World Pickleball League: Mumbai Pickle Power make thundering start

Mumbai Pickle Power grabbed Maharashtra Derby honours with an exhilarating 3-1 victory against Pune United in the inaugural clash of the World Pickleball League (WPBL) at the Cricket Club of India (CCI)-Brabourne Stadium this evening.

The curtain raiser lived up to its promising expectations as the match went right down the wire, requiring the poise and composure of Mumbai’s seasoned duo – Brandon Lane and Glauka Carvajal Lane to seal the deal with a sweeping 16-9 win in the decisive mixed doubles tie against Talia Saunders-William Sobek.

Mumbai Pickle Power had served off the game convincingly, bagging the opening two men’s singles and the women’s doubles clashes to take a decisive 2-0 lead.

However, the Pune men’s doubles duo of Louis Laville and Vanshik Kapadia handed a 12-5 defeat to their counterparts from Mumbai, Kim Eung Gwon and Mayur Patil. The game got further electrifying in the women’s singles fixture, as Mihae Kwon drew 15-15 with Brooke Revuelta.

Pune could have still forced the game into a tie-breaker in the mixed doubles, but the Lane duo of Mumbai Pickle Power brought their absolute A-game to the table, sweeping aside a shaky start to assert their authority into the contest and secure the clash by a terrific 16-9 margin.

Brandon’s early onslaught was followed by Mumbai’s Katie Morris and Glauka Carvajal Lane doubling up the pressure on Pune’s Talia Saunders and Brooke Revuelta, clinching the game by 16-8.

Laville and Kapadia snapped the swaying momentum with an exemplary display of deftness and measured aggression with their cross-court plays that caught Kim and Mayur off-guard. Mihae was cruising through her women’s singles clash, but Revuelta produced a slight comeback, compelling Mumbai to briefly introduce Morris for Mihae employing the ‘Pickle Play’ option. The temporary substitution brought Mumbai back into the game but an edge-of-the-seat action ensued in the fag end of the game, drawing the game 15-15.

Multiple Mumbai Pickle Power players stepped up the ante when required to secure important moments in their favour, edging past Pune United, eventually. They will now head to face Dilli Dilwale on January 25 at the same venue for their second league game of the season.

Brief Scores

Mumbai Pickle Power beat Pune United 3-1.

1) Brandon Lane (MPP) won against Mateusz Matysik (PU) 18-9

2) Glauka Carvajal Lane-Katie Morris (MPP) won against Talia Saunders-Brooke Revuelta (PU) 16-8

3) Kim Eung Gwon-Mayur Patil (MPP) lost to Louis Laville-Vanshik Kapadia 12-5

4) Mihae Kwon (MPP) drew to Brooke Revuelta 15-15

5) Brandon Lane-Glauka Carvajal Lane (MPP) won against Talia Saunders-William Sobek 16-9