Columbus Sliders vs Brooklyn Pickleball Team: The Columbus Sliders defeated the Brooklyn Pickleball Team 3-0 on Friday, July 12, at the Edward Jones Major League Pickleball Mid-Season Tournament. This was the first time the two teams played each other, despite both competing in earlier events in San Clemente and New York.
The Sliders, seeded fifth, took down the fourth-seeded Brooklyn team in a hard-fought match in Grand Rapids. The victory moved Columbus into the semifinals, where they will face the top-ranked Dallas Flash.
Sliders and Brooklyn Finally Meet
Even though the Columbus Sliders and the Brooklyn Pickleball Team played in the same tournaments in San Clemente and New York, they hadn’t played against each other until Friday’s matchup.
With both teams in the top five seeds, fans were excited to see them finally battle it out. The match lived up to the hype, with the Sliders winning all three games but having to fight hard for each one.
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Thrilling Start in Women’s Doubles
The match began with a tense women’s doubles game. Lea Jansen and Parris Todd of Columbus were down 8-10 but made a strong comeback to win 12-10 over Rachel Rohrabacher and Jackie Kawamoto.
“I felt like the points were so high quality on both sides. Rachel and Jackie played amazing, and I felt like towards the end that anyone could really win and pull away,” Parris Todd said. “It really came down to Lea and I trusting each other; honestly, that’s what got us across the finish line.”
Men’s Doubles Comeback Secures Momentum
Next came the men’s doubles. Andrei Daescu and CJ Klinger, also from Columbus, found themselves trailing 6-10. But they didn’t give up and saved four game points to pull off a 14-12 win over Riley Newman and AJ Koller.
“We were just learning from the girls. Obviously, they were showing us the way,” Andrei Daescu said. “I don’t think we played our best in men’s, but [AJ and Riley] are tough. They were making it very difficult for us and not letting us get comfortable, so we just had to hang in there and take everything that we could.”
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Mixed Doubles Victory Seals the Match
With momentum on their side, Columbus entered the first mixed doubles game full of energy. Parris Todd and Andrei Daescu quickly defeated Rachel Rohrabacher and AJ Koller 11-1, securing a clean 3-0 sweep and sending the Sliders to the semifinals.
Looking Ahead to the Semifinals
The Columbus Sliders will now play against the Dallas Flash on Saturday. The two teams met earlier this season in Orlando, where Dallas won 3-1. Columbus will be aiming for a different result this time in Grand Rapids.
A win over a higher-seeded team like Brooklyn shows how much Columbus has improved. With strong teamwork and powerful comebacks, the Sliders are in a good position to challenge the top seed.
News in Brief: Columbus Sliders vs Brooklyn Pickleball Team
The Columbus Sliders beat the Brooklyn Pickleball Team 3-0 at the MLP Mid-Season Tournament in Grand Rapids. Key comebacks in both doubles matches led to the sweep. The Sliders now face the top-seeded Dallas Flash in Saturday’s semifinals, hoping to avenge a previous loss.
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