San Antonio – As much as St. Mary’s University’s Marcin Marczewski wants to win his individual matches, it is largely something else that fuels the junior tennis player from Warsaw, Poland.

He wants to be part of a group of Rattlers that helps put the school’s tennis program on the map.

“As a team, we’re trying to make tennis more popular, trying to bring people out to our matches,” he said.

Judging by Saturday’s showing at the Trinity University Men’s Tennis Quad Tournament, Marczewski and the rest of the Rattlers could be well on their way toward achieving that goal.

Marczewski won the top flight of the men’s singles, beating a pair of nationally ranked players along the way before bad weather forced the cancelation of the men’s doubles matches.

He topped Trinity’s Max Frey in three sets in the semifinals and followed that up by beating Laredo Community College’s Rafael Coutinho 6-4, 6-4 in the final.

“It didn’t really go the way it was supposed to go,” an ever-humble Marczewski said afterward. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy that I won, but I still think I could play a little better. I think I could be a little more consistent and smarter about moving in.”

There remains plenty of time for Marczewski to iron out such small details. This is, after all, just the start of a long tennis season.

But what’s becoming increasingly clear is that Marczewski – along with a group of Rattlers that includes Andrej Klipa (So., Belgrade, Serbia), Guy Rutten (Sr., Almelo, Netherlands), Nestor Moreno (Jr., Bogota, Columbia) and Jake Williams (Jr., Dallas) – is indeed putting the program on the map.

Coming off this weekend’s victory, Marczewski hopes to get a chance to compete in the ITA regionals later this year.

Regardless of whether that happens, Marczewski’s primary goal will not waver.

“It’s all about the team,” he said. “It’s about the team effort, not an individual thing. We really have a good shot in the conference this year with a strong team.”

The rest of the Trinity Men’s Tennis Quad Tournament results will be posted when they’re made available.

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