No. 9 Men's Tennis Primed for First Round of ITA National Indoors Against No. 19 Baylor

WACO, Texas – Going into the week with a perfect 8-0 record, the No. 9 men’s tennis team is set to embark on its second appearance at the ITA Indoor Championship in just as many years, beginning with competition against the No. 19 Baylor Bears.

The first Big 12 matchup of the Knights’ schedule, the Black and Gold will begin play at 4:30 p.m. ET on Friday, February 13.

LAST TIME OUT

The Knights extended their undefeated run to 8-0, matching a program-best start after a dominant win over Miami at the USTA National Campus on Friday. The Knights grabbed the doubles point with back‑to‑back 6-3 victories, then rolled through singles behind straight‑set wins from Pedro Rodriguez, Paul Colin, and Mehdi Benchakroun to clinch the match.

UCF’s remaining singles courts, featuring ranked players Yassine Dlimi and Wissam Abderrahman, were all in strong positions before going unfinished.

QUICK HITS

• HISTORY INDOORS: After a landmark performance at last year’s ITA Kickoff Weekend, the Knights secured their first-ever berth to the ITA Indoor National Championship. That breakthrough run included a statement victory over the defending national champions, Ohio State, in the opening round. Although the Knights fell in the quarterfinals, they return to the national stage in consecutive seasons with the momentum to make another deep push.
• UNBEATEN STREAKS: Several Knights enter the week still boasting flawless singles records. Senior Yassine Dlimi remains perfect at 5-0 on the front court, collecting impressive wins against top-tier opponents from ranked programs such as Southern California and Florida. Sophomores Nicolas Oliveira and Clement Lemire carry 5-0 and 4-0 streaks, respectively, while freshman Pedro Rodrigues has yet to drop a match in his debut campaign, standing at 3-0.
• WEATHERING THE HURRICANES: At 8-0, the Knights have matched their best start in program history, equaling last season’s opening stretch. A year ago, that run ended at the hands of Miami, but this time, UCF flipped the script. The Knights swept the Hurricanes to keep their undefeated record intact and officially tie the program’s all-time best start.

ABOUT THE BEARS

Baylor enters the competition following a statement win over the No. 8 Texas A&M Aggies, defeating their in-state opponent just days ago, 4-1. The upset on Monday night was the first ranked win of the Bears season which brings them to 5-2. The Bears have multiple ranked individuals on their squad, highlighted by No. 17 Devin Badenhorst. Baylor is led by head coach Michael Woodson who is in his fifth season as head coach and 10^th season overall in Waco.  

ABOUT UCF ATHLETICS
UCF is a proud member of the Big 12 Conference. Our mission is to positively transform the lives of our students academically, athletically, and personally through a nationally competitive intercollegiate athletics program that enhances the reputation and visibility of the University. We strive to be Florida's preeminent athletic program, representing UCF and our community with distinction on the national stage as "Orlando's Hometown Team". To learn more about UCF and Athletics, please visit our websites at www.ucf.edu and www.ucfknights.com.