ORLANDO - The No. 9 UCF men’s tennis team secured its eight straight win, matching a program-best 8-0 start on Friday evening at USTA National Campus.
The Knights kicked off the evening with an early lead, claiming the doubles point. UCF then carried on into singles play keeping up with their momentum and clinching the match with three flawless singles play victories.
The Black and Gold took the lead in a compelling start to the evening against the Canes as Mehdi Benchakroun and No. 108 Wissam Abderrahman secured a commanding 6-3 victory against No. 95 Antonio Prat and Nacho Serra Sanchez of Miami. The Knights saw the same drive in sophomore Nicholas Oliveira and senior Luca Hotze who claimed a victory with the same score on court three, clinching the doubles point.
Continuing that same energy from the doubles triumph, freshman Pedro Rodriguez quickly earned an almost perfect victory with a straight set win, 6-0, 6-2 against Canes opponent Mehdi Sadaoui.
Quickly after senior Paul Colin delivered a nearly flawless performance, taking down UM opponent Rafael Segado in a decisive 6-3, 6-1 win.
To seal the deal for the Knights, Senior Benchakroun delivered a stunning 6-1, 6-4 win to clinch the singles session and secure the overall victory against the Canes.
No. 64 Yassine Dlimi, Abderrahman and Oliveira all had a strong hold and stacked up against their respective opponents despite all going unfinished.
UP NEXT
The Knights will return to the ITA Indoor Championships for the second year in a row in Waco, Texas from February 13-16. Draws will be announced at a later date.
Singles Results
- No. 64 Yassine Dlimi (UCF) vs. No. 95 Antonio Prat (Miami): 6-2, 5-4, unfinished
- No. 108 Wissam Abderrahman (UCF) vs. Nacho Serra Sanchez (Miami): 6-4, 1-5, unfinished
- Mehdi Benchakroun (UCF) def. Jakub Kroslak (Miami): 6-1, 6-4
- Pedro Rodrigues (UCF) def. Mehdi Sadaoui (Miami): 6-0, 6-2
- Paul Colin (UCF) def. Rafael Segado (Miami): 6-3, 6-1
- Nicolas Oliveira (UCF) vs. Jules Garot (Miami): 6-7 (3-7), 2-1, unfinished
Doubles Results
- Yassine Dlimi/Paul Colin (UCF) vs. Saud Alhogbani/Jakub Kroslak (Miami): 4-5, unfinished
- Wissam Abderrahman/Mehdi Benchakroun (UCF) def. Antonio Prat/Nacho Serra Sanchez (Miami): 6-3
- Luca Hotze/Nicolas Oliveira (UCF) def. Rafael Segado/Jules Garot (Miami): 6-3
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.