Pasco and Pinellas women defended Westin Innisbrook Resort's 3.5 super senior doubles team state championship last weekend.
A men's team, also with players from both counties, was denied its third 3.5 super senior Florida title.
The Innisbrook women began their round-robin flight competition by beating Lakeland 2-1, then defeated Jacksonville 2-1 and Ormond Beach 3-0.
"We brought 10 playable players and all 10 played at least once," said captain Phyllis Gary, who was injured and did not play. "It was truly a team effort and it's thrilling for us to win again."
Returning players from last year's state championship squad are Gary, Nancy Kraemer, Sue Luidens, Joan Holland, Jean McKenzie and Maureen Sternberg. Combined with first-year team players Kay Fitzpatrick, Reme Johnson, Shirl Ahrens, Diane Galemmo and Bonny Boosales, the team lost just two positions in the local season and three at the state competition.
In the final against Naples, a team similar to the one beaten in the previous year's final, Innisbrook won 2-1 on the play of Sternberg and Ahrens in No. 2 and Johnson and Fitzpatrick in No. 1.
The No. 2 team won 6-1, 6-2, its fourth consecutive victory during the weekend.
"We knew going into that last match with Naples that it would be tough, like it had been last year," Sternberg said, "but I think we had a little mental edge since our team had beaten them last year.
"Shirl and I seem to just play well together. She's a good athlete, is an aggressive player and has a fabulous forehand. I try to be steady and set her up the best I can. Together, we've been undefeated all season."
With one point secured for Innisbrook, the No. 1 team played its first match together in league competition. Johnson and Fitzpatrick rallied after losing the first set 6-3.
"We both became extremely focused in the second set and won 6-1," Fitzpatrick said. "During that set, our opponents seemed to lose their focus and never got it back. Meanwhile, we had some lucky shots, and kept using them because they worked. They seemed to get more frustrated and we won the third-set tiebreaker 10-4."
The men's squad lost the first two rounds, denting its chance at a three-peat.
"We tried, but things just didn't go our way," PGTA captain Joe Gari said. "We came out flat in the first round and couldn't get it back.
"The overall competition is getting better with that added depth, so it's getting tougher for everyone. I guess it was someone else's turn to win this year."
Gari praised teammate Dick Lashley, who won the three matches he played, each with a different partner. Bob Anderson played No. 2 with Lashley against Vero Beach; John Kuhn No. 3 against New Smryna Beach and Woody Woodbury No. 1 versus Tallahassee.
New Smyrna Beach, which beat PGTA 2-1 in the round-robin flight, won the 3.5 division.
Other state champions were Fort Myers in the super senior men's and women's 3.0 and the men's 4.0. Naples won the women's 4.0.
ADULT LEAGUE: In the USA Adult League, the Renaissance Vinoy, with captain Jayma Main, faces Crescent Oaks on Saturday in a playoff for the women's 3.0 local title. Both are 6-1 overall.
In other women's divisions, a playoff is scheduled to begin in 3.5 this month. Defending champion McMullen won the 4.5.
Two more weekends of matches remain in the women's 4.0, with PGTA at Safety Harbor (10-0) leading, closely followed by the St. Petersburg Tennis Center. The center's only loss was 3-2 to PGTA.
In the men's USA Adult League, PGTA (6-1) won the 4.5 division. The Racquet Club of St. Petersburg (4-2) finished second and Seminole Lakes (2-5) fourth.
Unbeaten Treasure Bay clinched the 3.5 South division and faces East Lake Woodlands and PGTA in a playoff.
NET SHOTS: Joining Alejandrina Goff, Naoaki Enomoto and Diego Ferraez as winners at the recent Memories of Clearwater junior singles tournament were Yuki Katuki in the boys 16-and-under and Leonard Gullan in the 18.
Katuki upset the top seed in three sets and Gullan won in straight sets.
Consolation winners included Victoria Kosfina (18) and Yui Shimizu (16) in the girls and Dimitris Loucares (18) and Robby Battian (10) among the boys.
COMING UP: The junior singles Summer Classic begins Saturday at Phil Green Tennis Academy in Safety Harbor. The state-sanctioned event includes a consolation draw for first-round losers. Call Green at (727) 724-7729.
The SPTC Junior Open is June 14-16 at St. Petersburg Tennis Center. Call tournament director Al Sarmiento, (727) 823-2225, by June 11.
Pasco-Hernando Community College hosts junior clinics. Beginners meet at 5 p.m. Sundays; intermediates at 6 p.m. Sundays and at 6:30 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays; high school players at 7:30 p.m. Mondays. Call (727) 816-3397 or (727) 919-2011 for details.
