Pickleball
World Pickleball League: Dilli Dilwale trounces Chennai Super Champs for maiden win
Both teams entered the tie seeking their first win of the season, but Dilli proved to be the superior side.
Dilli Dillwale claimed its maiden win in the World Pickleball League 2025 with a commanding 4-1 win over Chennai Super Champs at the Cricket Club of India (CCI) in Mumbai on Sunday.
Both teams entered the tie seeking their first win of the season, but Dilli proved to be the superior side, delivering a performance marked by dominance and determination.
The tie began with the men’s singles clash between Eduardo Irizarry of Dilli and Edward Perez of Chennai. Irizarry raced to an early 5-0 lead, making his intentions clear in the 15-minute timed format.
Despite a brief resurgence from Perez, including the introduction of young talent Sonu Vishwakarma through Pickle Play, Irizarry regained momentum and stormed to a 17-7 victory, giving Dilli a strong start.
In the women’s doubles, Dilli’s Alexa Schull and Lauren Mercado continued the team’s dominance against Chennai’s Thaddea Lock and Sarah Jane Lim.
Racing to a 13-0 lead, the Dilli duo maintained their rhythm even after the side switch at the halfway mark, eventually closing the game 18-3.
The men’s doubles saw a dramatic shift in energy as Chennai’s Tanner Tommassi and Etienne Blaszkewycz dominated Dilli’s Willy Chung and Leander Lazaro.
The match was filled with plenty of banter and high energy, but Chennai maintained control throughout, winning 25-4 and cutting Dilli’s lead to 2-1.
Dilli regained control in the women’s singles, where Alexa Schull faced Thaddea Lock. Schull delivered a solid performance, holding off a spirited effort from Lock to win 17-12, securing an unassailable 3-1 lead for Dilli.
The mixed doubles, though technically a dead rubber, turned out to be a thrilling contest. Dilli’s duo edged out Chennai 16-13 in a closely contested game, cementing their 4-1 triumph in the tie.
With this victory, Dilli Dillwale gained much-needed momentum in the league, while Chennai Super Champs will look to regroup ahead of their next challenge.
Final score:
Men's singles: Eduardo Irizarry beats Edward Perez 17-7
Women's doubles: Alexa Schull and Lauren Mercado beat Thaddea Lock and Sarah Jane Lim 19-3
Men's doubles: Willy Chung and Leander Lazaro lose to Tanner Tommassi and Etienne Blaszkewycz 4-25
Women's singles: Alexa Schull beats Thaddea Lock 17-12
Mixed doubles: Aiko Yoshitomo and Leander Lazaro beat Tyra Calderwood and Edward Perez 16-13
