Michael Loyd had defeated big names like Ben Johns, JW Johnson, and Quang Duong on his impressive run to Championship Sunday, but Federico Staksrud made sure that he didn’t join that list in the men’s singles final.

The top seed came away with an 11-3, 11-7 victory in the day’s penultimate match on Proton Championship Court.

Getting off to fast starts in both games was the key for Staksrud; he earned a 10-0 advantage in the first game and a 5-0 lead in the second to put Loyd under intense scoreboard pressure that he wasn’t able to overcome.

Loyd sprinted to the final with huge serves and dipping drives that helped him play a ‘first-strike’ brand of pickleball, but Staksrud demonstrated an unmatched ability to tailor his game style to any opponent.

The Argentinian attributes part of his success to his versatility on the court.

“I think part of my consistency comes from the fact that I’ve developed lot of different skills,” he mentioned. “Sure, my backhand could be better, or my movement could be better, but that’s the beautiful part of the sport: just trying to improve in every way. That’s what I enjoy.”

It is that mentality that has helped Staksrud earn eight PPA singles titles so far in 2024, and he’ll look to make it nine at next week’s Veolia Milwaukee Open.