Armaan Bhatia, 25, was a tennis player before switching to pickleball.
Armaan Bhatia won all three of his finals to emerge with three titles at the first flagship pickleball event held in New Delhi. On Sunday, he won the men’s singles, mixed doubles, and men’s doubles crowns of the PWR DUPR India Masters at the Delhi Lawn Tennis Association (DLTA) stadium.
The 25-year-old Mumbai-based player, who turned an aspirational career in tennis into a high-standing one in pickleball, is currently Asia’s top-ranked pickleball player and showcased his abilities with a remarkable turnaround 8-11, 11-9, 11-8 victory over Dusty Boyer in the men’s singles final, then winning the mixed doubles title with Roos van Reek and the men’s doubles title alongside compatriot Harsh Mehta.
Among Bhatia’s successful results, the one against top seed Boyer, an American star, in the singles final will remain the highlight. Despite starting well, he slumped to a one-set deficit and faced a mountain to climb while trailing in the second, before winning a few points in a row to force a decider. Boyer was decidedly ahead at the start of the third, fashioning an 8-0 lead before Bhatia roared his way back to clinch the title.
“I was leading almost the whole time, and felt in control but he just kept making big shots. I think I played at the same level throughout but he kept getting better and better and maybe I didn’t respond to it well enough,” Boyer would say after the match.
Growing in India
With pickleball — a singles and doubles racquet sport with rules and play similar to that of tennis or badminton — gaining pace as a popular recreational sport in urban cities of India, New Delhi has hosted the international professional event of repute, a Pickleball World Rankings (PWR) 700, for the first time hoping to draw in enthusiasts and build an audience for the sport.
“It’s a new sport, so some crowds are coming in. Those that play pickleball and it’s enthusiasts are coming in. Right now it’s the first event of its kind at this level so it’s gaining popularity. This is just the start, so for a start, this has been great event,” Aditya Khanna, tournament director and co-founder of PWR, said.
Boyer, a former professional tennis player, was glad that this tournament happened to be his first professional international event. “Tough result for me but this week and the reception has been fantastic,” he said. “The hospitality is great, the people are super friendly and they are showing a real excitement for the game. It’s awesome to see pickle growing, this is my first international tournament and it has been my most electric.”
He was bullish about the prospects of better players emerging from India. “I think the level here is only going to get better. India can produce great athletes. I remember when I cam up against them when I was playing tennis, I hated it because they used to have such great hands and be so crafty — great in doubles. Those skills transfer onto pickleball,” Boyer added. “I don’t know how many courts they have here, in India or in Delhi, but I hope it keeps growing and more and more people get involved because I have felt a real buzz for the game while competing here.”
Results: Men’s singles final: Armaan Bhatia bt Dusty Boyer 8-11, 11-8, 11-9; Women’s singles final: Sofia Sewing bt Kao Pei Chuan 11-3, 11-2; Men’s doubles final: Armaan Bhatia/Harsh Mehta bt Roman Estereja/ Mitch Hargreaves 11-3, 11-2;
Women’s doubles final: Roos van Reek/ Kaitlynn Heart bt Yuchieh Hsieh/ Xiao Yi Wang-Beckvall 11-5, 8-11, 11-7;
Mixed doubles final: Armaan Bhatia/ Roos van Reek bt George Wall/ Danni Elle Townsend 11-5, 10-11, 11-1.
