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Florida’s Jr. State Doubles champions crowned

September 28, 2010

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Florida’s Jr. State Doubles champions for 2010 were crowned on Monday in boys’ and girls’ 18-10 divisions during the USTA Florida Jr. State Doubles 14,12,10 Championships, held at the Florida Tennis Center in Daytona Beach, and the USTA Florida Jr. State Doubles 18 & 16 Championships at Sanlando Park in Altamonte Springs, both on Sept. 25-27.

The 62nd USTA Florida Jr. State Closed Championship represented some of the best junior tennis players in the strongest of the 17 USTA sections across the country. The USTA Florida Jr. State Closed Championship is one of the few major events that combine boys’, girls’, and mixed doubles in the same event.

“This event is wonderful because the mixed doubles gets the kids interacting and increases their social skills,” said legendary USTA Florida tournament organizer Bobby Curtis, who helped launch the tournament in 1952, three years after USTA Florida was established. “The event used to be combined with the singles, but it became it’s own event and a great social event that the kids really enjoy.”

Naples’ Gordon Watson was among the highlights, winning the Boys’ 18 doubles title with fellow Naples resident Brett Clark as the No. 3 seeds, then winning the Mixed 18 title with Lindsay Graff of Ft. Lauderdale. Graff was also runner-up in the Girls’ 18 final with Bradenton’s Carolyn Chupa, as the No. 2 seeds losing to No. 1s Danielle Collins/Julia Jones (St. Petersburg/Largo).

Earlier this year Watson also won the USTA Florida State Closed Singles title in the Boys’ 16 division.

Miami’s Katerina Stewart won the Girls’ 14 doubles title as an unseeded pair with Coral Gables’ Julieta Dalmau, ousting top seeds Mia Horvit/Valerie Trench (Parkland/Weston). Stewart then teamed with fellow Miami resident Shaun Berman, as the No. 2 seeds upsetting the top-seeded duo of David Crisovan/Mia Horvit (Hallandale Beach/Parkland) for the Mixed 14 title.

Stewart and Dalmau were the only unseeded team to capture a title during the event.

Miami’s Javier Restrepo won the Boys’ 14 doubles title as the No. 1 seed with fellow Miami resident Chase Perez-Blanco, adding to his State Closed Singles title in the Boys’ 14 division earlier this year.

Tampa’s Erica Oosterhout was another double winner, taking the Girls’ 12 title as the top seed with Pinecreat’s Alyssa Pujals, then winning the Mixed 12 title with Jason Legall of Palm Coast. Oosterhout denied a double win by Palm Coast’s Davey Roberts, who captured the Boys’ 12 title as the No. 3 seed with Ponte Vedra Beach’s Robert Loeb, but then lost in the Mixed 12 final with Deerfield Beach’s Magdalena Dobina (who also lost in the Girls’ 12 final).

Here are all the winners from the 2010 USTA Florida Jr. State Closed Doubles Championships:

Boys’ 18 Doubles

(3) Brett Clark/Gordon Watson (Naples) d. (5) Colin Edwards/Brian Kowalski (Valrico/Tampa) 8-0

Girls’ 18 Doubles

(1) Danielle Collins/Julia Jones (St. Petersburg/Largo) d. (2) Carolyn Chupa/Lindsay Graff (Bradenton/Ft. Lauderdale) 8-2

Mixed 18 Doubles

(1) Lindsay Graff/Gordon Watson (Ft. Lauderdale/Naples) d. Maci Epstein/Cristobal Ramos (Windermere/Winter Park) 8-6

Boys’ 16 Doubles

(5) Arnav Mohanty/Arsav Mohanty (Lakewood Ranch) d. Brett Landau/Christopher Perrigan (Tallahassee) 8-6

Girls’ 16 Doubles

(1) Josie Kuhlman/Brittany Lindl (Ponte Vedra Beach/Panama City) d. (3) Lisa May/Alexa Ricci (Oviedo/Longwood) 8-6

Mixed 16 Doubles

(3) Claire Mitchell Andrews/Alexander Saltiel (Tampa/St. Petersburg) d. (1) Tristan Kaye/Amy Lowther (Tampa/Seminole) 8-6