PPA Australia Pickleball Open - Day 4 Wrap Up

We had the gold and bronze medal finals for all the open pro categories throughout the day, which had some tight matches, upsets and even some Aussies on the podium!

Mixed Doubles Gold

Tyson McGuffin / Lacy Schneemann vs Jessie Irvine / Gabe Tardio

As the first match of the day, McGuffin and Schneemann faced a rocky start in their opening match, falling behind Tardio and Irvine 8-11, 6-11. Tardio and Irvine's strong early play gave them a commanding 2-0 lead, and they seemed poised to take the third set with a 9-6 advantage. Miraculously, with their backs against the wall, McGuffin and Schneemann mounted an incredible comeback, reeling off five straight points to steal the set and shift the momentum.

The fourth set went blow for blow, with Irvine and Tardio starting strong once again, which was a common trend in the match.  But the second-seeded McGuffin and Schneemann, now brimming with confidence, fought back, finally converting the winner after 6 attempts at game point.

In the decisive fifth set, Schneemann's exceptional defense proved crucial, breaking the pattern of slow starts and giving her and McGuffin their first lead of the match. Their improved positioning and teamwork shone through as they capitalised on the opportunity. With McGuffin serving, they sealed the victory, ending the thrilling two-hour contest and securing the gold medal.

This win marked Schneemann's first career PPA title. "I've had quite a few silvers on the PPA Tour," she reflected, "so to get my first gold in a thriller with this guy (Tyson), I'm feeling pretty special right now.”

Schneemann had another shot at gold later in the day in women's doubles, while McGuffin is aiming for a triple crown, with his men's doubles match next on the schedule.

Mixed Doubles Bronze

Allyce Jones / Jay Devilliers vs Vivian Glozman / Quang Duong

In the first bronze medal match of the, Allyce Jones & Jay Devilliers defeated Vivian Glozman & Quang Duong, taking home the medals with a 11-2/11-6 scoreline.

Womens Singles Gold

Somer Dalla Bona vs Kaitlyn Christian

Somer Dalla Bona, the sole Australian contender for gold, enjoyed strong support from the Melbourne crowd as she faced top-seeded Kaitlyn Christian. The closely contested first set saw the score tied at 6-6. Christian then gained momentum, reaching match point at 10-7. Dalla Bona fought back, regaining serve and leveling the score at 10-10. With the set hanging in the balance, Christian called a crucial timeout, which proved decisive. Upon returning to the court, she reclaimed serve and secured the final two points to win the set.

The second set mirrored the first in its closeness, with the score tied at 5-5. At this point, Christian elevated her game. There were extended rallies from the edge of the court throughout the game, with Christian effectively utilising her agility to move Dalla Bona around. While Dalla Bona's backhand was incredible, Christian's strategic approach paid off as she won five consecutive points to take a commanding 10-5 lead. Despite Dalla Bona's resilient effort to narrow the gap to 10-8, she couldn't overcome Christian's momentum. Christian ultimately secured the set 11-8, clinching the gold medal.

Womens Singles Bronze

Andie Dikosavljevic vs Nicola Schoeman

An all-Australian bronze medal match saw 11th-seeded Andie Dikosavljevic (ranked 8th in the Australian rankings) defeat 13th-seeded Nicola Schoeman (ranked 6th in the Australian rankings) in straight sets, 11-7, 11-5.

Mens Doubles Gold

Gabe Tardio / Tyson McGuffin vs Quang Duong / CJ Killinger

Gabe Tardio and Tyson McGuffin, the top-seeded doubles team, faced off against Quang Duong and CJ Killiger, the third-seeded team, in the doubles gold match. This was not the first time Tardio and McGuffin had played in the championship day, as they had previously competed against each other in the mixed doubles final.

Killiger and Duong dominated the first set 11-4, raising concerns about whether the grueling five-game thriller in the mixed doubles final had taken a toll on Tardio and McGuffin. However, they silenced any doubts with a hard-fought 12-10 victory in the second set, leveling the score at one set apiece. Two more closely contested sets followed, leaving an incredible final set showdown with it all to play for.

Killiger and Duong surged ahead 6-2 in the final set, utilising some deceptive lobs to their advantage. McGuffin, known for his enthusiasm, was visibly pumped up, and even the typically reserved, even bored looking Tardio displayed rare emotion. This newfound confidence fueled a six-point run for McGuffin and Tardio, giving them the lead. At 9-9, with gold within reach, a timeout was called. Returning to the court, McGuffin and Tardio delivered clutch shots, ultimately winning the set and securing the gold medal.

