Men's Tennis: Mokrzycki puts Forth Champion Effort

Men's Tennis: Mokrzycki puts Forth Champion Effort
Marco Mokrzycki had little time for rest in winning the Naples Clay Court Championships Sunday. Photo by Joel Auerbach

NAPLES, Fla. -- Marco Mokrzycki is a champion again.

A senior All-American at Barry University, Mokrzycki won the North Naples Clay Court Championships singles title in a tournament that five Buccaneers players advanced to the quarterfinals of the 31-player event Saturday and Sunday at Naples Community Tennis Center.

Three Bucs advanced to the semifinals.

Mokrzycki defeated an independent, 6-1, 6-4, to win the title in the final event of the fall independent season. Earlier this fall, Mokrzycki and Fabian Groetsch won the ITA South Region doubles title.

"It was a good tournament with a lot of good competition," Mokrzycki said. "It was nice to see all the guys play together and face good competition on the court."

Mokrzycki defeated fellow Buccaneer Ollie Lemaitre, 6-2, 6-2, in the semifinals. Groetsch lost to an independent, 6-3, 6-3, in the other semi. 

In the quarterfinals, Mokrzycki defeated Barry's Renato Lombardi, 6-2, 6-4. Lemaitre defeated No. 3 seed Ty Myers, of Naples, 7-5, 6-3, in an impressive battle.

"Ollie played a really good tournament, especially beating Myers," Barry assistant coach Thomas Hipp said.

Barry's Eduardo Alfonzo lost to an independent, 6-1, 6-4, in the quarters. Groetsch won his quarterfinal match over Dylan Gunning, of Boca Raton, 6-3, 6-3.

In the first round, Groetsch defeated No. 2 seed Jonathan David, 2-6, 7-6 (7-3), 10-5, in one of the more defining matches in the tournament.

The tournament marked the conclusion of the fall season. Barry will compete as a team in February.