Ben Johns and Gabe Tardio won the men’s doubles championship at the PPA Tour Open in Las Vegas on Sunday. They defeated No. 3 seeds Christian Alshon and Andrei Daescu in four games, 10-12, 12-10, 11-3, 11-2, to secure their third straight title together.
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Turning the Match Around
Christian Alshon and Andrei Daescu started strong, using Alshon’s lob-volleys and quick attacks at the kitchen line to take the first game 12-10. Ben Johns and Gabe Tardio responded with a 9-2 run in the second game to tie the match, then carried the momentum to win the next two games convincingly.
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Adjustments and Teamwork
Ben Johns explained how they dealt with the early pressure.
“It was important to scoot back sometimes when the ball was floating a little bit and then come back in as soon as we were ready to be offensive again.
I feel like we made good adjustments in Game 2 and onwards. I think that’s the most important thing in pickleball: using in-game adjustments. It makes a huge difference.”(Ben Johns )
Gabe Tardio credited Johns’ steady play for his own success late in the match.
“Ben barely misses drops, so I just tried to take advantage of that and add a little extra pressure,” (Gabe Tardio).
A Growing Streak
This victory adds to the pair’s recent run of success. Ben Johns and Gabe Tardio also won titles earlier this summer in Bristol and San Clemente. Their teamwork and ability to adjust under pressure have made them one of the toughest duos on the PPA Tour.
News in Brief: Ben Johns and Gabe Tardio
Ben Johns and Gabe Tardio defeated Christian Alshon and Andrei Daescu 10-12, 12-10, 11-3, 11-2 to win the men’s doubles title at the PPA Tour Open in Las Vegas. The victory marked their third straight championship together, following earlier wins in Bristol and San Clemente this summer.
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