With 10 sets of pickleball under their belt, McGuffin and Tardio were set to face each other once again in the Men's Singles Final. McGuffin would look to clinch his first PPA Triple Crown since 2023.

Bronze Medal Match

Collin Johns / Jay Devilliers vs Zane Navratil / Joey Wild

In the bronze medal match, Collin Johns and Jay Devilliers triumphed over Zane Navratil and Joey Wild. Wild, the sole Australian contender in the Men's Doubles medal chase and Australia's top-ranked men's doubles player, couldn't overcome the second-seeded Johns and Devilliers. The match concluded with a score of 11-5, 9-11, 11-8.

Womens Doubles Gold

Lacy Schneemann / Vivian Glozman vs Allyce Jones / Tyra Hurricane Black.

Following Tyson McGuffin's lead in Men's Doubles, Lacy Schneemann aimed for another gold medal in women's doubles, partnering with Vivian Glozman. They would have to do it against the top-seeded team of Allyce Jones and Tyra Hurricane Black.

Schneemann and Glozman started strong, taking the first two sets 11-7 and 11-3. But at this stage in the day, everyone in the crowd knew that Australian finals doubles matches were always going to be close, as Jones and Black fought it back in the third to make it 2-1.

Jones and Blacks defence was a highlight in their game, with Glozman unleashing rocket after rocket to force them back into the byline. After some lengthy rallies, Schneemann and Glozman eventually found gaps in the defense, securing points by then forcing play into the kitchen. The fourth set was a tense affair, reaching a 9-9 tie, but it would be Glozman and Schneedmann who were able to close it out, winning the set and then the gold.

Schneedman, now with 2 gold medals, reflected after the intense match. “We tried to lock it down and stick to the gameplan. We knew they were going to scrap out some crazy points and get a bit of momentum that way, but we locked it down at the end” Schneemann said.

“I love playing alongside Viv,” Schennemann added. “I wouldn’t want to play with anyone else. (Today) couldn’t have ended better.”

Bronze Medal Match

Jessie Irvine / Alix Truong vs Emilia Schmidt / Danni-Elle Townsend

Third-seeded Jessie Irvine and Alix Truong faced the all-Australian team of Emilia Schmidt and Danni-Elle Townsend, the fifth seeds. Schmidt is ranked ninth and Townsend seventh in Australian women's doubles rankings. While Irvine and Truong easily won the first set 11-3, Schmidt and Townsend rallied to force a third set. Ultimately, Irvine and Truong proved too strong, winning the match 11-3/5-11/11-4.

Mens Singles Gold

Gabe Tardio vs Tyson McGuffin

It had all come down to this, after ten lengthy doubles games for the pair, Gabe Tardio and Tyson McGuffin faced off one last time on Championship Court, this time for the men's singles gold medal. Both had something to play for, as Tyson was on track for a triple crown, whilst Gabe had never won a singles title. The stands were packed for the final match of the weekend, with audiences in Australia and around the world watching.

Having played together all day, both players knew each other's games like the back of their hand. The first set was a close contest, reaching 9-9. Tardio's impressive drop volleys and forehand drives proved to be the deciding factor, giving him the edge and the first set win.

Both players were tired, with the match largely consisting of baseline passing shots.

Tardio carried his momentum into the second set, hitting incredible shots, including a remarkable look-away diving backhand, to build an 8-3 lead. The variety of Tardio's shots proved too much for McGuffin, who was forced to run all over the court. In the end, Tardio won the set, giving him the Singles Title.

This was Tardios first medal in PPA singles of any kind, so it was a pretty special moment for the 19 year old. 

Bronze Medal

Quang Duong vs Phuc Huynh

In the bronze medal match, the number 2 seed Quang Duong defeated the number 5 seed Phuc Huynh with a 11-5/11-4 score line on the Grandstand Court.

Best Dressed

We had to look no further than the commentary box to find best dressed, with Brad Kluss rocking a symphony of colour to win best dressed. Kluss explained that his eye-catching top was from a local Australian brand, chosen for its unique and interesting design. His footwear, he added, was "Just the sox-man brand."

Check out all the details, draws and results over the tournament here