AMERICAN TOURNAMENT CENTRAL
By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer
TULSA, Okla., APRIL 17, 2015 – No. 21 USF started its American Athletic Conference Men's Tennis Championship run in stride with a 4-0 quarterfinal win over eighth-seeded Temple on Friday at the Michael D. Case Tennis Center.
Defending champion USF (19-6) will face off against fifth-seeded Memphis 10 a.m. (ET) Saturday in the semifinals after following a workmanlike approach to success against Temple (15-10).
“The guys were professional during the match and went about business as usual,” head coach Matt Hill said. “We've been talking to them so much about having a standard that we operate at no matter who we play. By doing that it just builds our confidence and habits that allow us to be successful. I thought they did a really good job with that today.”
Top-seeded USF set the tone for the victory by taking care of business quickly in doubles in the first matchup with Temple this season. The 31st-ranked team of Oliver Pramming and Justin Roberts cruised to a 6-0 victory over Nicolas Paulus and Hicham Belkssir in the top doubles position. Sasha Gozun and Vadym Kalyuzhnyy finished things off with a 6-2 win over Santiago Canete and Vineet Naran in the second position.
“The fundamentals looked really, really sound and when you have a great base like that it's easy to build off of. Plus, the decision making was really good,” Hill said. “You put sound fundamentals with intelligence and smart choices and you've got something.”
USF didn't drop a set in its third consecutive victory and booked a trip to the semifinals with wins in the sixth, first and fifth singles spots.
Kalyuzhnyy, The American's player of the week, posted a 6-2, 6-1 win over Stephen Ong. No. 22 Roberto Cid built more momentum for the Bulls with a 6-3, 6-0 victory over Canete. Roberts, a freshman, clinched match point with a 6-0, 6-2 win over Filip Stipcic.
“One of the strengths of our team is the depth of our team,” Hill said. “That's what makes a great team is when your No. 6 guy is as good as anybody else on the team. We're really happy to see those guys doing well.”
Next up for USF is a Memphis team it defeated, 4-0, at the USF Varsity Courts on April 10. The Tigers advanced to the semifinals with a 4-2 win over SMU and Hill said the Bulls must stay sharp against a “super dangerous” opponent.
“We're going to have to continue to play smart tennis in key moments and manage the adversity that allows us to compete even stronger,” Hill said. “If we can do those two things we'll have a great chance. Memphis has a very good, young team.”
Fans can watch Saturday's match live at The American's championship central streaming page HERE.
No. 1 USF 4, No. 8 Temple 0
Doubles Competition
1. Oliver Pramming/Justin Roberts (USF) def. Nicolas Paulus/Hicham Belkssir (TEM), 6-0
2. Sasha Gozun/Vadym Kalyuzhnyy (USF) def. Santiago Canete/Vineet Naran (TEM), 6-2
3. Ian Glessing/Ondre Cargill (TEM) vs. Roberto Cid/Ignacio Gonzalez-Muniz (USF), DNF
Order of Finish: 1,2*
Singles Competition
1. Roberto Cid (USF) def. Santiago Canete (TEM), 6-3, 6-0
2. Nicolas Paulus (TEM) vs. Oliver Pramming (USF), DNF
3. Hicham Belkssir (TEM) vs. Sasha Gozun (USF), DNF
4. Vineet Naran (TEM) vs. Ignacio Gonzalez-Muniz (USF), DNF
5. Justin Roberts (USF) def. Filip Stipcic (TEM), 6-0, 6-2
6. Vadym Kalyuzhnyy (USF) def. Stephen Ong (TEM), 6-2, 6-1
Order of Finish: 6,1,5*
