Broward & Hillsborough County Win USTA Adult League National Championships; Other Top Finishers

The 2024 USTA Adult League National Championships began on October 18 and will run through four weekends with various divisions and age groups in play. The competition is happening around the county as Arizona, California, and Florida play hosts to many great tennis players. 

As we approach the end of October, half of the draws have been played and a bit over 20 teams representing USTA Florida have battled their hearts out. Through the first two weekends of Adult League Nationals, USTA Florida has two winners and many other top finishers! Let’s take a look at how the Sunshine State is doing at Nationals.  

Adult 18 & Over 3.5 Women’s Championship – Broward County 

Taking place in San Diego, California, Broward County took the courts for Florida in the 18 & Over 3.5 Women’s Championship. Things got started early for the squad out of Frank Veltri Tennis Center, as they won three of their four pool matches and secured a spot in the playoffs.  

This set up a semifinal match against the USTA Intermountain Districts, and it was an intense match. They split the singles lines, having all eyes turn to doubles. Florida was able to take the top two lines and earn their spot in the National Championship. 

They matched up against USTA Southern California, and these two sections delivered the match of the tournament. Leydin Gonzalez fell in line one to Eunice Han, but Yvonne Dacal was right there to pick her up and win the second line for singles. With everyone looking at doubles, it was time to lock in for Broward. Southern California jumped out quickly winning the top line, but Florida answered right back thanks to Lyana Blokhina and Paulette Janice Snagg. Everything came down to the third and final line. Jody Julmice and Ili Montnor put the team on their back and stormed back after dropping the first set to win the match and secure the National Trophy! 

Sara Contreras, the captain of the squad, embraced the journey and said she had big shoes to fill taking over as captain. “What I can say about this journey is that driven by the love I had for the sport and, most importantly, by the legacy left by our beloved Captain Lili, I took on the role Lili had held leading USTA teams in Broward County, Florida,” she said. “Once I was told by one of my dearest friends, Taci, that my most remarkable quality is resilience – I never give up that’s for sure. And I was lucky enough to put together an incredible group of friends and extraordinary tennis players that share the same principles, values and goals, we all know that a championship team is not built overnight that’s why we worked hard to get to sectionals not just one but more than four times until we made it to Nationals in 2022 and 2024, 2024 was our year to shine brighter than ever, a truly well deserved victory that must be celebrated.”

Sara’s peers love her leadership and is grateful that she is leading the team. “Trust and respect is something you earn, not something that is given. Our team through our captain’s leadership, has adapted, grown and became more knowledgeable during our time together,” they said. “We became stronger and wiser together. It has been a privilege to work along the side of each team member.”

Broward County won the championships in the Adult 18 & Over 3.5 Women’s division.

Finals: USTA Florida (Frank Veltri Tennis Center) defeated USTA Southern California 3-2 

No. 1 Singles: Eunice Han (SoCal) d. Leydin Gonzalez 6-2, 6-3 

No. 2 Singles: Yvonne Dacal (Florida) d. Tammy Nguyen 6-4, 1-6, 1-0 

No. 1 Doubles: Kim Tran/Jamie Bland (SoCal) d. Lissette Viloria/Amy Brown 6-1, 7-5 

No. 2 Doubles: Lyana Blokhina/Paulette Janice Snagg (Florida) d. Genesis Arreola/Christy Dozor 6-3, 3-6, 1-0 

No. 3 Doubles: Jody Julmice/Ili Montnor (Florida) d. Jill Brown/Sung Eun Kim 1-6, 6-2, 1-0 

Broward County Championship Roster: Sara Contreras (Captain), Raeven Yester, Maria Monserratte, Elizabeth Donalisio, Evelyn Daniels, Leydin Gonzalez, Ili Montnor, Camille Aponte, Amy Brown, Mariana Rodriguez, Linda Horta, Ning Yan, Paulette Janice Snagg, Lyana Blokhina, Lissette Viloria, Alex Grumet, Yenny Herrera, Audrey Gayle, Yoandra Perez, Yvonne Dacal, Kerri Paul, Jody Julmice 

Adult 40 & Over 4.0 M – Hillsborough County 

Right in the backyard for USTA Florida, Hillsborough County took the courts at the USTA National Campus in hopes to take advantage of the Florida weather and put together a strong performance. They dominated pool play, winning all four matches and only dropped two lines. 

