Hyderabad Royals and Mumbai Smashers Set for IPBL Grand Finale Showdown
Exciting Matches Lead to IPBL Grand Finale
New Delhi [India] - On December 6, the Hyderabad Royals made a remarkable comeback, defeating the Chennai Super Warriors 4-2 in Qualifier 1. Meanwhile, the Mumbai Smashers continued their impressive run by overcoming the Lucknow Leopards and then surprising Chennai in Qualifier 2, both matches ending with a score of 4-2. This victory secured their spot in the Grand Finale of the Indian Pickleball League (IPBL) alongside Hyderabad.
The final showdown between Hyderabad and Mumbai is scheduled for Sunday at the KD Jadhav Indoor Hall, as confirmed by a recent announcement.
A three-way tie for the fourth position led to a Play-In match before the knockout rounds, which took place in front of Global Pickleball Federation President Javier Regalado and Bollywood actress Nushrratt Bharuccha, known for her roles in popular films like Pyaar ka Punchnama 1 & 2 and Dream Girl. In a thrilling opener, the Mumbai Smashers narrowly defeated the Capital Warriors Gurgaon 25-24, followed by a solid 25-22 victory over the Bengaluru Blasters, securing their playoff position.
In the placement match, Bengaluru managed to defeat Gurgaon with a score of 25-21, finishing in fifth place.
During Qualifier 1, the Chennai Super Warriors faced off against the Hyderabad Royals for a chance to advance directly to the Grand Finale.
Mitch Hargreaves set the tone for Chennai by winning the men's singles 15-11, and he later teamed up with Harsh Mehta to replicate that score in the men's doubles, giving Chennai a 2-0 lead. The women's singles featured an exciting match between the unbeaten Roos van Reek and Megan Fudge, with Fudge pulling off a stunning upset at 15-13, marking van Reek's first singles loss of the league.
Hyderabad capitalized on this momentum in the women's doubles, where Fudge and Shreya Chakraborty managed to fend off a late challenge from Chennai, winning 15-13 to tie the match. In the Grand Rally, Hyderabad turned the tables on Chennai, overcoming an early deficit to win 21-17 and secure their place in the final, sending Chennai to Qualifier 2. Fudge and Newell were recognized as Players of the Tie.
Later, the Mumbai Smashers faced the Lucknow Leopards in a crucial Eliminator match.
DUPR World No. 3 Quang Duong started strong, defeating Ryler DeHeart 15-8, and later teamed up with Ammol Ramchandani to clinch a tense 15-14 victory in the men's doubles, giving Mumbai a 2-0 lead. Lucknow responded with Mihika Yadav winning the women's singles 15-10, and then leveled the match as Bates and Naomi Amalsadiwala took the women's doubles 15-11.
The Grand Rally was a nail-biter, with Mumbai ultimately prevailing 21-18, while Duong and Yadav earned Player of the Tie honors.
Riding high on their momentum, Mumbai then faced Chennai in Qualifier 2.
Duong continued his winning streak with a 15-7 victory over Hargreaves, marking his seventh consecutive singles win. He then partnered with Ramchandani to secure a 15-10 win in the men's doubles, putting Mumbai ahead 2-0. Although Chennai fought back with van Reek and Aaliya Ebrahim dominating the women's doubles 15-7, Mumbai sealed their place in the final with a 21-15 win in the Grand Rally.
Duong and Pearl were awarded Player of the Tie honors.