MLP Orlando DAY 3

Saturday at Orlando kicks off with a great matchup.  Texas is looking as strong as ever, and Columbus has been battling some very tough teams with mixed results.  I can tell you I’m going to go 2-2 in doubles picks here, these are all close matches.  I don’t know…Ranchers 3-1

• WOMENS:  Todd/Jansen over Tuionetoa/Pisnik:  The Slider ladies need this win and I think they get it
• MENS:  Alshon/Oncins over Daescu/Klinger:  I know Daescu/Klinger can lose, but I’m not sure Alshon/Oncins can
• MIXED 1: Alshon/Tuionetoa over Klinger/Jansen
• MIXED 2: Oncins/Pisnik over Daescu/Todd, this is definitely an upset pick

Huge win for Columbus as Texas has looked formidable. Every single match was tight, and got to see some Real Clear Stats as Matty Pickles hosted them on a livestream of this match.  There were some controversial calls, but thanks to the Player Impact graph, we could see the difference maker was CJ Klinger’s play in his mixed match, pulling the upset over Alshon/Etta and taking over 2/3 of the balls.  Wish I could afford RCS across the board, hard to do much analysis without it.  Can I get some credit that I knew I’d go 2-2 in doubles picks?  Answer: no

• WOMENS:  COL wins 13-11
• MENS:  TEX wins 11-8
• MIXED:  COL (Daescu/Todd) wins 12-10 (Oncins/Pisnik)
• MIXED: COL (Klinger/Jansen) wins 11-9 (Alshon/Tuionetoa)
• We knew it, I got the gender doubles correct and the mixed wrong, also didn’t call the overall match upset of which this was one.  2-2

Carolina is walking into a buzz-saw here, but the matchups could get them into a dreambreaker they will probably lose, but if Dallas gets to set the mixed matchups (and I think they do),  Flash 4-0.  Actually, the Flash might play for an easy 3-1 win.  My real pick is that if Ben gets to play Augie, he wins mixed.

• WOMENS:  Johnson/Black over Emmrich/Christian:  What’s the line on this…DAL – 10.5?  Someone has to give these ladies a game this season.
• MENS:  Johnson/Ge over Johns/Johns:  There was no magic for the Johns brothers in their first game, so I have them losing, but of course they could win this
• MIXED 1: Johnson/Johnson over BJohns/Emmrich:  If you can beat Ben and ALW, you can beat Ben and TE
• MIXED 2: Ge/Black over CJohns/Christian

Well the Carolina women covered my line, but just barely.  The Johns brothers avoid a tragic start to the season with a comeback win in mens.  Jorja and JW have match point at 10-1, but end up winning their first even mildly competitive match, but it was against the best male mixed player ever and probably currently.  Then with the match on the line, Augie and Tyra go down 6-0 but battle back to win this thing in regulation.

• WOMENS:  DAL wins 11-1
• MENS:  CAR wins 11-7
• MIXED 1: DAL (Johnson/Johnson) wins 11-6 (BJohns/Emmrich)
• MIXED 2: DAL (Ge/Black) wins 11-9 (CJohns/Christian)
• Me?  Dallas has been good to me, and I was torn on mens, got the winner, and 3-1 in doubles

Schneeman/Parker seem to have a wild range after only a few matches, so they could lose, but I think again this is a bit of a mismatch.  I hope Tyler comes back from a terrible opening performance, but I think  Squeeze 4-0.  

• WOMENS:  Schneeman/Parker over Erokhina/Jones : I’ll take the young guns over the vets
• MENS:  Staksrud/Frazier over Loong/Garnett:  If you get smashed by Miami, I can’t pick you over this high level mens team
• MIXED 1: Staksrud/Schneeman over Loong/Erokhina
• MIXED 2: Frazier/Parker over Garnett/Jones:  I had my doubts about this Squeeze mixed team until they went 11-1 on Jack/Genie

I’m really happy to see Loong/Garnett get in the win column, and over a very good team.

• WOMENS:  ORL wins 11-6
• MENS:  UTA wins 11-9
• MIXED 1: Staksrud/Schneeman over Loong/Erokhina
• MIXED 2: Frazier/Parker over Garnett/Jones:  I had my doubts about this Squeeze mixed team until they went 11-1 on Jack/Genie
• Me?  Happily 3-1 with the winner here

I love the Bouncers, this is a tough one though.  I give Glozman/Martinez-Vich a game if they get Zane and Meghan, but that’s it.  I feel like they won’t though…and in that case NJ 4-0.

• WOMENS:  Waters/Dizon over Glozman/DiMuzio : Wish Atlanta had this later in the season, I think they have so much potential
• MENS:  Howells/Navratil over Martinez-Vich/Fought:  Fives are better here
• MIXED 1: Waters/Howells over Martinez-Vich/Glozman…barely, like 18-16 🙂
• MIXED 2: Navratil/Dizon over Fought/DiMuzio:  The vets are too wiley here

Big story here is a big win for ATL men.  Also, my feeling that Viv/Jaume could win if they got the right draw almost came in as they mounted a huge comeback to get to 10-10 after being down like 9-1 or 9-2?  But PickleballTV won’t stay on long enough for me to get a sense of what’s going on.  NJ wins 3-1.

• WOMENS:  NJ wins 11-4
• MENS:  ATL wins 11-2 (what?)
• MIXED:  NJ (Navratil/Dizon) wins 12-10 (Martinez-Vich/Glozman)
• MIXED: NJ (Waters/Howells) wins 11-0  (Fought/DiMuzio)
• Me?  Seems like I can keep going 3-1 by picking 4-0 for the better team, but I like those perfect picks.

