Escambia County (Roger Scott Tennis Center, Pensacola), Palm Beach County (Parkland), and Sarasota County (Longwood Athletic Club, Sarasota) all won their first USTA Florida League Sectionals titles of 2019 on Monday when the USTA Florida 55 & Over 3.0/4.0 League Sectional Championships concluded at the USTA National Campus in Orlando.
Escambia County rolled over Collier County (The Player’s Club & Spa, Naples) 3-0 in the women’s 3.0 championship. The other two finals were tighter affairs as Sarasota County edged Duval County (Boone Park, Jacksonville) 2-1 in the women’s 4.0 final, and Palm Beach County defeated Nassau County (Amelia National) 2-1 in the men’s 4.0 championship.
With the women’s 3.0 win Escambia ended a three-year stranglehold on the division by Duval County. Palm Beach County won its first 55 & Over sectional title since the USTA began the age division nationwide in 2013.
The three championship teams next advance to represent the USTA Florida Section at the USTA 55 & Over League National Championships on Nov. 1-3 for the 4.0, and on Nov. 8-10 for the 3.0, both in Surprise, Ariz.
The three winning teams join five others in a first-place tie for USTA Florida League Championship Cup (see standings below), which is awarded to the county at the end of the season with the most USTA Florida League Sectionals titles.
Division winners and finalists:
55 & Over Women’s 3.0 Division
Final: Escambia County (Roger Scott Tennis Center, Pensacola) d. Collier County (The Player’s Club & Spa, Naples) 3-0
Championship Match Results:
No. 1 Doubles: Ingrid Corbett/Tonya Chase (Escambia) d. Janet Olliges/Karen Shmihluk 7-5, 7-6
No. 2 Doubles: Deborah Reese/Carolyn Moore (Escambia) d. Doris Duignan/Una Shields 6-0, 6-3
No. 3 Doubles: Carole Cantin/Jean Cochran (Escambia) d. Beverley Wilen/Robin Harper 3-6, 6-4, 1-0
Escambia Season Roster: Prebble Baker (captain), Ingrid Corbett, Susan Bentley, Deborah Reese, Jean Cochran, Carolyn Moore, Carole Cantin, Helen McDaniel, Tonya Chase, Allison McCrory
55 & Over Women’s 4.0 Division
Final: Sarasota County (Longwood Athletic Club, Sarasota) d. Duval County (Boone Park, Jacksonville) 2-1
Championship Match Results:
No. 1 Doubles: Catherine McGee/Margaret Desaussure (Duval) d. Dorene Seider/Lynn Deuitch 7-6, 7-5
No. 2 Doubles: Lorraine Varone/Beverly Kalil (Sarasota) d. Mary Armstrong/Sharon Anderson 6-1, 6-0
No. 3 Doubles: Christine Adelman/Marilyn Weisenberg (Sarasota) d. Carol Whitmire/Teresa Borchelt 6-2, 6-4
Sarasota Season Roster: Beverly Kalil (captain), Lynn Deuitch, Donna Hannigan, Christine Adelman, Yvonne Ghilardi, Lorraine Varone, Cathy Powell, Dorene Seider, SueAnn Sanders, Julie Wolfe, Karen Adams, Marilyn Weisenberg
55 & Over Men’s 4.0 Division
Final: Palm Beach County (Parkland) d. Nassau County (Amelia National) 2-1
Championship Match Results:
No. 1 Doubles: Chris Cury/Joel Lerner (Palm Beach) d. Jeffry Kunkel/Richard Rudolph 6-4, 6-2
No. 2 Doubles: Edward Spiezio/James Smith (Nassau) d. William Dellinger/Kevin McCarthy 7-5, 6-2
No. 3 Doubles: Bill Day/Drew Wright (Palm Beach) d. William O’Sullivan/David Jenkins 6-1, 6-2
Palm Beach Season Roster: Michael Kelly(captain), Chris Cury, William Dellinger, Bill Day, Howard Weinstein, Reed Edelman, Kevin McCarthy, Joel Lerner, James McLaughlin, Drew Wright
Teams consisting of three doubles lines competed in a non-elimination round-robin format. The winner of each flight/division was determined by team matches won. The winner of each flight then advanced into a single-elimination semifinal followed by the final. NTRP levels of play were 3.0 and 4.0. For more information on NTRP levels go to www.usta.com/en/home/play/play-as-a-member/national/about-ntrp-ratings.html.
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 May 8, recent winners in bold):
1T. Broward County (1 title) — 65&Over-M8.0
1T. Collier County (1) — 65&Over-W6.0
1T. Duval County (1) — 65&Over-W7.0
1T. Escambia County (1) — 55&Over-W3.0
1T. Marion County (1) — 65&Over-M7.0
1T. Palm Beach County (1) — 55&Over-M4.0
1T. Pinellas County (1) — 65&Over-W8.0
1T. Sarasota County (1) — 55&Over-W4.0
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: May 18-20 — 55 & Over 3.5/4.5, Florida Tennis Center, Daytona Beach
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.
