No. 15 Men's Tennis Advances Into Second Round with 4-1 Triumph Over No. 39 MiamiNo. 15 Men's Tennis Advances Into Second Round with 4-1 Triumph Over No. 39 Miami

No. 15 Men's Tennis Advances Into Second Round with 4-1 Triumph Over No. 39 Miami

by Alex Clough
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ORLANDO, Florida - In front of a rowdy home faithful at the USTA National Campus, the No. 15 UCF men’s tennis team gave them a show, dismantling No. 39 Miami 4-1 to advance into the round of 32 for the third time in program history.

The win matches the Knights’ record in their DI era, standing as the 22nd victory to match the 2021 squad, also joining that group as the lone team to claim a first-round win at home in the NCAA tournament. 

Looking to make a statement in front of a packed USTA National Campus, the Knights left no doubt in the match's opening phase, dominating the doubles point from start to finish. In a similar fashion to the team’s regular-season fixture back in February, UCF took care of business on the back two courts.

On three, Mehdi Benchakroun and Santiago Giamichelle continued their brilliant form in 2025, securing their team-leading 16th win in a 6-3 triumph over Leonardo Dal Boni and Jules Ganot. The tandem has held down the anchor court emphatically this season, boasting a 9-1 record to constantly provide the Knights with stability in doubles.

An early break on two proved to be the decider as Yassine Dlimi and Emilio Sanchez fended off Martin Katz and Mehdi Sandoui to clinch the early advantage for UCF, 6-4. The win marks their 13th together and sixth on the rubber court, with today’s performance a contender for their most composed this campaign.

The court one bout between 55th-ranked Liam Branger and Paul Colin, opposite Miami’s Antonio Prat and Nacho Serra Sanchez, went unfinished at five-all.

With just three points needed to book their ticket into the next round, the Knights tallied four first-set triumphs to firmly take control of the match. While the first court to fall came via a Miami leveler on three, with Branger falling to Serra Sanchez, UCF didn’t waiver.

On court one, Dlimi tallied his third top-25 win of the season to gain the lead right back, defeating 24th-ranked Katz in a brilliant 6-3, 6-3 performance. With Benchakroun striving to send his court-two bout into a third, attention turned towards the back three.

Holding a 4-0 lead in the second set after taking the first, Colin had to fend off a late surge from Sandaoui, eventually securing the duel in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4. With plenty of energy provided from the Knights faithful, Giamichelle followed shortly behind with the clincher, taking down Dal Boni in a dominating second-set display, 7-6(5), 6-2.

Freshman Nicolas Oliveira was even at five-a-piece after claiming his first set, 6-4, before going unfinished.

UP NEXT

After meeting in the first round a season ago in Tallahassee, the Knights will now play host to No. 29 Florida for a spot in the super regionals. First serve is expected at Noon. Admission into the match will be $5.

Singles Results

  1. #63 Yassine Dlimi (UCF) def. #24 Martin Katz (UM) 6-3, 6-3
  2. #84 Mehdi Benchakroun (UCF) Antonio Prat (UM) 6-7(3), 3-2, unfinished
  3. Nacho Serra Sanchez (UM) def. Liam Branger (UCF) 6-2, 6-4
  4. Paul Colin (UCF) def. Mehdi Sandaoui (UM) 6-3, 6-4
  5. Santiago Giamichelle (UCF) def. Leonardo Dal Boni (UM) 7-6(5), 6-2
  6. Nicolas Oliveira (UCF) def. Jules Garot (UM) 6-4, 5-5, unfinished

Doubles Results

  1. #55 Liam Branger/Paul Colin (UCF) vs. Antonio Prat/Nacho Serra Sanchez (UM) 5-5, unfinished
  2. Yassine Dlimi/Emilio Sanchez (UCF) def. Martin Katz/Mehdi Sandoui (UM) 6-4
  3. Mehdi Benchakroun/Santiago Giamichelle (UCF) def. Leonardo Dal Boni/Jules Garot (UM) 6-3