6.0 Mixed team reaches final at 2024 USTA League National Championships
Siri, what is a perfect performance?
USTA Eastern’s Mixed 6.0 League team got about as close as you can get to perfection in the round robin stages of competition at the 2024 USTA League National Championships—held November 8-10 in San Diego, California. Over the course of the event, the formidable Roslyn, N.Y.-based squad captured all four of their matches against opponents from USTA Southwest, USTA Texas, USTA Intermountain and USTA New England, sweeping all 12 of their courts and all 24 of their sets played along the way. Incredibly, they surrendered just 48 of their 194 games overall. (The Mixed 6.0 division contests three doubles courts in each match.)
“I’ve captained a few teams in USTA Leagues and his team was one of the best,” said Captain David Ng. “Our recipe for success was practicing a lot to get better as tennis players as well as developing great chemistry as teammates. We had strong doubles pairs that played together the whole year and got past some tough teams during playoffs, regionals and sectionals. It was great practice for the national stage.”
Ng noted that the team’s results “definitely turned some heads” around the grounds as they prepared for the knockout rounds. Still, they knew better than to get a big head about it themselves.
Chan serves during competition at the 2024 USTA League National Championships.
“It was great to be undefeated,” Ng explained. “But I told our team that we had to keep at it and play aggressively, because all of the four teams [in the semis] had close records.”
Armed with that mindset, the Eastern contingent claimed a hard-fought 2-1 semifinal win over USTA Southern to reach the last match of the tournament, where they faced an equally tough group from USTA Northern California. The Los Gatos-area players headed into the final brimming with confidence, having emerged from their semifinal bout upsetting the other undefeated team in the division—USTA Caribbean—in two match tiebreaks.
Naturally, the battle for the title turned into a back-and-forth contest, and Norcal ultimately captured the championship 2-1, again eking out a win in two competitive match tiebreaks. Still, the duel was so close that the Eastern team scored the higher game-winning percentage over the course of the three courts. They also provided some of the most awe-inducing shotmaking.
“[In the one court that we did win], one of our players Eric Chan hit a tweener that barely went over the net for a winner,” Ng said. “The other team was so surprised that they stopped in their tracks! In the same match, Eric took a fall and injured his leg. Only two points away from winning, he decided to stay in to serve, while his partner, Claire Lin, covered the court like a singles player against their opponents in doubles formation. It was like watching that last scene in the Karate Kid and seeing our version of the crane kick for the win. That was a match that I will never forget!”
Win or lose, watching his teammates hit Federesque shots and just generally grow into confident competitors throughout the whole season are ultimately what Ng will take away from his 2024 USTA League experience.
“My co-captain Peter Tam created special trophies for each player, and we were able to speak about each member during our team dinner,” Ng said. “Some of the awards we handed out included “Best Tennis Celebration”, “Most Powerful Forehand” and “Most Improved Player”, just to name a few. It was just a really fun moment for all of us!”
These moments of camaraderie were the most special for Ng when he reflected on the group’s time together on and off the court. After all, for him, competing in USTA Leagues was always about having a good time with one another and enjoying each other’s company—even if they did happen to amass a blistering record in the process.
Lin prepares to return a shot at the net during competition at the 2024 USTA League National Championships.
“It was tough to lose the final after seeing two out of three courts go to a super tiebreaker,” he said. “However, I am so proud of this team. We never played together before we signed up for this year‘s USTA Leagues! It was fantastic to see us do so well and get this far. We did an amazing job navigating the stress, playing our hearts out and having lots of fun!”
Members of Eastern's 40 & Over 6.0 Mixed League team cheer during competition at the 2024 USTA League National Championships.
Related Articles
-
![Visit the Eastern National Results page]( "USTA Eastern's 18 & Over 10.0 Mixed team, from Rye, N.Y., finished as finalists at the 2025 USTA League National Championships.")
Eastern National ResultsDecember 05, 2025An 18 & Over 10.0 mixed team based out of Rye, N.Y, finished as finalists at the 2025 USTA League National Championships, held November 7-9 at the Surprise Tennis & Racquet Complex in Surprise, Arizona. Read More -
![Visit the League National Results page]( "USTA Eastern's 40 & Over 4.0 Women's team, based out of Ridgewood, N.J., claimed the top trophy in their division at the 2025 USTA League National Championships.")
League National ResultsNovember 21, 2025USTA Eastern's 40 & Over 4.0 Women’s squad—based out of Ridgewood, N.J.—took home the title in their division at the 2025 USTA League National Championships, and the section's 40 & Over 3.0 Men's squad—from Westfield, N.J.—finished as runners-up. Read More -
![Visit the League National Results page]( "USTA Eastern's 18 & Over 3.0 Women's team, based out of West New York, N.J., claimed the top trophy in their division at the 2025 USTA League National Championships.")
League National ResultsNovember 21, 2025An 18 & Over 3.0 women's team based out of West New York, N.J., claimed the championship title at the USTA League National Championships, held October 24-26 at the Scottsdale Ranch Park Tennis Center in Scottsdale, Arizona. Read More
Sign up for our Newsletter
Download the USTA App
