Teams representing Broward stole the show on Monday to wrap up the 2019 USTA Florida Combo 18 & Over 6.5/8.5 Sectional Championships, hosted by the USTA National Campus. Broward claimed both 6.5 titles, with the men’s crew from Bonaventure Town Center in Ft. Lauderdale and women’s squad from the Dillon Tennis Center in Oakland Park prevailing. Joining them was the Weston Tennis Center’s 8.5 men’s team, while Escambia (Independent) was crowned the 8.5 women’s champions.

In the lone men’s 6.5 dual on Monday, Broward (Bonaventure Town Center – Ft. Lauderdale) bested Escambia (Independent) in one of the most dominating performances of any Sunshine State sectional championship held at the National Campus in 2019. Three of the six sets were 6-0 sweeps, including Matt Olender and Christian Orellana racing through line two without dropping a game. Pedro Rodrigues and Jegatheeswaran Jeyabalan took court three 6-3, 6-0 to go along with Andre Sophia and Rodolfo Millan finishing off the 3-0 win by coming through 6-2, 6-2 at the top spot.

Captain Barry Benson’s Broward squad includes a full roster of Guillermo Katz, Sophia, Guillermo Gonzalez, Jose Planchez, Millan, Olender, Jeyabalan, Rodrigues, and Orellana.

After the 6.5 women’s semifinals were contested on Sunday, only SMD (Kendall Tennis Training Center – Miami) and Broward (Dillon Tennis Center – Oakland Park) were left standing on the final day of play. Broward grabbed control from the start by virtue of earning all three first sets, setting the stage for a 2-1 triumph. After Natasha Torres and Maria Lanza did not surrender a game in the opening frame on court two, they hung on for a 6-0, 7-6 score line. Meanwhile, Loren Levine and Jaimi Hinkle battled for a 7-5, 6-1 victory at the third spot. SMD’s Karen Fishman and Kelly James fought back for a 5-7, 6-2, 1-0 victory on court one to set the final margin.

Captained by Kevin Sims, Broward features Levine, Frances Cubano, Robin Hayden, Giselle Rosasco, Hinkle, Nathalie Schiaffino, Sima Sadoughi, Karen Menditto, Adriana Montserrat, Sara Contreras, Upasna Jha, Giuliana Zunino-Ribas, Lanza, and Torres.

In the 8.5 men’s semifinals, Sarasota (Lakewood National – Bradenton) got past Duval (Boone Park Tennis Courts – Jacksonville), two courts to one, and Broward (Weston Tennis Center) defeated Hillsborough (Sandra W Freedman Tennis Complex – Tampa) by the same margin. For Sarasota, Dean Dancer and Jeffrey Stern won 6-2, 6-2 at line one to go along with teammates Duncan Crowley and David Schoonover fighting for a 7-5, 6-4 result at line three. Broward managed to advance by taking courts two and three, as Victor Caba and Carlos Miranda won 6-4, 6-2 while Jose Peraza and Enrique Penalver got through 7-5, 6-1.

With the sectional title on the line, Broward turned in a pair of straight-set victories at the top two spots to overcome Sarasota. Caba and Miranda produced for their squad once again, winning 6-2, 6-2 on court two. The tandem of Jorge Yegres and Boris Horna were challenged, but managed to secure court one 6-3, 7-5. Sarasota’s Dancer and Stern were awarded line three via retirement.

Broward is captained by Jorge Corrales and includes a complete roster of Peraza, Enrique Penalver, Jorge Penalver, Tony Alzuru, Francisco Marcano, Andres Piske, Hugo Moreno, Humberto Valbuena, Horna, Caba, Santiago Eslava, Miranda, and Yegres.

The two 8.5 women’s semifinals also ended in 2-1 score lines. Orange/Seminole (Sanlando Park – Altamonte Springs) defeated Pinellas (Tarpon Tennis Center – Tarpon Springs) thanks to a 6-2, 6-3 effort at line one from Elissa Rizzi and Kyrsten Crociata along with a 6-3, 7-5 win by Shirley Beal and Marcy Elswick at the third spot. Escambia (Independent) survived splitting two match tiebreaks with Hillsborough (Tampa Yacht & Country Club); Melissa Paravalos and Mary Jane Evertz rallied back at line two 2-6, 6-2, 1-0 to send Escambia into the final after Heidi Wilkes and Carel Demanss won 6-3, 6-4 on court three.

Despite letting a closely-contested matchup at the top spot slip away, Escambia produced at lines two and three for the sectional title. Wilkes and Demanss were back in the lineup, this time winning 6-0, 7-6 at the second position; meanwhile, new duo Jami Steinmetz and Shellie McCall cruised 6-1, 6-2 at the third spot. Rizzi and Crociata did prevent Orange/Seminole from getting swept thanks to a 6-3, 7-6 victory at line one.

Captain Melissa Paravalos’ complete Escambia crew includes McCall, Demanss, Rachel Trahan, Steinmetz, Evertz, Wilkes, Tara McCarthy, and Arlene Doyle.

For complete results from the 2019 USTA Florida Combo 18 & Over 6.5/8.5 Sectional Championships, click here.