Pictured above: Stefan Correa, who captured the Red Flight singles title at the Bedford Cup over the weekend. (Photo by Lexi Harbach / FGCU Athletics)

ORLANDO, Fla. — The Florida Gulf Coast University men’s tennis team began its fall season at the Bedford Cup hosted by the University of Central Florida at the USTA National Campus from Oct. 2-4, highlighted by a 5-0 run from Stefan Correa to capture the Red Flight singles championship.

Correa won the Bedford Cup Title beating University of Florida’s Roman Sancilio in a three-set battle dropping the first set 4-6 before storming back to take the next two sets 6-3 and 6-4.

He opened the tournament handling University of North Florida’s Noah Sauer Jimenez 6-3, 6-3. He followed that match with a 6-1, 6-0 over Florida Atlantic University’s Lucca C. Pignaton and a 6-4, 6-3 win over University of West Florida’s Jean Deloziere to reach the semifinal.

In the semifinal it was Eagle versus Eagle as Correa earned a 6-4, 6-7 (4-7), 10-4 victory over his teammate Gabriel Valdes.

Valdes finished his tournament run with a record of 3-1. He began with a 6-2, 6-4 victory of North Florida’s Aron Janos Major. Valdes kept his momentum going by outlasting Stetson University’s Lukas Janousek, 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-3). He followed with another three-set victory over UCF’s Kai-Luca Ampaw. Valdes took the first set 6-4, dropped the second 4-6 and dominated the final set 10-3.

In the other singles action for FGCU, Hugo Magnusson battled back to defeat Florida’s Andreas Timini, 4-6, 7-6 (7-3), 10-5. Gustav Hasslegren fought back for a 4-6, 6-3, 10-8 win over North Florida’s Kyle Piqueras. Harry Michalowski outlasted North Florida’s Benjamin Scott, 6-4, 2-6, 10-4. Jonathan Baron cruised past University of South Florida’s James Newton 7-5, 6-3. Tanner Povey edged out USF’s Stepan Mruzek in a three-setter, 7-6 (7-5), 1-6, 12-10.

CJ Smith won by default over North Florida’s Enrique Pena.

Doubles Results

In doubles, Correa and Valdes advanced to the Draw No. 4 final via a first-round bye and a semifinal walkover before falling 6-3 to West Florida’s William Meyering and Deloziere to finish as runners-up. Jonathan Baron and Mika Bunjes opened with a 6-3 win over Florida State University’s Elias Sumann and Oren Ezerzer to reach the semifinals—where they were forced to withdraw due to injury—while Hugo Magnusson and Tanner Povey added a 6-4 victory over North Florida’s Youssef Labbene and Janos Major. The Eagles finished 3-4 overall in doubles.

FGCU returns to action on Wednesday, Oct. 14 for the ITA Southeast Regional in Atlanta, Georgia with bids to the ITA Sectional Championships on the line.