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USTA Florida Level 3 Doubles Spring Challenge

Day Two

May 28, 2017
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Two days down and one to go for the USTA Florida Level 3 Doubles Spring Challenge, being held at the USTA National Campus. The main draws have been whittled down to the championship matches, the first of which will take the court Monday morning with the remaining contests carrying on into the afternoon.

Overall, five of the finals matchups feature the No. 1 vs. No. 2 seeds - the Boys' 12s, 14s, and 18s along with the Girls' 12s and 16s. The top seeds will also compete for the title in the Girls' 14s and 18s, while the Boys' 16s will be a battle between pairs seeded third and fourth.

Leanid Boika and Calvin Wellman have been on cruise control en route to the Boys' 12s final, losing a total of seven games in three matches, while No. 2 seeds Robert Acosta and Charlie Cowan were put to the test in their 3-6, 7-5, 10-7 victory in the semifinals Sunday afternoon. After being forced to go the distance in their opening round match of the tournament, Boys' 14 top seeds Jack Anthrop and Ben Shelton won their next two matches with ease to advance to the finals. There they will face second-seeded duo Bruno Kuzuhara and Timmy Phung, who toughed out a close second set in their 6-1, 7-5 semifinal encounter.

In the only title tilt not involving the draw's No. 1 seeds, Andres Golindano and Luis Iriarte Bastidas (seeded third) will clash with Nicolas Cabrera and Esteban Sierra (seeded fourth). Golindano and Iriarte Bastidas teamed up to upset the top-seeded tandem of Joshua Miller and Logan Zapp 6-3, 6-2 in the semifinals, while Cabrera and Sierra survived 6-2, 1-6, 10-7 against the unseeded pair of Khaleel and Mekhi Gbedey.

Both finalists in the Boys' 18s were tested on Sunday. No. 1 seeds Carlos Grande and Antonio Mora pulled out a tiebreak, seven points to two, and then ran away with the second set in their semifinal match. Daniel Gale and John Michael Holtmann, seeded second, won consecutive matches there were decided by super tiebreaks to battle their way into the championship round.

The most dominating team of the day could be found in the Girls' 12s draw, where top seeds Natalie Block and Gabriela Smashey won all four sets they played 6-0 to reach the final. Awaiting them is the second-seeded duo of Alexis Nyborg and Ada Jane de Alcantara, who did drop one set in the quarterfinals but rebounded for a victory in straight sets in the semifinals.

DJ Bennett and Sophia Wang, the No. 1 seeds in the Girls' 14s, have not contested a set closer than 6-2 on their way to booking a spot in the championship, while No. 3 seeds Jasmin Makela and Marissa Pennings were able to outlast the draw's second-seeded team in a tough 7-5, 6-3 semifinal matchup.

The two highest seeds in the Girls' 16s have been on a collision course all tournament, as both squads have post three wins in straight sets to reach the final. No. 1 seeds Kensie Cricchio and Emma Shelton posted their best result in the semifinals, a 6-0, 6-1 triumph, while No. 2 seeds Karly Friedland and Cooper Jackson gave up a total of nine games on Sunday.

In the Girls' 18s, Anna Bright and Sophia Edwards have lived up to their top seed status, winning four of their six sets by a margin of 6-1 or better to earn the right to play for the championship. On the other side of the net will be the third-seeded duo of Samantha Alicea and Patricia Lopez, who were nearly knocked out in their first match of the tournament, escaping with a 6-3, 7-6(4), 10-8 win. Alicea and Lopez posted a pair of straight set victories on Sunday.

Consolation finals and playoff matches will also take place on Monday at the National Campus. For complete draws and match times, click here.