Lauren Stratman and Julian Arnold play pickleball on center court at Mesa Arizona Cup.
Lauren Stratman and Julian Arnold at the Mesa Arizona Cup. PPA Tour

"Andiamo!" Stratman and Arnold continue mixed doubles dominance

MESA, AZ – In one of the most explosive, tense, back-and-forth third-round matches of the day, Lauren Stratman and Julian Arnold bested Maggie Brascia and Hayden Patriquin. 

The crowd at Humana Championship Court was almost as loud and rowdy as Arnold yelling his catchphrase, “Andiamo!” and it was a contest worthy of all the excitement. 

“It was a roller coaster of emotions with all the match points, going back and forth. So many times it felt like we weren’t in it and then we’d come back and just scrape by,” said Stratman.

The final score was 6-11, 15-13, and 14-12. Clearly, it was a battle with every match point. 

Up next, the pair will face Meghan Dizon and Tyson McGuffin. 

“We just have to stay aggressive and I’m going to play a little better than I played today,” said Stratman.

“I think we play our best when Lauren is consistent and taking opportunities when they present themselves. We do better when I’m making more errors than she is. If we come out like that and play how we did in spurts of this match, we can beat anyone,” added Arnold. 

Stratman and Arnold agreed that the pair is stronger when she's consistent and he's more aggressive.

“We’re one of the best teams, so it’s just about doing it consistently,” said Arnold.