Riley Newman and Andrea Koop competing for the Columbus Sliders at MLP New York City.
Andrea Koop and Riley Newman picked up a key mixed doubles win for the Sliders. Major League Pickleball

Sliders outlast Hustlers to leave NYC with a victory

The Columbus Sliders ended their time in the Big Apple with a DreamBreaker victory over the New York Hustlers.

That DreamBreaker, however, almost didn’t happen; with their team trailing 1-2, the Sliders’ Andrea Koop and Riley Newman had to stave off a match point in mixed doubles before stealing the win to bring on the singles competition.

Jaume Martinez Vich, who is filling in temporarily for Jay Devilliers at this event for Columbus, was one of the difference-makers in the singles contest as he faced off against New York’s Jack Sock.

With the score at 18-18 in the DreamBreaker, though, it was the Sliders’ Riley Newman who took the court against the Hustlers’ Lea Jansen.

Newman—not necessarily known for his singles prowess—won the next three points against one of the sport’s top women’s singles players to clinch the victory.

 

Columbus lost this matchup in a DreamBreaker the last time they faced off in Atlanta, and Meghan Dizon was glad that history didn’t repeat itself in Central Park.

“We definitely did not think we had a chance in the DreamBreaker, but we all just said that we were gonna go out swinging, and the guys especially stepped up,” she shared.

This match ends the weekend for both teams, with Columbus finishing with a 2-3 record and New York ending at 3-2.