The USTA/ITA Southeast Regional Tournament at the Ring Tennis Complex in Gainesville ended Monday after the singles and doubles finals.
Senior Diego Hidalgo competed in the singles final draw Monday morning. Hidalgo eventually fell 6-2, 6-3, to USF’s Roberto Cid.
Cid was the tournament’s No. 1 seed and defeated four different Gators over the course of the week-long tournament.
As of last season, the highest ranking that Hidalgo held in singles was on Feb. 10 at No. 34. Hidalgo played as the No. 1 singles player for the Gators last season.
In the 2013-14 season, Cid went 1-1 against the Gators.
He defeated then-freshman Elliott Orkin, 6-2, 6-3. Later in the season, Cid lost to then-junior Florent Diep, 3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-1, in a three set battle.
In doubles action, Hidalgo and fellow senior Gordon Watson defeated Georgia’s No.1-ranked doubles pairing of Austin Smith and Ben Wagland, 6-3, 6-4 in the semifinals Monday morning.
This is not the first time these doubles teams have met. Early in the 2014-15 season, the teams met for their annual match when Florida was ranked No. 17. Smith and Wagland defeated Hidalgo and Watson, 7-6 (9-7).
The Gator duo caught up to the Bulldogs and forced the match into a tiebreak, but would eventually lose.
The Gators and Bulldogs met early in the 2014-15 season, with UF taking a tough 4-1 loss. Smith defeated then-sophomore Maxx Lipman, 6-1, 6-4.
Wagland played against then freshman Chase Perez-Blanco in what would be an unfinished three-set match; 3-6, 7-6 (7-0), default.
Hidalgo and Watson moved on to the finals of the doubles main draw. The Gator duo took down UNF’s Jack Findel-Hawkins and Yannick Zeurn in a straight set victory going 7-5, 6-4.
In the 2014-15 season the Gators faced the Ospreys at the Florida Invitational. The Gators went 5-0 against UNF in the third day of play. In singles play, Findel-Hawkins was defeated by Lipman, 6-2, 6-1.
In the doubles draw of the Florida Invitational Hidalgo and Watson saw Findel-Hawkins and then partner Norbert Nemcsk. The Gator duo defeated the Ospreys 8-5 on the first day of play.
The pairing of Hidalgo and Watson held the No. 28 spot on Feb. 10 of last season. They played as the No. 1 doubles team last season.
The Gators have a quick turnaround this week. They head to Auburn, Alabama, on Friday for the Southeastern Conference Fall Event, which runs through Oct. 26. Many of the teams the Gators faced this past weekend will be attending the upcoming tournament.
Coach Bryan Shelton said he believes that this year’s team is better in shape to handle the rigorous schedule of this semester.
The pre-tournaments lead to the USTA/ITA National Indoor Championships being held on Nov. 12-15.
Follow Madison Belfour on Twitter @madisonbel4
UF senior Diego Hidalgo hits an open-stance forehand during the singles semifinals of the USTA/ITA Southeast Regional Championships on Oct. 18, 2015, at the Ring Tennis Complex
