The second day of match play at the 2019 USTA Florida Doubles Spring Challenge, hosted by the National Campus, wrapped up Sunday evening. The stage is now set for seven duos to be crowned champions after the girls’ 16s divisions was won by Emma Fernald (Saint Petersburg) and Paige Herremans (Orlando).

The boys’ 12s final will feature No. 1 seeds Zach Friedland (Hollywood) and Yubel Ubri (Miami Beach) taking on the second-seeded pairing of Quentin Gabler (Miramar) and Rama Subodh Pottipati (Boca Raton). Both duos have been dominant in reaching the championship contest, dropping a total of just eight games apiece while never allowing an opponent more than three games in a set.

Meanwhile, the top two seeds also navigated their way to the final of the boys’ 14s draw, but in much more dramatic fashion. The first seeds Nathan Blokhin (Plantation) and Roy Horovitz (Key Biscayne) eased their way into the final four, but faced a stiff challenge in the form of No. 6 seeds Daniel Schaffer (Bradenton) and Calvin Wellman (Boynton Beach). However, Blokhin and Horovitz avoided the upset with a 6-1, 3-6, 10-3 victory. The second-seeded tandem of Fernando Limon (Stuart) and Tanner Povey (Indian Rocks Beach) breezed through their semifinal encounter, but only after being forced to rally back for a 1-6, 6-2, 10-7 win versus No. 5 seeds Pierce Garbett (Coral Gables) and Benjamin Willwerth (Jupiter) in the quarterfinals.

Nothing has come easy for the top-seeded team of Sami Ozzor (Daytona Beach) and Ryan Rajakar (Nokomis) on their road to the boys’ 16s final. They were pushed to a tiebreak in three of the four sets they earned to get to the semifinal stage, where they barely staved off elimination by surviving a 1-6, 6-2, 10-7 contest versus No. 4 seeds Samuel Dickson (Hialeah) and Valentin Riveros (Miami). Their championship foe will be the fifth-seeded pairing of Dylan Chang (Miami) and Yair Gritzman (Boca Raton). They have come out on top in three highly-competitive matches, included putting together a major rally to take out No. 2 seeds Peter Anastasakis (Bradenton) and Santiago Cardenas (Orlando) 1-6, 6-2, 12-10 in the semifinals.

Boys’ 18s No. 1 seeds Dante Russo (Deerfield Beach) and Logan Zapp (Fleming Island) eased their way into the championship, losing eight games on the day in their two matches. Awaiting them in the final is the unseeded team of Andy Mackler (Lake Mary) and Benjamin Zipay (Osprey), who moved into the final by impressively handling the four seeds Rohan Kale (Tampa) and Thomas Lake (Davie) 6-4, 6-2.

It seemed like a clash between the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds was all but set in the girls’ 12s competition, but that would not be the case. Instead the third-seeded duo of Alex Ackman (Winter Garden) and Alba Martinez (Weston) bested top seeds Gabrielle Bassette (Miami) and Reese Calvo (Hallandale Beach) 7-6(3), 4-6, 10-5 while the four seeds Gabriela Almanza (Orlando) and Sabrina Jaramillo (Orlando) posted a 7-6(2), 6-1 victory against No. 2 seeds Berklie Simmering (Fort Myers) and Melis Wiesinger (Venice).

The girls’ 14s will pit No. 1 versus No. 2, but Sunday was not an easy day for either tandem. Top seeds Chelsea Bluestein (Naples) and Lilly Pleasant (Orlando) hung tough to win three tiebreaks over the course of their two wins, while the second-seeded team of Sophie Llewellyn (Tarpon Springs) and Ryan Wuhrman (Lake Worth) had to come through two contests that were extended to decisive match tiebreaks.

In the lone division to complete play on day two of the event, No. 1 seeds Emma Fernald (Saint Petersburg) and Paige Herremans (Orlando) outlasted No. 2 seeds Artemis Pados (Delray Beach) and Alyssa Perdomo (Delray Beach) 6-3, 4-6, 10-7 to claim the title. They had each survived a match tiebreak en route to the championship dual, setting the stage for the lengthy encounter with the trophy on the line.

The girls’ 18s final is another that will see No. 1 go head-to-head with No. 2. Top seeds Ayshe Can (Weston) and Karly Friedland (Hollywood) have no surrendered a set, most recently defeating No. 4 seeds Casey Accola (Winter Garden) and Alexis Blokhina (Plantation) 6-3, 7-5. For the second seeds Natalie Block (Plantation) and Lara Smejkal (Boca Raton), they have continued to get stronger after being on the ropes in their first match of the weekend. In the semifinals they closed out No. 3 Sophia Fornaris (Pinecrest) and Finley Kalinic (Delray Beach) 6-4, 6-0.

Monday’s schedule of play begins at 8:30 a.m. For more information on the 2019 USTA Florida Doubles Spring Challenge, click here.