2024 USTA Eastern Team Tennis Sectional Championships
A little rain couldn’t block their shine. A staggering 291 juniors representing 51 different teams participated in USTA Eastern’s Team Sectional Championships, held May 11-12 at various locations across the section: The Brunswick Hills Racquet Club (12 & Under L6 competition) and the Centercourt Athletic Club (12 & Under L5 competition) in New Jersey, Sportime Hempstead Lake (14 & Under competition) on Long Island, and the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center (18 & Under competition) in Queens.
At the end of the weekend, six teams emerged victorious: A squad from the Brunswick Hills Tennis Center defeated a group representing the Grand Slam Tennis Club, of Bedford, N.Y., in the 12 & Under L6 division; the Port Washington Ninjas overcame the Moonball Demons in the 12 & Under L5 division; the Lobsters—a mix of kids from different regions across the section—eased past the Fair Lawn Dragons to claim the title in the 14 & Under L6 division; Long Island’s Sportime Aces lifted the trophy in the 14 & Under L5 division over competitors from Synergy Tennis; a group from Binghamton sailed past a squad from New Jersey’s Waldwick Covered Courts in the 18 & Under L6 division; and the Sellouts, from the Westchester area, took home the championship hardware in the 18 & Under L5 division, easing past the NYC-based Metro Aces. Both Binghamton and the Sellouts will now advance to represent USTA Eastern at the 2024 Impact Team Tennis Junior Nationals, held July 15-18 at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Fla.
A player from the Sellouts team competes at the 2024 USTA Eastern Team Tennis Sectional Championships. Credit: Damion Reid
“It felt great,” said Sellouts captain Vania Yui of her team’s win. “We had no expectations going in. I think what made this team special was that they all played doubles together in previous USTA tournaments. They were also understanding of the lineups [I created] and knew the strongest lineups were essential to results.”
Lineups and doubles are indeed critical to overall success at the event. In team tennis competition, one or two members of each team face off in five one-set matches: boys’ and girls’ singles, boys’ and girls’ doubles, as well as one mixed doubles match. Although one team wins each match, every game earned is what ultimately counts toward the final score.
Interestingly, the Sellouts faced the Metro Aces the day earlier in round robin competition and actually lost—but just by four games. With both teams reaching the Sunday championship, Yui reconfigured some of her team’s lineups in hopes of scoring a better outcome in the rematch.
Quickly, though, the team members realized they would have to dig deep. Yui’s son Ethan De Los Reyes and doubles partner Noah Vinbaytel quickly found themselves down 2-5 in the boys’ doubles match; the Sellouts had previously claimed that contest on Saturday.
“Ethan and Noah struggled initially because they overplayed some points,” Yui said of the slow start. “They started to realize that something as simple as keeping the ball low and deep was enough in many cases. They stuck with that strategy and got really pumped as they began to catch up.”
De Los Reyes also noted that the pair resolved to adjust their mindset mid-match, which ultimately resulted in a turnaround.
“We told ourselves to play freely and to keep playing our games,” he said. “That led to us coming back.”
The duo would ultimately win four of the next five games and claim the contest 7-5 in a tiebreak. Incredibly, just a court away, their teammates Sophia Bald and Kenza Kharbouch found themselves in a remarkably similar position in the girls’ doubles encounter, starting off slow and then battling back to win in a tiebreak by precisely the same scoreline.
“I really think those doubles matches were clutch performances and solidified the win for us,” Yui said. “In both matches, they had to dig deep and stay positive. Those attributes helped turn things around for the team. Great job to them!”
The Sellouts pose for a photo during competition. Credit: Damion Reid
De Los Reyes was also proud of his performance in doubles and the team’s victory overall, especially since they’d never before finished as champions at the event. He also enjoyed getting the opportunity to play on courts at the National Tennis Center—where Novak Djokovic and Coco Gauff had lifted US Open trophies mere months earlier.
“I felt that the atmosphere and energy gave us a lot of motivation, [in addition to] the team chemistry and our skills on court, which also allowed us to come out on top,” he said. “Now, since we won, we can also play [together] at the National Campus in Florida.”
For the Binghamton contingent, the win in the 18 & Under L6 division was extra sweet. Over the last few years, many of the same players had been making the nearly four-hour journey from their home base in western New York to Queens to contest the event, oftentimes falling just short in the semifinals or final. This year, the team resolved to leave everything on the court.
Members of the 18 & Under L6 Binghamton team celebrates their victory at the 2024 USTA Eastern Team Tennis Sectional Championships. Photo courtesy Michelle Porterfield
“It was our goal to go and win, and it was amazing to watch the kids make that happen,” said Michelle Porterfield, who served as captain of the Binghamton squad. “This victory was a total team effort. We had no weak links. We set out to take advantage of each player's strengths. They all had a job to do, and they all did their jobs well!”
Quite well, in fact. During the round robin stages of the event, Binghamton faced three different teams. They amassed a perfect 3-0 record, winning all 15 sets against their opponents and dropping just ten games total. They then sailed through their semifinal, again without losing a single set.
“I think their chemistry had a lot to do with their success,” Porterfield said. “Additionally, a lot of high school players don’t have many opportunities to play doubles, and this particular group loves to play doubles any chance they get, which I think really helped. Also, these team tennis events are super fun, and I think getting to have that fun together on court helped them stay loose and play their best tennis.”
While the early-round results showcased the team in their most dominant form, the final spotlighted their fight. Down 0-40 at 4-5 in their girls’ doubles bout against Waldwick, Lily Lengyel and Adelie Wilson saved four match points in a row to even the score and eventually win the contest 7-5. And Lucas Davis ultimately clinched the championship for Binghamton in the boys’ singles match, battling back from a 0-30, 3-5 deficit and winning four straight games to give his group an insurmountable lead in the game point total.
“This was a pretty special group,” Porterfield said. “These kids have played together through team tennis programming for years. They all have respect for each other’s games and [are willing to] go out there and just work hard through every point. And Adelie is a senior, so it was now or never for this particular team!”
Even during a rain delay on Sunday before the final, the players kept their eyes on the prize. Knowing that play wouldn’t start until the afternoon, Porterfield scheduled some court time at the Queens-based Court 16 indoor tennis facility so that the team could practice and warm up.
“We met there and had some chuckles when we realized we had, in fact, reserved a mini tennis court [for red ball players]!” Porterfield recalled. “Our kids looked like giants playing on it! Everyone got a laugh out of our high schoolers playing on that miniature setup. But they played some mini tennis and even some competitive, hard-hitting doubles. It ended up being productive and fun and kept the mood of the day light.”
Binghamton's Lengyel and Tyler Cranfield take a photo the moment their teammate Davis clinched the championship. Photo courtesy Michelle Porterfield
And fun, ultimately, is the goal of team tennis.
“I am a big fan of the format,” Porterfield said. “The kids really enjoy the team aspect. It’s not just about tennis, it is a social experience as well. It is a great way for our serious players to step back and just have some fun.”
USTA Eastern has revamped team tennis in the section—now anybody who wants to play in the Team Tennis Championships can form a team, and you can receive L6 and L5 points for competing. Learn more about the changes here and consider forming a group for the 2025 event!
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