The University of South Florida men's tennis team earned its biggest win of the season on Tuesday with a 6-1 win over No. 34 Florida State at the USF Varsity Courts. The Bulls improve to 5-2 on the season and earn their first decision over an ITA-ranked opponent with the victory.

“I think we learned in the Miami match that we could compete with good players and good teams,” USF head coach Don Barr said. “Everyone played well, and we got a big lift from Jamal (Adderley) returning to lineup. He played injured and battled through it to give us a lift early in the match.”

In singles action, USF altered its lineup for the first time in four matches and the move paid off as five Bulls earned victories.  Adderley played in the singles lineup for the first time since Feb.  13 and posted a 6-4, 6-2 win over Jordan Kelly-Houston in the No. 4 spot to start the day. After Adderley's win, Romain Deridder grabbed his sixth win in seven dual matches with a 7-6 (7-0), 6-0 win over Connor Smith at No. 3.

The third match to finish clinched the win for USF and came from Yannick Yoshizawa over Anderson Reed, 7-5, 6-3, at No. 6. Yoshizawa rebounded from his only loss of the season vs. Miami (Fla.) on March 6 to improve to 6-1 in dual match play.

Moments after Yoshizawa's win, Wael Kilani picked up USF's fifth point with a second-set tiebreak win, besting No. 60 Clint Bowles, 6-4, 7-6 (9-7). Kilani improved to 6-0 on the year with the win and has played entirely in the top half of the Bulls' lineup.

 With the team match wrapped up, Lucas Jovita's opponent, No. 21 Vahid Mirzadeh, retired due to injury down 2-0 in the third set of the No. 1 match. The only setback for USF came at No. 5 from Federico Sabogal, who dropped his match to Blake Davis, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1.

In doubles action, Jovita and Adderley battled back from a 6-4 deficit to win their No. 1 match over the No. 13 tandem of Mirzadeh and Smith, 8-6. That match clinched the doubles point for the Bulls after Kilani and Sabogal dropped Bowles and Kelly-Houston, 8-4, in the No. 3 match. Deridder and Yoshizawa fell in their match at No. 2 to Reed and Andres Bucaro, 8-3.

The Bulls return to the USF Varsity Courts on Thursday for a 2 p.m. match vs. UNC-Wilmington. Admission to all USF tennis matches is free.


USF 6, No. 34 Florida State 1
March 8, 2011 – 2 p.m.
USF Varsity Courts – Tampa, Fla.

Singles
1. Lucas Jovita (USF) def. No. 21 Vahid Mirzadeh, 3-6, 6-4, 2-0 ret.
2. Wael Kilani (USF) def. No. 60 Clint Bowles, 6-4, 7-6 (9-7)
3. Romain Deridder (USF) def. Connor Smith (FSU), 7-6 (7-0), 6-0
4. Jamal Adderley (USF) def. Jordan Kelly-Houston (FSU), 6-4, 6-2
5. Blake Davis (FSU) def. Federico Sabogal (USF), 4-6, 6-2, 6-1
6. Yannick Yoshizawa (USF) def. Anderson Reed (FSU), 7-5, 6-3
Order of Finish – 4, 3 ,6, 2, 1, 5

Doubles
1. Jovita/Adderley (USF) def. No. 13 Mirzadeh/Smith (FSU), 8-6                       
2. Reed/Andres Bucaro (FSU) def. Deridder/Yoshizawa (USF), 8-3   
3. Kilani/Sabogal (USF) def. Bowles/Kelly-Houston (FSU), 8-4
Order of Finish – 3, 2, 1