No. 10 Men's Tennis Primed to Open Big 12 Play Against Texas TechNo. 10 Men's Tennis Primed to Open Big 12 Play Against Texas Tech
Conor Kvatek / UCF Athletics

No. 10 Men's Tennis Primed to Open Big 12 Play Against Texas Tech

by Franki Noble

ORLANDO – The No. 10 men’s tennis team is set to begin Big 12 play as they welcome the Texas Tech Red Raiders to USTA National Campus with first serve set for 6 p.m. on Friday afternoon.

The Knights have faced one Big 12 program this season in Baylor during ITA Indoor play, however the Red Raiders trip to Orlando will start true, regular season Big 12 competition for UCF.

LAST TIME OUT

UCF set the tone early on Tuesday afternoon with a commanding doubles performance. Luca Hotze and Nicolas Oliveira struck first with a 6-3 win on court three, while the remaining two courts battled point‑for‑point. Ultimately, it was the duo of Mehdi Benchakroun and Wissam Abderrahman who clinched the doubles point with a 6-4 victory. The momentum carried into singles play, where the Knights rolled through six straight wins. Oliveira opened with a swift 6-0, 6-3 result on court five, followed by Clement Lemire’s 6-2, 6-1 win on six. Paul Colin secured the team victory with a 6-1, 6-4 decision on court four.

Abderrahman added another straight‑set win on court two before Benchakroun delivered a 6-0, 7-5 triumph on court three. To complete the sweep, Yassine Dlimi closed out a dramatic three‑set battle on court one, winning 6-3 (3-7), 7-5, 10-4.

QUICK HITS

  • 100 WINS FOR THE CAPTAIN: With both a doubles and a singles win secured on Tuesday afternoon, Benchakroun accomplished a feat of 100 wins over both categories. The captain hit the achievement with all 100 wins coming from his time spent in Black and Gold. The senior now enters his final Big 12 campaign with the impressive number of cumulative wins under his belt.
  • PROTECTING HOME COURT: Boasting a 14-2 record, the Knights claimed 10 of those wins on their familiar courts at the USTA National Campus. The Black and Gold claimed a perfect non-conference mark at home this season with their only losses coming from a trip to Texas for ITA Indoors. Of the 10 wins, the Knights picked up five sweeps at home. The Knights also solidified five wins at home and two wins over ranked opponents.
  • SUNSHINE STATE SUPERIORITY: The Knights ended the 2025 season as the state’s highest ranked team and hold that spot again in 2026, extending their rise across the entire southeast as the region’s top program. Now with the non-conference slate in the rear view, the Knights have faced all the Florida teams on their schedule for the regular season, finishing at 6-0 against all in-state foes. The Knights took on competition of Florida, Miami, FGCU, Florida Atlantic and South Florida twice taking victories against all their Sunshine State opponents.

ABOUT THE RED RAIDERS

Texas Tech is led by Head Coach Michael Breler who is in his seventh season overall with the Red Raiders and is in his third season at the helm. The Red Raiders are still in search of their first road win of the season as they post a 0-4 record on the road out of a 9-5 overall mark. The Knights hold a 4-2 record against the Red Raiders with a split of 2-2 coming from the USTA National Campus.

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.