State tennis: Jesuit falls to Miami Gulliver Prep in Class 2A final

Jesuit came up one match short of winning the Class 2A state championship on Tuesday at Red Bug Lake Park in Casselberry. The Tigers lost 4-0 to state power Miami Gulliver Prep, which won both doubles matches as well as No. 2 and No. 5 singles to secure the championship.

Jesuit, which was trying to win its first state title, had not advanced to the final in 18 years.

“We played very well but (Gulliver Prep) is at a completely different level," Jesuit coach Joe Curtis said. “It was two very long days and I think by the time we got to the final we were just spent physically and emotionally."

The Tigers started Tuesday by defeating Jacksonville Bolles 4-2 in the semifinal. Sebastian Solano, Thomas Lahart and Nicholas Haggar won their Nos. 1-3 singles matches. Haggar and Diego Maldonado-Puebla won at No. 2 doubles.

Solano will play Wednesday for the overall state title in No. 1 singles.

Academy of the Holy Names also advanced to Tuesday’s Class 2A girls semifinals, losing 5-2 to Bolles. Caitlin Neal won at No. 1 singles, 6-2, 6-0. The other point came in No. 1 doubles, which Caitlin and Abby Neal winning 6-1, 6-1.

In Class 4A, St. Petersburg’s Anslee Long lost her individual singles semifinal to top seed Alana Wolfberg, 6-2, 6-3. In Class 2A, Zephyrhills’ Jonathan Judy-Hansen also lost his semifinal singles match to top seed David Lins, 6-3, 6-3.

The Class 3A and A tournament begins on Wednesday.