Top seeds Federico Staksrud and Hayden Patriquin came back from behind to win their men’s doubles semifinal at the Veolia North Carolina Open, defeating Tyson McGuffin and Dekel Bar 4-11, 11-9, 11-4 on Saturday night at Cary Tennis Park in Cary, NC.
Slow Start, Strong Finish
The match, the last of the day, began with McGuffin and Bar controlling the court and taking Game 1. In Game 2, Staksrud and Patriquin trailed 3-7 before fighting back. They managed to steal the game 11-9 and then rolled through the third to earn their second final appearance in two weeks.
Staksrud had already played two tough matches earlier in the day. He had lost both the men’s singles and mixed doubles semifinals. The win in men’s doubles brought a much-needed lift to close his day on a high note.
“I didn’t play my best today, but that’s how sports works. Sometimes you have off days, and you have to push through,”. “Pickleball is kind of a weird sport where you play all three divisions. I played in two other divisions today and lost in both of them, so it was kind of tough to step on the court for a third time and try to actually win a match.”(Federico Staksrud)
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Teamwork Pays Off
Despite the earlier setbacks, Staksrud leaned on Patriquin to stay locked in. Patriquin’s steady presence helped push the pair through the tough moments.
“I have to give kudos to Hayden. I’ve been playing with him for almost a year now, and it’s honestly unbelievable how much he has grown as a player,”. “He’s literally more mature than I am—he picks me and keeps me positive. He’s gonna be number one very soon.”(Federico Staksrud)
Looking Ahead to the Final
With the win, Staksrud and Patriquin move on to face Ben Johns and Gabe Tardio in Sunday’s final. The matchup will be a battle between the top two seeded teams. For Staksrud and Patriquin, it’s a chance to build on their recent momentum and prove their top billing.
News in Brief: Federico Staksrud and Hayden Patriquin
Federico Staksrud and Hayden Patriquin rallied from a slow start to defeat Tyson McGuffin and Dekel Bar 4-11, 11-9, 11-4 in the men’s doubles semifinal at the Veolia North Carolina Open. The top seeds will now face Ben Johns and Gabe Tardio in Sunday’s championship match at Cary Tennis Park.
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