Taking place over the weekend, the second Adult League Sectionals of the year got underway, this time in the 40 & Over division. More than 600 participants traveled to San Diego for a weekend of tennis, with play varying between the 3.5 and 4.5 levels. Qualifying rounds commenced on Friday and Saturday, with matches taking place at Barnes Tennis Center, Peninsula Tennis Club, and Balboa Tennis Club, while championship matches were held on Sunday exclusively at Barnes.

Winners from every division secured a spot at the highly coveted 2024 USTA National Championships, which is scheduled to take place later this year. The Adult 40 and Over 3.5 teams are set to compete at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Florida on October 18-20, while the 4.5 teams will face off at the Surprise Tennis and Racquet Complex in Surprise, Arizona from October 25-27.

Match formats differed for each level, as the 3.5 men and women competed in three unflighted matches with the top four teams advancing to the semifinals, while the 4.5 men and women played in three flighted matches with the top teams advancing.

3.5 WOMEN

San Fernando Valley took home the first medal of the weekend, capturing the title in the 3.5 Women’s division. Led by captain Sara Heum, the “Supreme Courters” started their tournament off strong, beginning the qualifying rounds with a victory over Orange County. The squad followed up this win with two consecutive victories over teams from San Diego North County and Inland Empire, solidifying themselves as just one of three teams to be undefeated heading into the playoffs.

As the No. 3 seed in bracket play, SFV took on No. 2 seeded Bakersfield, who was coming off an undefeated first two days of matches themselves. In a back-and-forth match, the “Supreme Courters” came out on top, securing their position in the championship against No. 4 seeded “Santaluz Club” out of SDNC. Prior to the championship, the SDNC bunch led by Melissa Mead had compiled an overall record of 3-1, with their most notable victory coming in the playoffs against top seeded Central Coast. Completing their undefeated weekend, SFV bested SDNC by a score of 3-1 in the finale. This championship was the area’s first of the season.

3.5 MEN

Picking up the area’s first championship of the weekend and second of the season, San Gabriel Valley were victorious in the Men’s 3.5 division. Sean Chang’s “Underdogs Aces” were dominant all weekend, making quick work throughout the majority of their play. Kicking off the team’s matches, SGV first matched up against a team out of the Inland Empire, taking them down by a score of 3-1. The squad would remain consistent over their next two matches, winning both by the same score of 3-1 over teams out of Beach Cities and Orange County. These three wins landed the “Underdogs Aces” as the top-seeded team of the tournament, and just one of two teams to go undefeated within the qualifying rounds. 

In a rematch, SGV took on No. 4 seeded Beach Cities, whose only loss throughout the qualifiers was at the hands of the “Underdogs Aces.” Securing victory once again, now in an even more prolific fashion, SGV defeated BC by a score of 4-0. Now in the championship, SGV would be matched up against Los Angeles’ “Ball Busters”, who carried a 3-1 record into the contest. Bob Shames’ squad most recently knocked off another SGV group in the form of No. 2 seeded “Maple Team,” who were undefeated prior to that match. With the title on the line, the “Underdogs Aces” were victorious once more, earning the championship while finishing their undefeated weekend.