No. 13 Men's Tennis Set to Host Three Teams to Close Non-Conference ActionNo. 13 Men's Tennis Set to Host Three Teams to Close Non-Conference Action
Edward Finan / UCF Athletics

No. 13 Men's Tennis Set to Host Three Teams to Close Non-Conference Action

by Alex Clough

ORLANDO - A historic non-conference campaign will come to a close this weekend for the No. 13 UCF men’s tennis team as it plays host to a trio of programs at the USTA National Campus.

On Friday, the 2024 season-opening doubleheader will shift to Orlando, as UNC-Wilmington and Coastal Carolina will match up with the Knights (12-3) once again. The finale will be a fitting contest, with UCF set to host No. 36 South Florida on Sunday afternoon, marking the second meeting between the two teams this season and the 52nd match all-time.

LAST TIME OUT

Following the Knights’ inaugural ITA Indoor Championship in Waco, where they topped No. 4 Ohio State and faced three teams currently in the top 10, the squad returned home with a pair of dominating displays against UAB and Stetson.

A 4-0 record across six doubles matches made for an easy pathway in singles, with the Black and Gold dropping just one court over two days. Paul Colin jumped into the win column with a pair of triumphs on courts three and four, while his fellow Frenchman Liam Branger also grabbed two victories.

QUICK HITS

  • While having not played a match last week, the Knights remained at 13th in the latest ITA rankings. The position marks the third consecutive week UCF has landed within the top 15, the longest stretch for the program since 2021 when it sat no lower than No. 13 from March 30 to the final poll on May 26.
  • Two-time Big 12 Player of the Week Mehdi Benchakroun tallied his 10th singles win of the season against Stetson, becoming the first Knight to reach the double-digit mark this season. The Moroccan is on pace to best his 16-win performance from 2024, as he’s also been emphatic in doubles play, adding eight more wins to his name.
  • Courts three and four have been a pillar for UCF’s strong singles performance, tallying a combined 22-4 record across 15 matches. Six different Knights have collected a win on either court, with the aforementioned Benchakroun (7-0 on three) and Santiago Giamichelle (4-0 on four) holding perfect records.
  • The Knights have continued to show their growth in doubles compared to mixed efforts a season ago, holding a 23-14 record and an eye-catching 9-1 mark on court three.

THE OPPONENTS

While UNCW (3-6) ride a five-match losing streak before its first trip to Orlando since 2017, the Seahawks have consistently held their own against some of the nation’s best. Two weeks ago, the squad took two singles courts off No. 1 Wake Forest, a feat also achieved against No. 56 Georgia Tech. 

The squad is led by Harold Huens, who holds a 4-2 record on court one, along with Sam Nicholson and Wayand Joseph on courts two and three. UNCW is led by Mait Dubois, embarking on his 18th season leading the program, claiming 10 conference championships in that span and 11 NCAA tournament appearances. 

A mixed bag of results for Coastal Carolina (4-4) precedes its Friday evening contest with the Knights, the second between the two program’s all-time. Christopher Norlin leads the Chanticleers with a 4-1 record on court one, while head coach Chris Powers continued to lead the squad in his 24th season in Conway and 21st as head coach.

A tight meeting with No. 36 South Florida (10-3) in Tampa to begin February action makes for an anticipated ranked matchup in Orlando. A seven-match road swing propelled the Bulls into the national rankings, with their lone defeat coming at the hands of No. 2 TCU in Fort Worth. Triumphs over Oregon, UC Santa Barbara and Florida Atlantic highlighted the trip.

Eighth-year head coach Ashley Fisher’s team has been dominant on the back two courts, compiling a 20-6 record, while also boasting an 11-1 record on court one. Hugo Car (8-1), Agustin Cuellar (8-0) and Stepan Mruzek (8-0) have underlined their success in singles.