An additional three squads earned sectional champion status on Monday, the final day of action at the 2019 USTA Florida Combo 18 & Over 5.5/7.5/9.5 Sectional Championships, held at the USTA National Campus. The triumphant teams included the Hillsborough (Westchase Community Association – Tampa) women in the 5.5 division, the Broward (Dillon Tennis Center – Oakland Park) 7.5 men, and the Alachua (Westside Park – Gainesville) 7.5 women.

They joined the Leon (Tom Brown Park – Tallahassee) 5.5 men along with the Broward (Midtown Athletic Club – Weston) 9.5 men and Broward (Weston Hills Country Club) 9.5 women as sectional champions from the event.

In the lone women’s 5.5 dual on the day, Hillsborough (Westchase Community Association – Tampa) defeated Duval (Durbin Crossing – St Johns) by a 2-1 margin to claim the crown. They were able to overcome a 6-2, 6-0 loss at the top spot, as Anne Marie Lennox and Heidi Pogue took court three 6-4, 6-2 to even the score. That set the stage for Catherine Ansel and Natalie Martinez at the second position, who came through with a 7-5, 3-6, 1-0 victory to clinch for their squad.

Captained by Moira Konyk, the full Hillsborough roster includes Kristen DeAngelo, Martinez, Sarah Perron, Gina Lund, Pogue, Trina Ashour, Megan Corn, Michalene Sennet, Christine Lahiff, Monika Leon, Cara Anderson, Ansel, Lennox, Kelly Machonis, and Melissa Bode.

In the men’s 7.5 division, Broward (Dillon Tennis Center – Oakland Park) got past wild card entrant SMD (Doral Park Country Club) by a 2-1 result while Orange/Seminole (USTA National Campus – Orlando) defeated Duval (Charles J. Williams YMCA – Jacksonville) by the same score line. For Broward, Anthony Phillips and Eliu Montero took the top spot 6-2, 6-4 to go along with a comprehensive 6-2, 6-2 effort by teammates Kelly Painter and Michael Stites at line three. It was more of a battle for Orange/Seminole, as two of the three courts went to a decisive match tiebreak; Andre Geraldo Pries de Mello and Gilberto Brandolezi survived 4-6, 6-3, 1-0 on court three for Orange/Seminole while Andrew Knust and Peter Breuer hung on for a 6-2, 7-5 victory at line one.

Straight-set efforts on courts two and three brought home the sectional crown for Broward over Orange/Seminole. Phillips and Montero slid down to the second position for the final, managing to put the contest away 6-4, 6-4. Teammates Charles Gould and Marcus Pfenninger took the third spot by a close 6-4, 6-3 margin, which put the match out of reach. Orange/Seminole did salvage court one with an extended 6-3, 6-7, 1-0 win.

Captain Kevin Sims leads a Broward roster featuring Juan Maldonado, Phillips, Armando Orozco, Pfenninger, Gould, Montero, Stites, Painter, Ronald Coletto, Le Corney, Patricio Casali, and Rene Elvir.

Both 7.5 women’s semifinals ended in 2-1 results, with Alachua (Westside Park – Gainesville) downing Escambia (Independent) and SMD (Salvadore Park – Coral Gables) overcoming Pinellas (YMCA of the Suncoast – Palm Harbor). Lan Hoang-Minh and Rachel Rodriguez sprinted through the matchup on court two for Alachua, but it would be quite some time before Amanda Fuller and Marissa Valentine-King sent the team into the championship dual with their 4-6, 6-3, 1-0 win at the top spot. SMD also needed a match tiebreak to propel the squad into the final. Gricel Boto Bernales and Garvine Recalde toughed out a 6-4, 7-6 score line on court one, which was followed up by Leslie Stein and Alejandra Siller rallying back 0-6, 6-1, 1-0 at line two.

There was very little drama in the championship, as Alachua took control of courts one and two from the start and never looked back. Valentine-King and Fuller played at line one again, this time quickly handling their opponents from SMD 6-2, 6-3. Rodriguez and Hoang-Minh also stayed in at the second position, delivering a 6-2, 6-2 victory. SMD’s Estefania Lacoa and Siller were actually the most impressive in winning on court three 6-2, 6-0, preventing the sweep.

Valentine-King’s full Alachua roster consists of Elaine Almond, Fuller, Susan Benton, Cynthia Thibault, Christa Arnold, Alison Sagas, Samantha Walton, Peggi Bockman, Kirstyn Quandt, Paula Rios-Glusberger, Rodriguez, Allison Shinn, and Hoang-Minh.

For complete results from the 2019 USTA Florida Combo 18 & Over 5.5/7.5/9.5 Sectional Championships, click here.