Pickleball Magazine 2019 USA National Championships | Page 21

After a hard-fought first game won
by the Waters 11-8, the pair breezed
in the second game 11-2, setting the
stage for a finals showdown against
Catherine Parenteau and her partner
Jessie Irvine.
It turned out to be one of the
finest matches played at Indian
Wells. After dropping the first game
11-6, the Waters came roaring back
and knotted the match at one game
apiece, winning the second game
11-8. With momentum shifting back
and forth, the third game was full of
incredible displays of talent. A few
critical shots off the paddles of the
Waters enabled the family to win
gold and further elevate their status
amongst pickleball’s upper echelon.
Another legend of the game,
Simone Jardim, was set to square
off with the reigning women’s
singles champion, Lucy Kovalova, for
the title. This year’s Nationals event
also coincided with Jardim’s 40th
birthday.
So many of the top pro
players compete against each other
throughout the year, and everyone
is familiar with each other’s games.
Jardim is also one of the sport’s most
decorated players, having won nearly
90 overall medals in tournament
action, 70 of them gold. But, this
year’s ascension to the top spot was
made tougher when looking across
the net at Kovalova.
Last year at the 2018
Margaritaville USA Pickleball National
Championships, Kovalova won the
Triple Crown, earning gold in Women’s
Singles, Women’s Doubles and Mixed
Doubles. She’s truly one of the gifted
athletes in the sport. And, after going
back and forth in a tough game one,
the native of Slovakia won it 13-11.
Kovalova had played quite a few
Gold winner Roxanne Pierce in Women’s Pro
Singles Super Senior 65+. Roxanne and Cookie
Drake took bronze in Women’s Doubles 5.0 60+.
2019 USA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS EDITION |
CONTINUED >>>>
MAGAZINE 19