TEXAS TEAM FINISHES AS FINALIST
Tennessee and Arkansas rose to the top of the 2018 USTA Southern Mixed Doubles Sectional Championships, played Oct. 12-14, in metro Little Rock, Ark.
Tennessee was well represented with four champions and two finalists while Arkansas had one champion and six finalists.
In a rarity in sectional championship play, Jay Huffman captained two Knoxville titlists while Joshua Woods headed a champion and a second-place team for Chattanooga, both from Tennessee. In what may be a first-time occurrence in USTA League and Adult team championships in USTA Southern, a team from outside our nine primary states – Texarkana, Texas – was a finalist. Part of the section runs into eastern Texas.
This year’s event drew the top teams from throughout the section’s nine states: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. Many of the teams – which represent various clubs, parks, recreational departments and organizations – have finished at the top of their local leagues or are noted as top teams in their respective states.
The tournament was played at two facilities in Arkansas: The Burns Park Tennis Center in North Little Rock (tournament headquarters) and Rebsamen Tennis Center in Little Rock.
There were 71 teams with approximately 630 players who competed in nine levels: 18 & Over – 2.5 (not combined), 6.0, 7.0, 8.0, 9.0, 10.0 Combined and 40 & Over – 6.0, 7.0, 8.0 and 9.0 Combined. The Southern champions will compete in the USTA League National Championships in November.
Champions and finalists were:
| Level | Champion Hometown - Captain/s | Finalist Hometown – Captain/s | Score in final |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18 & Over 2.5 | North Little Rock, Ark. (A) Sonda Lloyd/Wendie Weare | Little Rock, Ark. (B) Leslie Cloar | Round-robin |
| 18 & Over 6.0 | Knoxville, Tenn. Jay Huffman | North Little Rock, Ark. (A) JoAnne Wooldridge/James Howell | 2-1 |
| 18 & Over 7.0 | Jackson, Miss. Jordan Merchant | Little Rock, Ark. (A) Lee Mesaris/Michael Delozier | 2-1 |
| 18 & Over 8.0 | Hattiesburg, Miss. (B) Ed Assaf | Chattanooga, Tenn. Joshua Woods | 2-1 |
| 18 & Over 9.0 | Chattanooga, Tenn. Joshua Woods | Asheville, N.C. Molly Heyn/Laneal Vaughn | Round-robin |
| 18 & Over 10.0 | Sandy Springs, Ga. Jamie Dockter | Hattiesburg, Miss. Michael Haddox | Round-robin |
| 40 & Over 6.0 | Knoxville, Tenn. (A) Jay Huffman | North Little Rock, Ark. (A) Lori Brown | 2-1 |
| 40 & Over 7.0 | Memphis, Tenn. Jennifer Burch/Alvin Gilless | Texarkana, Texas representing Arkansas (B) Ronald Ryan | 3-0 |
| 40 & Over 8.0 | Albany, Ga. Cathy Durland | Benton, Ark. (A) Melanie & Brandon Kiker | 2-1 |
| 40 & Over 9.0 | Metairie, La. Frank Natal | Memphis, Tenn. Jeff Meek | 3-0 |