Columbus Sliders DreamBreaker Comeback: The Columbus Sliders stayed alive in the Toray Major League Pickleball Playoffs on Saturday, August 16, with a DreamBreaker win over the Dallas Flash. The victory came in the second match of their quarterfinal series at Barnes Tennis Center in San Diego, California, forcing a decisive third match.
Avoiding Elimination
Earlier in the day, the St. Louis Shock ended the Orlando Squeeze’s playoff run. Columbus made sure their own campaign did not end the same way. The Sliders avenged Friday’s DreamBreaker loss to the defending champion Dallas Flash, showing grit in a high-pressure match.
Familiar Match Pattern
Saturday’s contest followed the same order as Friday’s. Dallas won women’s doubles and the first mixed doubles. Columbus responded by winning men’s doubles and the second mixed doubles to push the series into a DreamBreaker.
Parris Todd and Andrei Daescu were key for the Sliders, beating JW Johnson and Jorja Johnson for the second straight day. That was a rare result, as the Johnsons lost only twice in the regular season.
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Jansen Makes the Difference
On Friday, the Flash’s Jorja Johnson and Tyra Black carried Dallas in the DreamBreaker, outscoring Parris Todd and Lea Jansen 12-5 to seal a 21-18 win.
This time, Lea Jansen flipped the script. She dominated Tyra Black 8-0 across two rotations, helping Columbus secure a 21-14 victory and tie the series.
Daescu Praises Team Resilience
Andrei Daescu, who is 4-0 in doubles during this series, described how the team regrouped after Friday’s setback.
“It was obviously a disappointing result because it was so close, but we felt like we had chances and that we could win that match,”
Andrei Daesc said.
“It was just a matter of regrouping, getting a dinner and a good night’s sleep, and coming back and fighting again today. That’s what the whole team did, and I’m super proud of everybody…
We believed that we could do it, and we proved that we could do it today. We’re gonna come back tomorrow and have the same energy and hopefully get the W.”
What It Means
The Sliders’ win showed their ability to recover from disappointment and handle pressure. By forcing a deciding match against Dallas, they kept their championship hopes alive. Sunday’s showdown will determine which team advances to the next round of the playoffs.
News in Brief: Columbus Sliders DreamBreaker Comeback
The Columbus Sliders beat the Dallas Flash 21-14 in a DreamBreaker on Saturday to tie their MLP Playoffs quarterfinal series in San Diego. Lea Jansen led the turnaround, while Andrei Daescu stayed unbeaten in doubles. The Sliders forced a deciding match that will be played on Sunday.
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