The fireworks signaling the end of games seen this past weekend were talked about worldwide. Of course, we are referring to those witnessed at the Continental Pickleball League Tournament of Champions Finale, not that tiny drone show seen in Tokyo! The weather mimicked the atmosphere on the court; hot, a little wet, and a whole lot of fun. The stage was set for one couple to stand alone as champion of the 2021 CPL Season.
Special Shout out to these sideline helpers who kept score and kept an eye on the younger fan base throughout the day!
OPENING ROUNDS:
The tournament kicked off with a 5-12 seed match-up featuring two beloved sisters and their partners for life. Jamie was looking for a little birthday magic with Danny, while Jordan and Jill were looking to run wild to start the tournament off. Right from the start, you could tell the Streicher’s said their prayers and ate their vitamins, rushing out to 10-3 lead. The star-spangled couple, however, were not going to back down so easy, Mean Gene! Behind a couple roaring slams by the birthday gal, Danny and Jamie closed the gap to 10-8. A couple of missed opportunities later, though, it was the Streicher’s taking the first set 11-8.
After flip-flopping ends of the court, Game 2 started off with a wretched laser shot by Jordan that struck Danny in a most unfortunate area. Tough as nails, Danny was able to walk it off, but the tone had been set. Jill crushed a line drive sideline heater for the game winner 11-1 to propel the Streicher’s into the Quarterfinals.
The second opening round match-up featured Curtis and Rose Weisenburger taking on Mark Van Ham and Janet Coble (aka the Dragon Slayer, filling in for a vacationing Jess Vennekotter). The newly minted Van-Coble squad wasted little time getting a feel for each other’s strengths and began an offensive onslaught that just couldn’t be matched. Powered by Janet’s net control, the duo earned consecutive pickles 11-0, 11-0 to waltz into the quarterfinal round.
In a rematch of an epic bout just a couple weeks prior which saw a league record 17-15 score one game, the Schmidt’s and Zimmerman’s were once again pitted against one another, this time with a chance to move on in pursuit of a trophy on the line. The game quickly became a defensive juggernaut just like the last time, with both teams playing stifling defense, keeping points at a premium. With the game tight, Rob and Lisa were able to build enough momentum to take the first game 11-6. Erin and Damon started Game 2 out on fire, though, ripping off consecutive points to build a 7-2 lead. The Zimmerman’s responded quickly though to cut the lead to 7-5 when we saw another defensive hold begin with neither team rendering a point for several serves. Damon made some highlight reel shots, even hitting the ball over the net while stepping on his own hand (don’t try that at home, folks). True to the history between these teams, extra points would be needed to declare a winner. It was Rob and Lisa who were able to score when it mattered most to win the game 13-11 and move on in the tournament.
Next up, we saw an entertaining bout between Ryan ad Katie Winkle taking on Matt and Renee Miller making their tournament debut. Right from the beginning, the tournament newbies wanted to let everyone know they were there to play. Renee and Katie both had their skills from their tennis backgrounds on full display in the first match with some terrific two-handed backhands that found the line. Ryan and Matt traded blows near the kitchen line and this one was a battle! Matt had a hard time holding in his excitement with his partner playing so well, highlighted by a sideline shot that left the crowd audibly impressed. After a “Good Girl” celebration, the Miller’s were able to close out Game 1, 12-10. Still talking about getting rubbed between the ears, the Winkle’s went on a rampage in Game 2 with Ryan showing off his impressive control with dinks to both sides up front and Katie rocketing back the deep shots. Game 2 was all Winkle’s 11-1. The deciding Game 3 was back and forth throughout. With the Winkle’s up 10-6, the Miller’s grit shined through battling back to make it 10-9 with a beautiful lob shot by Matt that somehow missed all the rafters and landed perfectly in the back-corner line. Ryan had to walk off the sting of Matt’s impressive moon shot, but was able to regather his composure to make a terrific defensive hold and score the winning point 11-9 to move into the Electric Eight.
The final opening round matchup saw the #11 seeded Morgan’s looking to take down the #6 seeded Wagner’s. Game 1 began in the hard hitting affair with Juice taking a fastball to the thigh muscle from Ross in the opening volleys. Like a Ric Flair chest chop, it seemed to energize him in fact, and the Wagner’s rolled out to an 11- win in the first Game. Game 2 saw a little change in strategy from the Morgan’s as they looked to keep pace with Juice and Sarah. Ross was able to utilize the lob shot to his advantage and Catlyn peppered the sidelines with multiple winning shots, propelling Team Morgan to a 12-10 win and forcing a deciding third game. Juice and Sarah started the third game on fire though with some terrific serves and backhands that built a quick lead that was too much to overcome en route to a 11-2 win to move into the quarterfinal matchups.
QUARTERFINALS:
The Electric Eight match-ups kicked off with a terrific bout between the Streicher’s and Team Coble-Ham. Based on Janet’s performance in the first win, her name earned the right to be listed first. Jordan and Jill tested Mark’s ankle early and often in this one, with Jordan’s serve causing a headache for Team Coble-Ham. This was yet another battle of wills with neither team able to get out in front of the other by a wide margin. Needing extra point once again, Janet and Mark snuck in to steal Game 1 by a score of 12-10. With the powers of the Hulkamania prayers and vitamins running out, Janet and Mark put on a relentless assault and won Game 2 11-2 to secure a birth in the Final Four.
