After a month-long layoff to open the tennis season the Barton Community College men were back on the court Wednesday. Barton traveled to Wichita to battle with Friends Unversity, coming up on the losing end of a 7-2 score.
The Cougars were able to capture both No. 1 singles and doubles during the day but those were the only wins at the Genisis West Club.
Alvaro Martinez was a double winner during the meet for the Cougars. The sophomore from Spain won a hard-fought battle at No. 1 singles then teamed with Vito Schuler for an easy win in doubles.
Martinez and Pascal Wawrzinek hooked up for a thriller at No. 1 singles. Martinez won the opener 6-3 then Wawrzinek took the second set by the same 6-3 score. In the third set Martinez battled to an 11-9 win over the German.
Martinez and Schuler rolled by Wawrzinek and Ferdinand Ostrowicki at No. 1 doubles 8-2.
“Alvaro had another good day in No. 1 singles winning a close 3-set match," Barton coach Lyle Stickney said. “Overall Friends was clearly the better team, which was not a surprise as their lineup is comprised of international players”
Ostrowicki, also from Germany, won No. 2 singles 6-1, 6-3.
Barton's Dominic Fabiano lost at No. 3 singles to Johannes Bennewitz, 6-0, 6-3 and Matthew Rochat lost at No. 4  to Jonas Zetzsche, 6-2, 6-1.
“Matthew continues to improve, his serve is really coming along and he is hitting some very heavy groundstrokes," Coach Stickney said.
The duo of Fabiano and Rochat lost at No. 2 doubles to Zetzsche and Stefan Nikolic by an 8-1.
Nikolic defeated Barton's Trevor Carey at No. 5 singles , 6-1, 6-1. That was the identical score of the No. 6 singles match won by Friends' Roland Perlitz over Tristan Jones.
Jones and Carey lost at No. 3 doubles to Bennewitz and Sam Camp by an 8-1 score.
The Cougars are back in action Saturday when they travel to Hillsboro to battle Tabor College.