After opening the year with a 9-3 win against William & Mary, No. 13 Florida looks to continue building today when it hosts Troy at 3.
The Gators (1-0) will receive a boost when action begins at the Ring Tennis Complex, as junior Gordon Watson is set to make his singles debut against the Trojans.
Watson believes he has something to prove to himself, his coach and teammates.
"I’m physically back and 100 percent," Watson said. "Coach and I have talked and I’m ready to go. He knows that, and he wouldn’t put me on the court for any other reason if I was injured or wasn’t feeling great."
The 5-foot-11 Naples native tallied a team-high 24 doubles victories in the 2013-2014 season.
Coach Bryan Shelton is excited to see Watson back on the court in singles play, and is confident that Watson is not only a key part of the team, but he’s also a threat to his opponents.
"He’s a big piece to this whole puzzle for us," Shelton said. "I think of the last couple years, he has been in some big matches for us, he has a lot of experience, he’s one of the most talented players I’ve coached in my 15 plus years of coaching. … Once he realizes just how good he is and starts to fully take advantage of that and make the most out of it he can be one of the most devastating players in college tennis."
Shelton is excited to have the right-handed hitter back in singles play today. The Gators have used the last six days to work on individual strengths and weaknesses the team took note of in the win over William & Mary.
"We’ve had a good, hard week," Shelton said. "We’ve pushed really hard with conditioning and footwork and movement this week."
Shelton said as the season progresses, the Gators will have their ups and downs, but the third-year UF head coach wants the team to stay focused on the long-term goal - playing the best tennis possible.
"Overall, I see this team as being committed to working hard each day and bringing their very best," Shelton said. "It’s just that their very best changes from one day to the next."
All in all, Shelton is determined to not only put a win on the board for UF, but also continue to improve throughout the year and trust the process.
"Ultimately, our goals are to continue to develop each day," Shelton said. "We don’t get too worked up about any one match, we’re excited about every opportunity but the real thought process here is to take these opportunities and use them to get better, learn from them, create win-win situations where as if you win or you do something well, that’s great, you build confidence. If you don’t do something well you become more resilient."
Watson considers today’s match against Troy to be just another game as the team marches its way through the season.
"The match (today) is going to be a tough one," Watson said. "Like I’ve said before, every match is a stepping stone to our main goal."
Gordon Watson 2013-2014 Stats
Overall Singles: 23-13
Dual Singles: 11-9
SEC Singles: 3-4
Overall Doubles: 24-17
Dual Doubles: 9-13
SEC Doubles: 5-7
Follow Caylee Underwood on Twitter @CayUnderwood
Gordon Watson (right) high fives teammate Diego Hidalgo (left) during a doubles match in Florida's 9-3 win against William & Mary on Friday at the Ring Tennis Complex.