Pre-tournament, this is an easy Brooklyn win, but Miami has looked good and Brooklyn vulnerable at times.  However I look at these matchups and I just can’t find a game to give Miami.  BPC 4-0

• WOMENS:  Rohrabacher/Kawamoto over Rane/Bui:  Tough start for the Brooklyn women.  They win this big
• MENS:  Bar/Newman over Khlif/Devilliers:  Best chance for Miami to get one is here, but probably not
• MIXED 1: Rohrabacher/Bar over Khlif/Rane:  Pretty big I think
• MIXED 2: Newman/Kawamoto over Devilliers/Bui:  Riley and Jackie get in gear

Solid wins for Brooklyn women, men, and Riley and Jackie, but Dekel and Rachel lose a tight one to Khlif/Rane.  If you’re gonna miss, might as well miss big, right?

• WOMENS:  BRK wins 11-3
• MENS:  BRK wins 11-6
• MIXED: MIA (Khlif/Rane) wins 11-9 (Bar/Rohrabacher)
• MIXED: BRK (Newman/Kawamoto) wins 11-2 (Devilliers/Bui)
• The theme of the day, 3-1 with the winner correct.

I hope Phoenix is ready for this one, but I doubt they will be ready enough.  I think AL wins hers easily, mens is close, and Zane/Meghan are vulnerable, especially to Tyson and scorching hot Jessie.   NJ 3-1. Dreambreaker if the matchups go the other way.

• WOMENS:  Waters/Dizon over Irvine/Bouchard:  I thought the Flames would struggle with Schneeman and Parker, which they did NOT, but this is a different story
• MENS:  Sock/McGuffin over Howells/Navratil:  Might be the most entertaining match so far, can’t wait for this one, and should be extremely close
• MIXED 1: Waters/Howells over McGuffin/Irvine:  Jessie will be unlucky to draw ALW twice, but it’s still 0-2
• MIXED 2: Navratil/Dizon over Sock/Bouchard:   Jack/Genie looked bad against Orlando

This was domination from New Jersey other than Tyson and Jessie handling the one semi-weak team the Fives have.  Last year they needed tons of Dreambreakers early in the season, but it’s a different story this year.  This was another conditional pick based on matchups.  Is that a cop out? Also mens was only close compared to womens.

• WOMENS:  NJ wins 11-1
• MENS:  NJ wins 11-4
• MIXED: PHX (McGuffin/Irvine) wins 11-4 (Navratil/Dizon)
• MIXED: NJ (Waters/Howells) wins 11-5 (Sock/Bouchard)
• I’m taking 3-1 here, getting mens completely wrong, but also a loss in calling Dreambreaker

Hunter Johnson out?  AJ Koller in?  I’m kind of excited, I love AJ, but probably hurts LA’s chances in a minor way.  I have no idea what to expect from the Mad Drops, and they have to come in against a nearly midseason Miami Team.  One of my lowest confidence picks but I’ll take LA 3-2.

• WOMENS:  Parenteau/Kawamoto over Rane/Bui:  Seems this is the biggest mismatch, especially if Catherine comes out with something to prove
• MENS:  Devilliers/Khlif over Duong/Koller:  The Miami guys showed some quality so far, and I like them here.
• MIXED 1: Duong/Parenteau over Devilliers/Bui:  very close
• MIXED 2: Khlif/Rane over Koller/Kawamoto:  again very close

I knew this one would bite me, but not this hard.  The one game I thought was a mismatch in LA’s favor went to MIA, and then LA dominated the rest of the match.  Haven’t watched it yet, but AJ and Quong must have been awesome.  Now that I have watched, firstly, interesting that Bui is playing the left with Millie, they must think a ton of her potential.  I guess I also don’t understand why Burrows isn’t in, maybe he didn’t travel?  The first chance to use the bench and it doesn’t work out.

• WOMENS: MIA wins 11-4
• MENS:  LA wins 11-3
• MIXED:  LA (Duong/Parenteau) wins 11-2 (Khlif/Rane)
• MIXED: LA (Koller/Kawamoto) wins 11-5 (Devilliers/Bui)
• Lucky to guess the winner here, but 1-3 in Doubles

Really fun match to end Day 3.  Both teams have had their moments, and I definitely like the BRK women to win, but the other 3 matches are super close.  I’ll take BRK 3-1

• WOMENS:  Rohrabacher/Kawamoto over Schneeman/Parker : Pretty confident
• MENS:  Bar/Newman over Staksrud/Frazier:  Going with the hot hand here (which isn’t a thing apparently)
• MIXED 1: Staksrud/Schneeman over Newman/Kawamoto:  Wide range of outcomes here
• MIXED 2: Bar/Rohrabacher over Frazier/Parker:  All their last names end with an R, you know that that means, Brooklyn in a close one

This was the first “featured” prime time match, and the energy was great.  Brooklyn does take it 3-1, with Jackie improving to 4-0 on the day after a rough one yesterday, and they hand the host team their first loss on the season.  The mens doubles field is so deep at the top, it’s so hard to call and got this one wrong.

• WOMENS:  BRK wins 11-4
• MENS:  ORL wins 11-7
• MIXED: BRK (Newman/Kawamoto) wins 11-7 (Frazier/Parker)
• MIXED: BRK (Bar/Rohrabacher) wins 11-8 (Staksrud/Schneeman)
• See, if I just took the favorite 4-0, I’d have gone 3-1 again, but instead, 2-2