Three of the four divisions wrapped up Sunday at the 2020 USTA Florida 40 & Over Men’s 3.0/4.0/4.5+ & Women’s 4.5+ Sectional Championships. Taking home titles on the day were the men’s 3.0 squad from Broward (Midtown Athletic Club – Weston), the men’s 4.0 crew representing Broward (Parkland Tennis Center), and the women’s 4.5+ team from Orange/Seminole (Heathrow Country Club).

The 3.0 men’s competition came down to the dual between Broward and Duval (Florida Yacht Club – Jacksonville) after both had swept the rest of the field. Ultimately, Broward would prove too strong, as German Avellaneda took the lone singles court 6-3, 6-3 to go along with teammates Fernando Machado and Alex Yokana teaming up for a 6-2, 6-2 victory at the second doubles position. Duval’s Ryan Chandler and James Racine battled for a 3-6, 7-5, 1-0 result at the top doubles spot to make the final score 2-1.

Captained by Saeid Sadoughi, the full Broward roster includes Elias Nunez, Diego Lozano, Andres Intriago, Jeff Kramer, Ricardo Uliambre, Machado, Yokana, Lawrence Freni, Alex Punsalan, Carlos Espina, Avellaneda, Juan Garcia, and Mario Correa.

Sunday saw the men’s 4.0 division start off the morning with its semifinal round, where Broward took all three courts against wild card Pinellas (St. Petersburg Tennis Center) and Miami-Dade (Ron Ehmann Tennis Center – Miami) got past Duval (Baymeadows Racquet Club – Jacksonville) by a 2-1 margin. Broward did not surrender even a set in dismissing Pinellas, only being pushed past 6-3 once. Andre Boz breezed through the singles matchup 6-0, 6-3 to set the tone for the dual. On the two doubles courts, Charles Johnson and Eli Panell came through 6-3, 6-3 at line one while David Netburn and Paul Newman prevailed 7-5, 6-1 in the second position. In the other semifinal, Miami-Dade took control when Jose Ignacio Gonzalez Nunez did not lose a game in singles; his win was coupled with a 7-5, 6-1 effort on the second doubles court from Troy Wee Tom and Gustavo Tijerino.

In the championship tilt, all three matchups were decided in a match tiebreak. The singles clash between Gonzalez Nunez and Boz lived up to expectations, with Gonzalez Nunez rallying for the 3-6, 6-4, 1-0 win to get Miami-Dade on the board. However, Broward would tough out both doubles contests to capture the title. Netburn and Newman took the court at line two this time, shaking off letting the opening frame slip away for a 6-7, 6-2, 1-0 triumph. At the top spot, Panell played alongside Jorge Rodriguez, where the duo survived for a marathon 6-4, 5-7, 1-0 victory.

Captain Michael Kelly’s full Broward roster is made up of James McLaughlin, Adalberto Taguchi, Michael Golieb, Panell, Newman, Evan David, Johnson, Frank Rosso, Benjamin Daniels, Boz, Netburn, Christopher Staller, Joel Lerner, Andres Larrea, Malcolm H Waldron III, and Rodriguez.

After the two teams ran through flight play unbeaten, Orange/Seminole and Hillsborough (HCC Tennis Complex – Tampa) met with the women’s 4.5+ crown on the line. Mika Todo shined in singles, recording a quick 6-2, 6-0 result in favor of Orange/Seminole. Kerry Sproles and JoAnn Mokris were a dominant force at line two doubles as well, taking their matchup 6-3, 6-3 to clinch the win. The sweep was capped off by Pamela Saffran and captain Tami Florin hanging on for a 6-4, 5-7, 1-0 score line on the first doubles court.

The complete Orange/Seminole roster consists of Florin, Suzanne Rucker, Anne-Marie Miller, Janet Lower, Terri Thomson, Christine Alfert, Stacy Girdley, Saffran, Kim Frilot, Todo, Maura Trubman Weiner, Kristine Dionne, Mokris, and Sproles.

One division remains without a champion, as undefeated crews Miami-Dade (Salvadore Park – Coral Gables) and Duval (San Jose Country Club – Jacksonville) will go head-to-head Monday in the divisional final. Both were challenged en route to advancing to the final, as Miami-Dade actually finished with fewer court victories than Orange/Seminole (Orlando Tennis Center) in Flight 1 but came out on top when the two faced off; Duval and Broward (Parkland Tennis Center) each collected 10 individual matchup wins in Flight 2, with Duval’s head-to-head triumph proving the difference.

The 4.5+ men’s final is scheduled for 7:45 a.m. Monday. For updated results from the 2020 USTA FL 40 & Over Men’s 3.0/4.0/4.5+ & Women’s 4.5+ Sectional Championships, click here.