Pickleball Men’s Doubles Final Showdown: Ben Johns and Gabe Tardio advanced to the men’s doubles final at the Veolia North Carolina Open after defeating Eric Oncins and Dylan Frazier 11-1, 11-7. The semifinal match was played at Cary Tennis Park in Cary, NC, with the win marking their third straight semifinal victory as a team.
Strong Start Secures Early Lead
Johns and Tardio entered the semifinal as the No. 2 seeds. They started strong, dominating Game 1 in just over ten minutes. Their performance halted the momentum of Oncins and Frazier, who had just come off a big win over Christian Alshon and Andrei Daescu.
“Dylan’s one of the top right-side guys, and Eric is probably the hottest stock out there right now, so I honestly was not surprised to see a deep run,”. “With a team like that, you’ve just got to really start well because obviously they’re playing with energy and momentum and are stoked to be in a semifinal. I felt like we needed to start well, and we did that.”(Ben Johns)
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Second Game Challenge and Closing Win
Although Oncins and Frazier pushed harder in Game 2, Johns and Tardio stayed focused and closed out the match in straight games. The pair now holds a 3-0 record in semifinal matches played together.
Tardio, who also qualified for the men’s singles final, credited his improvement to advice from his doubles partners.
“It means a lot and helps a lot. Ben and Jessie have been playing pickleball for a long time, so they definitely have a lot of experience,”. “I try to listen to everything they tell me and apply that to my game, and it’s working out perfectly.”(Gabe Tardio )
Awaiting the Final Matchup
Johns and Tardio will face either top seeds Federico Staksrud and Hayden Patriquin or the No. 4-seeded team of Tyson McGuffin and Dekel Bar in the final on Sunday.
Their continued success highlights strong teamwork and growing chemistry, with Tardio also rising as a strong singles contender. The final promises to be a test of skill and momentum.
News in Brief: Pickleball Men’s Doubles Final Showdown
Ben Johns and Gabe Tardio moved into the men’s doubles final at the Veolia North Carolina Open with an 11-1, 11-7 win over Eric Oncins and Dylan Frazier. The match took place at Cary Tennis Park, and the duo will play for the title on Sunday against one of two top-seeded teams.
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