Garber and Burga win fourth paddle tennis title

Aldo Burga said he wouldn't miss this year's tournament for the world.

As it turns out, his partner, Russ Garber, was just plain missing him.

After taking last year off, Burga and Garber reunited Monday at the 38th Annual Michelob Ultra National Beach Paddle Tennis Championship at Crescent Beach, winning the event for the fourth time in the last six years.

"There's nothing like it (this tournament) in the world," said Burga, who plays team tennis in Germany. "I always try to bring people with me and show them how great it really is."

Burga and Garber knocked off last year's defending champions, Daryl Lemon and Kent Seton, 1-6, 7-6, 7-6 (10-8) in a grueling, and at times, testy match that lasted nearly three hours.

Since Burga and Garber were coming out of the winner's bracket, they were able to drop the first match and still win.

Not that it was easy.

"It was a really well-played match considering the conditions," said Garber, a professor at Stanford University. "It was so windy out there. You just didn't know where the ball was headed."

To make things more interesting, the teams were familiar foes. In last year's U.S. Open Paddle Tennis Championships doubles open division, Seton and Lemon went home as winners.

In that event, Garber and Burga were fighting out of the loser's side.

"I think that was the difference," Burga said. "Otherwise we're too close to call."

Garber and Burga are one of the tournament's most storied teams in the last decade. They first won in 2005 before picking up titles in 2006 and 2008.

Garber has been playing since his mother, Rose, introduced him to the game when he could barely swing a paddle. He first entered this tournament in 1984 and has won four other times. Burga has one other title.

Together, however, is when they appear the most dangerous.

"We're very different," Burga said. "He's very intense. But clearly, we've had some success together."

On the women's pro side, the match didn't disappoint. It was another three-hour plus marathon that began around 2:15 p.m. and finished around 5:30 p.m.

It was won by last year's champions, Bridgette Huarte and Leslie Howard, who outlasted Jennifer Morrison and Teke Capalbo 5-7, 7-5, 7-5, 7-6, 6-2.

"I expected nothing less," Huarte said. "These women are champions and great competitors."

The winners of both divisions will split $1,000 payouts.

Howard seemed relieved, and proud, after pulling out the win.

"For me to be out there, as a 50-something, it just goes to show you everybody should be playing paddle tennis," she said. "If I can do it, anyone can."

In other action, Al Wassel and Mark Dolohan won the men's B division, while Mike Dennison and Justin Craig were tops in the A. Bill Brothers and Mike Cohen took first in the men's open as well. For the women, Lexi Fitch and Amy Foxman won the women's A, and Elizabeth Moore and Sherry Abbey-Nowatzki won the women's open.