Feb. 4, 2011
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By Doug Richards
UCFAthletics.com
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - The UCF men's tennis squad dropped its first match of the spring season Friday, as the Knights fell 7-0 to No. 7 Florida at Linder Stadium at Ring Tennis Complex. The Knights dropped to 2-1 with the loss, while Florida improved to 5-0 with the win.
The Gators opened the contest by taking all three doubles matches, but the No. 1 spot was especially competitive. There, UCF's duo of senior Blaze Schwartz (Pensacola, Fla.) and junior Joe Delinks (Falmouth, Mass.) nearly topped the 11th-ranked tandem in the country, Alexandre Lacroix and Nassim Slilam, but the Gators held on for an 8-5 win.
Florida took all six singles tilts. At No. 1, Lacroix, ranked fourth nationally, got past Schwartz, 6-1, 6-4. Facing junior Claudio Romano (Valencia, Venezuela), No. 28 Sekou Bangoura, Jr., picked up a 6-4, 7-5 victory at No. 2.
UCF will return to action Sunday, hosting Florida Gulf Coast. First serve as the UCF Tennis Complex is 10 a.m., and admission is free for all spectators.
No. 7 Florida 7, UCF 0
Doubles
1 - (11) Lacroix/Slilam (UF) def. Delinks/Schwartz (UCF) - 8-5
2 - Alford/Bangoura (UF) def. Brunskog/Dolgovykh (UCF) - 8-3
3 -Federhofer/van Overbeek (UF) def. Romano/Thams (UCF) - 8-5
Singles
1 - (4) Alexandre Lacroix (UF) def. Blaze Schwartz (UCF) - 6-1, 6-4
2 - (28) Sekou Bangoura Jr. (UF) def. Claudio Romano (UCF) - 6-4, 7-5
3 - (52) Bob van Overbeek (UF) def. Leonel Vivas (UCF) - 6-1, 6-0
4 - Nassim Slilam (UF) def. Erik Brunskog (UCF) - 6-0, 7-5
5 - Billy Federhofer (UF) def. Mitch Thams (UCF) - 6-1, 6-2
6 - Spencer Newman (UF) def. Joe Delinks (UCF) - 6-2, 6-1