The men’s tennis team saw success come its way this past weekend at the 2015 Florida Gulf Coast fall invite. The tournament was held at the FGCU tennis complex located in Fort Myers. The Canes sent sophomores Nile Clark, Niclas Genovese and Kevin Bondar to compete in the event.
The Canes started off against Central Florida on day one in the doubles with Bondar and Clark defeating the duo of Austin Robles and Jacob Herndon from UCF. Bondar and Clark were able to handle their opponents with ease in this match, setting the tone for the Canes throughout the weekend.
In another Miami vs. UCF match, but on the singles side of the draw, Clark defeated Nico DeFraia in straight sets. Bondar and Genovese found less success on day one and lost their singles matches to opponents from UCF.
Day two saw the Canes facing off against opponents from Arkansas. Clark was the first to play and struggled against the Razorbacks’ Santiago Munoz, ultimately dropping the match in straight sets. Bondar was able to find his stride on day two as he defeated Johan den Toom in a grueling three sets. Even after a long singles match, Bondar was able to stay hot as him and teammate Clark worked well together to defeat a pair from Arkansas for another doubles victory.
The Canes will look to use the invitational to both build off their successes and as a learning experience. The three sophomores that competed certainly gained great experience playing against tough opponents from UCF and Arkansas. They will look to carry the success and lessons learned throughout the rest of the fall season and into the spring.
The Canes next compete in the USTA Futures event this week held in Birmingham, Alabama.