Returning to action, Owensboro native Altaf Merchant and his teammate Steven Deakin traveled to Bristol, Tennessee, and secured gold in the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) Bristol Open. After receiving a bye in the first round, the duo went 3-0 to win the tournament and claimed Merchants’ 38th professional win.
In the finals, Merchant and Deakin fell behind early in the first set 7-6 before rallying to win both sets 11-7 and 11-3.
“It was a closer match than we anticipated,” Merchant said. “Part of it was because it was extremely hot. Steve is a power player, and the ball got very mushy due to the heat. His power was slightly neutralized. We were down in game 1, 7-6, and we had to change our strategy and go into a softer game.”
For Merchant and Deakin, this tournament was a way to ease their selves back into the grind of the season after taking a break since winning the major in Atlanta back in May. Over the next few months, the duo will travel to Vegas on Labor Day weekend and then Cincinatti for the third major of the season, before taking on the World Championships in Novemeber.
“This was really a tournament for us to get back from almost like a summer break and get back to business,” Merchant said. “There are a few things I need to work on to get ready for this 10-week stretch coming up. This was my 38th win as a senior professional, and Steve and I have not been beaten on the PPA Tour yet. Every win that goes by, the pressure keeps mounting. We are hoping to reach 50 tournament wins before we lose a match.”
