The fourth MLP tournament of the season begins on Thursday, May 29, at the Arizona Athletic Grounds. The tournament will bring together a field of seven Premier-level teams, which include Team Selkirk’s Jack Sock, Catherine Parenteau, and Rachel Rohrabacher.
Mad Drops take on Brooklyn in the opener
The LA Mad Drops will face off against the Brooklyn Pickleball Team in the opener. This matchup promises to be an intriguing one, featuring sister vs. sister action with Jade Kawamoto (Mad Drops) taking on Jackie Kawamoto (Brooklyn), and Catherine Parenteau (Mad Drops) going up against Rachel Rohrabacher (Brooklyn). Rohrabacher and Parenteau were doubles partners at the Atlanta Slam and are slated to reunite for the upcoming San Clemente PPA event.
The Mad Drops and the Brooklyn Pickleball Team are two of the top contenders in this event, alongside the undefeated Dallas Flash.
Sock looks to capitalize on “home-court” advantage
Jack Sock’s Major League Pickleball team, the Phoenix Flames, will serve as the home team for this event. The Flames have had a slow start to the season, holding a 2–6 record and currently sitting in 11th place.
Sock and Tyson McGuffin have recorded some strong wins for the team—recently defeating the Chicago Slice’s James Ignatowich and Max Freeman, as well as the Miami Pickleball Club’s Noe Khlif and Jay Devilliers. However, Sock is still seeking his first mixed doubles victory alongside Genie Bouchard.
By the conclusion of this event, the Flames will have completed just over half of their season, so they’ll need to make a significant push this week to stay in contention for the playoffs.
Tune in
The MLP Phoenix action will be streamed on PickleballTV.com. Tune in from 3pm PT tomorrow to catch all the action in Arizona!
