The third annual Kim Burns Memorial Pickleball Tournament continued to illuminate the W.E.R. Joell Tennis Stadium today, with a relentless schedule of doubles and singles action unfolding under bright and sunny skies. The day was defined by a mix of clinical shutouts and high-stakes tie-breaks as the island's top-seeded players battled for a place on the podium.
In the Men’s 3.5 Doubles Open Pool A, the pairing of Don Trott and Damien McDonnell sent a clear warning to the rest of the field. After opening their campaign with a steady 11-6 victory over Owen Stewart and Christopher Hands, they produced the most ruthless performance of the morning in Round Two. Facing Kent Delgado and Jael Ringgenberg, who had earlier dispatched Chris Smith and Malachi O’Leary 11-4, Trott and McDonnell delivered a masterclass in kitchen-line dominance to secure a rare 11-0 shutout.
The action in Pool B proved far more volatile. Edgar Griffin and Sanjay Dhuria started strong with an 11-8 win over Mark Hudson and Dan Stefan Vlad, but their momentum was halted in a grueling second-round encounter. Theodosios Caimas and Harry Andrews displayed remarkable nerves to edge Griffin and Dhuria in an extended 13-11 thriller. Elsewhere in the pool, Israel Sanchez and Duane Simons made a statement with a comprehensive 11-2 victory over Paul Hayward and Ricky Spence.
The singles courts were equally captivating, particularly in the Women’s 4.0 Open division. Lucy Yiasoumi established herself as the tournament favorite with back-to-back victories, overcoming Naphisa Smith 15-7 and Ailish Byrne 15-9. Smith managed to bounce back in the second round, securing a hard-fought 15-13 win against Rachel Sawden in a match that kept the gathered spectators on the edge of their seats until the final point.
The stadium celebrated the crowning of several new champions across a variety of age and skill brackets. The Men’s 3.5 Open gold was fittingly claimed by the undefeated duo of Donn Trott and Damien McDonnell, while the partnership of Theodosios Caimassidis and Harry Andrews secured silver. In the senior categories, Tim McKittrick and Jan Brewer took home the 50 plus 3.5 gold, with Peter Illston and Tom Brown taking silver.
The individual accolades were led by Lucy Yiasoumi, who capped off her dominant run with the Women’s 4.0 Open gold medal. Fiona Donaldson stood atop the podium in the 3.5 Open Singles, while Emma Simmons claimed the top honors in the 50 plus 3.5 division. In the Men’s 3.0 Open, Virbert Virbert and Arthur Begeman secured the gold medal, and Zach Sagers and Kevin Rhyno walked away as champions in the senior 3.0 bracket. With medals now safely in hand, the focus shifts to the final rounds of mixed doubles play set to conclude the weekend.
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