The “26” on Mike Harmon’s left arm had nothing to do with his Lawrence Adult Tennis Open victory around 11:15 a.m. on Sunday.

Four hours before he played tennis, he participated in a triathlon in Shawnee Mission Park.

“It was a mini one. It wasn’t the big one,” Harmon said. “We swam a third of a mile, you bike nine miles, and you run 2.2 miles. Sometimes, actually, when I’m tired, I concentrate a little bit better.”

Harmon’s preparation for the men’s open-division finals seemed to work. He defeated Parkville, Mo., resident Javier Gomez, 6-2, 6-1, at the Lawrence Tennis Center.

The 25-year-old Overland Park resident was the only competitor in the tournament who stopped the power of Gomez’s serves and forehands.

“I was really trying to bear down and get those back and just get a racquet on them,” Harmon said.

Overland Park's Mike Harmon chases down a shot from Javier Gomez in the men's open championship match of the Lawrence Adult Open. Harmon won the title, 6-2, 6-1, on Sunday at the Lawrence Tennis Center.

Harmon set the tone from the first point. With Gomez serving in the first game, Harmon countered his serves and forced the 26-year-old into bad spots on the court. Gomez didn’t establish his forehand, which made him so effective in the quarterfinals and semifinals.

“I just wasn’t in the game at all,” Gomez said. “My forehand wasn’t there, my backhand was horrible. My game wasn’t there.”

Gomez also said he wasn’t in the proper physical condition to be effective on the court. This was Gomez’s first tournament of the year and the first time he played competitive tennis in roughly three years.

“You can have all the technique in the world, but if you don’t have the legs to get to the goal, you’re never going to get it right, and that’s what I was lacking today,” Gomez said.

Gomez did not move his feet in the finals as much as he did in the previous rounds. He was often flat-footed returning serves and seemed to lose interest in the second set.

Javier Gomez of Parksville, Mo., takes a swing against Mike Harmon of Overland Park in the finals of the men's open division of the Lawrence Adult Open. Harmon won, 6-2, 6-1, Sunday at the Lawrence Tennis Center.

Harmon said after Saturday’s semifinal victory that his greatest strength was his fitness and endurance. His game never looked tired Sunday, even after a 7 a.m. triathlon wake-up call.

Harmon said he didn’t sign up for the tournament until Thursday night – the night before the tournament started. He initially was in another tournament, but it was canceled for the weekend.

The Lawrence Tennis Assn. rewarded Harmon $200 for his tournament victory. Gomez received $75.

Asked what he’d do with the $200, Harmon responded quickly.

“Oh, yeah,” Harmon said. “Steak dinner.”