On the final day of action at the 2019 USTA Florida Doubles Spring Challenge, hosted by the USTA National Campus, a total of seven duos claimed titles to wrap up the event. In doing so they joined girls’ 16s champions Emma Fernald (Saint Petersburg) and Paige Herremans (Orlando) in the winners’ circle after that pairing earned the divisional crown on Sunday.

For the event, five of the top seeds went on to win their division while two pairings seeded second and one seeded third also prevailed. Three of the boys’ championship contests were extended to a decisive match tiebreak; only one final split set on the girls’ side.

2019 Florida Doubles Spring Challenge Divisional Finals Results

Boys’ 12s: No. 1 Friedland/Ubri def. No. 2 Gabler/Pottipati 4-6, 7-6(6), 10-8

Boys’ 14s: No. 2 Limon/Povey def. No. 1 Blokhin/Horovitz 7-5, 1-6, 10-4

Boys’ 16s: No. 1 Ozzor/Rajakar def. No. 5 Chang/Gritzman 6-1, 3-6, 10-8

Boys’ 18s: No. 1 Russo/Zapp def. Mackler/Zipay 7-5, 6-1

Girls’ 12s: No. 3 Ackman/Martinez def. No. 4 Almanza/Jaramillo 6-4, 6-0

Girls’ 14s: No. 2 Llewelly/Wuhrman def. No. 1 Bluestein/Pleasant 7-5, 6-3

Girls’ 16s: No. 1 Fernald/Herremans def. No. 2 Pados/Perdomo 6-3, 4-6, 10-7

Girls’ 18s: No. 1 Can/Friedland def. No. 2 Block/Smejkal 7-5, 6-3

It could not have been a much closer final in the boys’ 12s division, as the top two seeds squared off after advancing to Monday with relative ease. The first two sets could have gone either way, with the second-seeded team of Quentin Gabler (Miramar) and Rama Subodh Pottipatti (Boca Raton) earning the opening frame 6-4 before No. 1 seeds Zach Friedland (Hollywood) and Yubel Ubri (Miami Beach) managed to survive the second in a tiebreak, eight points to six. That set the stage for a back-and-forth match tiebreak, where Friedland and Ubri won by the slimmest of margins, 10-8.

In another matchup of No. 1 versus No. 2, it was second seeds Fernando Limon (Stuart) and Tanner Povey (Indian Rocks Beach) getting the best of the top seeds Nathan Blokhin (Plantation) and Roy Horovitz (Key Biscayne) for the boys’ 14s title. Limon and Povey managed to take a tight first set, 7-5, but quickly lost all momentum, with Blokhin and Horovitz racing to take the second, 6-1. However, Limon and Povey turned the tide in their favor just in time, getting through the match tiebreak 10 points to four.

Considering how hard the duos of No. 1 Sami Ozzor (Daytona Beach) and Ryan Rajakar (Nokomis) along with No. 5 Dylan Chang (Miami) and Yair Gritzman (Boca Raton) had to work to make it to Monday, a final decided by a match tiebreak was only fitting. The contest did not appear to be going in that direction early, however, as Ozzor and Rajakar dominated 6-1 in the first set. Chang and Gritzman shook off the slow start, rallying back to win the second frame 6-3, but could not manage to come out on top in the crucial points; Ozzor and Rajakar won the match tiebreak by a 10-8 margin.

Now a three-time doubles champion – including consecutive years at this event – at the National Campus, Logan Zapp (Fleming Island) teamed up with Dante Russo (Deerfield Beach) for the boys’ 18s title. The top-seeded tandem had not dropped more than four games in a match, and while they did receive more of a challenge from the surprise finalists Andy Mackler (Lake Mary) and Benjamin Zipay (Osprey), Russo and Zapp finished off a strong effort with a 7-5, 6-1 triumph.

A day after battling past the division’s No. 1 seeds, the third seeds Alex Ackman (Winter Garden) and Alba Martinez (Weston) backed it up with an impressive performance for the girls’ 12s crown. Locked in a tense first set with No. 4 seeds Gabriela Almanza (Orlando) and Sabrina Jaramillo (Orlando), Ackman and Martinez found a way to come through, 6-4, and then sprint to the finish line in a 6-0 second set.

Perhaps playing with no pressure after surviving two match tiebreaks the day before, girls’ 14s No. 2 seeds Sophie Llewellyn (Tarpon Springs) and Ryan Wuhrman (Lake Worth) took home the title on Monday. Their success in clutch situation would pay off in the final, as they clawed their way to a 7-5 first set victory against top seeds Chelsea Bluestein (Naples) and Lilly Pleasant (Orlando) before winning the second in a more comfortable fashion, 6-3.

Living up to their top billing in the girls’ 18s division was Ayshe Can (Weston) and Karly Friedland (Hollywood). Coming into Monday with three victories of the straight sets variety, they added one more in the championship match by virtue of besting No. 2 seeds Natalie Block (Plantation) and Lara Smejkal (Boca Raton) 7-5, 6-3.

For complete results from the 2019 USTA Florida Doubles Spring Challenge, click here.