GARY Payton will be the one to beat at the British Open Clay Court Championships later this month.
The Kirkby Stephen Community Sports Officer has been seeded number one for the championships to be held at West Hants Club, Bournemouth.
The championships are the top rank event in the International Tennis Federation calendar and Gary will be up against players from all over the world.
Last month he captained Wales in the Four Nations Tennis International, held in Glasgow, where they finished runners-up to Scotland. Gary had a good weekend winning four of his five games.
Later in June he will be competing in the Scottish Open, another ITF Seniors event.
He also turns out for Kirkby Stephen Grammar School Sports College in the National Club League, although county match commitments kept him out of the team of Lee Burrell, Nick Walls, Martin Green and Matt Wigham, which was narrowly beaten 4-2 by Bury.
Kirkby Stephen are currently fourth in the league, having beaten strong sides from Lancashire Rackets Club and Blackburn Northern.
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