Big Andre Daescu Has A Big Day In Mesa At The APP Mesa Open

The Association of Pickleball Professionals (APP) tour was back in action this past weekend at one of their favorite venues: the Bell Bank Park in Mesa, Arizona. The APP has visited Bell Bank Park four times since the beginning of 2022 and its 40+ court facility is well suited to hosting the kind of massive pro events we’ve come to expect in today’s pickleball. Nearly 1,300 players were in the Phoenix suburb this weekend competing for both pro titles and the elusive “Golden Ticket” qualifier into USAP Nationals. Let’s recap the pro action.

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Men’s Pro Singles Recap:

The Men’s pro singles draw saw a familiar name getting upset wins over two top seeds, as Richmond-based lefty Jhonnatan Alvarez Medina took out #3 seeded Jack Foster and #7 seeded William Sobek to advance to the winner’s bracket finals. There, the silver medalist from the APP’s first event this season in Punta Gorda fell to the APP’s #1 ranked player Hunter Johnson. Alvarez was taken out in the consolation bracket finals to settle for the bronze here.

Also of note from the top-side of the draw, qualifier Michael Loyd took out #2 seeded Yates Johnson in the opening match of the main draw with ease 3,7. Loyd is a former collegiate tennis player who now works for Head/Penn Pickleball as a Product manager in their Racquet sports division who has been making waves lately on the pro tours.

The bottom half of the draw was more in-line with expectations, as Hunter Johnson (ranked and seeded 1st) cruised into the gold medal match without dropping a set. Eighth-seeded pro Eduardo Irizarry lost early in the main draw but ground out seven straight loser’s bracket wins to return to the gold medal match on Sunday.

In the final, Hunter Johnson held serve against Irizarry and took the gold 5,5. It is Johnson’s third straight APP gold in Pro Singles to open the new season.

Gold: Hunter Johnson. Silver: Eduardo Irizarry Bronze: Jhonnatan Alvarez Medina

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Women’s Pro Singles Recap

They say to never underestimate the player who was considered the G.O.A.T. before the current G.O.A.T. And that’s what we saw in the singles draw in Mesa, as the legendary Simone Jardim (reminder, still not retired) won her opener as the #16 seed then summarily ousted the #1 seed Salome Devidze in the round of 16 8,10. Devidze has been making waves on both the APP and PPA this year and won five times on the APP last season, but was dumped to the loser’s bracket early. Jardim continued her run all the way to the winner’s bracket final, but an injury cost her a walkover to #3 Megan Fudge and left her with the Bronze medal on the weekend.

Fudge advanced to the gold medal match from the bottom half of the draw by topping the dominant #2 Parris Todd in a tiebreaker comeback win (5),10,7. This was Todd’s first singles loss on the APP in 2023, and she chose not to fight back in the back draw to attempt to get back to the gold medal match. Meanwhile, Devidze took six straight loser bracket matches to advance to the consolation bracket final, where she got a walkover against Jardim to regain a shot at the gold medal.

In the final, Devidze completed the comeback, taking out Fudge in three games to force the one-game winner take all for the medal, then took that 15-9. Salome returns to the winner’s circle for the first time since Hilton Head in October 2022 and defends her title here in Mesa, where she also won last April.

Gold: Salome Devidze. Silver: Megan Fudge. Bronze: Simone Jardim.

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Mixed Pro Doubles Recap

A massive mixed pro doubles draw was whittled down to the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th seeds by the semis of the winner’s bracket. #1 seeded Parris Todd & Hunter Johnson, who have a Gold and Silver together in 2023, defeated the 5th seeded Megan Fudge & Rob Nunnery in one semifinal, while #2 seeded Susanne Barr & Andrei Daescu crushed the competition all day Friday and similarly cruised past #3 seeded Milan Rane & Brendan Long 4,5 to advance to the winner’s bracket final. There, #2 toppled #1 in a tense tiebreaker to secure a spot in the gold medal match.

