Tellez, Aces claim Challenger Championship at MLP Mid-Season Tournament
GRAND RAPIDS, MI - The Brooklyn Aces captured the Challenger Level Championship at the MLP Mid-Season Tournament on Sunday with a 3-1 victory over the Las Vegas Night Owls at Belknap Park.
Las Vegas started the match strong with a 26-24 triumph in mixed doubles courtesy of Judit Castillo and Chao Yi Wang, who edged Lina Padegimaite and Layne Sleeth.
Brooklyn, however, wouldn't drop another battle the rest of the way.
Daniel De La Rosa and Pablo Tellez were dominant in a 25-17 men's doubles win over Mo Alhouni and Anderson Scarpa.
Sleeth and De La Rosa then edged Wang and Alhouni 26-24 in the first mixed doubles encounter, before Padegimaite and Tellez offically clinched the title for Brooklyn with a flawless 25-17 victory over Castillo and Scarpa.
"I think it really comes down to a team of fighters. Everyone's willing to put everything out there every single day, they work hard in between events, they come early, they come ready to practice," said Aces general manager, Samin Odhwani. "I've just been so blessed to be around this group. We're coming for that full-season championship, baby! This is just step one."
Winning was particularly sweet for Tellez, who participated in his first MLP tournament with Brooklyn since being traded from the Premier Level's Texas Ranchers.
There's no denying that the Colombian was eager to shine under the circumstances, and he certainly did.
"I think the team helped a lot [with the transition from Premier to Challenger]," said Tellez. "We have a very professional staff. We have a full-time coach, full-time trainer, and an amazing GM, and everybody just came together to get this win."
The SoCal Hard Eights ultimately finished third in Challenger by defeating the Miami Pickleball Club 3-2 in a match that concluded 21-19 in a DreamBreaker.
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