Dominant Broward County teams won a title and lost in another final over the weekend at the 2019 USTA Florida 40 & Over 3.5/4.5+ Sectional Championships, held July 27-29 at the USTA National Campus in Orlando.
Broward teams competing out of the Weston Tennis Center won the men’s 3.5 title, edging Orange County (Fort Gatlin Recreation Center, Orlando) 3-2, and fell in the women’s 3.5 final to Alachua County (D.B. Racquet Club, Gainesville) 4-1.
Collecting their second sectionals title of the 2019 season were Pinellas County (McMullen Tennis Center, Clearwater) in the women’s 4.5+, in the final stopping Sarasota County (Longboat Key Tennis Center) 3-2, and Miami-Dade South (Next Level Tennis K-town, Miami) in the men’s 4.5+ final, defeating Duval County (San Jose C.C., Jacksonville) 4-1.
Alachua’s women’s 3.5 win stopped Broward from winning a second consecutive title in the division. Broward’s win in the men’s 3.5 division was their third in a row, all coming from the Weston Tennis Center.
Pinellas’ women’s 4.5 championship effort was also a repeat from the 2018 season. Miami’s Next Level Tennis K-town squad won the men’s 4.5+ title for the second time in three years.
Broward County extends its lead in the race for the USTA Florida League Championship Cup to two titles ahead of a seven-way tie in second-place between Alachua, Collier, Duval, Hillsborough, Miami, Pinellas, and Sarasota counties (see updated cup standings below).
The event drew the top 40 & Over USTA League teams from throughout Florida, representing various clubs, parks, recreational departments and organizations that finished at the top of their local leagues. Teams consisting of two singles and three doubles lines competed in a non-elimination round-robin format, with flight winners advancing into a single-elimination semifinal followed by the final.
The championship teams next advance to represent the USTA Florida Section at the USTA 40 & Over League National Championships on Oct. 18-20 for the 3.5 division at the OKC Tennis Center in Oklahoma City, and Oct. 25-27 for the 4.5+ division at the USTA National Campus in Orlando.
Division winners and finalists:
40 & Over Women’s 3.5
Final: Alachua County (D.B. Racquet Club, Gainesville) d. Broward County (Weston Tennis Club) 4-1
Championship Match Results:
No. 1 Singles: Ching Zhou (Alachua) d. Virna Trujillo 6-3, 6-1
No. 2 Singles: Sheronda Thompson (Alachua) d. Frances Cubano 6-4, 6-3
No. 1 Doubles: Beth Mills/Cynthia Reider (Alachua) d. Mercedes Miodownik/Delia Bolanos 6-0, 6-0
No. 2 Doubles: Amanda Fuller/Elaine Almond (Alachua) d. Marianne Rivas/Raiza Matheus 6-1, 5-1, retired
No. 3 Doubles: Maria Lanza/Silvina Peloso (Broward) d. Marcia MacWiliams/Susan Chase 7-6, 6-3
Alachua County Season Roster: Elaine Almond (captain), Marcia MacWiliams, Beth Mills, Amanda Fuller, Gina Dell, Angela Mauriello, Dorie Frum, Ashley Murray, Sheronda Thompson, Heather Adkins, Cynthia Reider, Ching Zhou, Susan Benton, Susan Chase, Tahereh Toghiyani
40 & Over Men’s 3.5
Final: Broward County (Weston Tennis Center) d. Orange County (Fort Gatlin Recreation Center, Orlando) 3-2
Championship Match Results:
No. 1 Singles: Marco Garcia (Broward) d. Derrick Meer 6-7, 6-1, 1-0
No. 2 Singles: German Briceno (Broward) d. Owen Renejane 6-3, 6-3
No. 1 Doubles: Joe Baile/Mark Meyer (Orange) d. Jack Vargas/Julio Salazar 3-6, 6-3, 1-0
No. 2 Doubles: Joseph Flood/Brian Edlund (Orange) d. Gianfranco Bacigalupo/Francisco Garcia 2-6, 6-4, 1-0
No. 3 Doubles: Andres Pompei/Junior Carrasquero (Broward) d. Thomas Crociata/Carrlynn Dewitt 0-6, 6-4, 1-0
