TULSA, Okla. (April 18, 2026) – The University of South Florida men's tennis team saw its postseason run come to a close on Saturday afternoon, falling 4-1 to top-seeded Rice in the semifinal round of the American Athletic Conference Championship at the Michael D. Case Tennis Center.
Rice claimed the early momentum by securing the doubles point with wins on courts one and two. The Owls struck first at the No. 2 position with a 6-1 victory. The Bulls responded by picking up a win at No. 3 doubles, where Hugo Car and Timeo Gaillard delivered a 6-2 result. Rice ended up clinching the point on court one in a tightly contested 7-6 tiebreak decision.Â
In singles play, Rice extended its lead with straight-set victories at the No. 2 and No. 3 positions. Santiago Navarro defeated Eijah Cham 6-4, 6-4, while Rafael Botran earned a three-set win over Stepan Mruzek, 6-3, 5-7, 6-3.
The Bulls broke through at the No. 5 spot, where Gughi Verdese posted a 6-3, 6-3 win over Gabriel Porras to put USF on the board.
Rice ultimately clinched the match at No. 6 singles, as Noey Do rallied past Toto Llanes in a three-set battle, 2-6, 6-4, 7-5, securing the 4-1 decision.
Two matches remained unfinished at the time of the clinch, including a tightly contested matchup on court one between Hugo Car and Petro Kuzmenok and on court four between Agustin Cuellar and Kabeer Kapasi.
With the result, the Bulls conclude their 2026 campaign in the AAC semifinals, while Rice advances to the conference championship match.
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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 –
