Box Score TAMPA (April 19)- The No. 23 University of South Florida men's tennis team fell short in the semifinal round of the 2025 American Athletic Conference Tennis Championships on Saturday. The No. 1 seeded Bulls (20-4) took on the No. 5 seeded Rice Owls (15-9). The four-hour long match handed the Bulls their first conference loss of the season.

The semifinal match opened with a close battle for doubles, which the Owls inevitably took. Ben Hudson and Toto Llanes came out strong with a 6-3 win on Court 2. After dropping Court 1, Court 3 was down to the tiebreak where Rice came out on top.

The singles were a back-and-forth battle. Gughi Verdese put a point on the board for South Florida with a 6-2, 6-3 victory on Court 4. Elijah Cham added another with a 6-3, 6-3 triumph on Court 3. After dropping a court, Hugo Car responded with a 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 win on Court 1. After dropping another court, the match came down to Court 6, which Rice took in three sets and a tiebreak.

This was the men's first semifinal appearance since 2022.

About USF Men's Tennis
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Head coach Ashley Fisher is in his ninth year at the helm of the program for the 2024-25 season. Fischer has guided the Bulls to four NCAA Tournaments, including three trips to the second round. He was named the American Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 2017 & 2019 after leading USF to the conference title in each of those seasons.