Talia saunders

Multiple Mumbai Pickle Power: Mumbai Pickle Power earned the bragging rights in the Maharashtra Derby with an easy 3-1 victory against Pune United in the inaugural clash of the World Pickleball League (WPBL) at the Cricket Club of India (CCI) in Brabourne Stadium on Friday evening.

The curtain raiser lived up to its promising expectations as the match went right down the wire, requiring the poise and composure of Mumbai’s seasoned duo – Brandon Lane and Glauka Carvajal Lane to seal the deal with a sweeping 16-9 win in the decisive mixed doubles tie against Talia Saunders-William Sobek. Mumbai Pickle Power had served off the game convincingly, bagging the opening two men’s singles and the women’s doubles clashes to take a decisive 2-0 lead.

However, the Pune men’s doubles duo of Louis Laville and Vanshik Kapadia handed a 12-5 defeat to their counterparts from Mumbai, Kim Eung Gwon and Mayur Patil. The game got further electrifying in the women’s singles fixture, as Mihae Kwon drew 15-15 with Brooke Revuelta. Pune could have still forced the game into a tie-breaker in the mixed doubles, but the Lane duo of Mumbai Pickle Power brought their absolute A-game to the table, sweeping aside a shaky start to assert their authority into the contest and secure the clash by a terrific 16-9 margin.