Broward County (Midtown Athletic Club, Weston), Hillsborough County (MacFarland Park, Tampa), and Okaloosa County (Bluewater Bay, Niceville) were winners at the 2018 USTA Florida Mixed 18 & Over 6.0/8.0/10.0 League Sectionals, held Oct. 13-15, 2018 at the USTA National Campus in Orlando.
Broward in the 6.0 final stopped Alachua County (Westside Park, Gainesville) from winning the title for a second consecutive year.
The wins shuffled the standings in the 2018 USTA Florida League Championship Cup Race. Hillsborough County with seven sectional titles this season took sole possession of first place. Broward County, looking to claim the cup for a third straight season, moved into a second-place tie with Duval County with six titles (see full standings below). The USTA Florida League Championship Cup is annually awarded to the county with the most league sectionals titles during the league sectionals championships season.
For Okaloosa County it was a first USTA League Sectionals title of the season, and second in a row in the Mixed 18 & Over 8.0 division.
It was a dominant display by Broward County during the two weekends of Mixed 18 & Over Sectionals, winning three of the five titles in the 6.0, 7.0 and 9.0 divisions.
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 winning teams will next represent the USTA Florida Section at the USTA League Mixed 18 & Over National Championships on Nov. 9-11, 2018 at the Mobile Tennis Center in Mobile, Ala.
Final results:
Mixed 18 & Over 6.0 Division
Final: Broward County (Midtown Athletic Club, Weston) d. Alachua County (Westside Park, Gainesville) 2-1
Championship Match Results:
No. 1 Doubles: Carlos Alesson/Maria Escarra (Broward) d. Brent Sumerlin/Amanda Fuller 1-6, 6-4, 1-0
No. 2 Doubles: Maria Suarez/Juan Rios (Broward) d. Justin Clark/Bridgette Wicke 6-1, 6-2
No. 3 Doubles: Marissa Valentine-King/Josh Spink (Alachua) d. Lissette Loddo/Jose Luis Bravo 6-4, 6-0
Broward Season Roster: Lili Gonzalez (captain), Lucy Bastidas, Carlos Alesson, Ricardo Uliambre, Juan Rios, Yenny Herrera, Jose Luis Bravo, Maria Escarra, Lissette Loddo, Ana Ortiz, Reinaldo Marquez, Marilyn Zaragoza, Jorge Alejandro Romo, Maria Suarez
Mixed 18 & Over 8.0 Division
Final: Okaloosa County (Bluewater Bay, Niceville) d. Sarasota County (Payne Park, Sarasota) 2-1
Championship Match Results:
No. 1 Doubles: Matt Kirkham/McKenna Mills (Okaloosa) d. Nick Hardy/Jill Lyons 4-6, 6-4, 1-0
No. 2 Doubles: Lubomir Kaderjak/Akiko Ichimasa (Okaloosa) d. Nate Macksey/Ann Lammers 6-2, 6-2
No. 3 Doubles: Calvin Hac/Margaret Wieczerzak (Sarasota) d. Michael Grim/Jenna Kafferly 6-2, 6-2
Okaloosa Season Roster: Lubomir Kaderjak (captain), Christopher Poate, Kati Hill, Jenna Kafferly, Michele Poate, Gary Bertoldo, Van Hughes, Antonia Poate, Ernesto Gonzalez, Michael Grim, McKenna Mills, Natalie Vonhilsheimer, Matt Kirkham, Akiko Ichimasa
Mixed 18 & Over 10.0 Division
Final: Hillsborough County (MacFarland Park, Tampa) finished ahead of Pinellas County (McMullen Tennis Center, Clearwater) 4-0 to 2-2 in round robin play
Hillsborough Season Roster: Lisa Balsera (captain), Jessica Sucupira, James Bryce, Pascal Collard, Jonathas Sucupira, Richard Sobieray, Jamie Mckibban, Erin Bryce, Aly Peterson, Gigi Fernandez, Andrea Lord, Amit Taggar
2018 USTA FLORIDA LEAGUE
CHAMPIONSHIP CUP STANDINGS
Hillsborough separated itself at No. 1 after the Mixed 18 & Over 6.0/8.0/10.0 sectionals, but Broward, looking for a third cup in a row, also won and moved into a second-place tie. The USTA Florida League Championship Cup is awarded to the county with the most league sectionals titles during the 2018 season (standings through Oct. 16, recent winners in bold):
1. Hillsborough County (7 titles) — 55&Over-M3.5/4.0/4.5,W4.5, X18&Over-10.0, X40&Over-7.0, 18&Over-M5.0+
2T. Broward County (6) — 40&Over-M3.5/W3.5, 18&Over-M4.0, X18&Over-6.0/7.0/9.0
2T. Duval County (6) — 65&Over-W6.0, 55&Over-W3.0, 18&Over-W2.5/W.4.5/M4.5/W5.0+
4. Pinellas County (5) — 65&Over-W7.0/8.0, 55&Over-W3.5/4.0, 40&Over-W4.5+
5. Collier County (4) — 65&Over-M7.0/8.0, 40&Over-W4.0, 18&Over-W4.0
6. Miami-Dade County (3) — X40&Over-9.0, 40&Over-M4.0, 18&Over-W3.0
7T. Leon County (2) — 40&Over-M3.0, 18&Over-M3.0
7T. Orange County (2) — 40&Over-M4.5+, 18&Over-M3.5
9T. Escambia County (1) — X40&Over-6.0
9T. Martin County (1) — X40&Over-8.0
9T. Okaloosa County (1) — X18&Over-8.0
9T. Osceola County (1) — 40&Over-W3.0
9T. Seminole County (1) — 18&Over-W3.5
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. 10, Combo 50 & Over, Florida Tennis Center, 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.
