By J. Fred Sidhu, special to USTA.com
LA QUINTA, CALIF. – An incredible weekend of tennis came to an exciting close as the Florida Section men’s team from Miami and the Pacific Northwest Section women’s team from Seattle won titles at the USTA League Adult 40 & Over 4.0 National Championships at the La Quinta Resort & Club.
On a nearly picture-perfect day, the Florida men’s team, which represents the Coral Reef Tennis Center, eliminated the Eastern Section team from Bronxville, N.Y., 4-1 to advance to the final, where it scored a thrilling 3-2 victory over the Middle States Section men’s team from Swell, N.J., to win the title.
“It’s unbelievable. It was all teamwork. We did it together. We had very strong singles players in the lineup and we really worked hard the last six months,” said Florida captain Ray Valme. “It’s great. It’s something that we’re going to cherish as friends and players.”
In the women’s draw, the Pacific Northwest Section team, which represents the Amy Yee Tennis Center, advanced to the final by defeating the Northern California team from Los Altos, Calif., 4-1, in the semifinals. Pacific Northwest wrapped up the title by getting past a tough Mid-Atlantic Section team from Fairfax, Va., 3-2, in the final.
“It feels wonderful. Win or lose, we are a team. We supported each other,” said PNW captain Katherine Yun. “We are the champions! Sixteen players came (to La Quinta) and we were here for each other.”