Bermuda’s First Pickleball Tournament Underway
Bermuda’s first official pickleball tournament recently got underway at Pomander Gate, with the Ladies Doubles as the first event on the schedule.
A spokesperson said, “Taking two evenings to complete, 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 four of their matches. During a hard fought battle with #2 seeds Sheila Fisher and Tina Burns on Wednesday, 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 on Thursday.
“Mary Ellen Ewles – in only her fourth 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 two-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.
“The Men’s Pickleball Doubles gets underway Friday at 4.00pm in the Atlantic Construction Ltd 2019 Pomander Gate Tennis & Pickleball Members Tournament. The climax to the pickleball tournament will be the Mixed Doubles scheduled for Saturday.
“In the tennis portion of the tournament, there are four events this year:
- Men’s Singles
- Men’s Open Doubles
- Mixed Doubles
- Men’s Senior Doubles
“In singles action, #3 seed Yves Doyon is plotting to spoil the tournament when he takes on #1 seed David Thomas in the first semi-final. On the other side of the draw, #2 seed David Jenkins will battle Sam Thomsen with a spot in the final at stake.
“In Men’s Open Doubles, father/son duo John and Noel Johnston worked well together to strike up a 6-2, 6-0 victory against Charles Penruddocke and Len Wedlich. They’ll next take on #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.
“Top seeds David Thomas and Kallan Richardson will shoot for the final against Ali Arouzi and Richard Daley.
“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 #1 seeds David Brown/Richard Daley and veteran pair Charles Penruddocke/Len Wedlich.
“Finally, in one of the tournaments’ most hotly contested events, the men and women have been doing battle against each other in a round robin format for mixed doubles. Top seeds David Thomas and Poppy Perreira have yet to drop a set and are looking to set the tone in the business end of the tournament.
“The draw features two husband/wife pairs [amongst the five entries] who are looking to lay claim to the Clubs’ mixed doubles crown.
Results from the first two days of action:
- Chris Bardgett/Sarah Cook def. Charles/Maja Penruddocke 6-1, 6-3
- Kallan Richardson def. Michael Urdang Walkover
- David Thomas def. Kallan Richardson 6-0, 6-0
- David Jenkins def. Noel Johnston 6-1, 6-0
- Charles Penruddocke/Len Wedlich def. Keith Fisher/Nick Warren 6-1, 7-5
- Chris Bardgett/Sam Thomsen def. Oliver Bain/Erwin Leader 6-3, 6-2
- David Thomas/Poppy Perreira def. Yves Doyon/Bianca Chartree 6-2, 6-1
- Yves Doyon/Bianca Chartree def. Henry Ti/Theresa Chew 4-6, 6-0, 10-7
- David Thomas/Poppy Perreira def. Chris Bardgett/Sarah Cook 6-2, 6-3
- Sam Thomsen def. Nick Cardinez 6-2, 6-2
- Yves Doyon def. John Johnston 6-0, 6-2
- Henry Ti/Theresa Chew def. Charles/Maj Penruddocke 6-2, 6-4
- Ali Arouzi/Richard Daley def. Nick Cardinez/Ethan Anderson 6-0, 6-0
- John/Noel Johnston def. Charles Penruddocke/Len Wedlich 6-2, 6-0
- David Brown/Sam Thomsen def. Joe Amaral/Chris Bardgett 6-2, 7-6
