Sunday saw the three women’s divisions wrap up at the 2019 USTA Florida 65 & Over Sectional Championships. The victors included Collier (The Players Club and Spa – Naples) in the 6.0 competition, the 7.0 Duval (Boone Park - Jacksonville) squad, and Pinellas (City of Clearwater) in 8.0 action. Additionally, play continued in the men’s 7.0 and 8.0 divisions.

Collier clinched the 6.0 crown early on Sunday, defeating Marion (Golden Ocala and Equestrian Club) for a second time on the weekend. That left both Marion and Duval (Southside Tennis Complex – Jacksonville) with two losses while Collier remained unbeaten. Collier then polished off a perfect 4-0 weekend by sweeping Duval. Captained by Judith Cappello, the full Collier team includes Karen Shmihluk, Geri Cerio, Ann Putnam, Janet Olliges, Diane Sullivan, Melanie Rose, Robin Harper, Michelle Taj, Laurie Dwyer, and Beverley Wilen.

The women’s 7.0 division came down to Flight 1 representative Duval (Boone Park – Jacksonville) and Sarasota (Lakewood Ranch Athletic) out of Flight 2. Duval concluded round robin action a perfect 3-0, collecting seven individual wins with just six sets lost. Sarasota posted an impressive sweep of previous first-place Marion (Citrus Hills Tennis Club – Hernando) to take over the top spot after the two ended up at 2-1 overall.

It would be much closer than the score would indicate, but Duval came away with a 3-0 sweep against Sarasota in the championship dual. Deidre Martin and Martha Poitevent got Duval started by coming through on court one 6-2, 6-4. Meanwhile, Duval also collected the opening frames at the second and third positions, but both courts would end up going to decisive match tiebreaks. From there it was all Duval. Susan Sceifers and Rosemary Arnold won 6-3, 1-6, 1-0 at line two while Vicki Collins and captain Pam Cohen secured court three 6-0, 4-6, 1-0. Cohen’s squad features Martin, Sceifers, Shelley Thompson, Diane Hendry, Michele Rainwater, Catherine Davis, Poitevent, Myrle Robinson, Arnold, and Collins.

Two more dual wins by Marion (Glenview Champions Tennis Club – The Villages) kept them atop the men’s 7.0 standings, as they will bring a 4-0 record into Monday having lost a mere five sets. Within the field of six, only Marion and Collier (Club at Longshore Lake – Naples) still have a chance at taking home the title after Collier went 1-1 on the second day of the event for a 3-1 record. Those two squads will face off Monday morning at 8 a.m.

Both Pinellas (City of Clearwater) and Collier (Pelican Bay Community Park – Naples) eased their way into the women’s 8.0 championship dual. Pinellas took Flight 1 in commanding fashion, claiming eight of the nine courts they contested while dropping two sets. Collier got through Flight 2 with a bit more resistance, eventually winning seven individual matchups with seven sets lost.

In the final, Pinellas battled their way to a 2-1 victory over Collier thanks to prevailing at the first and third positions. Debbie Dawson and team captain Kathy Moll cruised 6-2, 6-2 on court three, while Peggy Reynolds and Colleen Burns Keenan got Collier on the board with a 6-3, 6-2 triumph at the second spot. That put all the pressure on line one, where Holly Charles and Linda Miller hung on for Pinellas by a 6-2, 2-6, 1-0 margin. The full Pinellas roster includes Moll, Dawson, Charles, Ann Worthington, Susan Hobbs, Susan Tarantino, Clara Reynolds, Joanne Cannon, and Miller.

Teams navigating their way into the men’s 8.0 semifinals were Collier (Lighthouse Bay – Bonita Springs), Pinellas (City of Clearwater), and Broward (Parkland Tennis Center) as flight champions along with Okaloosa/Walton (TOPS’L Beach and Racquet Resort – Miramar Beach) as the wild card entrant by virtue of being the top flight runner-up. The trio of flight winners went undefeated across the two days of play while Okaloosa/Walton turned in two sweeps to go with their competitive 2-1 loss to Pinellas. Monday’s semifinals, scheduled for 8 a.m., will pit Broward against Okaloosa/Walton and Collier clashing with Pinellas. The final is set to take to the courts at 11:30 a.m.

For more information on the 2019 USTA FL Adult 65 & Over Sectional Championships, click here.