Gordon clinched the match for the Gators at No. 4 singles, outlasting Lynn-Yin Tan 6-2, 6-2.
But it was the Gamecocks (16-7) who stole the show over the course of the four-day weekend event. Along the way USC knocked off the nation’s 13th and 1st ranked teams on their way to an improbable championship appearance. Seeded fourth after a 7-4 regular season SEC record, Carolina toppled 13th-ranked Tennessee for the second time in two weeks on Friday to advance to the semifinals for just the third time. Saturday, given little chance by tennis followers when matched up with once beaten SEC Champion and national No. 1 Georgia, the Gamecocks stunned the Bulldogs with a 4-2 win.
The weekend’s successful run by Carolina into the championship match also improves the Gamecocks’ resume for the NCAA Tournament. Sure to move up in the national rankings, released Wednesday, Carolina is a solid candidate now to host first and second round action May 9-11.
Match Results — April 21, 2002
#3 Florida 4, #17 USC 0
Doubles
1. (5) Jessica Lehnhoff/Lindsay Dawaf (UF) def. Jennifer Radman/Kathy Boyanovich (USC) 8-3
2. Alexis Gordon/Julia Scaringe (UF) def. (41) Lynn-Yin Tan/Jodi Kenoyer (USC) 8-3
3. Katarina Markovski/Ayako Suzuki (USC) led Annika Bengtsson/Zerene Reyes (UF) 7-4, susp.
Singles
1. (1) Jessica Lehnhoff (UF) def. (69) Katarina Markovski (USC) 6-2, 6-1
2. (66) Jennifer Radman (USC) vs. (16) Lindsay Dawaf (UF) DNF
3. Kathy Boyanovich (USC) vs. (52) Zerene Reyes (UF) DNF
4. (85) Alexis Gordon (UF) def. Lynn-Yin Tan (USC) 6-2, 6-2
5. Jodi Kenoyer (USC) vs. Annika Bengtsson (UF) DNF
6. Julia Scaringe (UF) def. Tamara Sutton (USC) 6-3, 6-1
