Johns/Tardio vs Johnson/Klinger at the Zimmer Biomet Cape Coral Open

Not play well last night in the men's double semis. Cannot wait for that one. That third match on the first match of the day, though, is a fun one. Ben Johns and Gabe Tardio squaring off against C.J. Klinger and J.W. Johnson for the sixth time in their careers. And when it comes to the standard of the sport, Ben Johns continues to hold court in that category. He and Gabe Tardio, the number one team in the world with good reason and eight gold medals across 2025 and 2026. Your expectations starting with Ben for this one. You know, we had a lot of talk yesterday about who's number two, because sixty five and four. Michelle is ridiculous when the field is this good. All the teams around them have been tricking up. We're going to put fed with this person and H is over here with Alshon now. But these two keep getting better. I talked to Ben about he and Gabe yesterday and he said, oh, we're so much different than we were last year and different. Better. That's a problem for the rest of the field. Yeah, it's been fun to watch their synergy come together this year, especially with the young Sergei Tardio just settling in. Doesn't really seem to let the moment get away from him. J.W. Johnson and C.J. Klinger. On the other hand, they have beaten Ben and Gabe once haven't beaten them since. That was in Atlanta a couple of years ago. And what's the magic on their side? How about the big win in the semis you called last night? Yeah, I mean, the kid on the screen is the key to this whole operation. If he's under control, if he is making those special shots, but not gratuitously, it's going to be different. My only disappointment is sons have guns out. Come on, J.W. Where's the sleeveless here, dude? How to step up for that. But there's going to be a lot of left cross court thinking between J.W. and Ben. Let's see how J.W. gets going. It's going to be fun. The tape, C.J. Klinger is on it. Kind of a daring thing a little bit ahead of the match. He said, you know, they're two shy guys on the court. I tell him, don't be shy on the court. Advice from. Right now, those are the shots that I talked about just a moment ago. Got to make those to beat the number one team. I love the opportunity. Pushed it wide and we hit earlier. So the wind is in the face of J.W. Johnson and C.J. Klinger, and it's not heavy, but it is definitely a little bit of a factor. Up left side, Gabe, look out. Oh, okay. Scorpion here for the lefty. Ben almost dug that out there in the middle. Right side, Ben knows his role. So quick with the hand speed. No mystery there, ball back to Johnson and Klinger. 1-1-1. Low, found a good spot. The talent's there. The history's there. 2-1-1. It's just a matter of consistency. Johnson is on it. How about to get the lateral quickness and then he likes to cut it. 3-1-1. A lot of players with the two, he would roll the outside of the ball. That was tremendous. That was not tremendous to follow it, however. Here's a look at the head-to-head. Dave, you talked about it. Johns and Tarnio lead the series. Last win for Klinger and Johnson was in May of 2025. Oh, to the slam. Oh, what in the world? Tarnio was trying to go get, but it caused a distraction. And then there was no interest in getting out. New strategy unlocked. That's funny. The whole family's in town from Bolivia. The whole crew celebrated his mom's birthday last night. Yeah, hibachi. He said it was a great meal with mom, whose birthday falls on Valentine's Day. It's a nice extra way to make sure he remembers. And he was very good about doing that on the mic yesterday. Oh, you want to roll it first. J.W. Johnson says, I will. Yeah, we saw him be a little more frisky over the last couple of days. Part of that, too, that George is just not being 100% healthy. So saw a little more of that certainly mixed yesterday, too. But his hands are so good. 3-1-2. That's the thing, that we want more of that. Because his hands are so good to back it up. Right, exactly. Adams said yesterday, as long as it's not atrocious, agree. Do something that's not atrocious. Yeah, you've been saying that for a couple of years now with these two together. 2-3-1. J.W., what do you think the barrier is for them to trust that handspeak? I mean, just confidence in the shot. I know he works on everything. So we're seeing more of it. It's just you have the ultimate shield after you hit a bat. And there's the wind playing a role there. Dive into that a little bit. Subtle, but is a factor. Where does it impact these players the most? It's the ball that doesn't have a lot of pace on it, because it's where you think it is. And then it moves a little bit. And then you're not in the position you want it. And your swing path has to change. And you get a shankopotamus like we just had right there. It also changes choices, because on the end, Gabe and Ben are on, you can't hit fully through the driver. It'll go deep next to the wind. So we'll keep an eye on that for sure. This is where Ben's pickleball journey began. And Asero, not too far away from here, spent some time with his family down in this area. Challenging their end rule. Rally is 4-3-2. We'll proceed to video review. After review, the rally stands. The ball was in. Loss of a free challenge. No free challenge remaining. One free challenge remaining. Resume play at 4-3-2. So it's not totally 12 miles per hour all the time. But gusts do come and go, as you mentioned. In the middle of points, too, which can layer in its own nuance. Yeah, and you have to acknowledge, but also realize that this is not something we're talking about. 