July 31st, 2017
Miami Reaches 3 Finals at USTA Florida 40 & Over League Sectionals Tennis
Miami-Dade South teams won one title in three final appearances over the weekend at the USTA Florida 40 & Over 3.5/4.5+ League Sectional Championships, held July 28-30, 2017, at the USTA National Campus in Orlando.
Miami-Dade South (Next Level Tennis Kendalltown, Miami) won the men’s 4.5+ division, was narrowly defeated 3-2 in the women’s 3.5 final to champion Orange County (Orlando Tennis Center), and was defeated in the women’s 4.5+ final by champion Hillsborough County (Harbour Island Athletic Club, Tampa). Broward County (Weston Tennis Center) was also a winner, extending their lead in the 2017 USTA Florida League Championship Cup race (see updated standings below).
It was the second win in the last three years for the Hillsborough women in the 4.5 division, and the second sectionals title this year for Orange County.
“My team had a great time this past weekend at the USTA National Campus,” said Orange County women’s 3.5 captain Ann Jones. “When I talked with my team after the event we talked about how gracious our opponents were in every match. They ran a very smooth tournament in spite of the weather. They kept us informed of rain delays and changes which kept everyone’s stress level low. My team is really excited and proud to be representing Florida at the national championships in Ft. Lauderdale!”
The winning teams advance to represent USTA Florida at the USTA League 40 & Over 3.5 National Championships on Oct. 27-29 in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., and the USTA League 40 & Over 4.5+ National Championships on Oct. 20-22 at the Mobile Tennis Center in Mobile, Ala.
The event drew the top 40 & 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 consisting of two singles and three doubles lines competed 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 3.5 and 4.5+. For more information on NTRP levels go to www.usta.com/Adult-Tennis/USTA-League/Information/About_NTRP.
Championship Results:
40 & Over Women’s 3.5
Final: Orange County (Orlando Tennis Center) d. Miami-Dade South (Doral Park Country Club, Doral) 3-2
Championship Match:
No. 1 Singles: Claudia Taboada (M-D) d. Timea Manfredi 6-7, 6-3, 1-0 (super-tiebreaker)
No. 2 Singles: Tolly Spengler (Orange) d. Maria Benito 7-5, 6-4
No. 1 Doubles: Jennifer Adams/Wendy Sutch (Orange) d. Cristina Freitas/Mariana Salvioli 6-4, 6-1
No. 2 Doubles: Melissa Gonzalez/Andrea Andrade (M-D) d. Jennifer Carter/Michelle Kechriotis 6-2, 6-4
No. 3 Doubles: Tracy Cheek/Victoria Bushey (Orange) d. Carmen Alvarez/Cecilia Pissane 2-6, 6-4, 1-0 (super-tiebreaker)
Orange County Season Roster: Ann Jones (captain), Maureen Filburn, Andrea Baker, Tolly Spengler, Timea Manfredi, Victoria Bushey, Michelle Kechriotis, Ashley Pleasants, Jill Meunier, Wendy Sutch, Lori Zepf, Lisa Meyer, Rebecca Wilson, Tracy Cheek, Katherine Pace, Michelle Berganini, Jennifer Adams, Nancy de Armas, Marci Funk, Jennifer Carter, Margie McIntosh, Becky Erwin
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40 & Over Men’s 3.5
Final: Broward County (Weston Tennis Center, Weston) d. Alachua County (Westside Park, Gainesville) 3-2
Championship Match:
No. 1 Singles: Pedro Garcia (Broward) d. Enrique Vargas 6-2, 6-1
No. 2 Singles: Jose Salazar (Broward) d. Brent Lira 6-3, 3-6, 1-0 (super-tiebreaker)
No. 1 Doubles: Mark Martin/Aaron Harris (Alachua) d. Tony Alzuru/Jorge Evaristo 3-6, 6-4, 1-0 (super-tiebreaker)
