Dallas Flash DreamBreaker Playoff Win: The Dallas Flash began their postseason run with a DreamBreaker win against the Columbus Sliders on Friday evening in San Diego. The defending champions made a bold choice to face Columbus in the quarterfinals, and it paid off with a tense 21-18 victory.
Unusual Opponent Selection
As the No. 2 seed, Dallas had the chance to select its opponent. While the St. Louis Shock chose the Orlando Squeeze, many expected Dallas to face the Texas Ranchers. Instead, the Flash picked the Columbus Sliders, the team that gave them their first loss a month earlier.
When asked about the decision, Dallas Flash owner Mark Molthan told Pickleballtv’s Michelle McMahon, “It came down to gut. We sat down at dinner, and we all voted. We went around the table, and everybody gave their piece, and we voted. This is the way we feel best for the team to advance.”
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Match Highlights
Tyra Black and Augie Ge dominated their first mixed doubles match to give Dallas a 2-1 lead. The Johnson siblings, Jorja Johnson and JW Johnson, then faced Parris Todd and Andrei Daescu but lost 11-8, pushing the contest to a DreamBreaker.
With strong singles players like Parris Todd and Lea Jansen, Columbus had the advantage on paper. However, Dallas reversed their earlier loss in St. Louis when Jorja Johnson and Tyra Black outscored Todd and Jansen 12-5 in singles to clinch the win.
Black admitted singles isn’t usually part of her training routine. “They always make us practice some singles before we get out there and play, but I really don’t like playing singles,” she said. “It’s not worth getting injured for me because I run everything down… I just try and play the least amount of singles that I can.”
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What’s Next
The Dallas Flash now hold a 1-0 lead in the series and will look to close it out against the Columbus Sliders on Saturday night. Columbus, meanwhile, must win to force a deciding match and keep their championship hopes alive.
News in Brief: Dallas Flash DreamBreaker Playoff Win
The Dallas Flash defeated the Columbus Sliders 21-18 in a DreamBreaker to open their playoff series Friday in San Diego. Dallas, the defending champions, surprised many by choosing Columbus as their quarterfinal opponent. They lead the series 1-0 and can advance Saturday with another win.
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