4-3-2. Adjust individually, and don't be frustrated. Ooh, right out of the place. And all of us that hit 2-erolled dinks, if you don't hit it just right, sometimes you get a little too much of the ball. 3-4-1. You go for a heavy roll, you are trying to get that up and down quickly. Second serve. Usually not the place to go, either. Benjamin throws it in the net. Yeah, so he saw an earlier ball go through the middle. Ben countered through the middle, and J-Dub was up. So he changed his spot, but missed it in the net. Loaded and ready on the backhand wing, as well, one step ahead of the game, per usual. Yes, and he knows he's got Gabe just standing a lot closer than his brother ever did to protect his right shoulder. Oh, well, there it goes. Not the perfect drop shot, but CJ would tell me, I got the ball back, what are you talking about? Second serve. So if you try to cut your thirds into the wind, you have to put more on it. It cannot be the same, so easier to drive or roll it into the wind and let it come down. Oh, the player's on it. CJ Klinger comes away with it. One point lead swings back their way. 5-4-2. Point. That's a shot that Ben likes to do, whip it back across the body from a ball in the middle, and it's CJ that does it. Well done there. 6-4-2. John's effective for J.W. Johnson. Pop-up dangling, Gabe says, I need a timeout. So Ben has acquiesced on this, because there's a 0% chance, if it was two Ben Johnsons, that they would have called timeout there. More to come from Championship Sunday. Best three out of five. Johnson and Klinger with a three-point lead. We'll see what John's and Tarnio players, they want. 7-4-2. Side out. So three-point lead the other way. John's and Tarnio, what do you think? Their adjustments or conversations. 4-7-1. Clean it up. I mean, I think there's been dinks that you don't expect popped up. Point. And they do more of this, the more comfortable they get. So if you return to Ben, a drive is coming, and here comes Gabe. So watch out for that. 5-7-1. The angle on that from CJ Klinger. Thank you, sir. Yeah, and that started with a bad drive from Ben, way too high, because Gabe was in great position. 5-7-2. Point. So the middle dink has been this entire match from the team in black. So Gabe said enough. 6-7-2. He's just throwing a soft dink back there. Fires at CJ. Oh, my. Tied the angle. Yeah, I think fortunately late there. And, heck, paddle was up. Second serve. So the wind this entire week has been going left to right from Ben to Gabe at their back. So at a diagonal, and the wind took that one out of play. Oh, that one's out of it from CJ. Ben Johns prevents. I love a skinny single showdown here in the middle of this. That was nice. 6-7-1. Second serve. 6-7-2. Side out. You get that thing back. 7-6-1. Really hard to hit a good fit. Johnson takes over again. He's been terrific. He shut down Ben a couple of times. And then that time, you see Ben had to rotate his hips out of the way. 8-6-1. Ball behind him, and that pops it up. Second serve. So on both wings, CJ has just tried to baby it in. And the wind won't allow that, so it's got to swing through that a little better. Comes in, takes a ball out of the air that most people wouldn't. Because they still are kind of fighting over those in the middle. That's why it's being funneled in there. But Gabe has just got his full tardioness that he can take that inside out back across. And the unsuspecting cleaner's like, where did that come from? Oh, had it. Top of the net gets robbed. Johnson tardio with a chance to tie it. There's the tardio crew. 7-8-1. Georgia Johns representing the Johns. Jesse Irvin, too. Nice. Back to the right hip of JW Johnson. Repaying a favor. Timeout receiver, 8-8-1. 8 apiece. So anyone that has had a chance to seize a ball that slightly popped up, and we're talking fractions here, has taken advantage. Ben had some balls in the middle that he went back. JW, JW won in the middle. So he went to CJ on one, and then he got JW backhand. So keep an eye on targets here. They're going to challenge the end. Referee, timeout. We have a challenge of the end rolling. I actually thought I saw that out, maybe. The result of the rally is 9-8-1. After review, the rally is overturned. The ball was out. No loss of a free challenge. One free challenge remaining. No free challenge remaining. We play at 8-8-2. So Ben and Gabe were in a free challenge earlier this game. 8-8-2. Out of those. Oh, left it high, gobbles it up, but that soft middle target prevails on both sides, really. The M in Humana is a popular letter here today. And for good reason, because you see they're still fighting. Like, wait until Ben and Gabe don't both move to that ball every time. They'll just be more sat. That's not where we are yet. We may never get there. Second serve. Perfect slide. Saw it coming, cleared the body, and then took a massive gut. 8-8-2. I think that's why the leadership works between Gabe and Penn though, because he's fearless. Uh-oh. More trouble. CJ greets the opportunity. I love this. They've stuck to it. Middle, patient, wait for something that we can attack and go get it. 9-8-2. I can steal game one here. Side out. A good first deep volley. You want to drive the third to get a better fit, but if the volley's that good, you don't have that forward momentum. Crouched right on cue, Ben and Gabe. 9-9-1. Not gonna get that one. Point. You can only bail yourself out so many times. Game point, Johns and Tardio. 