The Texas Ranchers defeated the Phoenix Flames 3-2 in a closely fought MLP Mid-Season Tournament semifinal that was decided in a DreamBreaker. Both teams won two matches each before Texas secured the victory with a 21–18 win in the deciding singles tiebreaker.
The Phoenix Flames made a strong start in the women’s doubles match. Alexa Schull and Daria Walczak defeated Kaitlyn Christian and Lea Jansen 11-3, giving Phoenix an early lead.
Texas bounced back in the men’s doubles match, where Eric Oncins and Nicolas Acevedo edged Camden Chaffin and Jonathan Truong 12-10 to level the tie.
The Ranchers then took the lead in the mixed doubles match. Lea Jansen and Eric Oncins beat Daria Walczak and Jonathan Truong 11-9, putting Texas one win away from the match.
Phoenix fought back by winning the second mixed doubles match. Alexa Schull and Camden Chaffin delivered a strong performance to defeat Kaitlyn Christian and Nicolas Acevedo 11-5, forcing the match into a DreamBreaker.
With the tie level at 2-2, the winner was decided in the DreamBreaker. Eric Oncins represented the Texas Ranchers, while Wyatt Stone played for the Phoenix Flames. Texas came out on top 21-18, completing a hard-fought 3-2 victory.
The match featured close contests throughout, with both teams responding after every setback. After Phoenix won the opening game, Texas claimed the next two matches before Phoenix forced a DreamBreaker. Texas then held its nerve in the deciding tiebreaker to secure the win.
The victory moved the Texas Ranchers into the third-place playoff, where they will face the Palm Beach Royals on Sunday, July 12. The MLP Mid-Season Tournament will conclude on Sunday with the championship final between the New Jersey 5s and the St. Louis Shock, while the Atlanta Bouncers and Dallas Flash will compete for third place in the Challenger bracket.
Written by Aditi Jain
About Major League Pickleball (MLP)
Major League Pickleball (MLP) is the premier professional team-based pickleball league. It features 20 hometown teams and over 100 of the top-ranked professional players in the sport. Teams compete across regular season events for standings points, with the goal of winning the league championship. MLP uses the innovative MLPlay™ format, a unique co-ed team competition that includes women’s doubles, men’s doubles, and mixed doubles games. This format combines individual skill with teamwork.
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