Dekel Bar and Zane Navratil competing at the Las Vegas Pickleball Cup.
Dekel Bar and Zane Navratil are Championship Sunday bound in their first tournament together. PPA Tour

Daescu and Tardio, Bar and Navratil set gold medal clash with three-game victories

Andrei Daescu and Gabriel Tardio booked their spots in their second consecutive final after an 11-3, 6-11, 11-4 victory over No. 8 seeds Connor Garnett and Tyler Loong.

For the No. 9 seeds, getting off to a strong start was the recipe for success.

“We made it a goal to start every game strong,” Daescu explained. “In Game 1, we started very strongly. Game 2—not so much, and they got the lead and were able to close it out. And then in Game 3, we were able to jump to the lead again. They fought back really hard, but we were fortunately able to hold on at the end.”

Daescu and Tardio got out to a 7-0 lead in the decider, which created enough separation so that they could clinch the win without facing too much scoreboard pressure.

 

They’ll look to make it two titles in a row on Sunday.


Dekel Bar and Zane Navratil secured the second spot in Sunday’s final with an exhilarating 4-11, 11-4, 11-7 victory over No. 6 seeds Christian Alshon and Riley Newman.

The match—probably one of the fastest-paced contests in PPA history—was defined by aggressive serves from all involved, which led to frequent drive-and-crash opportunities.

Bar and Navratil stood tall in the end, thanks to a few missed returns on the side of Alshon and Newman in Game 3 that created the otherwise scarce separation between the two teams.

 

This win continues what has been an impressive year for Bar, especially in men’s doubles; he has five bronze medals to go along with two silvers, and he’ll have a chance to go for a gold on Sunday.

“I’ve had great partners that help me bring a lot of energy,” he said of his success. “Zane has been awesome—it’s our first time playing together, and we’re into the finals. It’s been so fun, and I think that’s the key.”