This set up a semifinal match with USTA New England, where both teams gave it everything they got. The New England team was coming in hot with some impressive pool play matches, and as the teams traded lines back and forth, it was Florida who was able to win a close 3-2 match and advance to the finals against USTA Eastern. 

The championship didn’t disappoint as the tennis play was electric. Neither team had lost a match all weekend and they both left it all on the courts. Hillsborough County jumped out early, winning the singles lines as Hiren Bhatt won 6-4, 6-2. With four lines of doubles, anything could happen. The duos of Davis Bilardello and Jaime Villegas, and Chris New and Yarek Orsini were able to take their lines and secure an insanely close 3-2 championship! 

Jose Orsini, the captain of the team was excited to lead this team, which consider each other family. Nationals was an amazing experience for all my team members. We had the unique opportunity to play on our own yard, at the USTA National Campus,” he said. “I am a lucky captain to have not only good players but a good group of friends, and have the opportunity to share this great milestone with all our families. Especially for me that my son was one of the players. I told my players that this accomplishment will stay with us forever.”

Hillsborough County won the Adult 40 & Over 4.0 Men’s division.

Finals: USTA Florida (HCC Tennis Complex) defeated USTA Eastern 3-2 

No. 1 Singles: Hiren Bhatt (Florida) d. Ferran Valldosera 6-4, 6-2 

No. 1 Doubles: Davis Bilardello/Jaime Villegas (Florida) d. Ramachandran Pilavulathil/Jaiganesh Narasimhamoorthy 6-1, 7-5 

No. 2 Doubles: Chris New/Yarek Orsini (Florida) d. Sandeep Dhuri/Harshavardhan Dharkar 6-4, 6-3 

No. 3 Doubles: Chetan Chawada/Romit Lalla (Eastern) d. Brad Armagost/John Hockin 6-1, 6-1 

No. 4 Doubles: Samir Shah/Chih Chang (Eastern) d. Vong Keovongsa/Tu Phan 6-1, 6-1 

Hillsborough County Championship Roster: Joe Orsini (Captain), Davis Bilardello, Jose Ramirez, Jaime Villegas, Yarek Orsini, Chris New, Sebastian Brust, John Hockin, Enrique Escobar, Hiren Bhatt, Brad Armagost, Steven Ehrenpreis, Mohamed Aboul-Ezz, Carlos Layrisse, Tu Phan, David Palmer, Shane Broussard, Vong Keovongsa 

Other Top Finishers 

Adult 40 & Over 4.0 Women’s Championship – Miami-Dade County 

Miami-Dade County took home second place in the Adult 40 & Over 4.0 Women’s division.

The Miami-Dade County team from Salvadore Park in Coral Gables came out the gates hot, dominating pool play. They finished with a record of 4-0 and securing a spot in the playoffs. 

They took down USTA Southern California in the semifinals in an intense 3-2 match. In the championship, they faced off with USTA Mid-Atlantic where both teams traded lines back and forth. In the end, Mid-Atlantic was able to edge out a 3-2, and Florida finished runners-up. 

Captain,, Astrid Miniet is super proud of her team and thankful to be able to partake in USTA Adult League. “We are thrilled to have been part of this fabulous, competitive and well-organized tournament,” she said. “What a fantastic experience! I want to thank the USTA for organizing such a beautiful event. The weather at the end of October was perfect.”

Miami-Dade County Season Roster: Astrid Miniet (Captain), Susie Valls (Captain), Alba Johnson, Ana Maria Faraci, Michele King, Suzanna Cancio, Hilary Landorf, Loren Levine, Maite Blanco, Gricel Boto Bernales, Jill Balli, Jill Hidalgo, Silvia Quiroga, Giuditta Castello, Lee Lynott, Michelle Dalmau, Elena Devera, Rommy Chang, Cristina Tomadin, Maria Suarez   

Adult 18 & Over 2.5 Women’s Championship – Miami-Dade County 

Miami-Dade County took home second place in the Adult 18 & Over 2.5 Women’s division.

