Blöcker Leads No. 31 Miami Past No. 50 USF
Feb. 28, 2010
Coral Gables, Fla. – The No. 31 University of Miami men’s tennis team claimed the doubles point and won three consecutive singles matches in straight-sets to clinch the 4-3 victory over visiting USF on Sunday afternoon in the Neil Schiff Tennis Center.
The Hurricanes (5-2), winners of four straight, took the match-clinching 4-0 lead before the 50th-ranked Bulls (3-6) closed the match with three singles victories.
UM’s Keith Crowley and Hector Nieto knocked off USF’s No. 2 doubles pair, 8-4, to remain perfect at 5-0 this season – and then Miami’s top-flight tandem of Christian Blöcker and David Simon clinched the doubles point with the 9-7 victory to give the Hurricanes the early 1-0 lead.
Miami won the first set in all six singles matches to take the early advantage, and then extended its lead to 3-0 as Simon (11-6) took the 6-3, 6-2 win at No. 5 and Crowley (5-5) cruised to the 6-2, 6-2 win at No. 3.
Blöcker (11-5) then knocked off his first ranked opponent of the season – USF’s No. 91 Jamal Adderley – to claim his third-straight singles victory at No. 2, 7-5, 6-3, to clinch the match for the Hurricanes.
“We knew we had to play really good doubles to win against South Florida,” said Miami head coach Mario Rincon. “We managed to do that and it propelled us into singles. We had a really good run there for the first 30 minutes and everyone got up a set. But we knew they would make a run, and at the end it turned out to be a really tough match. Christian Blöcker came through huge for us in singles. We had a really good overall day today. South Florida is always ready to play and they’re a good team. Their ranking doesn’t reflect what they’re capable of.”
Next up, Miami opens Atlantic Coast Conference play at home versus No. 19 Florida State on Sat., March 6, at Noon. Admission is free.
No. 31 Miami 4, No. 50 USF 3
Singles
1. #59 Wael Kilani (USF) def. #90 Carl Sundberg (UM) 2-6, 6-3, 6-2
2. Christian Blocker (UM) def. #91 Jamal Adderley (USF) 7-5, 6-3
3. Keith Crowley (UM) def. Peter Frank (USF) 6-2, 6-2
4. Romain Deridder (USF) def. Ignacio Taboada (UM) 4-6, 6-4, 11-9
5. David Simon (UM) def. Mark Oljaca (USF) 6-3, 6-2
6. Juan Carlos Acuna (USF) def. Santiago Nieto (UM) 2-6, 6-4, 6-1
Order of finish: (5, 3, 2*, 4, 6, 1)
Doubles
1. Christian Blocker/David Simon (UM) def. Thomas Estrada/Jamal Adderley (USF) 9-7
2. Keith Crowley/Hector Nieto (UM) def. Wael Kilani/Yannick Yoshizawa (USF) 8-4
3. Romain Deridder/Peter Frank (USF) def. Ignacio Taboada/Barnabas Carrega (UM) 8-6
Order of finish: Doubles (2, 3, 1*)
