October 9th, 2024
Next Generation of Florida Tennis Thrives at 16s/18s 2024 Bobby Curtis Doubles Junior State Championships
The 2024 Bobby Curtis Doubles Junior State Championships for the 16s and 18s divisions took place at the USTA National Campus, showcasing some of Florida’s most talented junior tennis players.
While players battled hard on the clay courts, the weather conditions forced USTA Florida to end the tournament on Monday, October 7, at 10 AM. Mixed Doubles divisions, along with the 3rd/4th place and many consolation matches were unable to be played. Despite this setback, the competition was fierce, and many exciting matches were played before the early conclusion.
Bobby Curtis Doubles Results
Boys 16s
In the Boys’ 16s, it was the duo of Mikaeel Alibaig and Rafael Bote, who teamed up and showed great chemistry the whole weekend. The two didn’t drop a set as they secured a spot in the finals against Caleb Chow and Dhakshish Aryan, the top seed of the event. The championship delivered fireworks as the two teams went back and forth. Caleb and Dhakshish took the opening set, but Makel and Rafael battled back to force a tiebreaker. This was super intense, and it came down to just two points, where Mikaeel and Rafael edged out a 10-8 win.
Championship: Mikaeel Alibaig (Boca Raton)/Rafael Bote (Boca Raton) d. Caleb Chow (Miami)/Dhakshish Aryan (Parkland) 4-6, 6-2, 10-8
Third/Fourth Place: Jose Vasquez (Boca Raton)/Lucas Zhang (Lantana) & Paul Bower (Coral Springs)/Juan Benito (Weston) *Match was not played
Girls 16s
Over in the Girls’ 16s it was pure domination as Emma Prose and Vanessa Kruse went on for a game record of 48-14 over the course of four matches. This dynamic duo couldn’t be stopped as they earned the title of Bobby Curits Champions. In the finals, they took down Gabriella Alonso and Raya Dittfurth, who also had an impressive weekend. Unfortunately for them, they ran into the hottest duo on the courts, finishing second at the event.
Championship: Emma Prose (Cooper City)/Vanessa Kruse (St. Augustine) d. Gabriella Alonso (Plantation)/Raya Dittfurth (Loxahatchee) 6-1, 6-1
Third/Fourth Place: Audrey Dussault (Kissimmee)/Nikol Davletshina (Boca Raton) & Luciana Chica (Miami)/Isabella Porto (Key Biscayne) *Match was not played
Boys 18s
In the Boys’ 18s, Maddox Bose looking to improve upon his fourth-place finish from a year ago, teamed up with Stefan Correa. The duo found their stride early and relied on their teamwork to propel them into the finals. Their semifinal match was intense, where they went to a third-set tiebreaker against Zach Friedland and Benjamin Saltman. Maddox and Stefan pulled out a narrow 11-9 win to book their spot against Nathan Germino and Noah Bayon for the title. Coming off the close win, Maddox and Stefan were determined to finish what they started, and they rode the hot hand in the match, winning it and becoming first-time champions.
Championship: Maddox Bose (Winter Haven)/Stefan Correa (Miami) d. Nathan Germino (Valrico)/Noah Bayon (Gainesville) 6-3, 6-4
Third/Fourth Place: Zach Friedland (Hollywood)/Benjamin Saltman (Winter Haven) & Rush Slivjanovski (Riviera Beach)/Kyle Chesman (Port St. Lucie) *Match was not played
Girls 18s
Finally, in the Girls 18s, Isabella Aguiar was eager to take the courts as she looked to avenge her second-place finish from a year ago. This time around, she partnered up with Sabrina Jaramillo. The two found themselves in a hole during their semifinals against the sister pair of Catherin and Camila Cardona-Carballosa. The girls traded the first two sets and, in the tiebreaker, it was neck-and-neck. Eventually Isabella and Sabrina found their groove and won a few points in a row to book their spot in the finals against Lyla Messler and Maria Navarro. Lyla got second place in the 16s division a year ago, and Maria won the consolation draw, so that was a dream team eager to make a run. However, with experience in the 18s under their belt, Isabella and Sabrina were able to take the match and cement themselves as Bobby Curtis champs.
Championship: Isabella Aguiar (Wellington)/Sabrina Jaramillo (Orlando) d. Lyla Messler (Largo)/Maria Navarro (Palm Beach Gardens) 6-3, 6-4
Third/Fourth Place: Catherin Cardona-Carballosa (Miami)/Camila Cardona-Carballosa (Miami) d. Julia Chesman (Port St. Lucie)/Samantha Chesman (Port St. Lucie) Wd (Inj.)
The USTA Florida team is currently monitoring Hurricane Milton and will have an update later this week regarding the Bobby Curtis Doubles 12s/14s Championships.
