By TOM ZEBOLD

USF Senior Writer

TAMPA, AUG. 13, 2015 – Members of the No. 16 USF men's tennis team have used the summer to improve their games and Dominic Cotrone has been on a roll.

Cotrone posted five wins last week on the way to making the main draw quarterfinals of the Futures Tour's USTA/Ursula Beck Pro Tennis Classic in Decatur, Ill.

“I think it gives him a lot of confidence moving forward, not just for our season, but for his own professional career,” head coach Matt Hill said.

Cotrone started qualifying with a 6-4, 6-0 win over Ned Whittaker and continued with a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Matthew Hamilton. Cotrone finished qualifying by outlasting Tom Fawcett – Stanford's top player – 7-6 (2), 6-1.

Cotrone opened his main draw run by defeating Jared Hiltzik – Illinois' top player – 6-4, 7-6 (4). The highlight of Cotrone's week came in the second round of the main draw, when he knocked off Ramkumar Ramanathan, 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (2). Ramanathan was the tournament's second seed and he's currently ranked No. 234 in the world.

On top of his singles success, Cotrone, a Bradenton, Fla., native, has won two pro tour doubles tournaments this summer.

“Playing this sport in order to make a living is a very realistic and obtainable goal for Dominic,” Hill said.

But before Cotrone hits the pro circuit, he'll be looking to help the Bulls make more noise in the NCAA tournament this season. Cotrone is eligible to compete for USF after transferring in from Florida State. As a Seminole, Cotrone earned All-America status as a sophomore and Hill is looking forward to seeing him compete with the rest of the Bulls.

“The thing that's going to be exciting for us is we're going to be super competitive this year,” Hill said. “There is really not a spot anywhere in the lineup that's guaranteed. Everyone is going to have to earn it. It's going to be really healthy for us and it's going to force the guys to train at a different level.”