BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. – The FGCU men's tennis team wrapped up the FineMark Collegiate Open with a pair of wins against Memphis on Sunday afternoon at the Bonita Bay Club. 

"Memphis played a really good match today," said head coach CJ Weber. "We had a couple of bright spots, most notably Guglielmo (Stefanacci) picking up a great victory and Pedro playing a great match with a great attitude, despite his loss. Hopefully, we learn from the opportunities we were given this weekend and we can rest and recover this off season to really get ready for the spring."

Newcomers Guglielmo Stefanacci and Carter Bradford picked up the first win of the day for FGCU, earning a 7-5 victory in doubles play over Memphis' Sullivan/Taylor. The other two courts featured tightly-contested matches, as the largest margin of victory was three points in favor of the Tigers.

In singles play, Stefanacci (Prato, Italy/Florence International School) built on his doubles performance and posted a 6-1, 6-4 win over Memphis' Jeremy Taylor. He was the only Eagle to post a straight-set victory in singles play.

Senior Felipe Ramirez and sophomore Pedro Maciel both battled into three sets on their respective courts in singles play. Ramirez (Aremenia, Colombia/Florida Virtual School), who played in the top spot, dropped the third set to James Story by just two points, marking his first loss in singles play in the tournament. Maciel (Belo Horizonte, Brazil/Goliath Academy) won the first set with a 7-6 (7) tiebreaker, but ultimately fell to Matt Story.

 "I can't thank Bonita Bay enough for such a spectacular event," Weber said. "We are truly blessed here in Southwest Florida with such a supportive community who give us memories that will last a lifetime."

This weekend's competition concludes fall tournament play for the Eagles. The team will be back in action for their championship season in 2020.

FOLLOW ALONG
For complete coverage of FGCU men's tennis follow us on Twitter & Instagram @FGCU_MTEN and visit www.FGCUAthletics.com where full recaps and results will be available at the end of the competition.

CJ WEBER
FGCU is led by three-time ASUN Coach of the Year CJ Weber, who has coached 32 ASUN All-Conference selections since joining the Green and Blue in 2011. In his seventh year, Weber has compiled a 93-77 (.547) overall record and a 38-18 (.672) record in ASUN play. In 2014-15, Weber guided the Eagles to their first-ever ASUN Championship and first-ever ASUN Regular Season title after a program-best 17 wins. In his third season, Weber led Jordi Vives to a No. 35 national ranking, a nation-leading 14-match unbeaten streak and the round of 32 in the 2014 NCAA Tournament - the program's first appearance. The Eagles completed a perfect ASUN regular season in both 2015 and 2016, finishing with conference titles as well as a Coach of the Year honor for Weber. FGCU again won the 2017 ASUN Championship and made its second NCAA appearance. The Eagles returned to the mountaintop by claiming the 2019 regular season and tournament championships. Weber earned his third ASUN Coach of the Year honor and led the Green and Blue to their third trip to the NCAA Tournament. 

#FEEDFGCU
FGCU Athletics sponsors events in November and April to benefit the FGCU Campus Food Pantry (www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry) and the Harry Chapin Food Bank (www.harrychapinfoodbank.org), FGCU Athletics' charities of choice. For more information, including how to make a contribution, please visit www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag #FeedFGCU to help raise awareness.
 
ABOUT FGCU
FGCU teams have combined to win an incredible 79 conference regular season and tournament titles in just 12 seasons at the Division-I level. Additionally, in just eight seasons of D-I postseason eligibility, the Eagles have had a combined 36 teams or individuals compete in NCAA championships. Seven FGCU programs have earned a top-25 national ranking in their respective sport – including both men's and women's soccer again in 2018. In 2016-17, the Green and Blue posted a department-best sixth-place finish in the DI-AAA Learfield Directors' Cup and top-100 showing nationally, ahead of several Power-5 and FBS institutions. In 2018-19, the Eagles had an ASUN and state of Florida best seven teams earn the NCAA's Public Recognition Award for their Academic Progress Rate in their sport. FGCU also collectively earned a record 3.35 GPA in the classroom in the spring 2018 semester and has outperformed the general University undergraduate population for twenty consecutive semesters. The Eagles also served an all-time high 7,200 volunteer hours in 2017 – being recognized as one of two runners-up for the inaugural NACDA Community Service Award presented by the Fiesta Bowl.
 
--FGCUATHLETICS.COM--