The Long Island Pickleball Challenge, hosted by Long Island Tennis Magazine, brought a vibrant energy to SPORTIME Hempstead Lake. The tournament, spanning four doubles divisions, showed dynamic matches in a well-organized event that combined competitive play with social enjoyment.
Tournament Highlights and Player Reactions
Each division featured a round-robin format, with the top teams advancing to knockout rounds. Participants enjoyed a breakfast spread of bagels, muffins, and fruit, followed by cocktails in the afternoon, which created a festive atmosphere.
“I think the organizers did a great job with this event as it was very well-run. You get a lot of matches, even in the round-robin play. I’ve played in other tournaments where you don’t get to play a lot and there’s a long wait in between matches, but not here. The games moved smoothly, and there was great competition. A+.” – (Richard Nessim)
Nessim and Nick Gambina, competing in the Men’s 3.5 – 4.0 division, won by defeating Chris Biscuiti & Daniel Palumbo 13-8 in the championship match.
“I loved the style of play and formatting of the event. I was a bit nervous in the beginning with it being my first tournament, but I loved playing and we were able to win.” – (Gambina)
“It was about being patient in the finals. We like to hit a lot from the back, but we got into some dinking games there, and had to play solid until they made the mistakes. We had to change our style a bit but I think we did a good job with that.” – (Nessim)
Division Champions
In the Men’s 4.0 – 4.5 division, Roey Heymann & Brad Berger emerged victorious, overcoming Anthony DiGuiseppe & Robby Falvo 15-9 in the finals.
“We wanted to attack the middle with our forehands, and we were able to do that well.” – (Heymann)
“They played great, but we were able to come through. We were down 2-8, but didn’t give up and stayed with it.” – (Berger)
Jennifer Walsh & Corinne D’Andrea claimed the Women’s 3.5 – 4.0 Championship by defeating Emilie Katz & Abby Lerner 15-9.
“We’ve been playing doubles for quite some time together, and our motto is ‘don’t think, just play’, and we were able to do that.” – (Walsh)
Mixed Doubles Success
Kattie Figgie and Brett Epstein, competing in the Mixed Doubles 3.5 – 4.0 division, secured the title with a 15-8 win over Kim Pflaumer & Eric Chaffer.
“It was a really fun day, and we were able to play consistently throughout the day.” – (Figgie)
“I leaned on her in the big moments and we were able to play well when it was needed most.” – (Epstein)
Event Feedback and Future Plans
David Sickmen, LI Tennis Magazine Owner and co-tournament director praised the tournament’s execution.
“The entire tournament ran smoothly and featured great competition. As we continue our foray into the pickleball world, we have received great feedback from players and spectators which only motivates us to use our platform and media apparatus to run more pickleball events.” – (David Sickmen)
He thanked SPORTIME Hempstead Lake, co-tournament director Michelle Stoerback, and sponsors like SassyLI, Town Bagel, and iPlayMe2 for their support.
News in Brief: Long Island Pickleball Challenge
Long Island Pickleball Challenge at SPORTIME Hempstead Lake saw competitive play across four doubles divisions. Richard Nessim and Nick Gambina won in the Men’s 3.5 – 4.0 division, while Roey Heymann & Brad Berger won the Men’s 4.0 – 4.5 division.
Jennifer Walsh & Corinne D’Andrea claimed the Women’s 3.5 – 4.0 title, and Kattie Figgie & Brett Epstein took the Mixed Doubles 3.5 – 4.0 crown. The event was praised for its smooth operation and festive atmosphere, with plans to continue hosting pickleball tournaments in the future.
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