No. 2 Doubles: Tomas Echeverria/Jorge Corrales (Broward) d. Antonio Espetia/Scott Rowe 1-6, 6-4, 1-0 (super-tiebreaker)
No. 3 Doubles: Scott Wright/Erik Bredfeldt (Alachua) d. Ruben Caramaschi/Miguel Motolongo 6-3, 4-6, 1-0 (super-tiebreaker)
Broward Season Roster: Jack Vargas (captain), Miguel Motolongo, Tomas Echeverria, Jorge Corrales, Jose Salazar , Alberto Soulier, Tony Alzuru, Stephen Cieslak, Alfredo Matheus, Ruben Caramaschi, Oswaldo Baute, Jorge Evaristo, Marco Garcia, Mario Pages, Humberto Valbuena, Pedro Garcia, George Martinez
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40 & Over Women’s 4.5+
Final: Hillsborough County (Harbour Island Athletic Club, Tampa) d. Miami-Dade South (Doral Park Country Club, Doral) 4-1
Championship Match:
No. 1 Singles: Elizabeth Baldwin (Hillsborough) d. Maria Araujo 6-1, 6-3
No. 2 Singles: Joan Simmons (Hillsborough) d. Antoinette Looney 6-2, 6-1
No. 1 Doubles: Lisa Balsera/Allegra Campos (Hillsborough) d. Doris Montero/Maria Cors 6-2, 7-6
No. 2 Doubles: Laura Di Lauro/Natalia Moll (M-D) d. Maki Smith/Gueisy Herrmann 6-7, 6-4, 1-0 (super-tiebreaker)
No. 3 Doubles: Avery Zercoe/Katarina Rutherford (Hillsborough) d. Jodi Appelbaum-Steinbauer/Sherril Colombo 6-1, 6-1
Hillsborough Season Roster: Chris Bartos, Maki Smith, Gail Gibson, Avery Zercoe, Dagmar Rocker, Allegra Campos, Christina Lund, Joan Simmons, Katarina Rutherford, Elizabeth Baldwin, Lisa Balsera, Michele Ironsmith, Gueisy Herrmann, Elizabeth Street
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40 & Over Men’s 4.5+
Final: Miami-Dade South (Next Level Tennis Kendalltown, Miami) d. Pinellas County (McMullen Tennis Center, Clearwater) 4-1
Championship Match:
No. 1 Singles: Pedro Leon (M-D) d. Daniel Glezer 6-1, 6-3
No. 2 Singles: Rick Guevara (M-D) d. Jason Horwitz 6-3, 6-4
No. 1 Doubles: Mike Moenter/Jamie Mckibban (Pinellas) d. Javier Martinez/Jose Chavez 6-2, 6-4
No. 2 Doubles: Kenneth Thome/G. Emerson Fales (M-D) d. Thinh Duong/Clark Maccullough 6-0, 7-6
No. 3 Doubles: Marcos Lopez/Jorge Ramirez (M-D) d. Chris Canfield/Kurt Williams 7-5, 6-4
Miami-Dade Season Roster: Herbert Portillo (captain), Marcos Lopez, Jorge Ramirez, Stephen Hanssen, G. Emerson Fales, Rick Guevara, Luis Portillo, Carlos Lopez, Isidro Gomez, Jose Chavez, Javier Martinez, Pedro Leon, Kenneth Thome
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https://www.facebook.com/ustaflorida/videos/10155148651193197/
2017 USTA FLORIDA LEAGUE
CHAMPIONSHIP CUP STANDINGS
Broward County expanded its lead with a title at the 40 & Over 3.5/4.5+ sectionals, while Hillsborough, Miami-Dade and Orange counties gained ground. The USTA Florida League Championship Cup is awarded to the county with the most league sectionals titles during the 2017 season (standings through July 31, most recent winners in bold):
1. Broward County (5 titles) — 55&Over-M4.0/M4.5,40&Over-W4.0/M4.0/M3.5
2. Duval County (3) — 65&Over-W6.0,55&Over-W3.0/W4.0
3T. Collier County (2) — 65&Over-W8.0,55&Over-W3.5
3T. Hillsborough County (2) — 65&Over-M8.0,40&Over-W4.5+
3T. Leon County (2) — X40&Over-7.0,40&Over-M4.0
3T. Marion County (2) — 65&Over-M7.0,55&Over-M3.0
3T. Miami-Dade County (2) — 40&Over-W3.0/W4.5+
3T. Orange County (2) — 55&Over-W4.5, 40&Over-W3.5
3T. Pinellas County (2) — X40&Over-8.0/9.0
10T. Clay County (1) — 55&OverM3.5
10T. Martin County (1) — 65&Over-W7.0
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: Aug. 11-13, 18 & Over 3.0/4.0/5.0+ Sectionals, 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.
