October 10th, 2017
Duval, Pinellas Counties Win at USTA Florida Mixed 18 & Over 7.0/9.0 League Tennis Sectionals
Duval County won its sixth USTA Florida League Sectionals title of the season, and Pinellas County added a third over the weekend at the USTA Florida Mixed 18 & Over 7.0/9.0 League Sectionals, held Oct. 6-8, 2017 at the Florida Tennis Center in Daytona Beach.
Duval County (Williams YMCA, Jacksonville) in the 7.0 division final edged the juggernaut Broward County (Midtown Athletic Club 61, Weston) 2-1, denying Broward an eighth sectionals title this year. Pinellas County (McMullen Tennis Center, Clearwater) stopped Miami-Dade South (Crandon Park, Key Biscayne) 2-1 in the 9.0 final.
“This past weekend was super intense and competitive because the talent level at this year’s event was the best I’ve ever experienced,” Pinellas captain Josh Melton said. “All four teams that made the semifinal round could have easily been crowned champions. My team, however, was able to pull through and win a very tough semi and final round. Jodi Manning and Bob Baker did an exceptional job all weekend running the tournament.”
Both winning teams next advance to represent the USTA Florida Section at the USTA League Mixed 18 & Over National Championships on Nov. 3-5, 2017 at the Mobile Tennis Center in Mobile, Ala.
Duval County with the win closed to within one title of Broward County in the 2017 USTA Florida League Championship Cup Standings (see below). The USTA Florida League Championship Cup is awarded to the county with the most league sectionals titles during the 2017 season.
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.
NTRP levels of play were mixed 7.0/9.0. For more information on NTRP levels go to www.usta.com/Adult-Tennis/USTA-League/Information/About_NTRP.
Championship Results:
Mixed 18 & Over 7.0 Division
Final: Duval County (Williams YMCA, Jacksonville) d. Broward County (Midtown Athletic Club 61, Weston) 2-1
Championship Results:
No. 1 Doubles: Lissette Loddo/Juan Molina (Broward) d. Felix Nazareno/Brooke Miller 6-1, 6-2
No. 2 Doubles: Eric Constable/Amy Curley (Duval) d. Yenny Herrera/Ronald Coletto 7-6, 6-2
No. 3 Doubles: Wilfred Fontenot/Beth Williams (Duval) d. Giselle Rosasco/Adrian Perez 6-1, 6-3
Duval Season Roster: David Cowden (captain), Ann Tiefenthaler, Beth Williams, Eric Constable, Joni Smith, Michael Halusek, Felix Nazareno, Moyin Lovelace, Wilfred Fontenot, Brooke Miller, Bailey Hulshult, Bevin Marchetti, James Howayeck, Taylor Smith, Amy Curley, Renee’ Garber
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Mixed 18 & Over 9.0 Division
Final: Pinellas County (McMullen Tennis Center, Clearwater) d. Miami-Dade South (Crandon Park, Key Biscayne) 2-1
Championship Results:
No. 1 Doubles: Thinh Duong/Danielle Hollis (Pinellas) d. Nastasha Rodriguez/Diego Mateluna 6-4, 6-4
No. 2 Doubles: Kelsey Matthews/Matthew Hickey (Miami) d. Chris Canfield/Avery Zercoe 6-4, 6-4
No. 3 Doubles: Clark Maccullough/Gueisy Herrmann (Pinellas) d. Todd Rubinstein/Cynthia Latham 6-3, 6-4
Pinellas Season Roster: Josh Melton (captain), Avery Zercoe, Gueisy Herrmann, Danielle Hollis, Clark Maccullough, Jamie Mckibban, Chris Canfield, Jane Robinson, Joan Simmons, Dagmar Rocker, Michael Erbe, Thinh Duong, William Zeedyk
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2017 USTA FLORIDA LEAGUE
CHAMPIONSHIP CUP STANDINGS
Duval County took sole possession of second place, one title behind the leader Broward, after the Mixed 18 & Over 7.0/9.0 Sectionals. The USTA Florida League Championship Cup is awarded to the county with the most league sectionals titles during the 2017 season (standings through Oct. 10, 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
3T. Hillsborough County (4) — 65&Over-M8.0, 40&Over-W4.5+, 18&Over-W3.0/M5.0+
3T. Miami-Dade County (4) — 40&Over-W3.0/W4.5+, 18&Over-M4.0/M4.5
3T. Orange County (4) — 55&Over-W4.5, 40&Over-W3.5, 18&Over-W5.0+/M3.5
6. Pinellas County (3) — X40&Over-8.0/9.0, x18&Over-9.0
7T. Collier County (2) — 65&Over-W8.0, 55&Over-W3.5
7T. Leon County (2) — X40&Over-7.0, 40&Over-M4.0
7T. Marion County (2) — 65&Over-M7.0, 55&Over-M3.0
10T. Clay County (1) — 55&OverM3.5
10T. Martin County (1) — 65&Over-W7.0
10T. Seminole County (1) — 18&OverW4.5
10T. 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: Oct. 13-15, 2017 Mixed 18 & Over 6.0/8.0/10.0 Sectionals, 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.
