Ben Johns and Andrei Daescu Advance to Finals: The 2025 Veolia Cape Coral Open has delivered yet another unforgettable match, as Ben Johns and Andrei Daescu secured their spot in the men’s doubles final in dramatic fashion. The tournament, a key stop on the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) Tour, continues at the Lake Kennedy Racquet Center in Cape Coral, Florida, with the finals set for Championship Sunday on March 9.
Johns and Daescu Outlast Johnson and Klinger in 87-Minute Thriller
Top seeds Ben Johns and Andrei Daescu fought through a grueling 8-11, 12-10, 11-9 victory over No. 6 seeds JW Johnson and CJ Klinger in what is already being hailed as a “Match of the Year” contender.
In their first tournament together, Johns and Daescu showed resilience, overcoming late-game pressure to advance. They had leads in all three games, but Johnson and Klinger refused to go down without a fight.
Johns and Daescu led 8-5 in Game 1, only for Johnson and Klinger to storm back with six unanswered points to take the opener. However, the top seeds held their composure in Games 2 and 3, converting leads of 9-5 and 9-6, respectively, to clinch the win in 87 minutes.
New Partnership, New Adjustments
A major storyline in this tournament has been how Johns and Daescu would manage court positioning. Both players typically favor the left side with other partners, requiring Daescu to shift to the right for most of their rallies.
“It was obviously a different gameplan for me this week, but you’ve got to give Ben a lot of props,” Daescu said. “He played singles, he played a full day of mixed doubles yesterday, and he’s played a full day of men’s while taking a lot of court, so I’m just happy that I played my part over there on the right and that we got through the tough moments together.”
Championship Matchup Set
With their victory, Johns and Daescu move on to face No. 2 seeds Federico Staksrud and Christian Alshon in the finals. Staksrud and Alshon have been dominant throughout the tournament, setting up a highly anticipated Championship Sunday showdown.
News in Brief: Ben Johns and Andrei Daescu Advance to Finals
Ben Johns and Andrei Daescu advanced to the men’s doubles final at the 2025 Veolia Cape Coral Open after a marathon 8-11, 12-10, 11-9 victory over JW Johnson and CJ Klinger. They will face Federico Staksrud and Christian Alshon in the championship match on Sunday.
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