The PPA Tour’s first venture to Australia was a huge success. The Proton Australia Pickleball Open from Melbourne attracted big crowds, the best Aussie players, and a number of US-based stars. The Aussies had a chance to test their skills against some of the best players in the world; how did they do?

 

 

The Aussies tended to struggle some at doubles. But, women’s singles was the breakthrough event. Kaitlyn Christian from the US tour took the gold, but she was repeatedly tested by the Aussies. Christian lost a game to one of the top Aussies, Roos Van Reek, in the quarters, hanging on for an 11-9 victory in game three. In the final, Somer Dalla-Bona, perhaps the best Aussie singles player, gave Christian everything she could handle. Christian used her experience to win a very close 12-10, 11-8 final. Andie Dikosavljevic defeated Nicola Schoeman for the bronze. So, the Aussies took a silver and a bronze in women’s singles, for their medals in this tournament.

 

 

 

As is true of US-based players, the Aussies were further along in the development of their singles game than they were in doubles. Of the various pairs featuring two US-based players, the US players did not lose a single game in any of the three doubles events. Aussie Joseph Wild did combine with Zane Navratil to take fourth place in men’s doubles, while Danni-Elle Townsend took fourth in women’s doubles with Emilia Schmidt. Pickleball has not been around all that long in Australia, and for a country with a population of less than 10% of the US, the showing by the Aussies was impressive. Watch out in 2026!

 

 

 

Lacy Schneemann entered the Proton Australia Pickleball Open without having won any PPA gold. She took care of business not once but twice. She won gold in women’s doubles with Vivian Glozman, then immediately notched a second gold in mixed doubles with Tyson McGuffin.

 

 

 

Tyson McGuffin was shooting for a Triple Crown in Melbourne and came awfully close to getting it. He won men’s doubles with Gabe Tardio, and mixed doubles with Lacy Schneemann. But McGuffin was defeated in the men’s singles final by Tardio. Both of the doubles wins were in five game comebacks, so if McGuffin was a little tired for the singles final, it would be understandable.

 

 

 

Like his men’s doubles partner, Gabe Tardio almost pulled off a Triple Crown in the Proton Australia Pickleball Open. Tardio won men’s doubles and singles, but lost in the mixed doubles final. In the mixed final, Tardio and Jessie Irvine were up two games to one, but McGuffin and Schneemann came back to win 11-8 in the fifth and final game.

 

 

 

Australian stars Tom Evans and Helena Spiridis have signed to play with the PPA in the US, and they are entered next week in the Proton Tucson Open. Good luck to them both as they try their skills against the best players in the world. We are expecting nice weather and great competition in Tucson. Come on out to watch, or catch the action on Pickleballtv.

 

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