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No. 24 Men's Tennis Set for Tilts Against Texas Tech and BYU in Orlando

by Alex Clough

ORLANDO – For the first time since 2022, the No. 24 UCF men’s tennis team will host a match at the USTA National Campus as a top-25 program. The Knights will conclude their four-match homestand, welcoming Texas Tech on Thursday night before senior night ceremonies will precede Saturday’s contest with BYU.

Both matches will begin at 6 p.m. and will be featured during the Cracked Racquets cross-court lie stream. On Saturday, the program will host a kid’s clinic from 4:30 to 5:30 at the Collegiate Tennis Center.

Following a split a weekend ago against two Sooner State foes, the Knights (16-3, 2-2) once again rose in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association rankings, entering the top 25 for the first time in over two years. Checking in at No. 24, head coach Lloyd Bruce-Burgess and his squad have turned heads following their opening weeks in the Big 12 conference play.

After sweeping Baylor in Waco to secure their first win, the Knights prevailed in a four-hour bout with Oklahoma State with captain Lleyton Cronje clinching in a three-set thriller. The Knights will look to rebound following a difficult defeat to No. 22 Oklahoma, who shot up to 11th in the ITA Rankings.

Knight Notables

  • The Knights have been brilliant on the back three courts, tallying a 39-8 record. UCF hasn’t lost more than three matches on four, five, or six, headlined by 14 wins on court four as a quartet of Knights have tallied triumphs through nineteen contests.
  • UCF leads the Sunshine State after its recent placement in the top 25, charging ahead of No. 29 Florida, No. 46 Florida Atlantic, No. 52 Miami and No. 68 Stetson.
  • Three Knights have attained 10 wins through, including Mehdi Benchakroun who leads the squad with a career-high 12. Santiago Giamichelle, who remains with just one defeat, has been impactful for UCF on the back three courts. Cronje’s clinches versus the Cowboys marked his second season reaching double-digit triumphs.

The Opponents

The Red Raiders (8-12, 0-4) will make the journey east embarking on their first Big 12 win of the season. After a .500 display in non-conference, Texas Tech’s sweep versus No. 11 Oklahoma preceded three consecutive 4-1 results, all serving as defeats. Last time out, No. 56 Olle Wallin pulled off an emphatic upset, defeating No. 1 Eliot Spizzirri in straight sets, though eventually fell to No. 5 Texas in Lubbock.

The win propelled Wallin to No. 43 in the latest ITA singles rankings, as he remains the lone Red Raider featured in the top 125. In doubles, Sebastian Abboud and Piotr Pawlak lead the way for Texas Tech as they slot in at No. 24 in the nation.

The two programs last met in the shortened 2020 campaign, with the Knights prevailing, 4-3, in Lubbock, to even the all-time series at two-all.

UCF will conclude its regular-season home slate with BYU (11-7, 0-4), as the Cougars will first make the trip to Fort Worth, Texas, for a meeting with No. 3 TCU. They’ve consistently kept it close through four Big 12 contests, with three 4-2 defeats, paired with a 4-0 sweep against No. 4 Texas, though they remain without their first win in the Big 12.

Jack Barnett, who was tabbed 123rd in the recent ITA singles rankings, leads the Cougars on court one. Wally Thayne has also proved a worthy test on court two, with wins against Baylor and Oklahoma State to his name.

Saturday night’s bout will serve as the first between the two programs are both embarking on new eras in the conference.

 

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