April 13th, 2015
Pinellas County Wins 2 at USTA Florida 65 & Over Tennis Chps.
Pinellas County (Clearwater, Largo) was the big winner with two titles among five men’s and women’s division winners at the 2015 Adult 65 & Over League Sectional Championships, held April 10-12 at the Florida Tennis Center in Daytona Beach.
Claiming titles for the second consecutive year were Duval County in the Women’s 6.0 division, and Lee-Charlotte in the Men’s 7.0 division.
Captain Larry Blohm of the winning Lee/Charlotte team from Ft. Myers said his team had a close call even before reaching sectionals.
“We defeated Park Meadows, the former national championship team, in the final match of the season with a super tie-breaker in the third set to tie for the [local Ft. Myers] league title,” Blohm said. “We won the title using the tiebreaker format.”
Teams consisted of three doubles lines competing in a non-elimination round-robin format. The winner of each flight advanced into a single-elimination semifinal followed by the final.
Collier County was denied in two finals on Sunday, with the Pelican Marsh 6.0 women of Naples and The Strand 8.0 men of Naples both coming up short in championship matches.
Here are the final round results:
Women’s 6.0 Division
Final: Duval County (Florida Yacht Club, Jacksonville) finished ahead of Collier County (Pelican Marsh, Naples) 4-0 to 2-2 in round robin play
Duval Season Roster: Barbara Riffel (captain), Sandy Cannon, Mannie Kinner, Pamela Yonge, Carol Hamilton, Patterson Rogers, Marcia Gwinn, Margaret Greene, Candace Clark
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Women’s 7.0 Division
Final: Indian River County (The Boulevard Tennis Club, Vero Beach) d. Marion County (Ft. King Tennis Center, Ocala) 2-1
Championship Match Results:
No. 1 Doubles: Penelope Chambers/Ursula Nuechterlein (IR) d. Patricia James/Princess Aiello 6-4, 5-7, 1-0 (super-tiebreaker)
No. 2 Doubles: Susan Wood/Nancy Little (Marion) d. Francisca Hickok/Diane Mello 6-2, 6-3
No. 3 Doubles: Rose Schafer/Jody Fallis (IR) d. Cherri Bauer/Janice Bullock 7-5, 7-6
Indian River Season Roster: Penelope Chambers (captain), Francisca Hickok, Veronica Smith, Diane Mello, Sandra Demello, Fauna Simer, Rose Schafer, Jody Fallis, Wanda Shay, Ursula Nuechterlein, Dianne Steiner, Jacqulyn Logan
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Women’s 8.0 Division
Final: Pinellas County (McMullen Tennis Center, Clearwater) finished ahead of Sarasota County (Palm Aire, Sarasota) 4-1 to 4-1 in round robin play, with Pinellas winning the head-to-head tiebreaker
Pinellas Season Roster: Sharon Carlile (captain), Nancy Morgan, Beverly Fisher, Ria Graham, Judith Siracusa, Patti Prestera, Deborah McCleery, Frances Strazzulla, Susan Hobbs, Marion Murch
Men’s 7.0 Division
Final: Lee/Charlotte counties (Heron’s Glen Tennis Club, Ft. Myers) d. St. Johns County (Marsh Creek Country Club, St. Augustine) 3-0
Championship Match Results:
No. 1 Doubles: Matthew Schmelter/Jack Davis (L/C) d. Phillip Vernon/Hans Breukhoven 2-6, 6-4, 1-0 (super-tiebreaker)
No. 2 Doubles: John Blohm/Nile Evans (L/C) d. Frank Clark/Roger Thomas 6-4, 6-4
No. 3 Doubles: Carl Olsen/Dan Keesling (L/C) d. Philip Mitchell/John Carroll 6-0, 6-1
Lee/Charlotte Season Roster: John Blohm (captain), Dan Keesling, Matthew Schmelter, Carl Olsen, Nile Evans, Lester Blood, Jack Davis
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Men’s 8.0 Division
Final: Pinellas County (Shipwatch Tennis Club, Largo) d. Collier County (The Strand, Naples) 2-1
Championship Match Results:
No. 1 Doubles: Todd Whitney/Wendall Walker (Pinellas) d. Craig Boyd/John Moter 2-6, 6-4, 1-0 (super-tiebreaker)
No. 2 Doubles: George Morton/Matthew Davie (Collier) d. Robert Mullis/Patricio Dillon 6-3, 6-3
No. 3 Doubles: Jim Kennerly/Ronald Thomas (Pinellas) d. Rick Parker/Richard Townsend 6-3, 6-7, 1-0 (super-tiebreaker)
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To see team match schedules go to www.ustaflorida.com/event/2015-adult-65-league-sectional-championship.
For more information on USTA Florida Leagues go to www.ustaflorida.com/adulttennis/usta-leagues.
2015 USTA FLORIDA ADULT LEAGUE
SECTION CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE LEADERS
(through 4/13/15)
1. Pinellas County (2) — 65 & Over Men’s 8.0, Women’s 8.0
2T. Duval County (1) — 65 & Over Women’s 6.0
2T. Indian River/Manatee/St. Lucie counties (1) — 65 & Over Women’s 7.0
2T. Lee/Chalotte counties (1) — 65 & Over Men’s 7.0
