The No. 50 University of South Florida men's tennis team faced another tough opponent on Thursday in No. 27 Tulsa, falling 5-2 at the USF Varsity Tennis Courts. The Bulls are now 8-5 on the season as they head to the Rice Invitational this weekend.

“I was happy that we won the doubles point,” USF head coach Don Barr said. “But we didn't close out our matches in singles. We had a shot with four of the six singles matches going to a third set, but we didn't finish like we should.”

The Bulls' lone singles winner was Juan Carlos Acuna Gerard at the No. 6 position. His win over Tristan Jackson 7-6, 4-6, 6-2 along with the doubles point provided USF's scoring for the day.

Lucas Jovita dropped his match to Marcelo Arevalo in the top spot, 7-5, 0-6, 6-3, while Wael Kilani also lost at No. 2 to Japie De Klerk, 4-6, 6-4, 7-5.

In the middle of the lineup, Jamal Adderley fell to Ashley Watling in straight sets, 6-2, 6-2, and Romain Deridder came up short vs. Clifford Marsland, 7-6, 2-6, 6-3. Tulsa's Grant Ive also dispatched Yannick Yoshizawa 6-3, 7-6 in the fifth spot.

In doubles action, USF earned wins in the No. 2 and No. 3 positions to take an early 1-0 lead. Deridder and Yoshizawa dropped De Kirk and Arevalo, 8-7, in the No. 2 match to secure the point after Kilani and Sebastian Hagn beat Rusty Turpin and Alastair Barnes, 8-6 at No. 3.

In the No. 1 doubles match, Marsland and Watling defeated Jovita and Adderley, 8-6.

The Bulls return to action on Saturday vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at 10 a.m. That match will be held in Houston, Texas at the Rice Invitational.

Tulsa 5, USF 2
March 17, 2011
USF Varsity Courts

Singles
1.    Marcelo Arevalo (Tulsa) def. Lucas Jovita (USF), 7-5, 0-6,6-3
2.    Japie De Klerk (Tulsa) def. Wael Kilani (USF), 4-6,6-4, 7-5
3.    Ashley Watling (Tulsa) def. Jamal Adderley (USF), 6-2, 6-2
4.    Clifford Marsland (Tulsa) def. Romain Deridder (USF), 7-6, 2-6, 6-3
5.    Grant Ive (Tulsa) def. Yannick Yoshizawa (USF), 6-3, 7-6
6.    Juan Carlos Acuna Gerad (USF) def.  Tristan Jackson (Tulsa), 7-6, 4-6, 6-2
Order of Finish – 3, 5, 4, 2, 6, 1

Doubles
1.    Marsland/Watling (Tulsa) def. Jovita/Adderley (USF), 8-6
2.    Deridder/Yoshizawa (USF) def. De Kirk/Arevalo (Tulsa), 8-7
3.    Kilani/Hagn (USF) def. Rusty Turpin/Alastair Barnes (Tulsa), 8-6
Order of Finish – 3, 1, 2