Broward County continued to dominant Florida league sectionals and collected their 10th title of the season at the USTA Florida Mixed 18 & Over League 6.0/8.0/10.0 Sectional Championships, held Oct. 12-14, 2019 at the USTA National Campus in Orlando.
Broward County won the Mixed 8.0 division, defeating Miami-Dade South. The squad edged-out the 8.0 title by winning two third-set super-tiebreakers.
Squads from Brevard and Orange Counties were also crowned sectional champions. Brevard County won the Mixed 6.0 division, defeating the juggernaut Broward County for its first sectionals title of the season. Orange County won the Mixed 18 & Over 10.0 division, defeating Brevard County in the final. The dominant USTA National Campus team swept all matches in round robin play.
Both Broward and Brevard had the chance to win two titles, falling short in one final each.
The Mixed 18 & Over 8.0 title was Broward’s 10th sectionals title of the season and they retain a commanding lead in the USTA Florida League Championship Cup standings. Orange County separated itself out into second place. The USTA Florida League Championship Cup is awarded at season’s end to the county that wins the most USTA Florida League Sectionals titles in 2019 (see standings below).
The event drew the top Mixed 18 & 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 consisted of three doubles lines competing in a non-elimination round-robin format, with flight winners advancing into a single-elimination semifinal followed by the final.
The sectionals-winning teams will next represent the USTA Florida Section at the USTA League Mixed 18 & Over National Championships on Nov. 8-10, 2019 at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Fla.
Final Results:
Mixed 18 & Over 6.0
Final: Brevard County (Viera Regional Park) d. Broward County (Frank Veltri Tennis Center, Plantation) 2-1
Championship Match Results:
No. 1 Doubles: Lester Lopez/Nicole Bertran (Brevard) d. Kerri Paul/Lawrence Freni 6-1, 6-2
No. 2 Doubles: Agatha Alesson/Mike Tichacek (Broward) d. Nick George/Heather Harris 6-0, 6-2
No. 3 Doubles: Michael Chen/Donna Paternoster (Brevard) d. Lucy Bastidas/Carlos Alesson 6-1, 6-3
Brevard County Season Roster: Heather Harris (captain), Kim Carroll, Evelyn Dobson, Nick George, Jamey Carroll, Donna Paternoster, Jennifer Ellingson, Michael Chen, Lester Lopez, Martin Rojas, Nicole Bertran, Vincent Vo, Omar Meguid, Gustavo Toledo, Brooke Boss, Natalie Decker
Mixed 18 & Over 8.0
Final: Broward County (Dillon Tennis Center, Oakland Park) d. Miami-Dade South (Ron Ehmann Tennis Center, Miami) 2-1
Championship Match Results:
No. 1 Doubles: Anthony Phillips/Karen Williams (Broward) d. Miguel Fundora/Maria Soledad Castellano 6-1, 4-6, 1-0
No. 2 Doubles: Antonio Necuze/Alejandra Siller (Miami) d. Michael Stites/Erin Pasternack 6-4 6-3
No. 3 Doubles: Agustin Crochi Torres/Loren Levine (Broward) d. Andres Lozano/Beth Pritchett 6-4, 4-6, 1-0
Broward County Season Roster: Kevin Sims (captain), Erin Pasternack, Karen Williams, Jill Cady, Anthony Phillips, Frances Cubano, Loren Levine, Michael Stites, Juan Maldonado, Caroline Rinehart, Marcus Pfenninger, Virna Trujillo, Alex Barlow, Gaurav Hingorani, Agustin Crochi Torres, Patricio Casali, Eliu Montero, Brooke Oransky, Humphrey Allen, Caprice Thomas, Marie Ferrigno
Mixed 18 & Over 10.0
Final: Orange County (USTA National Campus, Orlando) defeated Brevard County (Kiwi Tennis Club, Indian Harbour Beach) 2-0 in round robin play
Orange County Season Roster: Adelaide Wood (captain), Marco Herrera, Beau Fieldsend, Mika Todo, Neto Cacace, Karl Davies, Veronica Barni, Stacey Fieldsend, Bryn Auld, Jamie Feagan
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 Oct. 15, recent winners in bold):
1. Broward County (10 titles) — 65&Over-M8.0, X40&Over-9.0, 40&Over-M3.0,M3.5; 18&Over-M3.5/M4.0/M4.5/W4.5, X18&Over-7.0,8.0
2. Orange County (4) — 40&Over-M4.0, 18&Over-W4.0,M5.0+,X10.0
3T. Alachua County (3) — 55&Over-W3.5, 40&Over-W3.5, 18&Over-W2.5
3T. Duval County (3) — 65&Over-W7.0, 55&Over-M4.5, 18&Over-W3.0
3T. Hillsborough County (3) — 55&Over-W4.5,40&Over-W3.0, 18&Over-W5.0+
3T. Miami-Dade (3) — 55&Over-M3.5, 40&Over-M4.5+, X18&Over-9.0
7T. Collier County (2) — 65&Over-W6.0, X40&Over-7.0
7T. Escambia County (2) — 55&Over-W3.0, 18&Over-W2.5
7T. Pinellas County (2) — 65&Over-W8.0, 40&Over-W4.5+
7T. Sarasota County (2) — 55&Over-W4.0, X40&Over-8.0
11T. Brevard County (1) — X18&Over-6.0
11T. Clay County (1) — X40&Over-6.0
11T. Leon County (1) — 18&Over-M3.0
11T. Marion County (1) — 65&Over-M7.0
11T. Martin County (1) — 40&Over-W4.0
11T. 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: Nov. 9-11, Combo 50 & Over, 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.
