June 23rd, 2015

4 Florida Players Win at 2015 USTA Florida US Open Tennis Qualifier

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USO 2010 NP SectionREVEight players, four from Florida, will see their tennis dreams of competing in the US Open continue after winners were crowned over the weekend at the 2015 US Open National Playoffs-Florida Section Tournament, held June 18-21 in Tallahassee on the campus of Florida State University.

Winners of the USTA Florida Section event now advance to the national tournament, where the winners in men’s and women’s singles, men’s and women’s doubles, and mixed doubles will earn spots in either the main draw or qualifying for the upcoming 2015 US Open.

2015 US Open National Playoffs-Florida
Winners and Finalists
(seeds in parenthesis)

USONP-2015-mens-singles-webMen’s Singles: (4) Terrell Whitehurst (Tallahassee, FL) d. (2) Korey Lovett (Brevard, N.C.) 7-6(6), 3-6, 6-4

The 6-foot-1 Whitehurst is a rising sophomore on the Florida State University team, this past season playing mainly at the No. 6 singles and No. 3 doubles positions, in doubles with his twin brother Terrance. In the semifinal Whitehurst upset top-seeded Jake Albo 6-3, 6-4. The runner-up Lovett is a rising sophomore on the University of Alabama team.

USONP-2015-womens-singles-webWomen’s Singles: Yukako Noi (Nara, Japan) d. Lauren Proctor (Tega Cay, S.C.) 7-6(4), 6-2

Japan’s Noi last year joined the FSU team as a junior transfer from Virginia Commonwealth University. “She is very upbeat, outgoing and full of laughter,” said FSU head coach Jennifer Hyde at the time. “We are excited for her addition and with her arrival this team is eight deep and eight strong — more than any team we’ve ever had in the history of Florida State tennis.” In the semifinals Noi, who did not drop a set during the tournament, upended top-seeded Jessica Ho 6-3, 6-1. Proctor is a recent high school graduate from South Carolina and has committed to play at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, S.C.

USONP-2015-mens-doubles-webMen’s Doubles: Ricky Doverspike (Tuscaloosa, AL)/Korey Lovett (Brevard, N.C.) d. Bill/John Cook (Kings Park, N.Y.) 6-0, 6-2

Lovett lost to Terrell Whitehurst in the men’s singles final, but beat Whitehurst and his brother in the quarterfinals en route to the men’s doubles title. The University of Alabama player teamed with former Crimson Tide No. 1 Ricky Doverspike, in the final rolling past New York tennis coaches Bill and John Cook. The pair did not drop a set during the tournament.

USONP-2015-womens-doubles-webWomen’s Doubles: Lauren Proctor (Tega Cay, S.C.)/Miranda Talbert (Bradenton, FL) d. Heather Kaiser (Gainesville, FL)/Sheronda Thompson (Gainesville, FL) 6-1, 6-0

Proctor lost in the women’s singles final but teamed with Bradenton’s Talbert, a rising junior at State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota, to claim the women’s doubles title. In the final they defeated the NTRP 3.5-rated USTA League-playing team of Kaiser-Thompson from Gainesville.

USONP-2015-mixed-webMixed Doubles: Vahid Mirzadeh (Wellington, FL)/Amy Sargeant (Tallahassee, FL) d. Lance Cohen (Orlando, FL)/Stephanie Kent (Orlando, FL) 6-4, 6-3

The two former FSU players Mirzadeh and Sargeant were too much for Cohen, an aspiring ATP World Tour pro, and Kent, an aspiring WTA tour pro, both from Orlando. In the semifinals the eventual champions survived a third-set super-breaker against Therina Steenkamp and Shane Tyree of Covington, La., 6-4, 5-7, 10-7. Sargeant is a former US Open National Playoffs-Florida title winner, capturing the women’s singles championship in 2013.

The 2015 US Open National Playoffs Men’s and Women’s Singles Championships will be held Aug. 21-24. The Men’s and Women’s Doubles Championships will be held Aug. 25-28, and the Mixed Doubles Championships will be held Aug. 26-29.

The winners of the Men’s and Women’s Singles Championships earn a wild card into the US Open Qualifying Tournament at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, held the weekend prior to the US Open. The winners of the Men’s and Women’s Doubles Championships earn a wild card into the main draw of the US Open men’s and women’s doubles draws, while the winner of the Mixed Doubles Championship will earn a wild card into the main draw of the US Open mixed doubles draw.

US OPEN NATIONAL PLAYOFFS-FLORIDA
SECTION CHAMPIONS HISTORY

Men’s Singles:
2015 — Terrell Whitehurst, Tallahassee
2014 — Jeff Dadamo, Tampa
2013 — Jeff Dadamo, Tampa *
2012 — Eric Hechtman, Miami
2011 — Oleg Dmitriev, Dania Beach
2010 — Olivier Sajous, Plantation
* Won the national championship that year and advanced to the US Open men’s qualifying singles

Women’s Singles:
2015 — Yukako Noi, Japan
2014 — Liz Jeukeng, Boca Raton
2013 — Amy Sargeant, Great Britain/Tallahassee
2012 — Sandra Roma, Sweden
2011 — Caroline Dailey, Sarasota
2010 — Jan Abaza, Deerfield Beach

Men’s Doubles:
2015 — Ricky Doverspike (Tuscaloosa, AL)/Korey Lovett (Brevard, N.C.)
(division first held in 2015)

Women’s Doubles:
2015 — Lauren Proctor (Tega Cay, S.C.)/Miranda Talbert (Bradenton, FL)
(division first held in 2015)

Mixed Doubles:
2015 — Vahid Mirzadeh (Wellington, FL)/Amy Sargeant (Tallahassee, FL)
2014 — Brittany Dubins/Billy Federhofer (Miami, FL)
2013 — Jesse/Sarah Witten (Naples, FL) (brother/sister)
2012 — Ryler DeHeart/Megan Fudge (Largo, FL) (husband/wife)
2011 — Ellis Ferreira (Holmes Beach, FL)/Amanda Rodgers (Bradenton, FL) (former Slam winner/student)
(division first held in 2011)

The US Open remains the only of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments to offer the opportunity for any player to qualify.

For USTA Florida Section tournament draws or more information go to http://tennislink.usta.com/Tournaments/TournamentHome/Tournament.aspx?T=169840.

 

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