
Tardio snags first singles title, spoils McGuffin’s Triple Crown hopes
After each playing ten doubles games across the mixed doubles and men’s doubles finals, Gabe Tardio and Tyson McGuffin took to the court once again to clash for men’s singles gold and bring Championship Sunday action in Australia to a close.
42 grueling minutes later, Tardio ripped a backhand winner up the line to put a stamp on an 11-9, 11-4 victory and secure his first career PPA singles title, which is also his first singles medal of any kind.
It was evident from the first point that neither player had anywhere close to fresh legs, so the contest largely involved players going for passing shots from the baseline, with cat-and-mouse points only occasionally sprinkled in.
Even though he’s not typically touted for his pure ball-striking ability on the singles court, Tardio was dialed in on his drives and painted lines from both wings.
That feat is made even more impressive when you consider that Tardio was dealing with pain in his left quad, which he would try to stretch out during stoppages in play.
The 19-year-old gave credit to the event medical staff for helping him get through a busy four days of competition.
“Big shout out to the medical staff. I went to their tent probably ten times over the past three days, if not more,” he said. “They’re the ones that really kept me standing.”
Both Tardio and McGuffin—who each earned two titles on Sunday—will look to carry this momentum with them back to upcoming tournaments on U.S. soil.
Tardio will be in action at next week’s Proton Tucson Open, while McGuffin’s next tournament is the Mesa Cup, set to run Feb. 17-23.
In the bronze medal match, No. 2 seed Quang Duong defeated No. 5 seed Phuc Huynh by an 11-5, 11-4 score line.
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