No. 12 Men's Tennis Suffers First Conference Loss to No. 5 TCU

FORT WORTH, Texas - Despite opening the evening with a commanding performance in doubles, the No. 12 UCF men’s tennis team ultimately couldn’t sustain the early momentum, falling to No. 5 TCU in their first regular‑season loss on Friday night.

The Knights looked positioned to notch a statement win after securing the doubles point, but the Horned Frogs responded with a relentless push in singles that swung the match in their favor. With the result, UCF moves to 17-3 on the season and 3-1 in conference play, while TCU improves to 14-5 and matches the Knights’ record in the league standings.

The evening began with a dominating showing from the Black and Gold who wasted no time asserting themselves on courts two and three. The pairing of Wissam Abderrahman and Mehdi Benchakroun set the tone early, overpowering TCU’s Cooper Woestendick and Albert Pedrico for a decisive 6-3 victory.

On the remaining courts, both teams traded blows in tightly contested battles. The duo of Luca Hotze and Nicolas Oliveira ultimately delivered the clinching point for UCF, grinding out a 7-5 win that secured the doubles point and sent the Knights into singles with the advantage. Meanwhile, play on court one was halted with Yassine Dlimi and Paul Colin locked in a narrow 5-6 deficit, leaving their match unfinished.

Singles opened with promise for UCF, who quickly captured first sets on courts three and six. However, TCU’s top talent soon began to assert itself, tightening their play on the upper courts, applying pressure that gradually chipped away at the Knights’ early advantage.

The turning point for the Horned Frogs came as Dlimi, Abderrahman, and Pedro Rodrigues each dropped their matches almost simultaneously, allowing TCU to seize control. With the Horned Frogs suddenly ahead, the remaining Knights were forced into three‑set battles to keep the match alive.

Colin, Benchakroun, and Clement Lemire all fought with grit, each competing against their opponents into deciding sets. Ultimately, the comeback effort fell just short as TCU’s Oliver Bonding outlasted Benchakroun on court three, clinching the match and completing the Horned Frogs’ surge.

UP NEXT

UCF will have just one day off as they travel across the Lone Star state to Waco, Texas for a rematch against No. 8 Baylor on Sunday, March 29 with first serve slated for 2:00 p.m.

Singles Results

1. #7 Duncan Chan (TCU) def. #71 Yassine Dlimi (UCF): 6-3, 6-4
2. #52 Cooper Woestendick (TCU) def. #83 Wissam Abderrahman (UCF): 6-3, 6-2
3. Oliver Bonding (TCU) def. Mehdi Benchakroun (UCF): 3-6, 6-2, 6-4
4. Albert Pedrico (TCU) def. Pedro Rodrigues (UCF): 7-5, 6-2
5. Roger Pascual (TCU) vs. Paul Colin (UCF): 6-2, 5-7, uf
6. Maximus Dussault (TCU) vs. Clement Lemire (UCF): 2-6, 6-3, 4-5, uf

Doubles Results

1. Duncan Chan/Oliver Bonding (TCU) vs. Paul Colin/Yassine Dlimi (UCF): 6-5
2. Wissam Abderrahman/Mehdi Benchakroun (UCF) def. Albert Pedrico/Cooper Woestendick (TCU): 6-3
3. Luca Hotze/Nicolas Oliveira (UCF) def. Filip Apltauer/Maximus Dussault (TCU): 7-5