There were other paddle tournaments this past weekend across the country besides Soundshore. The level of play may not have been as high but the competition, enthusiasm and temperature was just as high or higher in Charleston, South Carolina at the LTP Tennis Club.
With the weather in Charleston hitting 75 degrees and sunny the game was hot and fast. The top seeded team was Peter Harvey and Marc Porter, a perennial Region II President’s Cup Team. They defeated Atlanta’s top team of Peter Lauer and Bob Stratton 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 in the final.
Harvey and Porter reached the final by defeating 2 teams from Region II but also 2 teams from their club in Essex, CT. Rob Coster and David Clark in the Quarterfinals and Phil Johnson and Marc Lorenze in the semifinals. Both in straight sets. And yes, they did come all the way to Charleston to play Harvey and Porter.
In the other half of the draw Atlanta’s team survived set points in both of their matches on way to the final. IN the quarterfinals they defeated newly formed team of Andrew Canning and Ross Beattie. 6-3, 7-5. While in the semis they beat LTP Club professionals and hometown favorites Jerry Albrikes and Peter Ayers by the same 6-3, 7-5 score.
Article submitted by Jerry Albrikes
