By J. Fred Sidhu, special to USTA.com
RANCHO MIRAGE, CALIF. - The Northern California Section men’s team and Southern section women’s team made it a memorable weekend by capturing National titles at the USTA League Adult 18 & Over 4.0 National Championships, held at the Rancho Las Palmas Resort in Rancho Mirage, Calif.
Playing with determination and consistency, the NorCal men’s team from San Francisco edged a strong Intermountain team from Las Vegas, 3-2, to win the USTA League Adult 18 & Over 4.0 National Championships. Earlier in the day, NorCal, which represented the San Francisco Tennis Club, scored a 3-2 semifinal victory over the Texas Section team from The Woodlands, Texas, to advance to the final.
“It feels fantastic. We had an awesome team. We had a big group of guys who were devoted to the process of achieving a lot this year. We’re really happy,” said Northern California team captain Greg Roberts. “The key to the team’s victory was the commitment from the number of players that we had. The camaraderie on the team was what put us over the top when we needed it most.”
The Florida Section men’s team from Doral, Fla., defeated the Texas Section team, 4-1, to capture third place.
In women's action, the Southern section women’s team from Fort Smith, Ark., captured a thrilling 3-2 victory over the Caribbean team from San Juan, P.R. With the scored tied 2-2, Southern won the No. 1 doubles match on Stadium Court before a large crowd of supporters to clinch the title.
“We’re so excited. We worked so hard. It came down to one court. We’re beyond thrilled,” said captain Lucy Coleman. “It’s just been great. We had a lot of preparation to get here. We had a lot of team support.”
Coleman thanked the team’s two coaches, Bobby Banck and Melissa Kelly. “They have both given up so much of their time. They put in countless hours practicing with us to get us ready. The conditioning, match-play and drilling – we couldn’t ask for two better coaches.”
The Pacific Northwest Section women’s team from Seattle finished in third place, scoring a 4-1 victory over the New England section team from Stamford, Conn.