gabriel moraru Archives - World Tennis Magazine

Cinderella at midnight.

That is what Kriegler Brink was Saturday in the semifinals of the $10,000 Warren Insurance Tennis Classic at The Boulevard.

The teaching pro at The Moorings Club in Vero Beach, with no ATP ranking and without any competitive match play in two years, finally saw his dream run at the USTA Futures event end with a 6-0, 6-3 loss to Mexican Davis Cupper and No. 4 seed Daniel Garza.

Brink, a wild card entry into the tournament, won three main draw matches to reach the semifinals – including a dramatic 10-8-tie-breaker-in-the-third-set win Friday night in the quarterfinals against Daniel Kosakowski.

“I got tired today, but he played well,” said Brink following his match with Garza. “I want to thank all the people of Vero Beach who came out and supported me this week. It’s been awesome.”

Garza will face high school senior Mitchell Frank of the United States in Sunday’s final.

Mitchell Frank, who will attend the University of Virginia next fall, defeated Gabriel Moraru of Romania 1-6, 6-4, 6-1 in the other men’s semifinal Saturday.

Brink last played in a competitive environment when he last played college tennis at Texas Christian University two years ago. The left-handed South African was for much of this winter Ivan Lendl’s sparring partner as the Czech Hall of Famer and Vero Beach resident meticulously prepared for his February 28 Madison Square Garden exhibition match with McEnroe, also a lefty.

For more information on the Warren Insurance USTA Futures of Vero Beach at The Boulevard, go to www.theblvdtennisclassic.com

Kriegler Brink of South Africa, an unranked tennis teaching professional at The Moorings Club in Vero Beach, Fla., who hadn’t played a competitive singles match in two years, advanced into the semifinals of the $10,000 Warren Insurance USTA Futures at The Boulevard in Vero Beach Friday night with a thrilling 7-5, 0-6, 7-6 (10-8) win over UCLA standout Daniel Kosakowski of the United States.

Brink saved a match point at 6-7 in the third-set tie-breaker that was also highlighted by a fight between two patrons that caused the eighth point of the tie-breaker to be replayed because of the disruption. Tempers flared as Brink was supported by a vocal group of club members at The Moorings, while Kosakowski small group of friends and supporters tried to counteract the enthusiastic local crowd support for popular teaching pro.

Brink, playing in his first competitive environment since he last played college tennis at Texas Christian University two years ago, will play Daniel Garza of Mexico in Saturday’s semifinals. The other semifinal will pit Gabriel Moraru of Romania against Mitchell Frank of the United States.

“I’ve never seen anything like it in 17 years of running this tournament,” said tournament director Mike Rahaley of Brink, whom he gave a wild-card entry into the tournament. “Kriegler hasn’t played a competitive in two years. He hasn’t even warmed up for three of his matches this week.”

The left-handed Brink was for much of this winter Ivan Lendl’s sparring partner as the Czech Hall of Famer and Vero Beach resident meticulously prepared for his February 28 Madison Square Garden exhibition match with McEnroe, also a lefty.

For more information on the Warren Insurance USTA Futures of Vero Beach at The Boulevard, go to www.theblvdtennisclassic.com