TAMPA - It seemed too appropriate that the famous Florida sunshine began to break through what was mostly overcast skies Sunday morning as the University of South Florida men's tennis team put the finishing touches on their magnificent run through the 2009 BIG EAST Men's Tennis Championship.
The sun began to shine down on the USF Varsity Tennis, as fifth-seeded DePaul was the only obstacle between the Bulls and their first BIG EAST Championship.
USF and sophomore Romain Deridder would not be denied as Deridder finished off a straight-set victory giving the Bulls the fourth and decisive point in a remarkably easy, 4-0, win for 2009 BIG EAST title.
"I can't ask anything more for my team," said senior captain Mahmoud Hamed. "It is a great feeling. This accomplishment is huge for us and our school. I am so proud of all of these guys."
Starting the morning with doubles play, USF took command early and showed no ill effects from playing three matches in as many days.
After DePaul held serve, the Blue Demon's No. 3 pairing of Bartosz Jozwiak and Matija Palinic took a 2-1 lead, but the Bulls' dynamic duo of Yannick Yoshizawa and Wael Kilani responded by taking the next seven points for an 8-2 victory. Yoshizawa and Kilani have been arguably USF's best doubles team of late and they put USF a victory away from earning the doubles point.
With one victory in hand, it would be the No. 2 doubles pairing of Jamal Adderley and Mahmoud Hamed who would give the Bulls the 1-0 lead.
Hamed and Adderley would trade points with DePaul's Alasdair Graetz and Jose Moncada until the score was tied at 5-5. Then the duo would break DePaul's serve and not look back on their way to an 8-5 victory. Adderley was the team's doubles closer on Sunday morning, one day after clinching the Bulls spot in the finals with his singles victory against Notre Dame.
The 1-0 lead was a good omen for the Bulls, who have only lost once this season when they take the doubles point.
The Bulls carried the momentum over to singles action as they took the first set in five of the six singles matches.
It would be junior Thomas Estrada taking his first set over Vanja Grgec, 6-3, that gave the Bulls' a 2-0 team lead. Estrada rolled to a 6-2 win in the second set. Estrada was injured prior to the BIG EAST Championship, but returned from a wrist injury to claim crucial singles victories and play a key role in the Bulls' doubles line-up.
After dropping the first set, 6-2, Hamed would rally at No. 3 singles to take the second set, 6-2, and force a third set with Alasdair Graetz. Little did Hamed know that his third-set efforts would not be needed.
Sophomore Lucas Jovita, in the No. 1 singles, made it known that he would not be denied from the opening serve. The countries 90th-ranked singles player quickly took the first set, 6-1, on Blue Demon No. 1 Austin Doerner. Then Jovita put away the DePaul ace, 6-4, to make the Bulls' magic number one.
"I had a really tough match yesterday and I thought that I might be a little tired today but I came out strong." said Jovita. " I want to win this trophy so bad and I gave it everything I had. It is great to finish it off like that."
With a 3-0 lead everyone's attention shifted to the Kilani-Jose Moncada match-up at the No. 2 singles. Kilani took the first set, 6-3, and was up, 5-3, with a 30-15 advantage on serve. Kilani was on the verge of clinching the match and ultimately head coach Don Barr's first BIG EAST title or at least that's what everyone thought.
While everyone watched Kilani try to close out his match, the crowd failed to notice that Deridder was cruising in the No. 5 singles against Bartosz Jozwiak. Deridder breezed through the first set, 6-1, and in similar fashion sealed the title with a 6-1 win in the second set.
"It is an unbeievible feeling." said Jovita. "It has been a tough season. We have had some injuries as a team but we picked it up at the right time and got on a roll."
Today's win is the third BIG EAST postseason championship in USF history. The others were won by the 2008 men's soccer team and the 2007 women's tennis team. USF has four total BIG EAST Championship, including the 2008 softball regular season crown, in four years as a member of the conference.
The 2009 BIG EAST Championship gives the USF Men's Tennis their 15th conference title (1 BIG EAST, 4 C-USA, 1 Metro, 9 Sun Belt) and the sixth under Barr. It will also assure the Bulls their second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and 10th appearance in the 44 years of the program.
By winning the BIG EAST, goal number one is now attained. USF will now begin preparation for the NCAA Tournament.
With the win, the Bulls improve to 14-8 on the season and will likely move up the in the Campbell\ITA team rankings.
At sites yet to be determined, the first rounds of the 2009 NCAA Tournament will begin May 8-10. The NCAA field will be announced on April 28.
Check back with GoUSFBulls.com for all your men's tennis information as the Bulls look to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament
No. 3 USF 4, No. 5 DePaul 0
2009 BIG EAST Men's Tennis Championship Match
April 19, 2009
USF Varsity Tennis Courts ? Tampa, Fla.
Doubles
1. Jovita/Estrada (USF) vs. Hartman/Doerner (DPU), DNF (6-4)
2. Adderley/Harned (USF) def. Graetz/Moncada (DPU), 8-5*
3. Kilani/Yoshizawa (USF) def. Jozwiak/Palinic (DPU), 8-2
Finish Order: 3, 2
Singles
1. Lucas Jovita (USF) def. Austin Doerner (DPU), 6-1, 6-4
2. Wael Kilani (USF) vs. Jose Moncada (DPU), DNF (6-3, 5-3)
3. Mahmoud Harned (USF) vs. Alasdair Graetz (DPU), DNF (2-6, 6-2)
4. Jamal Adderley (USF) vs. Ben Hartman (DPU), DNF (3-6, 3-2)
5. Romain Deridder (USF) def. Bartosz Jozwiak (DPU), 6-1, 6-1*
6. Thomas Estrada (USF) def. Vanja Grgec (DPU), 6-3, 6-2
Finish Order: 6, 1, 5
