TULSA, Okla. - Winning a match despite losing the doubles point. Taylor Davidson rallying after a first-set loss to provide the clincher. The latest chapter in what is easily the sport’s best rivalry.
History repeated itself once again Thursday afternoon, with all of the above outcomes combining for a perfect-storm 4-3 victory for No. 15 Stanford over No. 1 Florida.
Perhaps the only disappointment was that it came in the NCAA round of 16, an unfortunate meeting spot for powerhouses that have combined to win four of the last six NCAA championships. Seeding aside, it was widely known in tennis circles that Thursday’s match was anything but your typical early-round matchup, with Stanford vastly undervalued at No. 15 and having already pocketed a 4-3 win over Florida back on Feb. 28 at Taube Family Tennis Stadium.
A doubles deficit. A @taylor_lee44
— StanfordWTennis (@StanfordWTennis) May 20, 2016
three-set clincher. A heated rivalry. Sound familiar? https://t.co/cmeqo8Zf4o pic.twitter.com/2My8jTp22R
Stanford (17-5, 9-1 Pac-12), which has now won seven of the last 10 meetings against Florida since 2010, advanced to the quarterfinals for the 33rd time in school history. Up next (Saturday, 10 a.m. PT) is No. 10 Michigan, making its first appearance in the quarterfinals, while the other matchup on that side of the bracket is suddenly No. 6 Vanderbilt against No. 14 Virginia, which upset No. 3 North Carolina earlier in the day.
Daunting path? Maybe. But Stanford, owner of 18 national championships (17 NCAA, 1 AIAW), must annually be considered an NCAA title contender regardless of seed. The Cardinal has now won 11 of its last 13 NCAA Tournament matches when seeded lower than its opponent. That includes winning it all as a No. 12 seed three years ago and taking home the hardware in 2010 as a No. 8 seed.
Five days after finding herself in the same spot against No. 19 Texas A&M in the second round, Davidson provided the clinching point with all the pressure on and the match deadlocked at 3-3. Davidson rallied for a 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-3 victory over Belinda Woolcock at the No. 2 spot, beating the Gator junior for the second time this season.
Ranked No. 1 in the country but seeded No. 2 in the NCAA draw, Florida (23-3, 13-0 SEC) wasted little time in seizing control of the match by capturing the doubles point for a 1-0 lead. But there was no panic from Stanford, which had already defeated four opponents this season (Florida, California, USC, Texas A&M) despite losing doubles.
The momentum shifted to Stanford early in singles play. Carol Zhao took down fourth-ranked Brooke Austin 6-4, 6-4 at the top spot of the lineup for her 10th victory of the season before Caroline Lampl tallied her team-leading 27th victory with a 6-4, 6-4 decision over Josie Kuhlman at the No. 5 spot.
The Gators must have breathed a small sigh of relief when Kourtney Keegan outlasted Krista Hardebeck 6-1, 2-6, 6-3 at the No. 4 spot to even the match at 2-2. Hardebeck, who entered the match having won 19 of 20 with only one loss since January, had built a reputation as a Gator killer with three career clinchers against Florida, including as a freshman on the way to Stanford’s 2013 NCAA crown.
Florida then moved in front 3-2 following Brianna Morgan’s 7-6 (4), 6-3 win over Caroline Doyle on court three.
Melissa Lord managed to turn her match on court six, charging to a 3-6, 7-6 (0), 6-2 win over Anna Danilina. It was the first win against Danilina in three attempts this season for Lord, who has quietly won seven of eight overall.
That left everything riding on Davidson, who delivered her second clincher of the tournament while improving to 12-7 in three-setters over her career.
Stanford owns a 139-18 all-time record in the postseason since the NCAA Tournament went to its present format in 1982.
No. 15 Stanford 4, No. 1 Florida 3
DOUBLES
1) No. 3 Austin/Keegan (FLA) d. No. 5 Davidson/Doyle (STAN) 6-2
2) No. 42 Kuhlman/Woolcock (FLA) d. No. 31 Lord/Zhao (STAN) 4-3, susp.
3) No. 64 Danilina/Morgan (FLA) d. Hardebeck/Lampl (STAN) 6-1
Order of Finish: 1, 3
SINGLES
1) No. 25 Carol Zhao (STAN) d. No. 4 Brooke Austin (FLA) 6-4, 6-4
2) No. 46 Taylor Davidson (STAN) d. No. 11 Belinda Woolcock (FLA) 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-3
3) Brianna Morgan (FLA) d. No. 67 Caroline Doyle (STAN) 7-6 (4), 6-3
4) No. 40 Kourtney Keegan (FLA) d. No. 100 Krista Hardebeck (STAN) 6-1, 2-6, 6-3
5) Caroline Lampl (STAN) d. Josie Kuhlman (FLA) 6-4, 6-4
6) Melissa Lord (STAN) d. No. 63 Anna Danilina (FLA) 3-6, 7-6 (0), 6-2
Order of Finish: 1, 5, 4, 3, 6, 2