Broward County Season Roster: Jack Vargas (captain), Raul Sanchez Dominguez, Gilberto Buitrago, Raul Diaz, German Briceno, George Martinez, Andres Pompei, Marcelo Kuhn, Julio Salazar, Junior Carrasquero, Franco De Andreis, Domenico Matinata, Marco Garcia, Jose Salazar, Francisco Garcia, Gianfranco Bacigalupo
40 & Over Women’s 4.5+
Final: Pinellas County (McMullen Tennis Center, Clearwater) d. Sarasota County (Longboat Key Tennis Center) 3-2
Championship Match Results:
No. 1 Singles: Elizabeth Baldwin (Pinellas) d. Kelly Dancer 7-5, 6-3
No. 2 Singles: Chris Bartos (Pinellas) d. Lisa Rott 6-4, 6-1
No. 1 Doubles: Jennifer Fiers/Kathy Rosenberg (Sarasota) d. Gail Gibson/Karen MacCormack 7-6, 6-3
No. 2 Doubles: Sharon Benson/Joan Simmons (Pinellas) d. Lilian Peltz-Petow/Sonja Dickey 0-6, 7-6, 1-0
No. 3 Doubles: Adriana Garcia/Kate Thayer-Rhodes (Sarasota) d. Mary Ann Porter/Denise Agnew 6-1, 6-1
Pinellas County Season Roster: Suzanne Flament-Smith (captain), Gail Gibson, Joan Simmons, Mary Ann Porter, Maki Smith, Danielle Hollis, Sharon Benson, Elizabeth Baldwin, Shannon Longo, Denise Agnew, Karen MacCormack, JoAnn Barbetta, Chris Bartos, Dianne Albina, Donna Parimore
40 & Over Men’s 4.5+
Final: Miami-Dade South (Next Level Tennis K-town, Miami) d. Duval County (San Jose C.C., Jacksonville) 4-1
Championship Match Results:
No. 1 Singles: Pedro Leon (Miami) d. Greg Nydick 6-1, 6-3
No. 2 Singles: Marcos Lopez (Miami) d. Brian Landeweer 6-3, 6-3
No. 1 Doubles: Kenneth Thome/Pedro Pozzobon (Miami) d. Mark Frisk/Flavio Soares 6-1, 6-1
No. 2 Doubles: Kevin Grant/Brian DeAlexandris (Duval) d. Ramon Hudec/G. Emerson Fales 7-6, 6-1
No. 3 Doubles: Javier Bolanos/Jorge Ramirez (Miami) d. Richard Redick/Tim Orr 6-2, 6-4
Miami Season Roster: Herbert Portillo (captain), Marcos Lopez, Martin Escobedo, Mike Fields, Jorge Ramirez, Alexander Romero, Sergio Campos, Ramon Hudec, G. Emerson Fales, Pedro Pozzobon, Pedro Leon, Randolph Seivane, Patricio Madariaga, Javier Bolanos, Tomas Rodriquez, Kenneth Thome, Luis Portillo
2019 USTA FLORIDA LEAGUE
CHAMPIONSHIP CUP STANDINGS
The USTA Florida League Championship Cup is awarded to the county with the most league sectionals titles during the 2019 season (standings through July 31, recent winners in bold):
1. Broward County (4 titles) — 65&Over-M8.0, X40&Over-9.0, 40&Over-M3.0,M3.5
2T. Alachua County (2) — 55&Over-W3.5, 40&Over-W3.5
2T. Collier County (2) — 65&Over-W6.0, X40&Over-7.0
2T. Duval County (2) — 65&Over-W7.0, 55&Over-M4.5
2T. Hillsborough County (2) — 55&Over-W4.5,40&Over-W3.0
2T. Miami-Dade (2) — 55&Over-M3.5, 40&Over-M4.5+
2T. Pinellas County (2) — 65&Over-W8.0, 40&Over-W4.5+
2T. Sarasota County (2) — 55&Over-W4.0, X40&Over-8.0
9T. Clay County (1) — X40&Over-6.0
9T. Escambia County (1) — 55&Over-W3.0
9T. Marion County (1) — 65&Over-M7.0
9T. Martin County (1) — 40&Over-W4.0
9T. Orange County (1) — 40&Over-M4.0
9T. Palm Beach County (1) — 55&Over-M4.0
Note: County determined by location of team’s home club. Season-ending ties to be broken by teams’ 1st-4th place results at USTA League Nationals.
Next Sectionals: Aug. 10-12 — 18 & Over 3.0/4.0/5.0+, USTA National Campus, Orlando
Established in 1980, USTA League has grown from 13,000 participants in a few parts of the country in its first year to more than 904,000 players across the nation today, making it the world’s largest recreational tennis league. The league groups players by using six National Tennis Rating Program (NTRP) levels, ranging from 2.5 (entry) to 5.0 (advanced). USTA League is open to any USTA member 18 years of age or older.
For more information on USTA Florida Leagues go to www.ustaflorida.com/leagues.
