ORLANDO – The UCF men’s tennis team, embarking on its first season under head coach Lloyd Bruce-Burgess, will get underway with a doubleheader on Monday, traveling to Conway, S.C., for meetings with UNC Wilmington and the hosts Coastal Carolina. Monday’s first match against the Seahawks will start at 10 a.m. at the Stevens Tennis Complex which will be followed subsequently by the Chanticleer’s home opener.
For the Knights, the 2024 campaign will serve as a new direction for the program. Former UCF women’s tennis assistant coach, Bruce-Burgess, was named the 16th head coach in August, a month after the Knights officially joined the Big 12. The English native brings years of collegiate tennis experience, both as a player and coach, later naming his former athlete and Iowa standout, Kareen Allaf, as an assistant coach.
On the court, eight players return from a season ago, including Lleyton Cronje who will embark on his third campaign with UCF and his final collegiate season. In 2023, Cronje and former Knight, Bogdan Pavel, advanced to the second round of the NCAA doubles tournament and climbed as high as No. 26 in the ITA rankings. The South African has accumulated 21 singles wins during his two dual-match seasons in Orlando.
Apart from the aforementioned Cronje, seven of the eight returners will all be undertaking their second season with the Knights. Among them comprises reigning American Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year, Yassine Dlimi, who became just the second player in program history to garner the honor. The standout went 11-5 in singles play, including a 10-match unbeaten streak that spanned over a month.
One of two Moroccans on the team, Dlimi is joined by his fellow countryman, Mehdi Benchakroun. Another pair of compatriots are French natives, Paul Colin and Liam Branger, who both impressed during the 2023 season. The latter clinched the most matches for the Knights (six) and will look to conclude his UCF career with a strong showing in the Big 12.
Following promising starts to their collegiate careers, Francisco “Toto” Llanes, Emilio Sanchez and Luca Hotze, will each look to continue growing under a new coaching staff and provide stability for the squad.
As for the newcomers, UT Arlington transfer Santiago Giamichelle already brings numerous accolades to Orlando after his first collegiate campaign. The Argentinean native was named the Western Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year and garnered honors to the singles All-WAC First Team and doubles All-WAC Second Team. In 2022, he went an impressive 14-6 in singles and 14-8 in doubles. Over the fall season, he and Cronje were crowned ITA Southeast Regionals Doubles Champions after a dominating display in Atlanta, Georgia.
Simeon Terziev, the first signee to arrive under Bruce-Burgess, hails from Sofia, Bulgaria, and brings multiple professional honors to UCF. He has climbed to as high as 68 in the International Tennis Federation rankings, including multiple M15 finals appearances.
KNIGHTS CURRENTLY FEATURED IN THE ITA RANKINGS
Doubles: 20, Lleyton Cronje and Santiago Giamichelle
Singles: 95, Mehdi Benchakroun
INTERNATIONAL KNIGHTS
Nine of the 10 Knights suiting up in South Carolina on Monday come from outside the United States. UCF ranks as one of the highest collections of international athletes in the Big 12 and the nation. A breakdown: four from Europe (France, Spain and Bulgaria), three from Africa (Morocco and South Africa) and two from South America (Argentina and Uruguay).