The race for the 2018 USTA Florida League Championship Cup became a wide-open affair after Duval County (Jacksonville) swept to three of the five titles on Monday at the USTA Florida 18 & Over 2.5/3.5/4.5 League Sectional Championships, held Aug. 18-20 at the USTA National Campus in Orlando.
Duval County won the women’s 2.5 and 4.5 titles, and men’s 4.5 division. The men’s 4.5 was the first men’s sectionals win for Duval, which has been powered by women’s titles in five of their six wins this season.
“Our team started three years ago, we had no idea what we were doing, most of us have never played before, but we all had a passion for the game of tennis,” said Duval County women’s 2.5 team captain Suzan Birdsong, whose team plays out of the Deerwood Country Club in Jacksonville. “We lost all of our matches the first year, and won a few the next year, and boom here we are competing in sectionals. With great team motivation, lessons and clinics, each member played their part in our win.
“We love USTA Leagues! Our local league coordinator Carson Phillips has kept us up to date with different leagues and tournament opportunities and has challenged us to win every step of the way. Thank you USTA for the phenomenal experience and incredible facility this weekend!”
Orange County (USTA National Campus, Orlando) won its second sectionals title of the season in the men’s 3.5 division, and Seminole County (Red Bug Lake Park, Casselberry) won its first sectionals title of the year in the women’s 3.5 division. Seminole’s sectionals win in the 18 & Over women’s 3.5 division was its third over the last four seasons.
Hillsborough County, the League Cup leader coming into the weekend, lost 4-1 in the women’s 4.5 final. Broward County, the League Cup champion over the last two seasons, was 0-2 in finals, beaten 5-0 in the women’s 3.5 championship, and edged 3-2 in the men’s 4.5 final.
The event drew the top 18 & Over division 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 (one singles and two doubles in the 2.5) competed in a non-elimination round-robin format, with flight winners advancing into single-elimination rounds or finals.
The winning teams advance to represent the USTA Florida Section at the USTA League National Championships: the 2.5 women and the 3.5s on Oct. 12-14 at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, and the 4.5s on Oct. 12-14 at the Arlington Tennis Center in Arlington, Texas.
Division winners and finalists:
18 & Over Women’s 4.5 Division
Final: Duval County (Glen Kernan Tennis Club, Jacksonville) d. Hillsborough County (Cheval Athletic Club, Lutz) 4-1
Championship Match Results:
No. 1 Singles: Deborah Grissett (Duval) d. Jenelle Morgan 6-1, 7-6
No. 2 Singles: Catherine Russell (Duval) d. Kate Panawash 6-0, 6-2
No. 1 Doubles: Mary Bush/Paula Miller (Duval) d. Maria Stand/Dianne Albina 0-6, 6-2, 1-0
No. 2 Doubles: Jennifer Dipaula/Denise Sheffield (Duval) d. Kelly Sincich/Mary Turnes 7-5, 6-4
No. 3 Doubles: Donna Parimore/Mary Paul (Hillsborough) d. Marie Waller/Geraldine Sy 7-5, 2-4 retired
Duval Season Roster: Helen Ciesla (captain), Jennifer Dipaula, Marie Waller, Rebecca Sejeck, Mary Bush, Jan Sisko, Adeline Landeweer, Lisa Miller, Jana Dankelman, Cynthia Searle, Cindy Vermut, Denise Sheffield, Paula Miller, Deborah Grissett, Geraldine Sy, Catherine Russell, Janet Thomasson
18 & Over Men’s 4.5 Division
Final: Duval County (Independent, Jacksonville) d. Broward County (Jimmy Evert Tennis Center, Ft. Lauderdale) 3-2
Championship Match Results:
No. 1 Singles: Rougel Jon Aninon (Duval) d. Matthew Kramer 6-0, 6-2
No. 2 Singles: Rob Norton (Broward) d. Glen Marshall 6-3, 6-2
No. 1 Doubles: Tyler Shelly/Michael Stockamore (Broward) d. Andy Tynan/Onke Murdono 7-6, 4-6, 1-0
No. 2 Doubles: Patrick Douglas/Adam Hausman (Duval) d. Randy Lloyd/Randy Kenyon 6-3, 6-2
No. 3 Doubles: Brandon Waked/Nick Goodwin (Duval) d. Anibal Ciffoni/Ricardo Garrido 6-0, 6-4
