Florida Gators
ITA All-American Qualifying Day 3
Watson Drops Final Qualifying Match, But Remains Alive in ITA Action
Thursday, October 2, 2014 | Men's Tennis
Junior Gordon Watson's win streak came to a halt Wednesday in the 2014 Saint Francis Health System ITA Men's All-American Championships qualifying singles at the University of Tulsa, but it is not the end of the road for this Gator.
With three athletes having dropped out of the main draw and Watson being one of the three highest-ranked players who lost in the final qualifying round, he earned a place on the “Lucky Loser List.”
And Watson may just be the luckiest.
The Naples, Florida, native was the third and final “Lucky Loser” selected to the main draw which opens tomorrow.
No. 70-ranked Watson, a 17-24 seed entering the qualifying round, dropped a three-set match to Jonathan Ho of Wake Forest, 6-3, 1-6, 6-3. Ho earned his place in the qualifying round following three pre-qualifying match victories.
According to volunteer assistant coach Scott Perelman, Watson started a little slow in the first set, losing two no-ad games, but in the second set, Watson “played magnificently.”
“He stayed on serve until 4-3 in the third set,” Perelman explained further. “It was a high quality match and it could've gone either way, but you've got to give [Ho] credit.”
Watson's first round main draw singles opponent will be Indiana's No. 66-ranked Sam Monette. The two will compete at approximately 9 a.m. ET tomorrow. Live scoring can be found courtesy of Tulsa Golden Hurricane Tennis.
“He got another life and he'll get another chance to play tomorrow,” Perelman said of Watson, “so it's like starting all over again. I think he feels pretty good. Obviously this is a good break for him and now he gets to face the best competition in the country.”
Complete Main Draw Singles and Doubles Draws Available
2014 Saint Francis Health System ITA Men's All-American Championships
Day 3 Qualifying Results – UF Only
SINGLES
Third Round
Jonathan Ho (Wake Forest) def. No. 70 Gordon Watson (UF), 6-3, 1-6, 6-3.
Day One Main Draw Pairings – UF Only
SINGLES
First Round
No. 70 Gordon Watson (UF) vs. No. 66 Sam Monette (Indiana)
NEED TO KNOW INFO:
The University of Tulsa in Oklahoma will again serve as the host site for the Saint Francis Health System ITA Men's All-American Championships. The national championship, considered the first leg of the collegiate grand slam, began on Saturday, September 27 with pre-qualifying singles and doubles matches. Qualifying competition will be held September 29-October 1 and main draw action is slated for Thursday, October 2-Monday, October 6 at the Michael D. Case Tennis Center.
HOW IT WORKS:
Pre-qualifying matches began on September 27 with qualifying matches following on September 29. A field of 64 singles players and 32 doubles teams will then compete in the main draw on October 2.
WHAT'S AT STAKE:
Singles quarterfinalists, doubles finalists and consolation champions will receive an automatic entry into the USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships on November 7-10, held at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York.
FOLLOWING THE ACTION:
Follow the ITA on Twitter for updates and news from Oklahoma, or search for the hashtag #TulsaITA to find other tweets from those tweeting about the Saint Francis Health System ITA Men's All-American Championships. Check out the ITA Facebook page or the 2014 All-American Championships Tournament Hub for more updates.
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