November 13th, 2017
Ft. King Tennis Wins 2 at USTA Florida Combo 50 & Over League Championships
Ocala’s Ft. King Tennis Center out of Marion County was the big winner at the 2017 USTA Florida Combo 50 & Over League Sectional Championships, clinching two titles on Nov. 10-12 at the Florida Tennis Center in Daytona Beach.
Marion County’s wins in the Men’s 6.5 and 7.5 divisions moved them from 7 to No. 4 in the race to finish the year atop the USTA Florida League Championship Cup Standings (see standings below).
“We had a great time at the USTA Florida sectionals in Daytona,” said Ocala Men’s 7.5 captain Paul Franck. “It was well organized and the courts were in awesome shape. Winning the finals with two third-set tiebreakers will make it a memorable experience.”
Hillsborough County took over sole possession of third place on the cup standings after capturing their fifth sectionals championship of the season. It was Hillsborough’s third win in the Men’s 8.5 division at the state level in the last four seasons.
“Congratulations to captain Kallick and his Miami team,” said Hillsborough captain Barney Bailey after his team edged Miami-Dade South (Coral Oaks Tennis Club) in round robin play. “Great guys, great competition, and I am sure we will see you and your teammates soon at another USTA sectional tournament. And certainly special congratulations to my teammates with the Avila Mutiny for a hard-fought season to the very end!”
For Martin County it was a second sectionals title of the season after first winning the 65 & Over Women’s 7.0 earlier this year.
“There were great points and a nail-biting finish,” said Martin County Women’s 6.5 captain Sue Harrington after her team edged Miami-Dade South (Alper Jewish Community Center, Miami) 2-1. “All teams should be proud of their level of play and the sportsmanship that was shown. A special thanks to all of the Daytona crew for a great experience.”
Escambia and St. Johns counties won their first sectional titles of the season. Miami-Dade teams looked poised to collect multiple titles entering the Sunday finals but finished a heartbreaking 0-3 in championship matches.
The Miami-Dade South Women’s 6.5 team was awarded sportsmanship pins after giving an opponent team extra time for their match after a location mishap.
The Miami Women’s 6.5 sportsmanship pin winners
“One of the teams went to the USTA National Campus for their first match on Friday, forgetting that the sectionals was at the Florida Tennis Center,” said USTA Florida Leagues Program Coordinator Jodi Manning. “The team from South Miami-Dade was very understanding and patient and allowed the team to travel to Daytona and play their first match without defaulting any lines or starting with penalties.”
The competing teams represented various clubs, parks, recreational departments and organizations, and finished at the top of their local leagues during the 2017 season in the state of Florida to advance to the USTA Florida Combo 50 & Over League Sectional Championships.
For Combo 50 & Over 6.5-8.5 doubles-only division play, the combined NTRP (National Tennis Rating Program) ratings of each doubles team may not exceed the level in which they are competing, and the NTRP rating difference between members of an individual doubles pair may not exceed 0.5. For more information on NTRP levels go to www.usta.com/content/dam/usta/pdfs/10013_experience_player_ntrp_characteristics1%20(2).pdf.
Finals results:
50 & Over Women’s 6.5
Final: Martin County (Monarch Country Club, Palm City) d. Miami-Dade South (Alper Jewish Community Center, Miami) 2-1
Championship Match Results:
No. 1 Doubles: Janet Wesch/Nancy Pribble (Martin) d. Karen Fishman/Crissy Ravelo 5-7, 6-4, 1-0 (super-tiebreaker)
No. 2 Doubles: Darla Cederberg/Bonnie Robinson (Martin) d. Silvana Caamano/Angelica Abud 6-4, 6-0
No. 3 Doubles: Carole Bernstein/Andrea Gil (Miami) d. Allison Warren/Diane Woods 6-2, 6-1
Martin County Season Roster: Suzanne Harrington (captain), Bonnie Robinson, Carol Kucharski, Cindy Absher, Stephanie Battjer, Laura Kanzer, Nancy Pribble, Allison Warren, Jane Farkas, Marilyn Kuryluk, Josefina Ngo, Darla Cederberg, Patricia Matlyak, Kelly Nicol, Diane Woods, Janet Wesch
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50 & Over Women’s 7.5
Final: Escambia County (Roger Scott Tennis Center, Pensacola) d. Miami-Dade South (Miami Shores C.C.) 3-0
Championship Match Results:
