Recap

Toronto United Get First Win, Beating Undefeated Southwestern Ontario Brewers

United Mixed Doubles Turn Tide in First Game to Clip Brewers

Toronto’s Matt Kawamoto and Carolina Hack are accomplished veteran Pickleball players, so a little thing like mid-game deficit didn’t faze them. The two rallied their way to a key 21-17 victory over the Brewers Reese George and Mikael Gaumond.

George and Gaumond were full value in the opening stages, countering some tricky play by Player of the Match Hack and great shots by Kawamoto to take a 9-7 lead. Slowly, though, United chipped away, forcing errors by the Brewers and blasting some winners to go up 17-12.

Not long after, United got the score to a commanding 20-14 freeze. George and Gaumond, however, failed to realize they were in a precarious position and took the game to United. They put the fear of a loss into United, scoring four straight points, only to have Hack set up George for an unforced error and a defeat.

United Overcomes Big Deficit to Clip Brewers in Second Mixed Doubles Contest

From the outset, this game was closely contested, though punctuated more with unforced errors than outstanding shot-making or rallies. Yet, United’s Mark Gottfried and Joanna Phang were able to stifle a late comeback attempt by the Brewers Kyle Hermetz and Amanda Rosati to win 21-19, giving United a grip on a match victory.

Hermetz and Rosati were slightly better than their counterparts during the first third of this tilt, grabbing a 6-4 cushion after Rosati smoked a forehand winner. Gamely, United fought back, as Phang set up the Brewers for an unforced error and Gottfried hit Rosati with an Erne to go up 7-6.

Perhaps the shot – or lack thereof – that epitomized this game for the Brewers was an all-out miss on a return by Hermetz, giving the United a 9-7 lead. Even still, the Brewers played some inspired Pickleball eventually taking a 17-14 lead and forcing a United timeout. The rest benefited Gottfried and Phang, who scored six of the next seven to get to 20-18 freeze. The win was sealed when the Brewers went side out after three holds.

United Women Fight Back to Take Match-Clincher

It came a little later than expected, but the defending-champion United finally won a match at the Eastern Split, courtesy of the deft play of Player of the Match Carolina Hack and partner Joanna Phang. The duo climbed out of an early hole created by the tough Brewers pair of Amanda Rosati and Reese George, winning by a convincing 21-17 score.

George and Rosati were full value in the game’s first half, holding off a determined United team – especially Hack – to take a 9-6 lead. But, United clawed back, forcing a timeout with the Brewers leading 10-9. After the break, Hack and Phang outscored the Brewers 8-2, utilizing tenacious defense and forcing side outs and net returns.

After another timeout, Rosati and George refused to concede, both making some seeing-eye shots and set-ups that United couldn’t handle. However, United did get the score to 20-17 freeze, with Hack working her magic on one hold with an amazing cross to win serve back. The game, and match, ended when George returned a serve long.

Brewers Win Finale of Match in Men’s Doubles

With nothing on the line, other than momentum going into their next match and a little pride, CNPL rookies Kyle Hermetz and Mikael Gaumond did a number on more experienced opponents in United’s Mark Gottfried and Matt Kawamoto. It wasn’t easy, with Gottfried and Kawamoto working their usual on-court magic, but the Brewers got the job done winning 21-16.

In the early going, United looked a little out of sync, with Hermetz and Gaumond taking full advantage to go up 4-1. For a brief bit after, United forced the Brewers into some mistakes and both Kawamoto and Gottfried displayed great shot-making to tie it 6-6. Yet, United again lost their mojo, finding the Selkirk net or going long to allow the Brewers to take a 9-6 lead.

Credit, too, had to go to the Brewers for keeping up the pressure, especially Hermetz, who made a gorgeous ATP for a point and then fired a backhand winner not long after that. Gottfried and Kawamoto didn’t take it lying down, though, rallying late to get the score to 20-16 freeze in favor of the Brewers. United then made them sweat it out for two holds, until Hermetz fired another crossing laser for the win.