Brian Uihlein & Team Wow the Crowd in Atlanta

Left to right: Rod Workman, Mike Marino, Brian Uihlein, Mike Rahaley, and Peter Lauer

The Peachtree Paddle League’s second season got off to a BLOCKBUSTER start with an Exhibition November 11th at the Piedmont Driving Club. With some 70 League Players on hand, National Champion Brian Uihlein, together with Mike Marino, Mike Rahaley and Rod Workman, all of Chicago, put on a great show of intensive play coupled with a hands (or paddles) on skills clinic. Between Brian’s dazzling spin shots and Rod’s light and lively teaching, the Peachtree Paddle crowd was delighted. The event attracted some of Atlanta’s finest tennis players, many with former world tennis rankings, including Paul Mancini & Carlos Engel.

Platform Tennis is catching hold in Atlanta, with 135 players signed up for this year’s League play, up by 40 from last season. This year, players will schedule their matches on line by way of the new League website (www.peachtreepaddle.org) built by Amixa of Pittsburgh, PA. Atlanta will once again play host to the Peachtree Invitational Tournament January 13 & 14, a 16 draw tournament with defending champions Jay Bailey and Peter Lauer once again teamed. Out of town talent most welcome! New this year is the Peachtree Paddle Women’s League, co-organized by long time paddle talent & enthusiast, Christine Ford, formerly of Pittsburgh, Freddy Uihlein-Goldenberg (yes that’s right, Brian’s sister), and newcomer to the game, Elizabeth Whigham-Sharpton of Cherokee Town & Country Club.

Peachtree Paddle Founder & Director, Peter Lauer remarked as to Atlanta Paddle: “The potential here feels infinite and the early enthusiasm is terrific. We have 10 great sponsors, and many of the very best tennis players in the city now playing the game and loving it. Couple that with lot’s of yankee transplants (like me) and it is a powerful mix. Our problem has been lack of courts, but if all goes as planned, we’ll triple our capacity by next season from 2 to 6 courts, which will enable exponential growth. The snowball is rolling and in fact, I predict, someday we’ll hold the Nationals in Atlanta”.