A total of three Sunshine State squads took home divisional titles on Monday to conclude play at the 2019 USTA Florida 55 & Over 3.0/4.0 Sectional Championships. The victors included the representatives from Escambia (Independent) in the women’s 3.0 competition, the women’s 4.0 team from Sarasota (Longwood Athletic Club), and the South Palm Beach (Parkland Tennis Center) for the men’s 4.0 division.

Escambia (Independent) broke up the all-Collier final by sweeping the Greater Marco Family YMCA (Marco Island) in the women’s 3.0 semifinals. Courts one and two went the way of Escambia with ease – 6-2, 6-2 and 6-3, 6-1, respectively – while they finished off the dual with a 7-5, 1-6, 1-0 victory at the third spot. The Collier representatives from The Players Club and Spa (Naples) bested Marion (Fort King Tennis Center – Ocala) by a 2-1 margin to advance. Line one was claimed by Collier 6-1, 7-5 to go along with a 6-4, 6-3 effort at the second position; Marion was able to prevail 6-3, 6-3 on court three.

A thorough 6-0, 6-3 win by Escambia’s Deborah Reese and Carolyn Moore on court two set the tone for their second sweep of the day, clinching the divisional crown. Ingrid Corbett and Tonya Chase clawed their way to a 7-5, 7-6 conquest at the top spot, while Carole Cantin and Jean Cochran mounted a 3-6, 6-4, 1-0 comeback to polish off an undefeated day for captain Prebble Baker’s crew.

The entire Escambia team consists of Baker, Reese, Cantin, Chase, Corbett, Cochran, Helen McDaniel, Allison McCrory, Susan Bentley, and Moore.

In the women’s 4.0 competition, the clash between Sarasota squads from the River Strand Golf and Country Club (Bradenton) and the Longwood Athletic Club (Sarasota) quickly turned into a one-sided affair. The Longwood Athletic Club, the wild card team in the semifinals, breezed through courts one and two with identical 6-3, 6-2 score lines, and then wrapped up a 3-0 sweep by virtue of a 6-3, 5-7, 1-0 win at line three. The tensest semifinal of the day was between Pinellas (St. Petersburg Tennis Center) and Duval (Boone Park – Jacksonville), where Pinellas needed a marathon 7-5, 4-6, 1-0 victory on court two to survive. They took a much easier 6-4, 6-1 result at line one and Duval rallied back 3-6, 6-3, 1-0 at the third spot.

In the championship dual, Sarasota captain Beverly Kalil and Lorraine Varone stormed to a 6-1, 6-0 result at line two, pacing the team to a commanding triumph. Not far behind with the clinching effort was the duo of Christine Adelman and Marilyn Weisenberg, coming through 6-2, 6-4 at the third position. Duval’s Catherine McGee and Margaret Desaussure outlasted Sarasota’s Dorene Seider and Lynn Deuitch in the line one matchup, putting the final team score at 2-1.

Making up the Longwood Athletic Club roster is Kalil, Deuitch, Yvonne Ghilardi, Seider, Julie Wolfe, Donna Hannigan, Varone, Karen Adams, Adelman, Cathy Powell, SueAnn Sanders, and Weisenberg.

A pair of 2-1 results in the men’s 4.0 semifinals propelled Duval (Amelia National – Fernandina Beach) and South Palm Beach (Parkland Tennis Center) into the divisional championship. Duval dropped the contest at the top spot to SMD (Royal Palm Tennis Club – Miami) but managed to come through 6-2, 6-3 on court two and 7-6, 6-3 at line three. South Palm Beach got by Volusia (Daytona Beach Shores Parks and Recreation) thanks to a quick 6-3, 6-2 win on court one and a back-and-forth 6-1, 7-5 effort at the third position; Volusia toughed out the matchup at line two 4-6, 7-5, 1-0.

In the men’s 4.0 championship, South Palm Beach used strong showings once again on courts one and three to defeat Duval. Chris Cury and Joel Lerner claimed the top spot 6-4, 6-2; Bill Day and Drew Wright dominated line three by a 6-1, 6-2 margin. Duval’s Edward Spiezio and James Smith managed to win 7-5, 6-2 at the second position.

Captain Michael Kelly’s South Palm Beach full roster includes Day, Kevin McCarthy, James McLaughlin, Cury, Howard Weinstein, Lerner, Wright, William Dellinger, and Reed Edelman.

For complete results from the 2019 USTA Florida 55 & Over 3.0/4.0 Sectional Championships, click here.