Preview: 2016 USTA Florida Combo 50 & Over League Sectionals

Two county teams will try and make it three titles in a row this weekend when the 2016 USTA Florida Combo 50 & Over Sectional Championships are contested on Dec. 9-11 at the Florida Tennis Center in Daytona Beach.

Two-time defending champions are Alachua County in the Men’s 6.5 division and Hillsborough County in the Men’s 8.5 division.

Also defending state titles from last year are Collier County in the Women’s 6.5, Martin County in the Women’s 7.5, Manatee County in the Women’s 8.5, and Charlotte County in the Men’s 7.5.

The competing teams represent various clubs, parks, recreational departments and organizations that finished at the top of their local leagues during the 2016 season in the state of Florida to advance to the USTA Florida Combo 50 & Over Sectional Championships.

For Combo 50 & 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 go to www.usta.com/Adult-Tennis/USTA-League/Information/About_NTRP.

Here are the teams competing this weekend:

Men 6.5 — Round Robin

Alachua County (Jonesville Tennis Center, Gainesville; captain: Mark Patlovich)
Escambia County (Roger Scott Tennis Center, Pensacola; David Del Gallo)
Marion County (Ft. King Tennis Center, Ocala; Jerry McLauchlin)

Men 7.5 — Flight 1

Duval County (Boone Park, Jacksonville; captain: Stephen Bennett)
Escambia County (Roger Scott Tennis Center, Pensacola; Gordon Paulus)
Miami-Dade South (Coral Oaks Tennis Club, Miami; Raul Moskovitz)
Pinellas County (Renaissance Vinoy Resort, St. Petersburg; Kevin Fantauzzo)

Men 7.5 — Flight 2

Alachua County (300 Club, Gainesville; captain: Del Bottcher)
Charlotte County (Vivante at Punta Gorda; Kevin Bouffard)
Collier County (Heritage Bay C.C., Naples; Doug Clough)
Hillsborough County (Buckhorn Springs C.C., Valrico; Jay Bortner)
Marion County (Glenview Champions Tennis Club, The Villages; Michael James)

Men 8.5 — Round Robin

Brevard County (Fee Avenue Tennis, Melbourne; captain: Scott Cohen)
Hillsborough County (Avila C.C., Tampa; Barney Bailey)
Pinellas County (McMullen Tennis Center, Clearwater; Ron Massey)

Women 6.5 — Flight 1

Alachua County (Hale Plantation C.C., Gainsville; captain: Marilyn Looney)
Escambia County (Roger Scott Tennis Center, Pensacola; Prebble Baker)
Hillsborough County (Hunters Green, Tampa; Phuong Cotey)
Martin County (Monarch C.C., Palm City; Suzanne Harrington)
Manatee County (The Tennis Gardens at Longboat Key Club & Resort; Marcia Gutridge)

Women 6.5 — Flight 2

Collier County (Greater Marco Family YMCA, Marco Island; captain: Karen Lewis)
Duval County (Deercreek C.C., Jacksonville; Barbara Smith)
Leon County (Forestmeadows Park, Tallahassee; Lauren Clary)
Marion County (Fort King Tennis Center, Ocala; Joan Matlock)
Miami-Dade South (Alper Jewish Community Center, Miami; Silvana Caamano)

Women 7.5 — Flight 1

Collier County (Heritage Bay C.C., Naples; captain: Susanne Navarro)
Duval County (Boone Park, Jacksonville; Pam Cohen)
Escambia County (Roger Scott Tennis Center, Pensacola; Jacqueline Wallace)
Manatee County (Lakewood Ranch Athletic Center; Lorraine Varone)

Women 7.5 — Flight 2

Alachua County (Westside Park, Gainesville; Elizabeth Smith)
Brevard County (Titusville YMCA; Sally Rohenkohl)
Hillsborough County (River Hills C.C., Valrico; Wanda Butler)
Pinellas County (St. Pete Tennis Center; Ellen Johnson)
Volusia County (Florida Tennis Center, Daytona Beach; Rose Lucas)

Women 7.5 — Flight 3

Leon County (Tom Brown Park, Tallahassee; captain: Sharon Nicholson)
Marion County (Ft. King Tennis Center, Ocala; Kathy Hatfield)
Martin County (Buttonwood Tennis Club, Stuart; Marie Paule Cafmeyer)
Charlotte County (Punta Gorda YMCA; Susan Theriault)
Miami-Dade South (Miami Shores C.C.; Jennifer Quinton)

Women 8.5 — Round Robin

Hillsborough County (Hillsborough Community College Tennis Complex, Tampa; captain: Darla Gatesman)
Manatee County (Lakewood Ranch Athletic Center; Allyson Hoffman)
Marion County (Ft. King Tennis Center, Ocala; Jo Janke)
St. Johns County (Ponte Vedra Inn & Club; Leslie Polson)
Volusia County (Florida Tennis Center; Kathy Gray)

For more information and team schedules go to www.ustaflorida.com/event/2016-combo-50-sectional-championships.

2016 USTA FLORIDA ADULT LEAGUE
SECTION CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE LEADERS

Here are the current league sectional title leaders this year (through Dec. 5):

1. Pinellas County (5 titles) – 55&Over W4.0/M4.0, 40&Over X8.0/X9.0, 18&Over X9.0

2T. Broward County (4) – 55&Over M4.5, 18&Over M3.5/X7.0/X8.0
2T. Clay County (4) – 55&Over W3.0, 40&Over W3.5, 18&Over W3.0/W4.0
2T. Miami-Dade County (4) – 40&Over W4.0/M4.0, 18&Over M4.0/M4.5
2T. Orange County (4) — 18&Over W4.5, 18&Over M5.0+, 40&Over W4.5+, 40&Over M3.5
2T. Volusia County (4) — 40&Over X7.0, 55&Over W3.5, 18&Over X6.0/ W-Open

7T. Collier County (3) – 65&Over W6.0, 55&Over M3.5/W4.5
7T. Marion County (3) – 55&Over M3.0, 40&Over X6.0/M3.0

9. Lee County (2) – 65&Over M7.0, 18&Over M-Open

10T. Alachua County (1) – 65&Over M6.0
10T. Duval County (1) – 18&Over W2.5
10T. Martin County (1) – 65&Over W7.0
10T. Leon County (1) – 18&Over M3.0
10T. Nassau County (1) – 65&Over W8.0
10T. Palm Beach County (1) – 18&Over W5.0
10T. Polk County (1) – 65&Over M8.0
10T. Sarasota County (1) – 40&Over M4.5+
10T. Seminole County (1) — 18&Over W3.5
10T. St. Johns County (1) – 40&Over W3.0

Note: County determined by location of team’s home club. Season-ending ties to be broken by teams’ results at USTA League Nationals.

For more USTA Florida Leagues championship information go to www.ustaflorida.com/events/category/adultevents/ustafloridaleaguetennis/ustafloridaleaguesectionchamps/list.