Friday, October 2
Orlando, Fla.
University of South Florida
vs
Bedford Cup
South Florida Men’s Tennis Opens Fall Season with Strong Showing at Bedford Cup
October 04, 2026 | Men's Tennis
Gughi Verdese capped a strong weekend of play with a runner-up finish in the Bedford Cup singles draw.
ORLANDO, Fla., October 4, 2026 – South Florida men's tennis opened its 2026 fall season with a strong weekend of competition at the Bedford Cup, hosted by UCF at the USTA National Campus in Orlando. The Bulls saw several players advance into the later rounds of both singles and doubles action throughout the weekend.
Guglielmo Verdese led the way in singles competition, advancing to the championship match after going 4-1 throughout the weekend. Verdese earned two victories on the opening day over opponents from West Florida and Florida Atlantic to advance to Saturday's quarterfinals. He continued his run on Saturday with wins over Florida State and Stetson to reach the finals, where he ultimately fell to UCF.
Artem Lyaphsin also put together a strong singles run, going 3-1 and advancing to the semifinals. Lyapshin opened the tournament with victories over North Florida and West Florida before defeating another North Florida opponent in the quarterfinals. His run ended in the semifinals. Ashton McLeod reached the quarterfinals with a 2-1 record, including wins over North Florida and FAU.
James Newton finished 3-2 in singles, going 2-0 on Saturday with wins over West Florida and FAU. Stepan Mruzek went 2-2, while Timeo Gaillard finished 1-1, Ettore Danesi went 1-2 and Leo Galliano went 0-2.
The Bulls also made their mark in doubles competition, with two South Florida pairings advancing to the semifinals and one duo reaching a championship match.
Newton and Lyapshin advanced to Sunday's final. The duo opened with a quarterfinal victory over a pair from North Florida before defeating a Florida Gulf Coast pairing in the semifinals. Newton and Lyapshin finished as runners-up after falling to a Florida pair.
Verdese and McLeod advanced through the quarterfinals before falling to a FAU pairing in the semifinals. Danesi and Mruzek also advanced to the quarterfinal round.
Up Next
The Bulls will return to action at the UTR Pro Series event in Boca Raton, Florida, from Oct. 5-11.
Follow South Florida Men's Tennis
For the latest updates from South Florida Men's Tennis, visit GoUSFBulls.com. Follow the Bulls on Facebook, Instagram, and X,.
About South Florida Men's Tennis
Head Coach Ashley Fisher is in his 11th year at the helm of the program for the 2026-27 season. Fisher has guided the Bulls to five 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 South Florida to the conference title in each of those seasons.
Guglielmo Verdese led the way in singles competition, advancing to the championship match after going 4-1 throughout the weekend. Verdese earned two victories on the opening day over opponents from West Florida and Florida Atlantic to advance to Saturday's quarterfinals. He continued his run on Saturday with wins over Florida State and Stetson to reach the finals, where he ultimately fell to UCF.
Artem Lyaphsin also put together a strong singles run, going 3-1 and advancing to the semifinals. Lyapshin opened the tournament with victories over North Florida and West Florida before defeating another North Florida opponent in the quarterfinals. His run ended in the semifinals. Ashton McLeod reached the quarterfinals with a 2-1 record, including wins over North Florida and FAU.
James Newton finished 3-2 in singles, going 2-0 on Saturday with wins over West Florida and FAU. Stepan Mruzek went 2-2, while Timeo Gaillard finished 1-1, Ettore Danesi went 1-2 and Leo Galliano went 0-2.
The Bulls also made their mark in doubles competition, with two South Florida pairings advancing to the semifinals and one duo reaching a championship match.
Newton and Lyapshin advanced to Sunday's final. The duo opened with a quarterfinal victory over a pair from North Florida before defeating a Florida Gulf Coast pairing in the semifinals. Newton and Lyapshin finished as runners-up after falling to a Florida pair.
Verdese and McLeod advanced through the quarterfinals before falling to a FAU pairing in the semifinals. Danesi and Mruzek also advanced to the quarterfinal round.
Up Next
The Bulls will return to action at the UTR Pro Series event in Boca Raton, Florida, from Oct. 5-11.
Follow South Florida Men's Tennis
For the latest updates from South Florida Men's Tennis, visit GoUSFBulls.com. Follow the Bulls on Facebook, Instagram, and X,.
About South Florida Men's Tennis
Head Coach Ashley Fisher is in his 11th year at the helm of the program for the 2026-27 season. Fisher has guided the Bulls to five 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 South Florida to the conference title in each of those seasons.
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