Nathan Crick and Randy Lofgren Four-Peat at 2017 Mehmet Varinli Memorial PCQ

December 10, 2017
Charlotte, NC
By Zen Mottershead

With rain, sleet, snow and a high of thirty-five degrees, Olde Providence Racquet Club welcomed sixteen teams for the Mehmet Varinli Memorial. Courtesy of Billy Zimmerman and longtime tournament sponsor Charlotte Pipe & Foundry (http://www.charlottepipe.com), this year's tournament was named in honor of Mehmet Varinli. Mehmet, an Olde Providence member and regular paddle player, passed away over the summer. Many shots of Fireball were done in his honor to help beat the cold.

This year's field was full for the fourth year in a row and was, by far, the strongest field in the history of the tournament. The tournament featured teams from Winston-Salem, Pittsburgh, Alabama, Atlanta, Chicago, and twenty-two players from Charlotte. In a show of how strong the Charlotte paddle scene has grown in five years, the final featured four players from Charlotte for the first time ever. Nathan Crick and Randy Lofgren won the title for the fourth year in a row, defeating Eric Miller and Claes Persson, 6-4, 6-2. Once again, they were able to accomplish this feat without dropping a set. Support for the tournament from the OPRC membership was outstanding despite the worst weather in the tournament's four year history. Tournament Director Zen Mottershead would like to thank all the players and sponsors (Charlotte Pipe & Foundry, Wilson Racquet Sports, and Good Bottle co.) for a great tournament.