March 20, 2011
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By Doug Richards
UCFAthletics.com
HOUSTON (UCFAthletics.com) - The UCF men's tennis team nearly defeated its second ranked team of the weekend Sunday, but the Knights narrowly fell to No. 50 USF, 4-3, to conclude the Rice Invitational at Jake Hennis Stadium. UCF won the doubles point, but the Bulls recovered to take four of six singles matches.
The Bulls improved to 10-5 with the victory. The Knights (7-10) were facing a ranked opponent for the sixth-straight match.
In singles play, UCF picked up wins at No. 3 and No. 4. Playing against Romain Deridder at No. 3, senior Blaze Schwartz (Pensacola, Fla.) escaped with a 7-6, 7-6 victory. Junior Joe Delinks (Falmouth, Mass.) was victorious at No. 4. He eased past Federico Sabogal, 6-2, 6-2.
At the top spot, USF's Lucas Jovita defeated freshman Erik Brunskog (Linkoping, Sweden), 6-3, 6-4.
The Knights were facing a ranked team for the third time in three days in Houston.
Delinks and Schwartz teamed for a 9-8 win over Jovita and Jamal Adderley at the top doubles spot. Junior Eugene Dolgovykh (Palm Coast, Fla.) and freshman Matthew Zachary (Bossier City, La.) won at No. 2. The pair topped Deridder and Yannick Yoshizawa, 8-5.
UCF will return to action next Saturday when the Knights meet DePaul in Tampa.
#50 USF 4, UCF 3
Singles competition
1. Lucas Jovita (USF) def. Erik Brunskog (UCF) 6-3, 6-4
2. Wael Kilani (USF) def. Claudio Romano (UCF) 4-6, 6-4, 6-3
3. Blaze Schwartz (UCF) def. Romain Deridder (USF) 7-6, 7-6
4. Joe Delinks (UCF) def. Federico Sabogal (USF) 6-2, 6-2
5. Yannick Yoshizawa (USF) def. Mitch Thams (UCF) 7-6, 7-5
6. Juan Carlos Acuna (USF) def. Mario Samson (UCF) 4-6, 6-3, 6-3
Doubles competition
1. Joe Delinks/Blaze Schwartz (UCF) def. Lucas Jovita/Jamal Adderley (USF) 9-8
2. Eugene Dolgovykh/Matthew Zachary (UCF) def. Romain Deridder/Yannick Yoshizawa (USF) 8-5
3. Wael Kilani/Sebastian Hagn (USF) def. Claudio Romano/Mitch Thams (UCF) 8-6