The women’s team from Crandon Park Tennis Center in Miami-Dade represented Florida well at Nationals. In pool play, the team played extremely well with a record of 3-1, which locked their spot in the playoffs. 

In the semifinals, they defeated USTA Missouri Valley in a convincing 3-0, which set them up in the finals against USTA Southern. It was a great fight, but ultimately Southern took all three lines, making the Miami squad runners-up. 

Anastasia Rodriguez, the captain,  said she was happy with her team’s season and how they came together  through tough times. “Our tennis team had an incredible season, coming together just last year and quickly forming a strong bond both on and off the court. Despite losing a key player to a season-ending injury before heading to Sectionals in Orlando, we got a wild card to play, which fueled us to play to win, and we triumphed, propelling us to an impressive 2nd place finish at Nationals. Representing Florida at the national level was thrilling, as we played against teams from across the country and experienced different styles of play,” she said. “Our love for the sport and the outstanding leadership of Coach Pete Roscia were key factors in our success.”

Miami-Dade County Season Roster: Anastasia Rodriguez (Captain), Rosalyn Blanco (Captain), Micaela Martinelli, Susan Bisnoff, Paula Niemeyer, Isabel Cruz, Marisol Salguero, Heather Nidetch, Andrea Guevara, Georgia Pesquera, Jamie Musacchio, Wendy Hu, Courtney Fallon   

Adult 18 & Over 5.0 Men’s Championship – Hillsborough County  

Hillsborough County took home third place in the Adult 18 & Over 5.0 Men’s division.

The Men’s team from HCC Tennis Complex were determined to make a statement. They came out hot, winning all four pool play matches, securing the 4-0 record and spot in the playoffs. 

It was a dogfight in the semifinals, but USTA Southern was able to sneak away with a 2-1 win. However, in the third-place match, the Florida team bounced back taking down USTA Northern California in a close 2-1, to secure the bronze finish. 

Captain, Richard Beardsley was proud of his team for overcoming a ton of adversity this year. “After a Nationals 6th place finish in 2023 we formed a 2024 team. At the time we didn’t think we had a contender to win Florida Sectionals or be a National contender,” he said. “With a lot of practice and drills we developed a team chemistry. Even though we didn’t win the Nationals our 15-3 match record during 2024 and a Nationals record of 5-1 and winning 15 lines out of 18, is something we won’t ever forget. We will always have these great memories and friendships forever.”

Hillsborough County Season Roster: Richard Beardsley (Captain), Mark Singnil, Jens Kemp, Jose Moreno, Ryan Gelhaus, Alex Robles, Alexandru Gasca Silav, Jason Hood, Pedro De Carli,   

Adult 40 & Over 3.0 Men’s Championship – Orange County 

Orange County took home fourth place in the Adult 40 & Over 3.0 Men’s division.

Hailing from Sanlando Park, this group of men were playing great tennis all weekend. They were the only undefeated team in pool play, as they locked in a shot at the title.  

They matched up with USTA Intermountain Districts, where the Florida team fell, dropping all of the lines in the match. The Orange County squad closed out the weekend with an impressive fourth place finish. 

Captain Tom Phan was proud of the team and the resilience they showed all year. “The Phantoms were faced with incredible competition from the Florida section this season. All the hard work and training paid off for us with the opportunity to represent the state of Florida at nationals,” he said. “As you can imagine, the competition at nationals was even greater and the Phantoms put up a monumental fight going undefeated to the national Sunday finals. We are proud of our team and thankful to the USTA for everything they do to make these opportunities happen for everyone.” 

Orange County Season Roster: Tom Phan (Captain), Jeff Dunn (Captain), Long Vuong, X D Peng, Joel Montes, Tim Thomas, Lam Le, Thang Trinh, Alfonso Vargas, Richard Cooper, Gabriel Noboa, Rob Vinson