Mental adjustments made a huge difference for Florida sophomore Gordon Watson entering the ITA Kickoff.
Coming off a mediocre performance Wednesday against UNF where he lost in doubles and was the only Gator to lose in singles, Watson found his game Saturday afternoon in the ITA Kickoff tournament against UNC-Wilmington.
Florida won the match against UNC-Wilmington 4-0, winning the doubles point after going 2-0. The Gators also went 3-0 in singles.
Realizing the problem with his game, Watson had to reevaluate himself and change a few things.
“On Wednesday I didn’t really play my game,” Watson said. “I worked on a couple of things yesterday to make sure I was feeling good for today.”
Coach Bryan Shelton took Saturday to test out different duo combinations and see what worked best for his team. On the doubles court, Watson teamed up with Maxx Lipman instead of Elliott Orkin, who was his partner against UNF.
The two started off slow going down 0-3, but the tandem rallied back with the help of the fans to end the match 5-5. The match did not finish because Florida had already clinched the doubles point.
In singles, Watson also began the match slowly.
“We’re always told to feel out our opponent in the beginning and see what he does well and what he doesn’t do so well,” Watson said.
Watson started the match down 1-2 and went game-for-game with Zach Hublitz to win the first set and ultimately winning 6-3.
In the second, it was all Watson. He jumped out to a quick 5-1 lead. Watson’s match served as the game-clincher for the Gators.
“I just think a little bit of mental change was what made the difference,” Watson said.
Florida will take on either TCU for the championship beginning at 2 p.m. at the Ring Tennis Complex.
With a win, Florida could earn a berth in the ITA National Team Indoor Championships in Houston, Texas.
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Sophomore Gordon Watson hits the ball during Florida's 5-2 win against North Florida on Jan. 22.
