Bengaluru Jawans booked their place in the World Pickleball League finals with a 3-2 victory over Hyderabad Superstars. The table-toppers Jawans delivered a composed performance to become the first team to enter the finals- to be played Sunday 2nd February at Mumbai’s Brabourne Stadium.
In the men’s singles, Bengaluru’s Jack Foster delivered an explosive performance against Hyderabad’s Ross Whittaker. Jack wasted no time, establishing a 10-0 lead within the first three minutes with his signature power and precision. Despite Whittaker’s efforts to rally later in the match, Foster maintained his aggression to secure a comfortable 24-9 victory.
Hyderabad struck back in the women’s doubles, as Ava Cavataio and Madalina Grigoriu dominated the dinking rallies at the net to claim an 18-7 win against Bengaluru’s Trang Hyunh-McClain and Alejandra Borobia, leveling the tie 1-1.
In a entertaining men's doubles encounter, Bengaluru’s Marcello Jardim and Mauro Garcia faced off against Hyderabad’s Ross Whittaker and Max Freeman in a match that kept fans on the edge of their seats. With both teams locked in a tight contest, Bengaluru held a slender 6-5 lead at halftime before launching a strong second-half push. Ultimately, Bengaluru clinched a 12-9 win and took a crucial 2-1 lead in the tie.
With a spot in the finals at stake, Katerina Stewart stepped up once again for Bengaluru. After a tight start she broke away and dismantled Hyderabad’s Ludovica Sciaky 31-9, clinching the tie for Bengaluru.
With the final match being a formality, Hyderabad finished on a high as Max Freeman and Karolina Owczarek took a 17-7 mixed doubles win. However, it was Bengaluru Jawans celebrating at the end, sealing their place in Sunday’s final as they await their title clash opponent.
