November 1st, 2017
3 Players Win Multiple Titles at 69th USTA Florida ‘Bobby Curtis’ State Tennis Doubles
Three players doubled-up on titles over the weekend when Florida state doubles champions were crowned in 12s-18s boys’, girls’ and mixed doubles divisions at the 69th USTA Florida “Bobby Curtis” Junior State Doubles Championships, held Oct. 28-30, 2017 at the USTA National Campus in Orlando and Sanlando Park in Altamonte Springs.
In the 18s division a pair swept both their doubles and the mixed when Winter Garden’s Casey Accola won the girls’ crown, and Orlando’s Juan Bianchi captured the boys’. The two then paired to win the 18s mixed title.
Accola win the girls’ title with Miramar’s Jamilah Snells, who in 2014 won her first title in the Girls’ 12s. Bianchi wins the boys’ 18s title one year after winning the 16s. Bianchi’s 18s partner this year, Luis Iriarte Bastidas of Weston, claimed his second “Bobby Doubles” win after last year bringing home the Mixed 16s trophy.
Micah Braswell of Sarasota duplicated the feat in the 16s, winning the boys’ title then the mixed with fellow Sarasota native Paris Hudson. For Braswell it was a second career Bobby Doubles title after taking home the Boys’ 12s in 2015.
Pinecrest’s Sophia Fornaris won the Girls’ 16s title only one year after collecting her first Bobby Doubles title in the Girls’ 14s.
It’s no easy feat for a team to step up an age division and immediately win a state title, but Yair Gritzman (Boca Raton) and Lara Smejkal (Boca Raton) did just that in the Mixed 14 Doubles, winning 12 months after last year capturing the Mixed 12s title, the second Bobby Doubles title for both players.
Another repeat winner was Riverview’s Andre Medicielo, who won the Boys’ 12s title, adding to his Boys’ 10s title in 2014.
Finals results (multiple division winners in bold):
Girls’ 18 Doubles: (4) Casey Accola (Winter Garden)/Jamilah Snells (Miramar) d. (3) Samantha Alicea (Palmetto Bay)/Isabella Montana (Cutler Bay) 6-4, 1-6, 10-8
Boys’ 18 Doubles: (4) Juan Bianchi (Orlando)/Luis Iriarte Bastidas (Weston) d. Jericho Grollman (Altamonte Springs)/Jordi Redelijk (Windermere) 4-6, 6-2, 10-8
Mixed 18 Doubles: Casey Accola (Winter Garden)/Juan Bianchi (Orlando) won round robin
Girls’ 16 Doubles: (2) Sophia Fornaris (Pinecrest)/Ariel Johnson (Coconut Creek) d. (4) Paris Hudson (Sarasota)/Olivia Jablonski (Lutz) 7-5, 6-0
Boys’ 16 Doubles: (2) Micah Braswell (Sarasota)/Chase Martin (Tampa) d. (6) Andy Mackler (Lake Mary)/Benjamin Zipay (Osprey) 6-3, 3-6, 10-8
Mixed 16 Doubles: Micah Braswell (Sarasota)/Paris Hudson (Sarasota) d. (4) Emily Javedan (Ft. Myers)/Carter Morgan (Jacksonville) 6-3, 7-6(3)
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- Left to right: Girls’ 16s champs Ariel Johnson and Sophia Fornaris, and finalists Paris Hudson and Olivia Jablonski
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- Left to right: Boys’ 16s champs Michah Braswell and Chase Martin, and finalists Andy Mackler and Ben Zipay
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- Left to right: Mixed 16s champs Michah Braswell and Paris Hudson, and finalists Emily Javedan and Carter Morgan
Girls’ 14 Doubles: (1) DJ Bennett (Belleview)/Didi Bredberg Canizares (Wesley Chapel) d. Cecilia Alcobe-Garibay (Miami)/Ada Jane de Alcantara (Boca Raton) 6-4, 6-3
Boys’ 14 Doubles: (1) Adam Duan (Davie)/Solomon Giles (Pembroke Pines) d. (2) Peter Anastasakis (Bradenton)/Yannik Rahman (Miami) 6-1, 6-1
Mixed 14 Doubles: (2) Yair Gritzman (Boca Raton)/Lara Smejkal (Boca Raton) d. (1) DJ Bennett (Belleview)/Solomon Giles (Pembroke Pines) 7-5, 3-6, 13-11
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- Left to right: Girls’ 14s champs Didi Bredberg and DJ Bennett, and finalists Cecilia Alcobe-Garibay and Ada Jane de Alcantara
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- Left to right: Boys’ 14s champs Solomon Giles and Adam Duan, and finalists Yannik Rahman and Peter Anastasakis
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- Left to right: Mixed 14s champs Yair Gritzman and Lara Smejkal, and finalists Solomon Giles and DJ Bennett
Girls’ 12 Doubles: (2) Emily Barua (Boca Raton)/Cameron Didion (Orlando) d. (3) Mary Boyce Deatherage (Maitland)/Nyjah Head (Miami) 6-4, 6-3
Boys’ 12 Doubles: (2) Andre Medicielo (Riverview)/Hunter Nussbaum (Tampa) d. (1) Julian Alonso (Jupiter)/Andres Wolf (North Miami Beach) 3-6, 6-2, 10-6
Mixed 12 Doubles: (3) Nyjah Head (Miami)/Charlie Spencer (Longwood) d. (7) Benjamin Kreynes (Wesley Chapel)/Blake Rothchild (Tampa) 6-7(4), 6-4, 12-10
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- Left to right: Girls’ 12s champs Emily Barua and Cameron Didion, and finalists Mary Deatherage and Nyjah Head
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- Left to right: Boys’ 12s champs Hunter Nussbaum and Andre Medicielo, and finalists Julian Alonso and Andres Wolf
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- Left to right: Mixed 12s champs Nyjah Head and Charlie Spencer
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- Left to right: Mixed 12s finalists Blake Rothchild and Benjamin Kreynes
Former “Bobby Curtis” Florida state doubles winners include two-time NCAA champ Danielle Collins (Girls’ 18s-2010, Mixed 12s-2005), former WTA doubles world No. 1-ranked and Wimbledon winner Corina Morariu (Girls’ 16s-1992, Girls’ 14s-1991) and former ATP player Wayne Odesnik (Boys’ 14s-1999).
Former world No. 1s Chris Evert, Jennifer Capriati, Andy Roddick and Jim Courier are among the players that have raised trophies in singles at the USTA Florida “Bobby Curtis” Junior State Singles Championships, previously known as the USTA Florida Jr. State Closed. Florida’s top event was renamed to honor the legendary Florida junior tennis organizer Bobby Curtis in 2012.
For complete age 12s and 14s draws, results and seedings, CLICK HERE.
For complete 16s and 18s draws, results and seedings, CLICK HERE.
