Social distancing, temperature checks before entering the facility, and virtual tournament desks were just a few of the aspects of the “new normal” when it comes to tournament operations at the USTA National Campus. However, all of those things aside, a sense of normalcy was restored when players finally took to the courts to take part in USTA-sanctioned tournaments for the first time in six months.

The opening weekend welcomed back USTA Florida adult league play, as the state’s best teams in the Mixed 40 & Over 6.0 and 8.0 divisions battled for sectional titles Sept. 19-21. And while the weather did not always produce ideal conditions, two squads were crowned champions on the third and final day of play.

It was the 6.0 division that was particularly decimated by Mother Nature. All team dual matches were slated to be completed by Sunday afternoon. With the dramatic shift in the schedule, unfortunately all squads were not able to return on Monday. Ultimately, Volusia (Florida Tennis Center – Daytona Beach) earned the sectional crown on the strength of their two dominant performances from Saturday.

Russell McDonald’s Volusia crew includes a complete roster of Mary Hoffman, Albert Weigel, Stacey Effner, Heather Patton, Michelle McDonald, Stephen Lucas, Brad Gifford, Jerry Boatright, Susan Hrycyk, Mike Kogelschatz, Linda Leyva, Valentino Santiago, and Saroj Kasturi.

The 8.0 division contested their semifinals and final on the blustery third day of the tournament, with Broward (Weston Tennis Center) sweeping Pinellas (Tarpon Tennis Club – Tarpon Springs) at the semifinal stage before holding off the crew representing the IRMSL (Buttonwood Tennis Club – Stuart) region by a slim 2-1 margin.

Captained by Juan Maldonado, the entire Broward roster includes Loren Levine, Cubano, Raiza Matheus, Alejandro Matheus, Maria Lanza, Andrea Corneilssen, Torres, Noelia Diaz, Gonzalez Tonanez, Brad Staskowski, and Timothy House.

Full results from the 2020 USTA FL Mixed 40 & Over 6.0/8.0 Sectional Championships, click here.

For the following weekend it was the juniors who took to the courts, as the National Campus welcomed the 2020 “Bobby Curtis” Green Ball Sectional Championships, the premier event for 10 & Under competitors from across the Sunshine State.

The event would turn out to be a showcase for the top seed in both the boys’ and girls’ draws. Orlando’s Jordan Lee sprinted through to the semifinals without surrendering a single game, winning three consecutive matches 4-0, 4-0. Fifth-seeded Daniel Osipenko (Fort Myers) provided a little resistance at that stage, but Lee still prevailed by a 4-1, 4-2 score line. In the championship tilt, Lee found himself in a struggle versus No. 4 seed Diego Custodio (Tampa). The opening frame would be extended to a tiebreak, which Lee managed to secure 5-4, before easing through the second set 4-1 to take home the trophy.

It was an even easier road for girls’ No. 1 seed Sophia Osipova (Ormond Beach). She dropped a mere three games in her four contests en route to claiming the title. After a 4-0, 4-0 victory in her first match of the weekend, she was locked in a tight first set against sixth-seeded ChernorAbie Barrie (Bradenton). However, once she fought her way to a 5-3 win, she quickly returned to her dominate form. Her weekend was capped off by an emphatic 4-0, 4-0 effort in the final over No. 2 seed Britney Brace (Parkland).

To view complete results from the 2020 “Bobby Curtis” Green Ball Sectional Championships, click here.

The final three months of the year are sure to be busy at the USTA National Campus, as more than 15 events are still to come.