No. 9 Men's Tennis Bests South Florida 4-3 to Complete Season Sweep

TAMPA, Fla – The No. 9 men’s tennis team completed a successful trip to South Florida, defeating a familiar USF squad for the second time this season with a 4-3 victory on Wednesday evening at the USF Varsity Tennis Complex.

After controlling the doubles point, the Knights carried that momentum straight into singles, clinching the match with three consecutive wins. The result pushes the Black and Gold to 13-2 overall, with their only losses coming from ITA Indoors. With this win, UCF also completes a clean sweep of all in-state matchups on the schedule.

The evening opened with doubles, where the Knights struck first on court two. Mehdi Benchakroun and Wissam Abderrahman set the tone, earning a 6-2 win over USF’s Toto Llanes and James Newton. One court over, Luca Hotze reunited with partner Nicolas Oliveira, and the duo quickly rediscovered their rhythm, securing the doubles point with a final score of 6-4.

Singles play saw the Knights waste no time extending their lead. Paul Colin delivered the first blow on court four, rolling past Ettore Danesi 6-0, 6-3. Moments later, Abderrahman followed with a gritty 6-1, 6-4 win over Stepan Mruzek on court three.

Sophomore Clement Lemire provided the clincher, defeating Llanes 6-4, 6-3. The win marked his second match‑clinching performance of the season, the first coming against Oklahoma in California to send UCF to ITA Indoors.

The remaining courts played out after the match was decided, with Dlimi, Benchakroun and Oliveira ultimately falling in their respective contests.

UP NEXT

The Knights return home to the USTA National Campus to wrap up non-conference play against South Alabama on Tuesday, March 10 with first serve set for 1 p.m.

Singles Results

1. No. 114 Hugo Car (USF) def. No. 83 Yassine Dlimi (UCF): 7(10)-6(8),7-5
2. No. 122 Elijah Cham (USF) def. Mehdi Benchakroun (UCF): 6-3, 6-3
3. No. 74 Wissam Abderrahman (UCF) def. Stepan Mruzek (USF): 6-1, 6-4
4. Paul Colin (UCF) def. Ettore Danesi (USF): 6-0, 6-3
5. Agustin Cuellar (USF) def. Nicolas Oliveira (UCF): 6-2, 2-6, 10-5
6. Clement Lemire (UCF) def. Toto Llanes (USF): 6-4, 6-3

Doubles Results

1. Yassine Dlimi/Paul Colin (UCF) vs. Hugo Car/Ettore Danesi (USF): 5-4, unfinished
2. Wissam Abderrahman/Mehdi Benchakroun (UCF) def. Toto Llanes/James Newton (USF): 6-2
3. Nicolas Oliveira/Luca Hotze (UCF) def. Max Mroz/Timeo Gaillard (USF): 6-4

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.