It was a soggy finish to the weekend for Alachua and Brevard counties, who took home titles after an early Sunday morning rain delay at the USTA Florida 40 & Over Men’s 3.5 Women’s 2.5/3.5 Sectional Championships, held Nov. 6-9 at the USTA National Campus.
The weather was quite the challenge on Sunday, resulting in a shortened scoring format and play being spread across two surfaces in an effort to complete all the matches. Champions were crowned in the women’s 2.5 and men’s 3.5 divisions, but semifinal action in the women’s 3.5 was halted due to rain. With more inclement weather scheduled in Monday’s forecast, those matches, along with the championship dual, will be rescheduled for a later date.
Alachua County (Haile Plantation Country Club, Gainesville) was one of two undefeated squads entering the women’s 2.5 competition on Sunday. The women went 5-0 to sweep the competition, winning a total of 12 courts and only giving up three in their five dual matches. Alachua cemented its place at the top of the pack with a critical 3-0 victory against the other team who entered the day without a loss, Marion County (Fort King Tennis Center, Ocala).
Vying for the men’s 3.5 trophy, Brevard County (Kiwi Tennis Club, Indian Harbour Beach) dominated all three courts against Pinellas County (Seminole Lake Family Tennis, Seminole) in the championship dual. Brevard’s Matthew Kerr captured the singles court without surrendering a game, and despite both doubles contests being tight, Brevard triumphed on both courts with a tiebreak.
The competing teams represented various clubs, parks, recreational departments and organizations, and finished at the top of their local leagues during the 2020 season to advance to the USTA Florida 40 & Over Men’s 3.5 Women’s 2.5/3.5 Sectional Championships.
Final results:
40 & Over Women’s 2.5
Final: Alachua County (Haile Plantation Country Club, Gainesville) finished ahead of Marion County (Fort King Tennis Center, Ocala) 5-0, 4-1 in round-robin play
County Season Roster: Carmen Cornell (Captain), Jodi Cox, Tara Bromirski, Christa Cook, Kirsten King, Rachel Brock, Diana Beck, Susan Berg, Rhoda Wilburn, Shannon Sumerlin, Marisa Rodriguez, Shannon Davis, Stephanie Tangeman
40 & Over Men’s 3.5
Final: Brevard County (Kiwi Tennis Club, Indian Harbour Beach) d. Pinellas County (Seminole Lake Family Tennis, Seminole) 3-0
Championship Match Results:
No. 1 Singles: Matthew Kerr (Brevard) d. Anthony Pedata 6-0, 6-0
No. 2 Doubles: Doug Young/Shane Jiruska (Brevard) d. Mark Nasworthy/Craig McLeod 7-5, 4-6, 1-0
No. 3 Doubles: Juan Lebron/Ron Dulay (Brevard) d. John Ramdeen/Carlos Rodriguez 7-6, 4-6, 1-0
County Season Roster: Ron Dulay (Captain), Tony Giacoletto, Kenton Anz, Matthew Kerr, Doug Young, Shane Jiruska, Cletus Obrien, Martin Rojas, Robert Intille, Juan Lebron, Sean Murphy, Nick George, Roger Weinreb, William Sulick, Steven Brandon
2020 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 2020 season (standings through Nov. 10, recent winners in bold):
1. Broward County (5 titles) — X40&Over-7.0/8.0, 55&Over-M8.0, 40&Over-M3.0/M4.0
2T. Hillsborough County (2) — 55&Over-W9.0/M9.0
2T. Seminole County (2) — 55&Over-W7.0, 40&Over-W4.5+
2T. Brevard County (2) — 55&Over-W8.0, 40&Over-M3.5
3T. Alachua County (1) — 40&Over-W2.5
3T. Marion County (1) — 55&Over-M7.0
3T. Miami-Dade County (1) — 40&Over-M4.5+
3T. Pinellas County (1) — X40&Over-9.0
3T. St. Lucie County (1) — 55&Over-W6.0
3T. Volusia County (1) — X40&Over-6.0
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: Nov. 13-15, Adult 40 & Over Women’s 3.0/4.0 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.
