On an action-packed Wednesday at 2019 Nationals, Mixed Doubles Open and Senior Open play brought an amazing new atmosphere of energy and excitement to the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. While there was Singles action on Wednesday with Men’s and Women’s 4.0/4.5 skill level action, the Margaritaville USA Pickleball National Championships began the transition from Skill/Age divisions to Open divisions with many of the sport’s most well-known participants beginning their quest for Gold and a piece of the record-setting $80,000 total tournament prize purse.
With two, 64 team draws in the Mixed Doubles divisions, a myriad of top pickleball professionals took to the court which created an undeniable buzz throughout the facility. Some of the biggest crowds of the tournament thus far gathered on virtually every court to watch the sport’s premiere players compete.
In the Senior Open division, a plethora of last year’s podium participants have once again reached the semifinal stage. Cammy MacGregor and Paul Olin are familiar faces as consistent No. 1 contenders, each of whom possess a beautiful game combining smooth touch and powerful strokes. Also in the running and returning from 2018 are Lisa Naumu, Scott Moore and Kris Anderson. Tune in Thursday to see which returning medalist will ascend to the Gold this year at Nationals.
The Open division featured many of the biggest names in the sport, with teams such as 2018 defending champions Lucy Kovalova/Matt Wright and last year’s silver medalists Simone Jardim/Kyle Yates looking to upgrade last year’s performance. While those two pairings are no surprise to end up playing into Thursday, the team of Michelle Esquivel and Steve Deakin will look to continue their improbable run all the way to a 2019 Gold medal.
With Wednesday’s play wrapped, only a few teams are left standing in the running for Gold:
Mixed Doubles Senior Open Final Four:
Mixed Doubles Open Final Four:
These semifinalist teams will finish out their matches against each other on Thursday afternoon on the Championship Court with live match coverage provided by the ‘Live @ Nationals’ streaming product. Semifinal matches begin on Championship Court at 10:30am PST, with medal matches to follow later in the afternoon.
The schedule for medal matches is as follows:
Now, let’s see what’s on tap for tomorrow:
Events – Thursday, Nov. 7
Mixed Doubles Open – Semifinals/Finals
Mixed Doubles Senior Open – Semifinals/Finals
Without a doubt, the highly-anticipated Mixed Doubles Open and Mixed Doubles Senior Open division matches will be the main attraction at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden on Thursday. But it’s not the only play on tap, as Mixed Skill/Age Doubles action will also get underway in the 4.0, 4.5 skill brackets for all age groups.
