Gabe Joseph competing at the Veolia Bristol Open.
Gabe Joseph competing at the Veolia Bristol Open. PPA Tour

Joseph outlasts top seed Staksrud in three-game thriller

Gabe Joseph continued the flurry of men’s singles upsets on Wednesday with an 11-8, 5-11, 12-10 victory over top seed Federico Staksrud to advance to the men’s singles quarterfinals.

Staksrud had a 6-2 advantage when players switched ends at the midpoint of Game 3, but Joseph used a five-point run to turn the tables before eventually closing out the epic encounter after over an hour on court.

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These two squared off earlier this summer at the Select Medical Orange County Cup, with Staksrud taking the win by an 11-7, 11-6 score line.

Joseph spoke about how that prior defeat prepared him for success in Tennessee.

“I think the key thing I took from last time we played in San Clemente is not playing out of my comfort zone and going for too much,” he explained. “I just wanted to trust my shots and stick to my guns.”

The No. 15 seed will face No. 21 seed Grayson Goldin next with a trip to Semifinal Saturday on the line.