TAMPA (June 28, 2016)--Roberto Cid captured his first professional title in just his second pro event since completing his collegiate career with the Bulls. Cid defeated Facundo Mena 6-1, 6-2 in the finals of the Columbia F2 event in Barranquilla on Saturday.

Mena was the event's two seed with a 377 world ranking.

Cid came through qualifying in the event, winning a total six matches over a 10-day period. He defeated Argentina's Gonzalo Villanueva 6-2, 6-1 in the semifinals. Cid is the first USF player to win a singles professional circuit title and second Bull to win a professional title. Former USF teammate Dominic Cotrone won two professional doubles titles in 2015 and reached the semifinals of two Futures Tour events over the past three weeks.

“I'm super excited to come right out of the USF program and win a title,” Cid said. “USF has given me such a great opportunity to go out there and be successful and I'll forever be thankful.”

USF has positioned itself as a solid collegiate training ground for prospective professional players since head coach Matt Hill came to Tampa in 2014.

“This program is designed to take 17 and 18 year old kids from where they are at to a professional career,” Hill said. “Congratulations to Roberto. I know it is the first of many to come.”

Cid became USF's first men's Tennis All-American in 2014 when he reached the quarterfinals of the NCAA Singles Tournament. He copied that feat in his senior season, leading the Bulls to three straight American Athletic Conference titles and NCAA Tournament appearances.

With the title comes a champions prize of $1,300 for Cid, but the 18 ATP points he accumulated in the event will likely give him direct entry into future $10,000 events and allow him to set his sights on entering ATP Challenger Tour events where total prize money starts at $50,000.