Petersburg teams cap banner season

An already outstanding 2009 got even better for Petersburg Racquet Club tennis in October.

The club, which had won three state titles earlier in the year, added two more championship plaques to its collection when its level 3.5 and 4.0 Super Seniors -- 60 and older -- squads captured titles at the Georgia Super Seniors State Championship in Savannah, Ga., on Oct. 23-25.

While winning one state crown for your club is a banner achievement, bringing home two titles from the same event is rare.

"It doesn't happen very often; maybe once or twice in a lifetime," said Richard Zgol, captain of the level 3.5 team. "To have two (championships) come back to the same club is a tribute to the programs and pros at Petersburg."

Zgol's team of Chris Daglis, Don Wells, Skip Peterson, Tony Bertucci, Larry Wardlow and James Hudgins swept through the three-day event, defeating a tough Atlanta team in the final.

The team persevered in the championships despite carrying a heavy heart.

Prior to the competition, the group learned that teammate Lindy Blount had died of a heart attack while vacationing in Florida. To honor their fallen friend, the team made special mention of Blount on their championship plaque.

"The fact that we won the title and he was an integral part of the team during the season, we felt it was important that he be remembered," Zgol said.

Petersburg's 4.0 team, which actually carried three players from the Augusta Country Club, came away with its first-ever state title.

The team of Tommy Price, John Thompson, Dick Gayle, Bill Mallory, Gary Crook, Jim Fernstrom, Al Metzel, Pete Collins and Tom Perry had to knock off the defending state champs, another Atlanta powerhouse, twice, including a showdown in the final.

"We have a good team, obviously, because we ran into some really tough teams along the way," said Crook, the team's captain.

Of the 15 total matches played during the weekend -- all in doubles format -- Petersburg's 4.0 squad won 13.

Both teams advance to compete in the USTA Southern Sectional Championship in Pelham, Ala., a suburb of Birmingham, in March.

Reach Joey Jones at (706) 823-3304 or joey.jones@augustachronicle.com.