Watts the queen of city tennis

Published 4:55 pm Monday, July 30, 2012

Edwardsburg’s Anthony Dopp and Alex Watts, left, defeated Sue Watson and Scott Marshall to win the Dowagiac City Tennis Tournament mixed doubles championship Sunday. Watts also won the womens singles and teamed with mother Tammy to win the womens doubles titles as well. (Leader Publications Photo/SCOTT NOVAK)

Just call her the queen of Dowagiac city tennis.

Edwardsburg’s Alex Watts made it a clean sweep with a victory at the Dowagiac Middle School tennis courts Sunday.

Watts teamed with Anthony Dopp to successfully defend their Dowagiac City Tennis Tournament mixed doubles championship.

Watts and Dopp defeated Sue Watson and Scott Marshall in the finals 7-5, 4-6 and 6-1.

With the win, Watts captured the womens singles, womens doubles and mixed doubles championship for 2012.

“It feels great,” Watts said of winning all three titles. “It was a lot of fun playing.”

Watts and Dopp defeated Alyssa and Michael Robbins in the second match of the round robin 6-0 and 6-1. Watson and Marshall defeated Team Robbins 6-2 and 6-2 to force the showdown in the finals.

Watts and Dopp edged Watson and Marshall 7-5 in the first set, but fell 6-4 in the second set to the former mixed doubles champions.

It was all Watts and Dopp in the third and deciding set as they cruised to the 6-1 win.

“It was fun, Alex is a great player and I had fun hitting with her,” Dopp said. “The tournament was a lot of fun.”

 

Mens doubles

For the third time in four years, Larry Watson and Jim Darr are the Dowagiac City Tennis Tournament mens doubles champions.

Watson and Darr defeated Dave Negron and Mike Urbanski in the finals for the second straight year, winning 6-2 and 6-3 at the Dowagiac Middle School Courts Saturday.

Watson and Darr reached the finals with a straight set 6-1 and 6-1 win over Sonny Swartz and Ethan Dussel.

Negron and Urbanski defeated Terry Proctor and Scott Marshall 1-6, 6-4 and 6-2 to advance to the title match. Negron and Urbanski fell to Watson and Darr 6-3 and 7-5 last year.

“We made less mistakes than they did,” Darr said.

“The weather has been really good, but today that wind really did some strange things with the ball,” Watson added. “The wind really picked up in the second set and the ball just died. You couldn’t play that lob ball.”

 

Womens doubles

There was just one match in the womens doubles division Saturday.

Edwardsburg’s Alex Watts successfully defended her championship, although this time she did it with a different partner.

Watts teamed with Edwardsburg’s Haley Jones to capture the championship in 2011 as they defeated Sue Watson and Shelly Urbanski 6-1 and 6-4.

Saturday, Watts played with her mother Tammy and defeated Sue Watson and Brandywine’s Alyssa Robbins 6-2, 4-6 and 6-2.

“We don’t play together a lot, I just hit with her,” Tammy said. “I just go out and work with her, but we don’t actually play together.”

“It was fun,” Alex added. “I don’t get to play with my mother often.”

Alex noted that in the third set the pair stopped getting down on themselves and refocused.

“We got our positive attitude going again and just played. We had fun,” she said.

 

Dowagiac City Tennis Tournament

Mens doubles

Larry Watson-Jim Darr d. Sony Swartz-Ethan Dussel 6-1, 6-1

Dave Negron-Mike Urbanski d. Terry Proctor-Scott Marshall 1-6, 6-4, 6-2

Championship

Watson-Darr d. Negron-Urbanski 6-2, 6-3

 

Womens doubles

Championship

Alex Watts-Tammy Watts d. Sue Watson-Alyssa Robbins 6-2, 4-6, 6-2

 

Mixed doubles

Sue Watson-Scott Marshall d. Alyssa Robbins-Michael Robbins 6-2, 6-2

Alex Watts-Anthony Dopp d. Alyssa Robbins-Michael Robbins 6-0, 6-1

Championship

Watts-Dopp d. Watson-Marshall 7-5, 4-6, 6-1