FORT MYERS, Fla. – Barry University men’s tennis player Fabian Groetsch won his second tournament of the fall, and teammate Kevin Sielmann won two titles on the same day Sunday at the Florida Gulf Coast University Fall Invitational.
Groetsch, a senior from Nuremberg, Germany, beat Tulane’s Constantin Schmitz, 6-2, 1-6, 6-2, in the top flight.
“I kept my form from the ITA (Regional and National) Tournament,” Groetsch said. “The conditions were tough, but still we came through. I had a really tough fight in the semifinals. I think this was my best fall so far in my four years. Now the fall season is done. Now we can focus on what we need to do in the spring.”
In the B Draw championship match, Sielmann beat Ricky Ventura, a friend from his hometown in Barcelona, whom he lost to a couple years ago in an ATP Futures event. Sielmann won Sunday’s match, 7-5, 6-3.
“Kevin came through with an impressive win,” Groetsch said. “He really stepped up.”
“Today was a tough match," Sielmann said. "I played really good with a good serve, good forehand. That’s why I won.
“I think I’m playing my best tennis since I’ve come here at Barry. I think we have, again, a really strong team. Everybody played really good. We are ready to start the spring."
With Renato Lombardi, Sielmann won the B doubles title, 8-2, over Florida Atlantic’s Will Neuner and Gerald Nickerson. After thriving when paired together in the spring last season, Sielmann and Lombardi were doubled up for the first time this fall.
“We were really pumped,” said Sielmann, who hopes to continue playing with Lombardi in the spring. “We have good communication, high energy.”
Barry’s Fabian Pronnet fell in the C finals to Texas-Arlington’s Daniel Armengol, 3-6, 6-0, 6-2. Barry’s Austin Cruz lost to Nicholls State’s Kieran Cronin, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, in the E finals.
Sunday’s matches concluded the individual fall season for the Buccaneers, who will resume in February in dual matches against opposing teams.