Mixed 40 & Over Teams Advance to nationals 

WOBURN, MA- Fifty-two Mixed 40 & Over USTA League teams competed at the second of two Mixed Sectionals events of the summer from July 20-22. Sectionals were played at Woburn Racquet Club, Winchester Indoor Lawn Tennis Center and Bass River Tennis Club, with the finals exclusively held in Woburn. The results nearly mirrored those of the Mixed 18 & Overs the week prior, as one repeat winner was crowned and one club added two more titles to its 2018 resume.

Winners will represent New England at the Mixed 40 & Over Nationals in Orlando in November.

Captain Laurel Carey and her 7.0 team out of Boston Sports Clubs (BSC) Lexington took home their second Sectionals title in as many weekends, winning both 18 & Over and 40 & Over. Once again, it was a treacherous road for the team from Lexington, MA, which nearly missed out on winning its four-team flight. With almost the exact squad back for round two, BSC Lexington clawed its way past a team from Rally Point Racquet Club by two individual matches to take home the flight. Rally Point defeated BSC Lexington in the opening match, but a 3-0 loss to Great Bay Athletic Club proved the difference, as Lexington defeated Great Bay 2-1 in its final match to seal the victory. 

From there, Lexington advanced to elimination rounds. In the quarterfinals, the team had no trouble with Solaris Racquet Club, winning 3-0. In the semis, Lexington defeated a team from Keene Racquet Club, 2-1 to set up a rematch of the 18 & Over finals with Sarah Kittredge’s team from Dedham Health & Athletic Complex. In an identical scoreline, Lexington once again defeated Dedham 2-1 in individual matches while taking five of eight total sets.

The back-to-back wins for Lexington are the first two times the club has sent a Mixed team to Nationals.

The 7.0 draw was the largest of the weekend and featured 30 teams broken up into seven flights. The next highest total came from the 8.0s, which was comprised of 14 teams.

Advancing from the 8.0s was a team from Four Seasons Racquet Club in Wilton, CT. Captains Ernie Biele and Susan Smey led their squad to a finals victory over another team from BSC Lexington captained by Doug Hastings (who also played on both 7.0 teams). Four Seasons had quite the turnaround in a week after they finished fourth at Mixed 18 & Over Sectionals with a nearly identical team. 

This time around, Four Seasons cruised through its flight, picking up wins against teams from Dedham Health and Athletic Complex, Willy's Gym and Farmington Farms Tennis Athletic Club. In the semifinals, Four seasons defeated a team from Tennis Rhode Island East Bay, 3-0.

Both the 6.0 and 9.0 draws were dominated by teams out of Rally Point Racquet Club in Smithfield, RI. The 6.0 title went to Joan Steere’s team, which went 2-0 in its three-team flight. In the finals, Rally Point defeated a team from Foreside Fitness and Tennis, 2-1, in individual matches.

On the 9.0 side, Joan’s husband, Russell Steere, led his team to a 2-0 victory over a team from South Shore YMCA. In just a two-team playoff, Steere’s squad picked up five individual match wins to SSYMCA’s one.

For complete Mixed 40 & Over Sectionals results, click here.

To view photos from the event, click here.