Todd & Johnson bunkered down and stopped Rane & Long in the bronze medal match to secure a rematch for the Gold. On championship Sunday, it looked like they’d complete the comeback as they forced a winner take all game to 15, but Barr & Daescu came to life and won going away 15-6 to secure the gold. This is Daescu’s third medal in three tries in 2023 in Mixed, but his first gold.

Gold: Barr/Daescu. Silver: Todd/Johnson. Bronze: Rane/Long.

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Men’s Pro Doubles Recap

Andrei Daescu earns the “double” in doubles for the weekend, teaming with local Arizona resident lefty Pesa Teoni to take the Men’s Doubles crown as the #1 seeds. Normally the 1-seed winning the gold wouldn’t necessarily be lead-worthy, but Daescu’s first two golds this season were with Kyle Yates. Daescu picked up Teoni as a last-minute replacement, but they gelled quickly as a team and took out all comers and top seeds enroute to the gold.

Daescu & Teoni advanced to the winner’s bracket semis with a come-from-behind win over #3 seeds DeHeart & Nunnery, then topped the upset-minded #5 seeds Sobek & Keenum to secure a spot in the Gold medal match. From there, they awaited the news from the consolation bracket, where the 2nd seeded Johnson brothers avenged an earlier loss to Sobek & Keenum and sent them to the bronze medal.

Gold: Daescu/Teoni. Silver: Johnson/Johnson. Bronze: Sobek/Keenum.

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Women’s Pro Doubles Recap

It was three for three in 2023 in Women’s Pro doubles for the top ranked team of Simone Jardim & Parris Todd, who took down the draw without losing a game. They met a familiar foe for the gold medal; #2 seeded Megan Fudge & Susannah Barr were the silver medalists last month in Daytona Beach as well. The sixth seeds Shelby Bates & Rachel Rettger ground out several consolation bracket wins to secure the Bronze.

Gold: Jardim/Todd. Silver: Fudge/Barr. Bronze: Bates/Rettger

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Senior Pro Competition Quick Recap

· Men’s Senior Pro Singles: #1 Mattias Johansson continues his run in 2023, winning his fourth Senior pro singles title and first on the APP.

· Men’s Senior Pro Doubles: 6th seeded David Furman & Kris Heddings upset 2022 Senior #1 Rick Witsken’s return to the APP by topping his team twice enroute to the gold.

· Women’s Senior Pro Singles: #2 Leslie Bernard came out of the consolation bracket to upset #8 seeded Cara Beth Lee’s attempt to go from last-to-first and secured the gold.

· Women’s Senior Pro Doubles: 2022 #1 Beth Bellamy and her partner Nathalie Bagby won a rematch of the APP Punta Gorda senior pro doubles final against Mary Helen Atkins & Anna Shirley to take the gold.

· Mixed Senior Pro Doubles: It was like most of 2022 in Mixed Senior pros, as long-time partners Witsken & Bellamy teamed up for the first time in 2023 and cruised to the gold medal without dropping a game.

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Super Senior Pro Recap:

The APP has introduced another layer of Senior Pro competitions, unique to the sport. Senior Pros have been around for a while and compete at the 50+ range, but the APP now supports a “Super Senior” series for 60+ pros. There has been enough such 60+ pro events in the last year to now support a tour, so here’s a quick recap of the Super Senior events:

· Men’s Super Senior Pro Doubles: #1 seeds Scott Moore & David Spearman ground out two close wins over rivals Steve Dawson & Steve Cole to take the crown.

· Women’s Super Senior Pro Doubles: #5 Seeds Kristin Hickman & Linda Thompson took out the #1 seed early then held off the #3 seeds twice to take gold.

· Mixed Super Senior Pro Doubles:#1 Lisa Naumu & Glenn Erickson survived the consolation bracket and multiple tie-breakers to take gold.

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Next up on the APP Tour? According to my Master Pickleball Schedule, the APP returns at the end of the month for the APP Sunmed Sacramento Classic in Johnson Ranch, California.

Next up on the Pickleball Calendar? Next week the busy PPA calendar resumes with the PPA Red Rock Open in St. George, Utah.