This past weekend we hosted our first Minor League Pickleball event of the year along with the inaugural Take Martin’s Money event (Martin is now bankrupt).The tournament took place at the beautiful Palm Beach Garden Tennis Center. With a start time of 9 a.m. players started flooding in early to get that much needed warm up time. As courts started filling up, the competitive atmosphere became apparent. Starting off the tournament was our DUPR 20 division, full of up and coming Florida talent.
The event comprised of a round robin format that led into a single elimination bracket. The more games the merrier was a common thought throughout the day. While there were many amazing players, there were some standouts. The “Foreigners” electric women’s duo of Madalina Grigoriu and Jen Shviadok were on fire the whole day, finishing 4-1 in women’s doubles and reaching the finals. Both Madalina and Jen finished top 5 in the tournament for point win percentage, with Madalina’s 57.78% putting her at the top of all 28 players. On the men’s side the two studs from “Bottom of the Barrel,” Andrew Loftin and Maksims Kazijevs, went on tear finishing 6-0 in men’s doubles beating out other very impressive teams. Maksims is a former collegiate tennis player that is starting to make a run at going pro in pickleball, the way he has been playing I would definitely keep my eye out for him. What makes the performance even more impressive was that Maksims was able to win so much with Andrew Loftin of all people. We’re only kidding, Loftin was actually second in the rankings of point win percentage with 57.67%. With Florida being such a hot bed for talent, these higher level tournaments will get tougher and tougher. Maybe we will see some of these phenomenal players in the All Florida Pro League beginning this summer.
The level of play this weekend was unbelievable, so many players we had never see before had some incredible performances. It was not an easy task choosing out top 5 plays from the event with so many incredible points but here they are. Some lightning fast hands, an Ernie ATP defense winner?!, a crazy athletic cat and mouse singles point and the classic amazing defense from our ladies.
Notable pickleball pros JW Johnson and Andrei Daescu added to the excitement, enjoying the atmosphere alongside family and friends. The event showcased some of the top female talent in Florida's pickleball scene, emphasizing the unique dynamics of minor league competition.
As teams formed, building competitive rosters revealed the close-knit player community. With additional Minor League events in Florida, players may recruit in new places, connecting with different groups to ensure a winning team. This highlights the sport's changing nature and its impact on player dynamics. The sport's community potential was evident as we raised funds for the Palm Beach Gardens Special Olympics Pickleball Program. Now officially recognized in the Special Olympics, we expect program growth, striving to make Florida the top state for Pickleball.
We couldn't be more excited for the entire Minor League season for this year which will include the High School State Championships in March at GT Bray, the Florida State Championships in December, and so many more Minor League Events! Check the upcoming events page to register for the next one!
Catch the full stream recording here!
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