USF Men's Tennis battled toe-to-toe with No. 28 Clemson, using the matchup as a strong test against a Power 4 opponent, proving they can compete at a high level from start to finish.
Doubles play set the tone early. Toto Llanes and James Newton delivered a dominant 6-2 win at No. 2 doubles to put the Bulls on the board, fighting to keep momentum on their side. Although Clemson claimed the point with wins on courts one and three, USF stayed locked in and carried that energy straight into singles.
The response was immediate.
Hugo Car sparked the comeback at No. 1 singles with a gritty three-set win over Viktor Markov, bouncing back after dropping the first set to win 3-6, 6-3, 6-1. The shift in momentum was clear as the Bulls fed off the energy from the top court.
Toto Llanes followed with a clutch three-set victory at No. 6, grinding out a 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 win to keep the match within reach. Gughi Verdese added another huge point at No. 5 in a back-and-forth battle, taking the first set 6-1 and closing strong in a tight third-set tiebreak to secure his win.
With those singles victories, USF clawed its way back to even the match at 3-3 after dropping the doubles point - a testament to the team's resilience and belief. Every court was loud, every point earned, and the sideline support never wavered. The encouragement between teammates was constant, especially in the third sets, as the Bulls pushed Clemson deep into the afternoon. Agustin Cuellar took Henrik Bladelius to a third set, coming back from a two game deficit before falling 7-5, 4-6, 4-6.
Although Clemson ultimately edged out the final result, the narrow margin and competitive singles performances showed that USF can go head-to-head with nationally ranked competition. South Florida will now turn its focus to the University of Pennsylvania, who they will travel to meet on February 28th in Philadelphia.
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 2025-26 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.
– #Go Bulls –
