Dekel Bar Excels Grand Rapids: The D.C. Pickleball Team turned heads at last week’s MLP Mid-Season Tournament, narrowly missing the title against the New Jersey 5s in a gripping DreamBreaker. While the entire team displayed commendable performance, one name stood out: Dekel Bar.
At the Premier level, no player had a more stellar tournament than Bar, who topped the individual player standings by winning an impressive 56% of his points. This performance, though remarkable, aligns with Bar’s consistent excellence in PPA events over the past few months.
A String of Medals
Bar, a former Israeli tennis pro, has become one of the most reliable doubles medalists on the PPA Tour since April. In his last seven tournaments, he has earned eight medals—three silver and five bronze. Remarkably, six of these medals came from men’s doubles, all achieved in his last six tournaments.
This level of consistency is rare in 2024, as parity rises across all levels of the pro game. Bar’s success is even more impressive given that he has played alongside three different doubles partners: Thomas Wilson, Matt Wright, and Tyson McGuffin.
The Secret to Success: Communication
Bar emphasizes that communication is crucial to achieving success with different partners. “It’s definitely tricky playing with new partners. Getting some games prior to the tournament is important and helpful, although it’s not always possible.” Bar explained.
“Communicating on and off the court even more than with your usual partner is key. It helps accelerate the acclimation process and gets you and your partner to be more ready for what each other is going to do and helps establish what each person’s roles are. Being a positive and energetic partner is also important and helps your partner feel better on the court. I’ve been lucky to have had great partners who were very supportive and playing at a very high level.” – (Bar)
A Dynamic Duo: Bar and McGuffin
Among his various partnerships, Bar has found the most consistent success with Tyson McGuffin, his primary partner for most of the year. The duo has reached the podium in their last four tournaments together.
“Tyson is a very positive partner that can elevate the level of whoever he’s playing with, which is a great quality to have. We also both fight hard and have won a lot of close matches. In a lot of our deep runs, we needed to come back from a large deficit at some point, so both of us staying engaged and fighting with a lot of energy until the end has definitely paid dividends.” – (Bar)
Their resilience was on full display at the most recent PPA Tour stop in San Clemente. After dropping the first game of their quarterfinal match against James Ignatowich and Tyler Loong, Bar and McGuffin rallied to win in three games.
Success in Mixed Doubles
In mixed doubles, Bar has had notable success with Tina Pisnik. Their two silver medals in April reflect a strong partnership built on detailed match analysis. “Tina is a beast.” Bar said.
“She always fights hard and is just a great partner. We talk a lot before and after matches on what we did well and how we can improve as a team. All of that has helped us make some deep runs.” – (Bar)
Despite the crucial role his partners have played, there’s no denying that Bar’s consistent presence is the common denominator in his recent success. This truth fuels his confidence heading into the second half of the season.
“It means a lot to me to be able to consistently show that I belong in the top of the sport. It gives me a lot of confidence going forward and validates how I have been feeling about my game. I am happy with my results over the past few months but am definitely hungry for more and am always looking to get better.” – (Bar)
Dekel Bar’s next challenge will be at MLP Kansas City from August 3-5, followed by the IHG Hotels and Resorts Bristol Open, where he’s set to compete alongside Pisnik and Hayden Patriquin. As the season progresses, all eyes will be on Bar to see if he can continue his impressive run of form.
News in Brief: Dekel Bar Excels Grand Rapids
Dekel Bar shone at the MLP Mid-Season Tournament, helping the D.C. Pickleball Team nearly clinch the title. Bar led the Premier level standings, winning 56% of his points, continuing his stellar performance from recent PPA events. Since April, he has secured eight medals in seven tournaments, consistently excelling in men’s doubles with partners like Thomas Wilson, Matt Wright, and Tyson McGuffin.
Bar attributes his success to strong communication and adaptability with different partners. Notably, he and McGuffin have reached the podium in their last four tournaments. Bar also excelled in mixed doubles with Tina Pisnik, earning two silver medals in April. His consistent success fuels confidence as he prepares for upcoming tournaments in Kansas City and Bristol.
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