Gordon Watson closed out the 2013-14 season on a hot streak.
The rising junior won his final two singles matches in the NCAA Tournament before No. 14-seeded Florida was ousted in a 4-3 decision by third-seeded Ohio State in the Round of 16.
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Watson, the top seed in the circuit draw, won the circuit by defeating sophomore and teammate Oliver Landert — the No. 5 seed in the draw — in three sets (2-6, 6-0, 10-5).
Two other Gators also competed in singles action during the three-day tournament.
Florida commit Chase Perez-Blanco — the fifth-ranked recruit in the state of Florida according to tennisrecruiting.net — reached the semifinals before losing to Watson 3-6, 6-0 (8).
Sophomore Josh Wardell won his first three matches — dropping just one set in the process — before falling to Perez-Blanco in the quarterfinals 2-6, 6-4 (5).
In doubles action, UF’s two pairings reached the finals, with Watson and Landert teaming up against Perez-Blanco and Wardell. The latter took the crown, winning the match 6-3.
Perez-Blanco and Wardell lost just one game before heading into the finals in their two matches heading into the finals.
“It was good to see our guys compete this week,” UF men’s tennis coach Bryan Shelton said in a release. “It was a tough format and there was a lot of tennis played. I was pleased to see our guys tough it out and win two titles in this heat. The best teams in the country play the most tournaments in the summer months. Our guys know they have one more month to prepare before school starts.”
On the women’s side of the draw, Kourtney Keegan was the lone UF representative and did not disappoint in her singles play.
The No. 2 seed in the circuit, Keegan won her first three matches in straight sets to advance to the semifinals where she ultimately fell to Stetson commit Alizee Michaud — the No. 14 player in the 2014 recruiting class according to tennisrecruiting.net — in three sets (3-6, 6-2, 12-10).
The Roswell, Ga., native finished her freshman season as the ITA Southeast Region Rookie of the Year after compiling a 31-11 singles record, reaching as high as the No. 3 court in dual matches during her first year at Florida.
She ended the season ranked No. 71 in the ITA Singles Rankings, second only to Brianna Morgan (No. 19) for returning UF players, and peaked at No. 34.
In doubles play, Keegan won a team-best 32 matches, including a 16-3 record in dual matches.
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Gordon Watson hits a ball during Florida’s 7-0 win against St. John’s on Jan. 6, 2013. The junior won the singles event of the Gainesville ITA Circuits Draw on Monday.
