Brooke was selected to play in this year's US OPEN in Women's Singles Skill (40-49), Women's Doubles Age (45-49) Open, and Mixed Doubles Skill 5.0 (30-39). The US Open Pickleball Championships is held at East Naples Community Park in Naples, FL. This facility has over 60 courts and they needed it for the 5000+ competitors and over 60,000 spectators that were to arrive during the week.
We left dreary rainy PA early on Saturday April, 12th and landed in Fort Myers to gorgeous weather in the high 80's. The weather forecast for the week was in the high 80's to low 90's with winds anywhere from 8-18mph depending on the day. Brooke's first match was scheduled for Sunday the 13th in the morning for Single's. This day called for the highest winds, and the matches were set up for double elimination. Even though it was double elimination, if you lost, you were playing for bronze. There was no coming back for gold or silver, so you had to be the top of your bracket to get into the gold medal match. Every court was filled from sun-up to sun-down and there was very little downtime in between matches, as they had to keep things rolling to get all competitors through. Brooke chipped away at her competition and was top seed in her bracket, and secured her spot in the gold medal match. Brooke battled back and forth with long rallies in the gold match as I cheered her on. She had me on the edge of my seat the entire match as each set played out. At the end of the day she came home with the SILVER and I was so proud of what she had just accomplished on US's biggest pickleball stage!
Day 1 was a wrap and the next day was slated for Women's Doubles Age (45-49) Open with her good friend and fierce competitor, Beth Olivier. As Day 2 arrived, the parking lot was full immediately and we had to be shuttled into the facility. Brooke met Beth and both got registered and started to warm up. With 17 teams in their bracket, the rules were the same as the day before, double elimination, but loose once and you're playing for Bronze. Games to 11, best of 3. Brooke and Beth defeated their Round 16 match 11-3,11-2. In the quarterfinals they went 5-11,11-6,12-10, securing their spot in the semifinals. In the semifinals they won 11-6,11-9 in just two games placing them at the top of their bracket and their place in the gold medal match. They day got hotter as time went on, and this spectator was sure glad he had some shade to watch in.
As the gold match started, Brooke and Beth won the first set 11-8. The second set they were up at 8 but their competitors made a run and finished that set with an 8-11 score. They had to go to the 3rd set as Brooke started to battle some very bad cramping in her arm during the second match. This was the worst time to have an injury, but Brooke battled through the pain and played as best she could in this final match. In the end, Brooke and Beth won the SILVER. I know Brooke did her best, but could tell she was heartbroken over her arm injury and the most inopportune time for that to happen. By the end she couldn't even raise her arm.
We made it back to the house and she started to call around, and had multiple appointments scheduled for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday to try to get her arm back in order for Friday's event of 5.0 Mixed Doubles.
Two days in and 2 SILVER medals at the US OPEN. Not a bad start at all.
The next day, she grabbed my hand and I told her the grip was a 2. That was all she could muster. I drove Brooke to multiple places in Naples for massage therapy and acupuncture treatments. By the end of Tuesday it was getting a little better so Wednesday we decided nothing but rest and more treatments in the afternoon. After her Thursday treatments she had much better motion and grip strength, and thank god she had the 3 days to rest, as Friday her next set of matches were coming up and this wouldn't be a walk-in-the-park. Brooke was playing down in the 30-39 age bracket in 5.0 mixed with friend Armando Ocando.
On Friday, Armando and Brooke breezed through Round 16, 11-5,11-5 and played all three sets in the quarter finals, winning with a 11-8,4-11,11-5 score. In the semi-finals they hit a wall, with the team that ended up winning the gold which put them into the Bronze bracket. Once in the bronze bracket they had to win a single game to 15. Armando and Brooke were leading the match as the switched sides 8-6, but in the end lost their second and final match 10-15. Overall their standings based off point differential was 6th place in the 30-39 5.0 Mixed Double Match.
We packed up and flew back home on Saturday, arriving in a balmy 43 deg PA day! On the way home, we had to stop by our good friend's house, Bill & Mary Lou to pick up all 4 of our fur-babies that they had been so graciously watching all week. Special thanks to them both as we know how much work our furry critters can be!
In the end, Brooke came home with two medals on the biggest pickleball stage in the US, despite injuries and I'm super proud of what she accomplished this week. It was amazing to watch my wife play right next to some of the best pro's in the sport. I'd be watching her match and 4 big name pros were playing in the court right beside her, whether it was Megan Fudge, Parris Todd, Lee Whitwell, Alix Truong or a list of many others...
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