ORLANDO, Fla. – Gabriel Decamps has become the first singles player in UCF men's tennis history to earn the prestigious honor of being named an All-American. Decamps is now one of five All-Americans in program history with the previous four being part of two doubles tandems.
"Gabe had a tremendous year," said Director of Tennis John Roddick. "He worked incredibly hard on his game to get to this point. Being the first singles All-American in UCF history is really something to be proud of. I couldn't be happier for him."
Decamps collected some huge singles victories throughout the course of the 2019-20 campaign, earning a 21-8 mark along the way. He went 9-4 during the dual match season with three wins against ranked opponents. He toppled the nation's seventh, thirtieth, and forty-third ranked singles players as he worked his way up the national rankings. Decamps climbed as high as No. 7 during the season, the highest mark of his career.
The journey to Decamps' All-American season started with an incredible performance in the fall. He earned an overall record of 12-4, beginning his campaign with a pair of wins and a quarterfinal appearance at the Oracle ITA Masters. He made it all the way to the semifinals of the ITA Southeast Regional Championships and would later put on a show at the National Fall Championships where he would earn the consolation bracket title.
Decamps was far and away the best player in The American this season, consistently staying as the top ranked singles player in the conference. It was no surprise that he was able to collect three player of the week awards even in a shortened season.
Despite not being named a doubles All-American with partner Juan Pablo Grassi Mazzuchi, the tandem still had a remarkable season. They combined to go 10-2 in doubles during the dual match season, moving from doubles No. 2 to No. 1 after six matches. The two went 17-5 in doubles over the course of the entire 2019-20 season and have compiled a 29-11 playing as a duo throughout their careers. Together, they climbed as high as No. 6 in the doubles rankings this season.
Decamps and Grassi Mazzuchi are on track to become the winningest duo in program history. The two have already compiled 29 victories together and need to get to 46 to be the all-time leaders in career doubles victories as a tandem. Doug Baxter and Neil Barnard currently hold the record with 45 career wins as a pair, achieved from 1976-78.
In singles, Decamps was on pace to have a record-breaking season, testing the single season wins list. His campaign came to an end with a record of 21-8 over the fall and the spring, which was three wins better than last season. Had he won eight more matches, he would have climbed into sole possession of fourth place on the singles season wins list.
Decamps joins Eero Vasa, Korey Lovett, Mike DeFranco and Troy McQuagge as UCF's All-Americans. Vasa and Lovett were the first All-Americans in the Knights' Division I tenure after climbing as high as No. 3 in the Oracle/ITA rankings in 2018. The tandem went 16-3 in doubles and reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Doubles Championship. The Black and Gold's first pair of doubles All-Americans were DeFranco and McQuagge back in 1983.
Decamps is one of 20 singles players to earn the prestigious honor of being named an All-American. Additionally, 10 doubles tandems were dubbed with the award.
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