LIVE BLOG: Friday's results and news from Salt Palace Convention Center
It's Mixed Doubles Friday at The Picklr Utah Open, and I've got all the latest updates from the Beehive State.
Check back here throughout the day, as this article will be modified as results come in.
You can watch the action for yourself on PickleballTV (starting at noon CST) and the PPA YouTube (starting at 10am CST).
6:00pm: Irvine and Tardio, Humberg and Tellez set semifinal clash
The pairings of Jessie Irvine and Gabriel Tardio and Mari Humberg and Pablo Tellez made their way to the semifinals with convincing quarterfinal performances.
Irvine and Tardio defeated No. 2 seeds Jorja and JW Johnson 11-6, 11-8. The No. 6 seeds experimented with having Tardio play the right—where he excels in men's doubles—which created some new patterns that their opponents weren't ready for.
Humberg and Tellez eased past No. 10 seeds Hurricane Tyra Black and Dylan Frazier 11-1, 11-5.
It was a dominant display over a high-quality team from the No. 23 seeds. This first-time partnership is now just one win away from making the final.
4:55pm: Run continues for Brascia, Martinez Vich
Mary Brascia and Jaume Martinez Vich continued their string of impressive performances in Salt Lake City with an 11-6, 8-11, 11-8 victory over No. 11 seeds Meghan Dizon and Andrei Daescu.
It looked like Dizon and Daescu had the upper hand when they earned an 8-5 advantage in the final game, but some stellar play from Brascia and Martinez Vich helped them score the final six points of the contest to close it out and make their first semifinal together.
They will take on the top-seeded tandem of Anna Bright and James Ignatowich—who beat Lea Jansen and Hayden Patriquin in three games—for a spot in Championship Sunday.
3:50pm: Black, Frazier overcome Smith, Newman in two games
Hurricane Tyra Black and Dylan Frazier are into the quarterfinals after an 11-7, 11-8 victory over No. 7 seeds Callie Smith and Riley Newman.
It looked like the No. 10 seeds would cruise into the last 8 when they earned a 10-0 lead in Game 2 after the first game, but Smith and Newman took advantage of seven failed match points to bring it to 8-10.
Despite the added pressure, Black and Frazier would go on to regain the serve and close out the match at the eighth time of asking.
One of the challenges for the victors was adapting to the different looks that Smith and Newman threw their way throughout the match.
“We haven’t played [Callie and Riley] together as a team, but we both definitely have individually, so we kind of know their tendencies,” Frazier explained. “Riley and Callie are a little unique because they both can play both sides very effectively, and so we had to plan for and adapt to that.”
They will take on No. 22 seeds Mari Humberg and Pablo Tellez—who defeated Tina Pisnik and Dekel Bar in three games—for a spot in the semifinals.
2:45pm: Brascia, Martinez Vich defeat David, Y. Johnson to make quarters
Mary Brascia and Jaume Martinez Vich earned a hard-fought 9-11, 11-7, 11-3 victory over No. 3 seeds Vivienne David and Yates Johnson.
Martinez Vich is fresh off of earning his first mixed doubles medal in Bristol last week, where he grabbed bronze with Jackie Kawamoto.
He'll look to keep that momentum going with Brascia when they face No. 11 seeds Meghan Dizon and Andrei Daescu in the quarterfinals.
2:20pm: Humberg, Tellez outlast Jk. Kawamoto, Sock in three games
Mari Humberg and Pablo Tellez overcame a slow start to earn a 3-11, 11-8, 11-6 victory over No. 14 seeds Jackie Kawamoto and Jack Sock.
Game 1 could not have gotten off to a worse start for the tandem, as they watched their opponents reel off eight points on their first service possession. Humberg and Tellez did avoid getting pickled at 0-10 and put up three points, but they eventually dropped the first game.
Because Tellez is left-handed, Humberg played the left side. That isn't too common in mixed doubles, but Humberg is used to it; she does the same thing when playing with Zane Navratil for the New Jersey 5s in MLP.
The No. 22 seeds settled into a better rhythm in the second, allowing Humberg to hit aggressive backhand slice dinks from the left. The lengthy, athletic Tellez was able to erne responding shots that sat up a little high in his direction.
Sticking to patterns like that helped Humberg and Tellez storm back and take the next two games to earn a spot in the Round of 16.
The first-time partners will face No. 4 seeds Tina Pisnik and Dekel Bar with a spot in the quarterfinals on the line.
1:00pm: Jansen, Patriquin narrowly avoid upset against Rettger, Shick
Lea Jansen and Hayden Patriquin are into the Round of 16 after a 5-11, 12-10, 11-0 victory over No. 25 seeds Rachel Rettger and Collin Shick.
It was nearly a two-game victory the other way, however.
After dropping the first game, Jansen and Patriquin fell behind 2-9 in Game 2. Sitting at just two points away from defeat, the No. 8 seeds scored 20 of the next 21 points to both steal the second game and finish the effort with a pickle (11-0 victory) in Game 3.
They will next face No. 41 seeds Kate Fahey and Anderson Scarpa with a spot int he quarterfinals on the line.
12:10pm: Withdrawal sends Fahey, Scarpa to Round of 16
Kate Fahey and Anderson Scarpa are into the Round of 16 after a withdrawal from Jade Kawamoto and Tyson McGuffin.
The No. 41 seeds—who finished atop Wednesday's qualifying draw—defeated No. 17 seeds Andrea Koop and Zane Navratil 11-13, 11-5, 11-6 in the opening round.
They're now being rewarded with a free pass to the next round.
Fahey is continuing her successful campaign in Salt Lake City, having already made the women's singles final with four victories on Thursday.
She and Scarpa will next take on either Lea Jansen and Hayden Patriquin or Rachel Rettger and Collin Shick.
12:05pm: Mag. Brascia, Fought overcome slow start to make Round of 32
Maggie Brascia and Todd Fought were down a game and 1-8 in their opening match against Nicole Eugenio and Naveen Beasley, but they turned things around to come away with a 6-11, 13-11, 11-5 victory.
Brascia and Fought have proven to be a highly capable mixed doubles team, as they earned a fourth place finish at PPA North Carolina back in April. That run featured victories over top pairings like Anna Bright and James Ignatowich and Lea Jansen and Hayden Patriquin.
The No. 19 seeds will be looking to repeat that success in their first tournament together since that result.
They will face No. 11 seeds Meghan Dizon and Andrei Daescu next.
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