Mixed doubles powers Atlanta to Match 1 victory over Las Vegas
The Atlanta Bouncers defeated the Las Vegas Night Owls on Friday afternoon the same way they did in Virginia Beach: with strong mixed doubles play.
The contest followed nearly the same sequence as the previous bout between the two teams, with the Bouncers’ Jaume Martinez Vich/Todd Fought winning men’s doubles over Rafa Hewett/Blaine Hovenier and the Night Owls' Zoey Wang/Judit Castillo taking the women’s doubles point over Susannah Barr/Emily Cederquist.
The women’s doubles match was especially entertaining, as Wang/Castillo nearly blew a 19-12 lead before escaping with a 29-27 victory to bring the match to 1-1 going into mixed doubles.
That’s where Atlanta—as has been the norm in their recent matches—shined; the pairings of Martinez Vich/Barr defeated Hewett/Wang, while Fought/Cederquist took care of Hovenier/Castillo to secure the 3-1 triumph.
Martinez Vich/Barr have played exceptionally well for Atlanta since joining forces in Virginia Beach, as they boast a perfect 12-0 record together.
Barr attributes that success her and Martinez Vich’s understanding of their roles.
“He lets me do my thing, and I know I can trust him fully,” she noted. “I think that’s why we do so well, because we both just know what to do and how to do it well.”
Atlanta is now one win away from making the semifinals and earning a promotion to the Premier level next season.
They’ll have a chance to end the Night Owls’ season when the teams face off again to close out Friday’s action from Brookhaven Country Club.
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