Blake Gayle and Peyton Lawson Stomp Out the Competition at the Tar Heel Men's

January 6, 2018
Chapel Hill, North Carolina

As play began in the Tar Heel Men’s Viking PCQ, players could be forgiven for thinking they were in the Northeast instead of in North Carolina. With the temperature registering 11 degrees as the matches began, rising only into the mid-twenties, the conditions were anything but typical for this part of the country.

Despite not being accustomed to the freezing temperatures, the players, all from North Carolina and Virginia except for one Ohioan, enjoyed a great day of paddle. The semifinal matches were particularly competitive, with Chris Steyl and Mike Watson beating John Morris and Alex Whaling, 6-4, 6-7, 6-3, in the top half of the draw, and Blake Gayle and Peyton Lawson taking out Greg Archer and Rich Green, 6-4, 4-6, 6-0, in the bottom half. Gayle and Lawson had an easier time in the finals, beating Steyl/Watson in straight sets for the Tar Heel championship, which was also Gayle’s first APTA title.

Thank you to tournament director Rich Green and the host club, The Chapel Hill Tennis Club.

Results:
Main Draw: Blake Gayle/Peyton Lawson def. Chris Steyl/Mike Watson, 6-2, 6-0
3rd/4th Playoff: Greg Archer/Rich Green def. John Morris/Alex Whaling, 6-4, 6-4
Feed-In Consolation: Max Hilkey/Brian Hunter def. Jim Walsh/Scott Winokur, 6-4, 7-5