Orange County recorded two more title wins while Broward and Hillsborough counties each claimed one at the USTA Florida Combo 18 & Over 6.5/8.5 League Sectional Championship, held Feb. 19-21, 2022, at the USTA National Campus in Orlando.
Three out of the four winning squads were first-time title winners in the division, with the 6.5 men’s and women’s divisions being swept by Orange County squads from the USTA National Campus. Hillsborough (HCC Tennis Complex, Tampa) claimed the women’s 8.5 division for the first time and defeated Broward’s attempt to reclaim the title for the first time since 2017. Broward didn’t leave the courts empty-handed though, with the 8.5 men (Lauderdale Tennis Club, Fort Lauderdale) defending their title for the second year in a row.
The competing teams represented various clubs, parks, recreational departments and organizations, and finished at the top of their local leagues during the 2021 season to advance to the USTA Florida Combo 50 & Over League Sectional Championships.
For Combo 18 & Over 6.5/8.5 doubles-only division play, the combined NTRP (National Tennis Rating Program) ratings of each doubles team may not exceed the level in which they are competing, and the NTRP rating difference between members of an individual doubles pair may not exceed 0.5. For more information on NTRP levels, click here.
Championship results:
Combo 18 & Over Men’s 6.5
Final: Orange County (USTA National Campus, Orlando) d. Duval County (Sawgrass Racquet Club, Ponte Vedra Beach) 3-0
Championship Match Results:
No. 1 Doubles: Mike Messano/Rene Dipus (Orange) d. Andrew Black/John Dillingham 6-0, 6-2
No. 2 Doubles: William Vazquez/Jerry Stocker (Orange) d. John Daly/Michael Peters 6-0, 7-5
No. 3 Doubles: Clay Luter/Rayn Wu (Orange) d. Dean Mechlowitz/Michael Wicks 6-3, 7-5
Orange County Season Roster: Luidgi Faubert (Captain), Agustin Ocampos, Mike Messano, Eric Semrau, Rene Dipus, Clay Luter, William Vazquez, Joshua Ortiz, Rayn Wu, Jerry Stocker
Combo 18 & Over Women’s 6.5
Final: Orange County (USTA National Campus, Orlando) d. Alachua County (DB Racquet Club, Gainesville) 2-1
Championship Match Results:
No. 1 Doubles: Amanda Barritt/Kathleen Sipio (Orange) d. Heather Gibson/Aubrey Hall 7-6, 7-5
No. 2 Doubles: Rianne Taze Sanchez/Krieshanne Taze Sanchez (Orange) d. Tara Bromirski/Caroline Hord 6-0, 6-2
No. 3 Doubles: Megan Molyneux/Rhoda Wilburn (Alachua) d. Christina Le/Cattien Nguyen 6-2, 6-2
Orange County Season Roster: Meriel Donahey (Captain), Amanda Barritt, Rachel Frost, Rianne Taze Sanchez, Zesa Manhart, Christina Le, Kathleen Sipio, Krieshanne Taze Sanchez, Cattien Nguyen, Amanda Snyder
Combo 18 & Over Men’s 8.5
Final: Broward County (Lauderdale Tennis Club, Fort Lauderdale) d. Miami-Dade County () 2-1
Championship Match Results:
No. 1 Doubles: Andrew Hoing/Kelly Painter (Broward) d. Antonio Necuze/Gerardo Perdigon 6-4, 4-6, 1-0
No. 2 Doubles: Diego Mujica/Ricardo Matos Casas (Miami-Dade) d. Ryan Sauerman/Patricio Casali 6-4, 6-3
No. 3 Doubles: Michael Nouri/Matt Sauerman (Broward) d. Jorge Rassi/Ricardo Giron 6-2, 6-2
Broward County Season Roster: Matt Sauerman (Captain), Harley Garza, Vincent Salazar, William Steed, Kelly Painter, Andrew Hoing, Ryan Sauerman, Oscar Arcos, Earl Chin, Patricio Casali, Michael Nouri, Timothy House, Rob Norton
Combo 18 & Over Women’s 8.5
Final: Hillsborough County (HCC Tennis Complex, Tampa) d. Broward County (Frank Veltri Tennis Center, Plantation) 2-1
Championship Match Results:
No. 1 Doubles: Sally Guerra/Kumiko Currie (Broward) d. Joy Allee/Maki Smith 6-0, 7-6
No. 2 Doubles: Kelly Sincich/Rhonda Mendoza (Hillsborough) d. Sahar Moghaddam/Brooke Oransky 1-6, 6-1, 1-0
No. 3 Doubles: Denise Agnew/Joy DSa (Broward) d. Camila Giraldo/Barbara Barrios 6-1, 6-3
Hillsborough County Season Roster: Joy Allee (Captain), Maria Stand, Kelly Sincich, Asbel Giang, Lynn O’Brien, Angela Bowes, Joy DSa, McKenzie O’Brien, Denise Agnew, Kristen Kellar, Rhonda Mendoza, Kate Panawash, Karen Abrams, Maki Smith
2021 USTA FLORIDA LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP CUP STANDINGS
The USTA Florida League Championship Cup is awarded to the county with the most league sectionals titles during the 2021 season (standings through Feb. 22, recent winners in bold):
1. Orange/Seminole/Lake (10 titles) — 55&Over-W7.0/W8.0/W9.0, 40&Over-W3.5/W4.5, 18&Over-M3.0/W3.5/X6.0, Combo 18&Over-M6.5/W6.5
2T. Duval County (9) — 55&Over-M7.0/X7.0, 40&Over-X6.0/M4.0, 18&Over-W4.0/W5.0/X7.0, Combo 50&Over-M6.5/M7.5
2T. Hillsborough County (9) — 55&Over-W6.0, 40&Over-X9.0/W4.0/W5.0, 18&Over-M4.0/W4.5/M5.0/X8.0, Combo 18&Over-W8.5
3. Pinellas County (8) — 65&Over-W7.0/W8.0/M8.0, 55&Over-M9.0/X8.0, 40&Over-X7.0/X8.0, 18&Over-M4.5
4. Broward County (6) — 40&Over-M3.0/M3.5/M4.5, 18&Over-M3.5/X9.0, Combo 18&Over-M8.5
5. Marion County (4) — 65&Over-W6.0/M7.0, 40&Over-W2.5, 55&Over-X6.0
6. Miami-Dade County (3) — 40&Over-W3.0, Combo 50&Over-W6.5/M8.5
7T. Alachua County (1) — 18&Over-W2.5
7T. Brevard County (1) — 18&Over-X10.0
7T. Collier County (1) — Combo 50&Over-W7.5
7T. Escambia County (1) — 55&Over-M8.0
7T. Polk County (1) — 18&Over-W3.0
7T. Sarasota County (1) — Combo 50&Over-W8.5
Note: County determined by the location of team’s home club. Season-ending ties to be broken by teams’ 1st-4th place results at USTA League Nationals.
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.
