New Jersey downs D.C. in rematch of Mid-Season Tournament final
The New Jersey 5s wrapped up the Hertz MLP New York City event with a decisive 3-1 victory over the D.C. Pickleball Team. This match was a rematch of the Mid-Season Tournament final from July, where New Jersey edged out D.C. in a thrilling DreamBreaker. However, Sunday’s encounter was more straightforward.
The pivotal shift came in men’s doubles; while D.C.’s James Ignatowich and Dekel Bar secured a win in Grand Rapids, New Jersey’s Will Howells and Zane Navratil triumphed in Central Park. The 5s then leaned on their star player, No. 2 overall pick Anna Leigh Waters, who clinched victories in both women’s doubles alongside Mari Humberg and mixed doubles with Howells, sealing the team’s 3-1 win and finishing their Big Apple stint with a perfect 5-0 record.
General Manager Ryan Harwood attributed the team’s success to a commitment to continuous improvement. “We’ve just kept getting better throughout the season,” he said. “Will and Mari are relatively new to pickleball, so they’re improving every day, and our chemistry—the ‘Clown Culture’—is really strong.”
With another strong performance, the 5s now average 2.21 standings points per match, the highest in the Premier level. They’ll look to maintain their momentum at the upcoming MLP Las Vegas event, scheduled for October 14-16.
Sliders outlast Hustlers to leave NYC with a victory
The Columbus Sliders capped off their time in New York with a thrilling DreamBreaker victory over the New York Hustlers.
The DreamBreaker almost slipped away from them; trailing 1-2, Andrea Koop and Riley Newman faced a match point in mixed doubles but managed to turn the tide, securing the win and advancing to the singles competition.
Jaume Martinez Vich, filling in for Jay Devilliers, proved pivotal in the singles matches, taking on New York’s Jack Sock.
As the DreamBreaker reached a nail-biting 18-18, it was Riley Newman who stepped up to face the Hustlers’ Lea Jansen. Known more for his doubles play, Newman delivered a stunning performance, clinching the next three points against one of the top female singles players to secure the overall victory.
Having lost in a DreamBreaker the last time these teams met in Atlanta, Meghan Dizon expressed relief that history didn’t repeat itself in Central Park. “We definitely didn’t think we had a chance in the DreamBreaker, but we all decided to go out swinging, and the guys really stepped up,” she said.
This match concluded the weekend for both teams, with Columbus finishing at 2-3 and New York at 3-2.