Duval Season Roster: Mike Feci (captain), Brandon Waked, Bill Schmermund, Rougel Jon Aninon, Andy Tynan, Matthew Struhar, Sherwin Alipio, Glen Marshall, Patrick Douglas, Nick Goodwin, Robert Bass, Michael Januzzi, Joey Guy, Bradley Clarkson, Bradley Sopotnick, Adam Hausman, Onke Murdono, Nathan Fabrick
18 & Over Women’s 3.5 Division
Final: Seminole County (Red Bug Lake Park, Casselberry) d. Broward County (Midtown Athletic Club, Weston) 5-0
Championship Match Results:
No. 1 Singles: Shanel Malapit (Seminole) d. Lissette Loddo 6-2, 6-2
No. 2 Singles: Madelyn Escudero (Seminole) d. Valeria Cisneros 6-1, 6-0
No. 1 Doubles: Kristina Godiksen/Rianne Sanchez (Seminole) d. Elizabeth Smalley/Sally Hernadez 6-4, 6-4
No. 2 Doubles: Misa Kawata/Isabelle Welsh (Seminole) d. Janilka Perez/Angelica Baez 6-4, 3-3 retired
No. 3 Doubles: Jennifer Carter/Wendy Sutch (Seminole) d. Taciana Kalili/Nathalie Schiaffino 6-2, 6-3
Seminole Season Roster: Madelyn Escudero (captain), Mary Lutz, Julie Fontaine, Erin Brown, Wanda Costanzo, Wendy Sutch, Shanel Malapit, Jennifer Carter, Rachel Halscott, Katherine Walker, Ann Jones, Isabelle Welsh, Kristina Godiksen, Misa Kawata, Rianne Sanchez, Shelly Bauer, Kathleen Cotton, Sarah Davey
18 & Over Men’s 3.5 Division
Final: Orange County (USTA National Campus, Orlando) d. Clay County (Eagle Harbor Country Club, Fleming Island) 5-0
Championship Match Results:
No. 1 Singles: Tiago Begliomini (Osceola) d. Hector Ortega 6-3, 6-3
No. 2 Singles: Diego Hermano (Osceola) d. Michael Rouse 6-3, 6-3
No. 1 Doubles: Gilberto Brandolezi/Gustavo Woiciechowski (Osceola) d. Neal McDaniel/Larry Townsend 6-4, 6-4
No. 2 Doubles: Nicholas Anderson/Jason Shiver (Osceola) d. Trey Hamel/Jim Proctor 3-6, 6-4, 1-0
No. 3 Doubles: Carlos Delpupo/Herman Souza de Azevedo (Osceola) d. Johnny Broyles/Brett Moyers 6-3, 6-3
Osceola Season Roster: Nicholas Anderson (captain), Gustavo Woiciechowski, Gilberto Brandolezi, Herman Souza de Azevedo, Andre Geraldo Pires de Mello, Diego Hermano, Thiago Gontijo, Carlos Delpupo, Peter Breuer, Alexandre Genovese, Allan Pelosi, Guilherme Barra, Jubal Filho, Lenny Santiago, Tiago Begliomini, Renato Barits, Jason Shiver
18 & Over Women’s 2.5 Division
Final: Duval County (Deerwood Country Club, Jacksonville) d. Orange County (Isleworth Tennis Club, Windermere) 2-1
Championship Match Results:
No. 1 Singles: Kristen Ackley (Orange) d. Holly Delaney 6-0, 6-4
No. 1 Doubles: Elizabeth Vavrica/Jennifer Conde (Duval) d. Claudine Galt/Candice Davis 7-6, 6-1
No. 2 Doubles: Julie Korsog/Suzan Birdsong (Duval) d. Carey Sheffield/Katharine Foley 3-6, 6-2, 1-0
Duval Season Roster: Suzan Birdsong (captain), Angie Wood, Ashley Carroll, Julie Korsog, Holly Delaney, Jennifer Conde, Lisa Aboudan, Elizabeth Vavrica, Robyn Sieron
NTRP levels of 18 & Over team play were 2.5, 3.5 and 4.5+. For more information on NTRP levels go to www.usta.com/en/home/play/play-as-a-member/national/about-ntrp-ratings.html.
2018 USTA FLORIDA LEAGUE
CHAMPIONSHIP CUP STANDINGS
Duval County exploded for three titles at the 18 & Over 2.5/3.5/4.5 league sectionals, vaulting them into a tie for first place with Hillsborough County. The USTA Florida League Championship Cup is awarded to the county with the most league sectionals titles during the 2018 season (standings through Aug. 21, recent winners in bold):
1T. Duval County (6 titles) — 65&Over-W6.0, 55&Over-W3.0, 18&Over-W2.5/W.4.5/M4.5/W5.0+
1T. Hillsborough County (6) — 55&Over-M3.5/4.0/4.5,W4.5, X40&Over-7.0, 18&Over-M5.0+
3. Pinellas County (5) — 65&Over-W7.0/8.0, 55&Over-W3.5/4.0, 40&Over-W4.5+
4. Collier County (4) — 65&Over-M7.0/8.0, 40&Over-W4.0, 18&Over-W4.0
5T. Broward County (3) — 40&Over-M3.5/W3.5, 18&Over-M4.0
5T. Miami-Dade County (3) — X40&Over-9.0, 40&Over-M4.0, 18&Over-W3.0
7T. Leon County (2) — 40&Over-M3.0, 18&Over-M3.0
7T. Orange County (2) — 40&Over-M4.5+, 18&Over-M3.5
9T. Escambia County (1) — X40&Over-6.0
9T. Martin County (1) — X40&Over-8.0
9T. Osceola County (1) — 40&Over-M4.5+/W3.0
9T. Seminole County (1) — 18&Over-W3.5
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: Oct. 6, Mixed 18 & Over 7.0/9.0, 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.