No. 1 Doubles: Wendy Hart/Gina Bevino (Escambia) d. Lee Lynott/Eunice McCann 6-2, 6-3
No. 2 Doubles: Tami Manning/Karen Richardson (Escambia) d. Brenda Salgado/Gena Barone 7-6, 5-7, 1-0
No. 3 Doubles: Shellie McCall/Darlene Warner (Escambia) d. Yuki Denmark/Ana Etzold 6-3, 6-3
Escambia County Season Roster: Shellie McCall (captain), Tonya DelGallo, Wendy Hart, Tami Manning, Gina Bevino, Jeanie Ephron, Debbie Cook, Renee Baggett, Mae Dean, Betty Wolff, Tracey Mcclurd, Darlene Warner, Jacqueline Wallace, Karen Richardson
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50 & Over Women’s 8.5
Final: St. Johns County (Palencia, St. Augustine) finished ahead of Hillsborough County (Harry Gilbert’s Tampa Tennis) 4-1 to 3-2 in round robin play
St. Johns County Season Roster: Sue Kansteiner (captain), Kimiko Stephens, Jan Sisko, Lisa Miller, Chris Brindle, Rebecca Sejeck, Patricia Livesay, Cindy Vermut, Kathy Smith, Donna Kamke, Teri Sackmaster, Elizabeth Hall, Sheryl Craig, Carson Phillips
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50 & Over Men’s 6.5
Final: Marion County (Ft. King Tennis Center, Ocala) finished ahead of Alachua County (Jonesville Tennis Center, Gainesville) 2-1 to 1-2 in round robin play
Marion County Season Roster: Jerry McLauchlin (captain), Edwin Giddings, Charles Anthony, Scott Kiefer, Danny York, Jack Matlock, Michael Garlisi, Thomas Croley, Robert Williams, Ralf Barckhausen, Scott Anthony, John Collins, Robert Brombach, Guy Lemieux, Steve Gray, Howard Hitchcock, Christian Oraedu
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50 & Over Men’s 7.5
Final: Marion County (Ft. King Tennis Center, Ocala) d. Hillsborough County (City of Temple Terrace) 2-1
Championship Match Results:
No. 1 Doubles: Robert Chen/Larry Palombo (Hillsborough) d. Charles Lakatos/Efren Vasquez 6-4, 6-0
No. 2 Doubles: Christopher Blue/Luis Rosario (Marion) d. Richard Scott/Michael Costanza 3-6, 6-3, 1-0 (super-tiebreaker)
No. 3 Doubles: Paul Franck/Michael Garlisi (Marion) d. Gary Zirbel/Richard Warrener 6-3, 4-6, 1-0 (super-tiebreaker)
Marion County Season Roster: Paul Franck (captain), Alan MacMurray, Bob Hatcher, Charles Lakatos, Michael Garlisi, Christopher Blue, Robert Poling, Earl Schwartz, John Collins, Luis Rosario, Andres Trias, Paul Steinberg, Efren Vasquez
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50 & Over Men’s 8.5
Final: Hillsborough County (Avila Golf & County Club, Tampa) finished ahead of Miami-Dade South (Coral Oaks Tennis Club, Miami) 2-1 to 1-2 in round robin play
Hillsborough County Season Roster: Barney Bailey (captain), Jeff Ralph, Michael Kosloske, Michael Teixeira, Darin Garner, Martin Revello, John Holland, Paul Zack, Roger Bensinger, Albert Alhadeff, Jeff Dadamo, Robert Maisner
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2017 USTA FLORIDA LEAGUE
CHAMPIONSHIP CUP STANDINGS
Broward County remains a title ahead of Duval County, with Hillsborough County now a close third after a Combo 50 & Over Championships win. The USTA Florida League Championship Cup is awarded to the county with the most league sectionals titles during the 2017 season (standings through Nov. 13, most recent winners in bold):
1. Broward County (7 titles) — 55&Over-M4.0/M4.5, 40&Over-W4.0/M4.0/M3.5, 18&Over-W4.0/W3.5
2. Duval County (6) — 65&Over-W6.0, 55&Over-W3.0/W4.0, 18&Over-M3.0/W2.5, X18&Over-7.0
3. Hillsborough County (5) — 65&Over-M8.0, 40&Over-W4.5+, 18&Over-W3.0/M5.0+, Combo 50&Over-M8.5
4T. Marion County (4) — 65&Over-M7.0, 55&Over-M3.0, Combo 50&Over-M6.5/M7.5
4T. Miami-Dade County (4) — 40&Over-W3.0/W4.5+, 18&Over-M4.0/M4.5
4T. Orange County (4) — 55&Over-W4.5, 40&Over-W3.5, 18&Over-W5.0+/M3.5
7. Pinellas County (3) — X40&Over-8.0/9.0, x18&Over-9.0
8T. Collier County (2) — 65&Over-W8.0, 55&Over-W3.5
8T. Leon County (2) — X40&Over-7.0, 40&Over-M4.0
8T. Martin County (2) — 65&Over-W7.0, Combo 50&Over-W6.5
11T. Alachua County (1) — X18&Over-6.0
11T. Brevard County (1) — X18&Over-10.0
11T. Clay County (1) — 55&Over-M3.5
11T. Escambia County (1) — Combo 50&Over-W7.5
11T. Okaloosa County (1) — X18&Over-6.0
11T. Seminole County (1) — 18&OverW4.5
11T. St. Johns County (1) — Combo 50&Over-W8.5
11T. Volusia County (1) — X40&Over-6.0
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 Florida Sectional Championships: Dec. 1-3, Combo 18 & Over 6.5/8.5, 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.
