Ignatowich, Klinger outlast Arnold, Hovenier to make men’s doubles final
James Ignatowich/CJ Klinger advanced to Championship Sunday with an 11-9, 8-11, 11-4 triumph over No. 11 seeds Julian Arnold/Blaine Hovenier.
After teams split the first two games by nearly identical score lines, the No. 7 seeds proved to be too solid down the stretch and scored the match's final five points to make the gold medal match.
With this win, Klinger is into his first career final on the PPA Tour; the 18-year-old was quick to credit his support system, specifically his father who travels with him to tournaments.
“He’s just been so supportive and always keeps me locked in,” he mentioned. “It’s amazing to have a dad like that.”
Top seeds Federico Staksrud/Gabe Tardio await the tandem on Sunday.
“That’s probably one of the best teams you could make,” Ignatowich said of his future opponents. “I mean, Gabe is maybe the best right-side guy in the game outside of Dylan [Frazier], and it’s just a really good team. I think we’re a matchup that could maybe give them some trouble, though. With CJ’s hands, anything is possible.”
Arnold/Hovenier will face Pablo Tellez/Andrei Daescu in the bronze medal match, as Hovenier pursues his first career podium finish.
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