Bermuda's FIRST official, sponsored Pickleball/Tennis Tournament got underway at Pomander Gate with the Ladies Doubles as the first event on the schedule.
The Ladies tournament brought out a whole new level of intensity among the players and provided spectators with a fantastic demonstration of what is currently being described as the fastest growing sport in North America!
Top seeds Sarah Fox and Kim Burns took top honors winning all 4 of their matches. During a hard fought battle with #2 seeds Sheila Fisher and Tina Burns, the power duo dropped their only game of the tournament with a final score of 11-7, 8-11, 11-9. Fisher and Burns went on to capture a close second place in the final standings securing their third match win.
Mary Ellen Ewles - in only her 4th time on the Pickleball Court but coming from a strong tennis background - took her opponents by surprise. Partnered with Nancy Kempe, she quickly came to grips with the sport's no-volley zone, double bounce rule and unique 2-server scoring system - with the pair coming third with two match wins and plenty of points won. Holding up admirably in their match against the eventual winners, they took their game score from 3-11 in the first to 9-11 in the second - showing how much experience was gained by all during the tournament.
In the Tennis portion of the tournament, father/son duo John and Noel Johnston worked well together in Men’s Open Doubles action to strike up a 6-2, 6-0 victory against Charles Penruddocke and Len Wedlich.
They’ll next take on number 2 seeds Sam Thomsen and David Brown in the semi-finals, after their hard-fought victory against Chris Bardgett and Joe Amaral in the Quarter-Final, 6-2, 7-6.
Sam Thomsen and Chris Bardgett, the 2018 Senior Men’s Doubles champions, are looking to retain their title as the competition edges to completion. Already in the final, they await the winner out of number 1 seeds David Brown & Richard Daley and veteran pair Charles Penruddocke & Len Wedlich.
