USTA Florida League Championship Cup leaders Broward County kept their 2019 momentum going by capturing three titles at the USTA Florida Combo 18 & Over 6.5/8.5 League Sectional Championships, held Dec. 7-9 at the USTA National Campus in Orlando.
Broward extended its lead over the rest of the pack with wins in the men’s 8.5 (Weston Tennis Center, Weston), women’s 6.5 (Dillon Tennis Center, Oakland Park), and men’s 6.5 (Bonaventure Town Center Club, Ft. Lauderdale). It’s the third time Broward has won the men’s 6.5 in four years.
Escambia County (Roger Scott Tennis Center, Pensacola) was a repeat winner in the women’s 8.5 division, defending the title captured in 2018.
With a total of 13 titles, Broward retains a commanding lead in the USTA Florida League Championship Cup standings and is attempting to win the League Cup for the third time in four years. Escambia County’s title win separated itself out into second place. The USTA Florida League Championship Cup is awarded at season’s end to the county that wins the most USTA Florida League Sectionals titles in 2019 (see standings below).
The competing teams represented various clubs, parks, recreational departments and organizations, and finished at the top of their local leagues during the 2019 season to advance to the USTA Florida Combo 18 & Over League Sectional Championships.
Final results:
Combo 18 & Over Men’s 6.5
Final: Broward County (Bonaventure Town Center, Ft. Lauderdale) d. Escambia County (Roger Scott Tennis Center, Pensacola) 3-0
Championship Match Results:
No. 1 Doubles: Andre Sophia/Rodolfo Millan (Broward) d. John Wimberly/Eric Stewart 6-2, 6-3
No. 2 Doubles: Matt Olender/Christian Orellana (Broward) d. Robert Timby/Michael Haack 6-0, 6-0
No. 3 Doubles: Pedro Rodrigues/Jegatheeswaran Jeyabalan (Broward) d. Andrew Hillman/Donald Green 6-3, 6-0
Broward County Season Roster: Barry Denson (Captain), Guillermo Katz, Andre Sophia, Guillermo Gonzalez, Jose Planchez, Rodolfo Millan, Matt Olender, Jegatheeswaran Jeyabalan, Pedro Rodrigues, Christian Orellana
Combo 18 & Over Women’s 6.5
Final: Broward County (Dillon Tennis Center, Oakland Park) d. Miami-Dade South (Kendall Tennis Training Center, Miami) 2-1
Championship Match Results:
No. 1 Doubles: Karen Fishman/Kelly James (Miami) d. Frances Cubano/Karen Menditto 5-7, 6-2, 1-0
No. 2 Doubles: Natasha Torres/Maria Lanza (Broward) d. Monica Pardo/Lorena Guadiana 6-0, 7-6
No. 3 Doubles: Loren Levine/Jaimi Hinkle (Broward) d. Olga Grant/Maggie Sanchez 7-5, 6-1
Broward County Season Roster: Kevin Sims (Captain), Loren Levine, Frances Cubano, Robin Hayden, Giselle Rosasco, Jaimi Hinkle, Nathalie Schiaffino, Sima Sadoughi, Karen Menditto, Adriana Montserrat, Sara Contreras, Upasna Jha, Giuliana Zunino-Ribas, Maria Lanza, Natasha Torres
Combo 18 & Over Men’s 8.5
Final: Broward County (Weston Tennis Center) d. Sarasota County (Lakewood National, Bradenton) 2-1
Championship Match Results:
No. 1 Doubles: Jorge Yegres/Borna (Broward) d. Nick Hardy/William Rhodes 6-3, 7-5
No. 2 Doubles: Victor Caba/Carlos Miranda (Broward) d. Randolph Gibson/David Schoonover 6-2, 6-2
No. 3 Doubles: Dean Dancer/Jeffrey Stern (Sarasota) d. Jose Peraza/Enrique Penalver 2-6, 7-6
Broward County Season Roster: Jorge Corrales (Captain), Jose Peraza, Enrique Penalver, Jorge Penalver, Tony Alzuru, Francisco Marcano, Andres Piske, Hugo Moreno, Humberto Valbuena, Boris Horna, Victor Caba, Santiago Eslava, Carlos Miranda, Jorge Yegres
Combo 18 & Over Women’s 8.5
Final: Escambia County (Roger Scott Tennis Center, Pensacola) d. Seminole County (Sanlando Park, Altamonte Springs) 2-1
Championship Match Results:
No. 1 Doubles: Elissa Rizzi/Kyrsten Crociata (Seminole) d. Melissa Paravalos/Mary Jane Evertz 6-3, 7-6
No. 2 Doubles: Heidi Wilkes/Carel Demanss (Escambia) d. Elena Escamilla/Annabelle Harris 6-0, 7-6
No. 3 Doubles: Jami Steinmetz/Shellie McCall (Escambia) d. Shirley Beal/Marcy Elswick 6-1, 6-2
Escambia County Season Roster: Melissa Paravalos (Captain), Shellie McCall, Carel Demanss, Rachel Trahan, Jami Steinmetz, Melissa Paravalos, Mary Jane Evertz, Heidi Wilkes, Tara McCarthy, Arlene Doyle
2019 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 2019 season (standings through Dec. 10, recent winners in bold):
1. Broward County (13 titles) — 65&Over-M8.0, X40&Over-9.0, 40&Over-M3.0,M3.5; 18&Over-M3.5/M4.0/M4.5/W4.5, X18&Over-7.0,8.0, Combo50&Over-M6.5/W6.5/M8.5
2. Escambia County (5) — 55&Over-W3.0, 18&Over-W2.5, 50&Over-W6.5/W7.5, Combo18&Over-W8.5
3T. Miami-Dade (4) — 55&Over-M3.5, 40&Over-M4.5+, X18&Over-9.0, 50&Over-M8.5
3T. Orange-Seminole (4) — 40&Over-M4.0, 18&Over-W4.0,M5.0+,X10.0
5T. Alachua County (3) — 55&Over-W3.5, 40&Over-W3.5, 18&Over-W2.5
5T. Collier County (3) — 65&Over-W6.0, X40&Over-7.0, 50&Over-M7.5
5T. Duval County (3) — 65&Over-W7.0, 55&Over-M4.5, 18&Over-W3.0
5T. Hillsborough County (3) — 55&Over-W4.5,40&Over-W3.0, 18&Over-W5.0+
5T. Sarasota County (3) — 55&Over-W4.0, X40&Over-8.0, 50&Over-W8.5
10T. Marion County (2) — 65&Over-M7.0, 50&Over-W6.5
10T. Pinellas County (2) — 65&Over-W8.0, 40&Over-W4.5+
12T. Brevard County (1) — X18&Over-6.0
12T. Clay County (1) — X40&Over-6.0
12T. Leon County (1) — 18&Over-M3.0
12T. Martin County (1) — 40&Over-W4.0
12T. Palm Beach County (1) — 55&Over-M4.0
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 Sectionals: Dec. 14-16, Combo 18 & Over 5.5/7.5/9.7 Sectional Championships, 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.
