Story Links

TAMPA, Fla. – Harvard men’s tennis (10-9) fell in a narrow 4-3 decision to South Florida in its final non-conference match of the season.

The Crimson opened the match strong, securing the doubles point with wins in the first two matches. Benjamin Privara and Nathan Blokhin earned a 6-4 victory, while Melchior Delloye and Kolos Kincses delivered a dominant 6-1 win to clinch the point for Harvard.

South Florida responded in singles play, taking early momentum with straight-set victories on courts two and six to jump ahead. With the Bulls leading 3-1, Harvard fought back behind strong performances from Blokhin and Masato Perera. Blokhin rallied for a three-set win on court three, while Perera followed with a gritty victory on court four to even the match at 3-3.

The match ultimately came down to the final match where Hugo Car defeated Privara in three sets (4-6, 6-3, 6-4) to seal the win for South Florida.

Doubles

Benjamin Privara/Nathan Blokhin (Harvard) def. Newton/Llanes (USF), 6-4

Melchior Delloye/Kolos Kincses (Harvard) def. Verdese/Danesi (USF), 6-1

Car/Gaillard (USF) def. James MacDonald/Masato Perera (Harvard), 6-3

Order of finish: 2, 3, 1

Singles

Hugo Car (USF) def. Benjamin Privara (Harvard), 4-6, 6-3, 6-4

Elijah Cham (USF) def. Melchior Delloye (Harvard), 6-2, 6-4

Nathan Blokhin (Harvard) def. Agustin Cuellar (USF), 3-6, 6-2, 6-1

Masato Perera (Harvard) def. Stepan Mruzek (USF), 6-4, 3-6, 6-4

Gughi Verdese (USF) def. Mitchell Lee (Harvard), 6-3, 7-6(5)

Toto Llanes (USF) def. Marc Ktiri (Harvard), 6-3, 6-3

Order of finish: 6, 2, 5, 3, 1, 4

Next Up

The Crimson will turn its attention to Ivy League play as it returns home next to host the Princeton Tigers.