Jaume Martinez Vich and Angie Walker playing mixed doubles pickleball.
Jaume Martinez Vich and Angie Walker competing for the Atlanta Bouncers at MLP Atlanta. Major League Pickleball

Bouncers conquer DreamBreaker demons for first 2024 victory

PEACHTREE CORNERS, GA- Friday didn’t go too well for the Atlanta Bouncers with two DreamBreaker losses, but they got some redemption on Championship Court early Saturday afternoon.

The team featuring Jaume Martinez Vich, Genie Erokhina, Todd Fought, and Angie Walker erased an 0-2 deficit against the Socal Hard Eights en route to its first win of the season.

After losing the first two gender doubles matches, all the pressure turned to Martinez Vich and Walker, who dropped both of their matches together in mixed doubles on Friday.

Needing a win to avoid the sweep, the pair found their best form and cruised to a 25-16 triumph over Irina Tereschenko and Max Manthou.

“We were struggling before this match with mixed, and we found a way today,” Martinez Vich said of the key victory.

Fought and Erokhina followed suit with a 25-22 win against Erik Lange and Christine Maddox, and Atlanta was headed for another DreamBreaker.

This one, however, went a lot better for the local favorites, as the Bouncers raced to a 21-13 victory behind an especially strong performance from Martinez Vich. 

 

As his team’s first-round pick and a two-time 2024 PPA singles medalist, the Spaniard thrived under the pressure in front of a raucously supportive Atlanta crowd.

“I love the pressure,” he shared. “Today was great because we played on Championship Court, and the crowd was huge for us. And you know when there’s a crowd, I don’t miss.”

It seemed like Martinez Vich actually didn’t miss, winning eight out of the ten points he played in the DreamBreaker.

The Bouncers will next face the Bay Area Breakers on Sunday morning, while a Saturday evening clash against the Brooklyn Aces awaits the Hard Eights.