All five divisions were in action for the first and only time in the event Sunday at the 2020 USTA Florida 18 & Over Men’s 3.0/3.5/4.5 & Women’s 3.5/4.0 Sectional Championships. Day three was highlighted with the crowning of the men’s 4.5 sectional winners.

Teams are competing in dual matches consisting of three matchups in total – one singles and two doubles; at least two of those three courts must be won in order to claim the dual.

In the lone men’s 4.5 dual on Sunday, Hillsborough (Sandra W Freedman Tennis Complex – Tampa) defeated Alachua (D B Racquet Club – Gainesville) by a 2-1 margin in the divisional final. Peter Kim raced through the singles matchup for Alachua, downing Michael Lenhart 6-1, 6-2. However, Hillsborough proved too strong in doubles; Mike Moenter and Stephen Lappano dropped just one game in taking the top spot 6-1, 6-0 while teammates Ignacio Molina and Amit Taggar toughed out a 6-3, 6-4 result on court two. The win capped off a perfect 5-0 weekend for the squad.

Captained by Ryan Gelhaus, the full Hillsborough roster includes Blake Dantzler, John Hollis, Lenhart, Ben Tucker, Thomas Burns, Kevin Gaughan, Moenter, Taggar, Lappano, Ali Rizvi, Connor Molina, Dennis McClure, Gordon Lucas, Chris Canfield, Ignacio Molina, Leif Shuman, Jamie Mckibban, and David Dollbaum.

In the men’s 3.5 division, three teams swept their respective flight to easily move on to the knockout stages while a fourth advanced thanks to earning the wild card spot. Brevard (Kiwanis Island Tennis Association – Merritt Island) emerged a sterling 3-0 from the competitive Flight 1 on the strength of seven court victories while Miami-Dade (Crandon Park Tennis Center – Key Biscayne) took care of the field in Flight 2; Collier was a perfect 4-for-4 playing in the double round-robin Flight 3. The semifinal pairings, featuring Brevard across the net from Collier and wild card Hillsborough (HCC Tennis Complex – Tampa) clashing with Miami-Dade, will begin at 11:15 a.m.

The 4.0 women’s semifinalists were also determined by the end of play Sunday. Orange/Seminole (Red Bug Lake Park – Casselberry) swept their way through Flight 3 to head into the knockout stages as the only team without a loss in the division. They are set to face Broward (Midtown Athletic Club – Weston), who tied atop the Flight 1 standings with Collier (Naples Bay Resort) but claimed the automatic berth into the final four after besting Collier head-to-head. All was not lost for Collier, as they were the top second-place finisher and therefore secure the wild card; they will go up against Flight 2 winner Miami-Dade (Kerdyk Biltmore Tennis Center – Coral Gables). The semifinals are scheduled for 8:30 a.m. with the final to follow at approximately 11:30 a.m.

Squads in the women’s 3.5 competition were on court Sunday for the first time in the event. Five are left unscathed, including Hillsborough (Tampa Yacht & Country Club), which is one dual win away from clinching Flight 1. The other two flights mirror one another, with a pair of teams sitting at 2-0 and a third just behind but still in the mix at 1-1 overall. In Flight 2, both Orange/Seminole (USTA National Campus – Orlando) and Broward (City of Fort Lauderdale) look to be in good shape; Miami-Dade (Don Shulas Athletic Club – Hialeah) and Collier (Riverstone Community – Naples) hold the inside track in Flight 3.

Absolutely nothing has been decided in the men’s 3.0 competition after one day of play, as all three squads went 1-1 in the only flight of the division. Alachua (Jonesville Tennis Center – Gainesville) holds a slight advantage thanks to their four individual matchup victories; Duval (Sawgrass Racquet Club – Ponte Vedra Beach) sits in second while Marion (Country Club of Ocala) is third.

Matches pick back up Monday morning beginning at 7:30 a.m. For more information on the 2020 USTA FL 18 & Over Men’s 3.0/3.5/4.5 & Women’s 3.5/4.0 Sectional Championships, click here.