Tennis Briefs(4): UF ‘Tennis on Campus’ Winners, Adult State Closed, More

UF Club Tennis Team Perfect After 2 ‘Tennis on Campus’ Events

Two weeks into the 2015-16 USTA Florida ‘Tennis on Campus’ series of tournaments and a trend is starting to emerge.

Just as they did two weeks earlier at the UF Gatorbowl tournament in Gainesville, the University of Florida “A” team defeated the University of Miami “A” team, this time by the score of 29-19, in the Gold Bracket final of the FAMU/FSU Battle in the Capital, held on Oct. 3-4 in Tallahassee, Fla.

“Congrats to all of our teams at the Tally tournament this weekend,” said UF Tennis Club President Joey Rudy. “Not only did all of our teams place in gold and silver, UF-“A” won gold.”

In the Silver Bracket final the Florida State University “B” team defeated UF-“C,” while in the Bronze Bracket final FSU-“F” defeated the Florida Atlantic University “A” team.

Twenty-eight teams in all competed from UF, UM, FSU, FAU, Florida A&M University, University of Central Florida, University of South Florida. Florida Gulf Coast University, and the University of Tampa.

The next event on the 2015-16 2015-16 USTA Florida ‘Tennis on Campus’ calendar will be the USF Bull Run in Tampa on Oct. 24-25.

2015-16 USTA Florida ‘Tennis on Campus’ Tournament Schedule

Sept. 19-20 — UF Gatorbowl, Gainesville (FINAL: UF d. UM)
Oct. 3-4 — FAMU/FSU Battle in the Capital, Tallahassee (FINAL: UF d. UM)
Oct. 24-25 — USF Bull Run, Tampa
Nov. 7-8 — UT Spartan Challenge, Tampa
Nov. 21-22 — Knightro Cup, Orlando
Jan. 23-24 — UM Ibis Open, Coral Gables
Jan. 30-31 — FGCU Dirty Bird Classic, Ft. Myers
Feb. 13-14 — Delray Beach Campus Challenge
Feb. 27-28 — USTA Florida ‘Tennis on Campus’ Section Championships, Altamonte Springs

About USTA Tennis On Campus
The USTA’s Tennis On Campus program is designed to provide college students with opportunities for team camaraderie, social networking, and rivaled competition through tennis without the rigors of a NCAA varsity program. Tennis On Campus offers fun co-ed team-based play (using the World TeamTennis scoring format), regional and national championship competition, and helps students maintain active and healthy lifestyles through their college years. Currently the program is offered on more than 500 college campuses. The USTA ‘Tennis on Campus’ team format features mens and womens singles, doubles and mixed doubles, with a minimum of two men and two women per team.

For more information on the USTA Florida ‘Tennis on Campus’ series or to start a team at your school go to http://tennisoncampus.adulttennisflorida.com, or contact Desirae McLaughlin at tennisoncampusflorida@gmail.com.

Florida Adult State Closed Deadline Oct. 11

The entry deadline is Oct. 11 for the USTA Florida State Closed Championships, which begins Oct. 15 at BallenIsles Country Club in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

Divisions include men’s and women’s singles and doubles in age groups 30-90 and open divisions, mixed doubles, father-son, father-daughter, mother-son, and mother-daughter on the clay courts at BallenIsles.

“This is one of the best tournaments in Florida for all ages and all levels,” says BallenIsles Country Club Director of Tennis Trish Faulkner. “Come on everyone, if you live in Florida and you play tennis, you should be at BallenIsles for the Florida State Closed.”

All main draw matches in every division will be the best-of-three sets. All consolation matches in every division will be two sets and a match tiebreaker (10 points) in lieu of a full third set.

The dates for the Men’s 50’s singles and doubles have been moved to Oct. 23-25 at the PGA National Resort and Spa in Palm Beach Gardens due to a conflict with the National 50 Clay Courts. Questions can be addressed to State Closed Tournament Director Mark Taylor at CatsCane@aol.com. The on-site tournament director at PGA National is Bob Wuhrman.

For more tournament info go to http://tennislink.usta.com/tournaments/TournamentHome/Tournament.aspx?T=161145.

Former ATP Player Fisher Wins One-on-One Doubles

Players in three NTRP divisions — 3.5, 4.5, and Open — competed and winners were crowned at the Avila One-On-One Doubles Tournament, held on Oct. 2-3, 2015, at the Avila Golf & Country Club in Tampa, Fla.

One-On-One Doubles is the half-court singles game played on the doubles court. All points are played crosscourt with the alley included. Players in the Pro Division (not NTRP) must serve and volley on all serves, and players are awarded two points for outright winners on volleys and overheads.

In the Open division championship, former ATP pro Ashley Fisher defeated Brazil’s Paolo Barros, the head tennis professional at Winter Park Racquet Club in Orlando, 4-2. In the semifinals Fisher defeated Bruno Sisti 4-2, while Barros topped Andrew Laflin 4-2. In the third place match Sisti defeated Laflin 4-2.

“On Friday night we had a 3.5 NTRP tournament with a five-man round robin won by Damien Labor,” said organizer Ed Krass. “We also hosted a 4.5 NTRP tournament with a six-man round robin won by Conner Cedro. Saturday was a 17-player round robin on four courts.

“This One-On-One Doubles was hard fought all the way through. The players, fans and sponsors were entertained with top-flight tennis and a real professional five-piece rockin’ blues band. Great fun had by all. I want to thank Roger Cypriano and the Avila Golf & Country Club for being a superb host to this edition of prize money One-On-One Doubles Tournaments.”

For more info go tohttp://tennislink.usta.com/tournaments/TournamentHome/Tournament.aspx?T=172234.

More Celebrities, Former Players Added to Chris Evert Charity Event

More celebrities have been added to the line-up for the 26th annual Chris Evert/Raymond James Pro-Celebrity Tennis Classic, including stand-up comedian and best-selling author Chelsea Handler, rapper and TV host Vanilla Ice, and actors Jason Biggs and Antonio Sabato Jr.

Also added is former No. 1 Martina Navratilova, former ATP pro and ESPN commentator Patrick McEnroe, and former WTA pros Lisa Raymond and Rennae Stubbs.

The Chris Evert/Raymond James Pro-Celebrity Tennis Classic, which raises funds to combat drug abuse and child neglect, will be held on Nov. 20-22, 2015.

Since retiring from the professional game in 1989, the former No. 1-ranked Evert has raised nearly $22 million through the Pro-Celebrity Classic — including the $700,000 raised last year during its Silver Anniversary celebration.

Evert enlists the help of celebrity friends who join the fundraising efforts, and the 2015 event had previously announced commitments from comedian and political commentator Dennis Miller, singer-songwriter David Cook, actors Alan Thicke and Timothy Olyphant, actress Maeve Quinlan, and former WTA pro and International Tennis Hall of Famer Pam Shriver.

Chris Evert Charities partners with the Ounce of Prevention Fund of Florida, a public-private partnership blending state and private dollars and investing them in innovative, community-based programs that give children from the state of Florida a chance to live free from the ravages of drug abuse and neglect. Over the past 25 years, the charity has also funded 39 scholarships that have assisted recipients in attaining college degrees.

To purchase tickets or for more info visit the website at www.chrisevert.org.