Preview: USTA Florida Combo 18 & Over 5.5/7.5/9.5 League Sectionals Tennis

Three divisions of USTA Combo League teams will take to the courts at the new USTA National Campus and six men’s and women’s sectional championship teams will be crowned when the USTA Florida Combo 18 & Over 5.5/7.5/9.5 League Championships are held this weekend, Jan. 13-15, 2017, in Orlando.

The technologically-advanced USTA National Campus features more than 100 tennis courts, with 26 Smart Courts featuring Hawkeye-like technology and video and statistical breakdowns of play. Eighty-four of the courts feature live streaming to watch family and friends compete via the internet. For more info on the USTA National Campus go to www.ustanationalcampus.com.

“The Pro Shop at the Home of American Tennis will be giving away a free Adidas Barricade backpack with any purchase of Adidas Product over $100 dollars,” says Josh Record, coordinator of events for the USTA National Campus.

Broward County is the two-time defending champion in the Men’s 7.5 division. Other defending champs from last season are Leon County (Men’s 5.5), Walton County (Men’s 9.5), Marion County (Women’s 5.5), and Seminole County (Women’s 7.5). Competing for the first time at the sectional level will be the Women’s 9.5 division.

The USTA Florida Combo 18 & Over 5.5/7.5/9.5 League Championships is the final Florida Sectional Championships of the 2016 league season, and will determine the 2016 USTA Florida League Championship Cup winner (see standings below).

Teams competing this weekend:

Combo 18 & Over Women’s 5.5

Alachua County (captain: Laura Calton)
Duval County (Natalie Beyer)
Escambia County (Cassandra Lievrouw)
Leon County (Rashaunda Billie)
Marion County (Patricia Saskowski)
Miami-Dade County-South (Velyne Genece-Oloye)

Combo 18 & Over Women’s 7.5 — Flight 1

Miami-Dade County-South (captain: Francene Seveik)
Palm Beach County-North (Cynthia Harkins)
Sarasota County (Margot Gordillo)
Volusia County (Rose Lucas)

Combo 18 & Over Women’s 7.5 — Flight 2

Collier County (captain: Andrea Washak)
Duval County (Karen Pandolfi)
Hillsborough County (Debbie Beardsley)
Martin County (Theresa Dubiel)

Combo 18 & Over Women’s 7.5 — Flight 3

Brevard County (captain: Shannon Johnson)
Broward County (Ann Jerred)
Leon County (Denean Sykes)
Marion County (Christy Drawdy)
Orange County (Angela Larisey)

Combo 18 & Over Women’s 7.5 — Flight 4

Alachua County (captain: Marcia Deuerling)
Escambia County (Tonya Del Gallo)
Lee County (Tina Owenby)
Pinellas County (Chieko Perry)
Polk County (Jennifer Myers)

Combo 18 & Over Women’s 9.5

Broward County (captain: Veronica Wank)
Miami-Dade County-South (Alaina Fotiu-Wojtowicz)
Pinellas County (Elizabeth Baldwin)

Combo 18 & Over Men’s 5.5

Alachua County (captain: Daniel Savin)
Leon County (Gaurav Joshi)
Marion County (Fabio Lozano)

Combo 18 & Over Men’s 7.5 — Flight 1

Charlotte County (captain: Kevin Bouffard)
Leon County (Corey Howard)
Martin County (Larry Shull)
Sarasota County (James Williamson)

Combo 18 & Over Men’s 7.5 — Flight 2

Alachua County (captain: Daniel Wright)
Collier County (Randie Fischel)
Pinellas County (Jerry Walker)
Polk County (Aubrey Whitaker)

Combo 18 & Over Men’s 7.5 — Flight 3

Brevard County (captain: Keith Barto)
Broward County (Gustavo Risquez)
Hillsborough County (John Cotey)
Palm Beach County-South (Moussa Hanna)

Combo 18 & Over Men’s 7.5 — Flight 4

Duval County (captain: Stephen Bennett)
Marion County (Alan MacMurray)
Miami-Dade County-South (Santiago Anda)
Seminole County (Jim Nguyen)

Combo 18 & Over Men’s 9.5

Alachua County (captain: Kevin Banes)
Hillsborough County (Jose Orsini)
Okaloosa County (Jason McLemore)
Polk County (Joel Helm)

For Combo 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.

For more information and team schedules go to www.ustaflorida.com/event/2016-combo-18-5-57-59-5-sectional-championships.

2016 USTA FLORIDA LEAGUE
CHAMPIONSHIP CUP STANDINGS

Broward County’s title at the 6.5/8.5 Combo Sectionals last weekend vaults them into a first-place tie with Pinellas with one sectional championship remaining in the 2016 season. Here are the current league sectional title leaders for the 2016 season (through Jan 9, recent winners in bold):

1T. Broward County (5 titles) — 55&Over M4.5, 18&Over M3.5/X7.0/X8.0, Combo M6.5
1T. Pinellas County (5) — 55&Over W4.0/M4.0, 40&Over X8.0/X9.0, 18&Over X9.0

3T. Clay County (4) — 55&Over W3.0, 40&Over W3.5, 18&Over W3.0/W4.0
3T. Collier County (4) — 65&Over W6.0, 55&Over M3.5/W4.5, Combo 50&Over W6.5
3T. Miami-Dade County (4) — 40&Over W4.0/M4.0, 18&Over M4.0/M4.5
3T. Orange County (4) — 18&Over W4.5, 18&Over M5.0+, 40&Over W4.5+, 40&Over M3.5
3T. Volusia County (4) — 40&Over X7.0, 55&Over W3.5, 18&Over X6.0/ W-Open

8. Marion County (3) — 55&Over M3.0, 40&Over X6.0/M3.0

9T. Alachua County (2) — 65&Over M6.0, Combo W8.5
9T. Escambia County (2) — Combo 50&Over M6.5, Combo W6.5
9T. Hillsborough County (2) — Combo 50&Over M7.5/W8.5
9T. Leon County (2) — 18&Over M3.0, Combo M8.5

13T. Brevard County (1) — Combo 50&Over M8.5
13T. Duval County (1) — 18&Over W2.5
13T. Manatee County (1) — Combo 50&Over W7.5
13T. Martin County (1) — 65&Over W7.0
13T. Nassau County (1) — 65&Over W8.0
13T. Palm Beach County (1) — 18&Over W5.0
13T. Polk County (1) — 65&Over M8.0
13T. Sarasota County (1) — 40&Over M4.5+
13T. Seminole County (1) — 18&Over W3.5
13T. 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’ 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.