Donning their home jerseys, the Donaldson’s looked to continue their season against the Zimmerman’s who were feeling good after their big win against the Schmidt’s. The juices were flowing and excitement got the best of Team Donaldson who sailed their first serve right out of bounds. Rob and Lisa hung tight with some long volleys but Sarah and Brian remained patient and took the points as they were available. In the end, the Donaldson’s powered through, winning 11-2, 11-4 to earn the right to move on.
The defending champs and still undefeated Keck’s took the court and were looking to keep that streak alive against Ryan and Katie Winkle. After peddling the cryptocurrency Safemoon all afternoon to anyone who would listen, Scott had his game face on and was serving with a purpose early on. Focusing on hitting the ball in play, the Keck’s made few mistakes, making it very difficult to score. The Winkle’s tried everything, even distracting Scott with Safemoon talk, but in the end, couldn’t overcome their crypto-crazy counterparts. The Keck’s moved on winning 11-3 and 11-1 in straight games.
Due to an unexpected illness, Kurtis was scratched at the last minute. In a tremendous act of selflessness in the COVID-era we are in, he self-isolated for the safety of all. After failing to sneak Kimber into the line-up card, Damon was able to fill in to create the new duo, Team Brown-Schmidt, to take on Sarah and Juice for the final spot in the Semi-finals. It took some time for the new duo to gel and the Wagner’s took advantage early. With the crowd Also distracting Damon a bit with Detroit Lions talk, Chelsea finally said to get his head in the game. By that time, the lead was too much and the Wagner’s took Game 1, 11-6. The pep talk from Chelsea seemed to carry over into the next game however and Team Brown-Schmidt jumped out to a 9-1 lead with some terrific teamwork. The Wagner’s certainly did not want to go to another Game 3 after being taken the distance by the Morgan’s and began to battle back. In a terrific showdown with great play by both teams, once again extra points were needed to decide a game. Damon had the serve with an opportunity to force a third game, but missed on a shot. The Wagner’s seized the opportunity and rattled off 3 straight points to win the game 12-10 and earn a berth in the semi-finals.
SEMI-FINALS:
The intensity amplified even more as the Semi-Finals got underway with Team Coble-Ham taking on the Keck’s. Mark and Janet started out the game with passion and mounted a swift 3-0 lead. With the crowd drawing interest and Mark keeping the mood light, the Keck’s responded in a big way building a 10-4 lead before missing on a game point. A deep return that Stephanie thought was out, but Scott played as in started a comeback for Mark and Janet that required extra points to decide the winner. The Keck’s were able to regain their confidence and edge out their opponent 13-11 to earn the first game. Game 2, the Keck’s were on a mission to finish fast and rest up for the final as they went on to win 11-1 to set up their chance to repeat as champions.
With the final spot in the Finals on the line, the Donaldson’s and Wagner’s did battle in an instant classic. Sarah D and Brian had a difficult time keeping the ball in bounds in Game 1 with Juice placing the ball perfectly on the sidelines and Sarah W slinging low line drives over the net and difficult to return. Despite some long volleys, the Wagner’s won game 1 convincingly 11-5. In Game 2, Sarah D got the Donaldson’s rolling with some great serve placement and accurate control on returns. The score may have wound up 11-1 in favor of the Donaldson’s, but the game seemed much closer with the level of play. The pivotal Game 3 began more similarly to Game 2 with Sarah D leading the way for team Donaldson. As both teams got more and more tired, the returns started to drift out of bounds. In the end, the Donaldson’s were a little fresher playing one less match already and were able to power on to the finals with an 11-3 win.
CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH:
After a beautiful rendition of the Star Spangled banner and a heart-warming Happy Birthday song for Jamie, the Championship match was at hand. A slippery court created a slight delay to ensure the safety of all athletes. The top seeded Keck’s chose to serve first and begin their title defense on the attack. There were some terrific long volleys with both sides making points hard to come by. Soon, however, the Keck’s found themselves in great position, up 10-4 in Game 1. The Donaldson’s were not going away easily though, rattling off 4 straight points to make it 10-8. Going for 9 in a tremendous volley, Stephanie made a miraculous cross court shot just over the net and out of reach to stop the counter attack and win back the serve. Soon the Keck’s had their point and a 11-8 win in Game 1. Sensing victory, the Keck continued their near perfect gameplan with no self-inflicted errors like hitting it into the net or out of bounds. In the end, Scott and Stephanie would not be denied, winning 11-7 and retaining their title as CPL Champions!
After the title was won, a fun tournament was held with partners other than their regular season partners. The bedtime came before the final match was held, but we all know who was going to win (right, Lisa?) 😊 Thank you everyone for coming out and hanging out every Sunday this summer! We will try to limit the Keck’s practice time to prevent the 3-peat!