NEW FRIENDS WERE MADE.
REFEREES JOINED IN.
PLAYERS PLAYED ALL DAY.
areas. Pickleball vendors were set up in the middle of the hall so that it was easy to grab a Skechers shoe bag en route to your match.
Director Karen Mitchell said the team purposely created a space that worked for both players and sponsors.“ It provided plenty of photo opportunities and a podium area in the center of everything.”
The scale was impressive. Sixty-two courts were constructed for the tournament, a logistical undertaking that required extensive preparation before the first matches began. The courts featured Proflex surfaces, while the Franklin X40 ball was used for play.
But the English OPEN was about much more than numbers.
One of its biggest strengths was the inclusiveness. The tournament brought together elite professionals, club players, juniors, seniors, and newcomers to competitive pickleball. Events were divided by age and skill level, with categories ranging from 3.0 to 4.5 and Open. There were also wheelchair and para pickleball competitions, ensuring that the tournament reflected the breadth of the sport.
The schedule provided something different almost every day. The tournament opened with men’ s
OPEN MEN’ S DOUBLES 50 +: RICHARD LOVE AND MARCELLO PAIVA JARDIM, GOLD; NATHAN HILL AND IAN MARSHALL, SILVER; BERNIE AUDIBERT AND RUPERT ROBINSON, BRONZE.
MIXED DOUBLES 80 +: THEODORE( TED) ANDERSON AND ALICE TYM, GOLD; PETER DRAKE AND DIANE KELLER, SILVER; MARGARET LEWIS AND MIKE GABRIEL, BRONZE.
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