The South East Asia Surge have etched their names into the history books, emerging victorious in event one of season two of the MLP Australia on the Gold Coast.
The MLP Australia event drew record crowds and is being hailed as the most electrifying display of pickleball ever witnessed in Australia.
With teams from around Asia showcasing some of the world’s biggest names in international pickleball, the South East Asia Surge delivered an unforgettable performance, ultimately defeating the highly fancied Fast Fours in a thrilling championship final.
The Surge’s journey to the title was anything but straightforward.
In the semifinals, they faced off against the Western Vipers, a team brimming with talent and featuring international superstar Shelby Bates as well as Australian sensation Emilia Schmidt.
The Vipers, known for their strategic play and relentless energy, put up a fierce fight.
Bates, with her powerful attacking game and pinpoint accuracy, and Schmidt, with her quick reflexes and all-court coverage, pushed the Surge to their limits and were complimented by the powerful Ryan ‘Ryno’ Henry and Andy Horridge.
It was the first time the Vipers had made the semi-finals. However, it was the Surge’s cohesive teamwork and resilience that shone through, allowing them to edge out the Vipers in a hard-fought 3-1 win.
The South East Asia Surge were nothing short of a sensation all weekend featuring strong play from the creative Marcel Chan, captain courageous Pei Chuan Kao, Philippine powerhouse Leander Lazaro and the unstoppable Yu-Chieh Hsieh.
The Championship final saw the Surge pitted against the Fast Fours, a team that had been widely tipped to take the first season two championship event.
The Fast Fours, known for their aggressive style and tactical precision with George Wall at the helm, were arguably favourites going into the match, especially after notching up a convincing 3-0 sweep over the hometown favourites the Gold Coast Glory in the semi-finals.
The Fast Fours team of George Wall (c), superstars Liz Truluck and Ting Chieh Wei and Aussie teenage sensation Lucas Pascoe were confident going into the Championship Final but it was the Surge that set the tone of key match-ups.
A first-up victory in the women’s doubles to Kao and Hsieh laid the foundation for the Surge to build on and that’s exactly what they did. After losing the men’s doubles the Surge overpowered the Fours in both mixed doubles matchups to take the title.
The Championship final ended 3-1 with victory to the Surge.
Game one: Surge (Hsieh/Kao) 21 def 14 Fours (Wei/Truluck)
Game two: Fours (Wall/Pascoe) 25 def 23 Surge (Chan/Lazaro)
Game three: Surge (Lazaro/Kao) 21 def 14 Fours (Wei/Wall)
Game four: Surge (Chan/Hsieh) 21 def 15 Fours (Pascoe/Truluck)
The fast hands and counters from Lucas Pascoe had the crowd in raptures but they were not enough to subdue the talent and entertaining style of Marcel Chan who was at times just unstoppable with his powerful partner Yu-Chieh Hsieh.
The Surge’s ability to stay composed under pressure was the key to their success opening key leads in both mixed doubles matches and then shutting out their opposition with a combination of patience and controlled aggressive play. They capitalised on key moments, turning defence into offence with seamless transitions and remarkable shot-making, especially from MVP and Surge Captain Pei Chuan Kao.
Kao praised her team’s grit and focus saying, “We knew it would be a tough match, Liz, and Jamie (Ting Chieh Wei), had great form coming into the final, but our team believed in each other, and we played with heart. This win means everything to us.”
on The victory on the Gold Coast solidified the South East Asia Surge as a force in season two of the MLP Australia.
Defending champions from season one the Northern Crocs, struggled against rejuvenated opposition going down in a dreambreaker in both qualifying rounds first to the Asia Aces 21-12 and then to the Western Vipers 22-20.
The Sydney Smash and the Brisbane Breakers showed glimpses of what could be, by making the quarter-finals.
For the other teams that did not make the quarter finals it is time to look ahead to Vietnam and event two of season two.
The next MLP Australia event is on the 17-20 October 2024 at the Carmelina Beach Resort in Vietnam.
Team and individual rankings can be found here.
To watch the highlights MLPA Winners Reel
Relive the Championship Match plus plenty more at our YouTube Channel
Gordon Watson
Official Correspondant
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