Long Island Pickleball Challenge: Competition and Camaraderie

Long Island Pickleball Challenge: On a beautiful Saturday morning, the 2024 Long Island Tennis Magazine Summer Series continued its streak of thrilling events with the Long Island Pickleball Challenge at SPORTIME Hempstead Lake. The event attracted doubles teams eager to compete across three different divisions. The atmosphere was charged with excitement as players showcased their skills on the court while enjoying a fun and social vibe off it. Catered breakfast and drinks were available throughout the day, adding to the event’s convivial spirit. The competition format featured round-robin play, culminating in intense knockout rounds.

Berger and Rousseau Dominate Men’s Doubles 8.0-8.5 Division

In the highly competitive Men’s Doubles 8.0-8.5 division, the experienced duo of Brad Berger and Andy Rousseau emerged victorious. They clinched the Gold Medal by defeating David Gabby and Alex Winston with an impressive 15-4 score in the finals. Rousseau reflected on their performance, saying, “We played well, and just made fewer mistakes throughout the day. We won Silver at the New York Open and Bronze at another event, and now we have added a Gold Medal to our name.” Berger highlighted the event’s positive atmosphere, stating, “Good people, good fun, and good energy. The pickleball tournament series run by Long Island Tennis Magazine are always great, and it’s why we keep coming back.” Gabby and Winston took home the Silver Medal, while Evan Seidenberg and Brandon Weinstein secured the Bronze by defeating Candrin Chris and Colin Liotta 15-5.

Figgie and O’Hanlan Shine in Women’s Doubles 7.5-8.0 Division

Teaming up for the first time in a pickleball event, Katie Figgie and Lorraine O’Hanlan made an impressive debut. The pair, who have previously competed together in other racquet sports, won the Gold Medal in the Women’s Doubles 7.5-8.0 division by defeating Lisa Goldberg and Darlene Pergola 15-3 in the finals. O’Hanlan emphasized their approach, saying, “We made sure to have fun and stay loose. Our strategy was adjusting to who we were playing against, finding their weaknesses and trying to take advantage when we could.” Figgie added, “This is our first time playing pickleball together and it was nice being able to find chemistry and adjust to each other’s games.” Goldberg and Pergola earned the Silver Medal, while Emilie Katz and Abby Lerner claimed the Bronze with a victory over Renee Lemmerman and Diann Starcke.

Peeke and Mir Triumph in Mixed Doubles 7.0-7.5 Division

Andy Peeke and Tabasun Mir showcased excellent teamwork and positivity to win the Mixed Doubles 7.0-7.5 division. They captured the Gold Medal with a 15-9 victory over Ricky Becker and Julie Becker in the championship match. Peeke attributed their success to mutual support, saying, “Being supportive to one another, understanding each other’s strengths and weaknesses and sticking together. There were times when I was struggling in the semifinals and she told me, ‘come on, you got this’.” Mir echoed this sentiment, adding, “The key was just getting balls back and staying engaged throughout the day. Also, and I’m not joking, just listening to him and doing what he said on the court helped a lot.” Ira Rosmarin and Danielle Rosmarin took the Bronze Medal after a close 15-12 win over Richard Nessim and Elsia Cokkinos.

A Smoothly Run Tournament with Great Feedback

David Sickmen, Owner of LI Tennis Magazine and co-tournament director, expressed satisfaction with the event’s success. “The entire tournament ran smoothly and featured great competition,” he said. “As we continue our foray into the pickleball world, we have received great feedback from players and spectators which only motivates us more to use our platform and media apparatus to run pickleball events. Thank you to SPORTIME Hempstead Lake for their hospitality, and my co-tournament director Michelle Stoerback for helping us put on another professionally run event. We are excited to host more tournaments throughout this year and into 2025.” The Long Island Pickleball Challenge not only highlighted top-tier competition but also fostered a strong sense of community, setting the stage for more exciting events in the future.

News in Brief : Long Island Pickleball Challenge