10-9-1. Second serve. And they almost slammed into each other on the third. Ben really wanted it, but Gabe did not yield. He made it. 10-9-2. Game point number two here. Ooh. Side out. That ball took a wild turn. Clinger with a chance to time. That is the direction we're in. You saw it right there, both wide and deep. Yeah, because you never see Ben whale those serves. 9-10-1. Especially in that moment. Second serve. 9-10-2. It's crazy, because Ben's forehand is there, and he's just a little hesitant, but. 10-9-1. You got a Bolivian? Let him go. And destroys it. Game point three to take game one. Best three out of five. Game two is next. Really be sharp here to start, and let's see if they continue with the middle. Side out. Because it worked. It did. So I would not be running from that. Sometimes teams run away. 0-0-1. We have two good lines on the side that are going to probably say, hey, stick to it. It was 11-9. Second serve. Imagine the discipline in that. Decision making is hard when it doesn't count for results necessarily. 0-0-2. Through the middle. What a pull from the ankles. Unreal from J.W. Do it more. Yeah, right. Do it more. What a shot. And got to point out, of all things, J.W. Johnson is a free agent from a paddle standpoint. He's using a yola here this week. It's wild. Side out. I'm told that a decision on all of that 0-1-1. Because George has been using the Franklin the whole time still. It's forthcoming. So we'll see in the next week or two. Yeah, I was just going to say that free agency won't last too long for these two. Interesting nonetheless. 1-1-1. Point. And there's the gust of wind. You hit it the way you hit it on the other side and it's perfect. It is not when you go over to the side with the wind at your back. A drive from Ben Johns to your point on the wind situation. A little bit more free there. 3-1-1. Another one. Point. So he's trying to hook that. Point. So there's another factor of I'm just trying to concede the kitchen but I didn't hit it perfect. Wind gives it a little more. 5-1-1. That's why I would much rather play on the far side. Oh, it is so on that 6-1 lead. Yeah, so CJ has not been successful with any attacks at Ben. Down the line, hooking it back across court there. It's been a problem. Point. Now Ben's going anywhere he wants. And that time he was able to get it all the way across and so that was a panicked position there as it went to the other side of his body and he couldn't get it. This is a runaway train. Point. Nothing but pressure from the world number one. Look at this setup. And J-Dub knows that Gabe is lurking on the Ernie so he has to try and get it out of there but can't feather it into the kitchen. Second serve. 8-1-2. Oh boy, such control on a cross court attack from J.W. Johnson. Ben, right there. Oh, CJ didn't know tattoo parlors were open on Sunday here in South Florida. Man, did he get hacked. Side out. You see that miss serve. Ben gave them an opportunity by missing that serve in their second game, point in game one and they didn't take advantage and now they're staring at an ugly game two. The other thing about the middle is they just fear what Gabe can do with the forehand off the bounce. You don't see hardly anything going over there because there are so many choices that can happen from Gabe. Oh, they got it. Two medals in the middle. 3-9-1. Put aways, folks. Hard is important but depth on those because you saw the hands and the ability to handle that. Just CJ couldn't get it. Side out. So we have not seen top drawer CJ but he's still adorable as he shows that he can make a forehand dink there. 3-9-3-1. Still adorable. Point. Right into the sign and Johns and Tardio quickly earn game point here in the second. 10-3-1. Wow, working the perimeter. 11-3 and a quick one here, Dave. Yeah, so I was scared about what might happen with Ben and Gabe on the other side because if Ben sees something a bunch, you want to put the ball in the middle that many times, I'm going to adjust and did they ever. Yes, they did. Game three up next. Upon us now and CJ Klinger and JW Johnson. Last bit of hope here. Point. So they have to do exactly what I was talking about. The opportunities there, drive it, get more aggressive on the third to get some fast break points. Side out. Perfect read for CJ but down instead of through with the swing path, beautifully done, but just missed and that's the thing. And the first drive there from Ben is going way out, but so you have to adjust what you let go to as you switch sides here. Oh, he almost got there too. Yeah, when you're set up to just do a push dink cross court, your feet and your paddle are in one place and then you have to push off, can't get there. 