MLP Columbus: DreamBreaker Drama, Sliders Win, Shock Sweep
What's the Score?
Major League Pickleball (MLP) continued its 2025 season with an event in Columbus, Ohio, featuring nine Premier level teams competing over four days. The tournament, the second of ten regular season events, saw exciting matches, including several decided by the unique MLP DreamBreaker format. Notable results included the hometown Columbus Sliders securing a DreamBreaker victory over the Phoenix Flames, and the St. Louis Shock delivering a dominant 4-0 sweep against the Atlanta Bouncers. The event also featured player substitutions due to illness and injury, adding further intrigue.
Hit it deeper!
Major League Pickleball's 2025 season rolled into Columbus, Ohio, for its second regular season event, hosted at Pickle & Chill. This tournament is one of ten scheduled between April and August that make up the regular season, where each of the league's teams will play a total of 25 matches. The Columbus event specifically featured nine Premier level teams battling it out. Fans were able to follow the action through broadcast coverage on the Pickleballtv app, beginning at 2pm ET.
Thursday's play delivered several compelling matchups and outcomes, including results decided by the dramatic DreamBreaker format. In the day's final match, the hometown Columbus Sliders (5-2 overall record, 14 points) faced off against the Phoenix Flames (1-3 record, 4 points). The Sliders emerged victorious in a DreamBreaker, marking their fifth straight win. For this match, the Sliders made a substitution, with Roscoe Bellamy starting in place of the ill CJ Klinger. Despite Bellamy and Andrei Daescu losing their men's doubles match to the Phoenix pair of Tyson McGuffin and Jack Sock, Bellamy bounced back. He partnered with Lea Jansen in the second mixed doubles match, and their win forced the deciding DreamBreaker. In the DreamBreaker, Bellamy played against Jack Sock and won their head-to-head matchup 5-3, which contributed to Columbus securing the 21-13 victory in the deciding game. Following the win, Bellamy credited his teammates for helping him recover after his initial doubles loss, stating that the "good people around me like Parris, Andrei, Lea, and the rest of the team... all keeping me motivated" helped him rebound and "play my game". The DreamBreaker scores highlighted contributions from all players involved, with Daescu leading McGuffin 6-4, Bellamy leading Sock 5-3, Parris Todd leading Genie Bouchard 5-3, and Lea Jansen leading Jessie Irvine 5-3. Both teams are scheduled to return to action on Friday, with Columbus playing the Chicago Slice and Orlando Squeeze, and Phoenix facing the New York Hustlers.
Earlier in the day, the St. Louis Shock (3-0, 8pts) continued their strong start to the season by achieving a dominant 4-0 sweep of the Atlanta Bouncers (1-3, 3pts). Atlanta had a close call in men's doubles, where Jaume Martinez Vich and Todd Fought pushed the Shock's Hayden Patriquin and Gabe Tardio to a 12-10 nailbiter, but Patriquin and Tardio ultimately prevailed, giving St. Louis a 2-0 lead in the match (presumably after women's doubles had also been won). For the mixed doubles matches, the St. Louis Shock opted to revert to the pairings they used in the 2024 season, fielding Kate Fahey with Gabe Tardio and Anna Bright with Hayden Patriquin. This strategy differed from their approach at the season's opening event in Orlando. The decision proved successful, as both mixed doubles teams secured comfortable wins to complete the 4-0 sweep. Kate Fahey commented on her partnership with Tardio, expressing enjoyment in playing together and highlighting their collective goals for the season. She mentioned that in the previous year, they sometimes let leads slip and are now focusing on being more consistent to secure wins for the Shock. Looking ahead, Atlanta is scheduled to play the Carolina Hogs on Friday, while St. Louis's next match will be against the Miami Pickleball Club on Friday afternoon.
Pre-match notes earlier in the day had provided context for some of these matchups. The Columbus Sliders were noted as riding a four-match regulation win streak going into their match against Phoenix. The Phoenix Flames were coming off their first win of the season, also achieved in a DreamBreaker, against the Carolina Hogs. An important personnel note for the Sliders was CJ Klinger's unavailability due to illness, with Roscoe Bellamy stepping in, although Klinger might return later in the weekend. Matchups for the Sliders-Flames match were listed, detailing the planned pairings for women's doubles, men's doubles, and the two mixed doubles matches.
The Phoenix Flames secured their first win of the 2025 season in a thrilling DreamBreaker against the Carolina Hogs. The match went to a DreamBreaker after both teams split the gender doubles and mixed doubles matches. Phoenix's wins came from Jessie Irvine and Genie Bouchard in women's doubles, and Irvine and Tyson McGuffin in mixed doubles. Carolina's victories were in men's doubles by Ben Johns and Collin Johns, and in the second mixed doubles match by Liz Truluck (who was filling in for an injured Kaitlyn Christian) and Collin Johns. In the dramatic DreamBreaker, Carolina initially took a significant 15-9 lead, thanks to successful rotations from Ben Johns and Liz Truluck. However, Bouchard and Irvine mounted a comeback with back-to-back 3-1 rotations, closing the gap to 15-17. Tyson McGuffin then had a crucial 3-1 rotation against Collin Johns and saved a match point. With the score tied at 20-20, Genie Bouchard, a former Wimbledon finalist, took the court against Liz Truluck. After dropping the first point, Bouchard saved a second match point as part of a three-point run that sealed the victory for the Flames with a final DreamBreaker score of 23-21. Bouchard commented on handling the pressure, humorously mentioning telling her teammates she was nervous beforehand but being glad she could focus and play aggressively. The DreamBreaker scores were detailed: Sock 5-7 B. Johns, McGuffin 8-4 C. Johns, Bouchard 6-6 Truluck, Irvine 4-4 Emmrich. The Flames aimed to carry the momentum from this first win into their next match against the Sliders. Carolina was scheduled to play the Atlanta Bouncers next. The pre-match notes for the Carolina-Phoenix match highlighted both teams' need for their first win and Liz Truluck filling in for the injured Kaitlyn Christian for Carolina.
The event provided the Order of Play for the matches, indicating the schedule for the day. Related articles from the same publication touched upon Ben Johns' move to Florida, Anna Leigh Waters and Andre Agassi's exit from the US Open mixed doubles, and general things to watch for at MLP Columbus, including the Sliders being heavily featured.
The World Pickleball Verdict
MLP Columbus demonstrated the competitive intensity and unpredictable nature of Major League Pickleball, with thrilling DreamBreaker finishes and strong team performances. The Sliders' DreamBreaker win, featuring a substitute player stepping up in a high-pressure situation, highlights the depth of MLP rosters and the "team-first" mentality players emphasised. The St. Louis Shock's dominant sweep, partly attributed to reverting to successful previous pairings, underscores the importance of team chemistry and strategy in the MLP format. The dramatic comeback by the Phoenix Flames in their DreamBreaker victory, sealed by a former tennis star handling pressure, further exemplifies the entertainment value and competitive spirit of the league. The frequent player substitutions due to injuries and illnesses, though challenging for teams, also showcase the need for adaptability and the opportunity for reserve players to make an impact. Overall, MLP Columbus reinforces MLP's positioning as a premier professional league, featuring high-stakes matches, notable player performances, and compelling storylines driven by the unique team format and scoring.