1-1-2. Point. Ben did not like in game one when he wrecked one back through the middle and JW smoked it back so he is on left hip three times now successfully in a shot like that one. Side out. 1-2-1. Take and serve. People love blunt force trauma. I mean, just absolutely mauled. 1-2-2. Point. He's my favorite overhead hitter because he can just find short angles and track it down. No swing either, just pure strength. Patience. So when that particular area of the court has not been hit at all, that is so smart from CJ because Gabe hasn't seen anything there. His right arm is asleep for covering that. That's perfectly executed. Side out. Can't be replicated is the follow-up. Yeah, and they're not giving a lot of angles either to CJ on the outside to find that shot. That's ridiculous. That reset is absurd. How? It's a mystery to us all. Because in the moment, you're in a firefight up above your waist and then he reset a ball off his toes. So how does he calibrate so quickly, the difference? Why he is the best to ever do it. Able to do that in the moment. My goodness. Oh, CJ plays an out ball. So way out wide and I don't think that had enough to curl in there. And we saw a shot out of the air down the line that CJ missed. Now he took a hand off as he finished that swing. Ben easily lets that go. And this is getting late very quickly. Other than that, unable to make a serve on occasion. That's three misses. It's a big Gus that came through that swing for sure. Second serve. So CJ got stuck there and decided to let it bounce and then come up with something. Wow. The difficulty of what Gabe just did because the Gus are now coming harder and faster. So the players and the fans are having to adjust here too with their signs and caps. Point, six, three, one, point. Timeout receiver, seven, three, one. Seven, three, one, point. I mean, he's sliding, but then it's almost out of reach, but he has the inspector gadget arm and he just gets there. It's incredible. How it is amused to say the least. There's not a ball in this court that these two can't get. Now he missed it, but that is why the ball is not put there on a dead dink. Wind at his back, he has to find the spin a little bit. Just misses it, but they were fooled. Keep it away from him. Yeah, CJ just needs to sit for him there and just accept that the outside hip is a problem. Side out. Quick hold, to say the least. Johns and Tarnio with a chance to close it out here. Eight, three, one. Second serve, eight, three, two. Side out. Two misses for Ben. So a sliver of hope here to make a run. Point. It turns into a glimmer of hope. Four, eight, one. Point. Timeout receiver, five, eight, one. Five, eight, one. Second serve. Gabe played the wind perfectly there. Took off and messed up the swing path of J.W. Johnson wasn't in the strike zone. Side out. Gabe's like, see? Timeout, two missed shots. They didn't even get to the kitchen. Eight, five, one. Nine, five, one. I mean, if you're gonna stick your paddle out once, do it again, so Ben's surprised. Nine, five, two. Points with electrifying hand speed of the world's best in men's doubles. Yeah, and you saw the transition there from defense to instantly seizing the day. Ten, five, two. Side out. Five, ten, one. Did he get it? Yes, he did. Oh my. Yes, he did. Great timeout. In the challenge of the end ruling, the result of the rally is five, ten, two. We'll proceed to video review. After review, the rally stands. The ball was in. Loss of a free challenge. No free challenge remaining. One free challenge remaining. Resume play at five, ten, two. To that point loss, a tight one with Christian Ulshan and Rachel Horbacher in the quarters in next. Time in. Five, ten, two. Point. Okay. Six, ten, two. Point. That flies, and can there be one more here at seven, ten? Seven, ten, two. Look out. Side out. Fly, it's deep. Love the pattern. Go behind him, then come back across, but again, just hasn't been sharp. Ten, seven, one. Second championship point. Ooh, point, Ben. The player to miss. Championship point, number three. Ten, seven, two. Miss for the win. Absolutely. Yes. J-Dub's late. That ball isn't even supposed to be in his path, but hey. Seven, ten, one. That's better to be lucky than good. That's how fast his hands are. Yeah, exactly. He still comes up with something. Miss. J.W. Johnson destroyed a ball and didn't get it quite far enough, and Ben is on that, and they end up winning the rally, Michael. Yes! Did it twice. Even Ben was impressed. Yeah, the only thing they didn't do well in this tournament yesterday was it took them eight game points to win game one in the semis. Championship point for here. Second serve. Off the net. We're going five. Ten, seven, two. ATP! Ben Johns and Gabe Tardio with a dazzling finish. Right side, Ben. ATP for the win. Exactly how we dream. Perfect bounce there, but this team is an absolute phenomenal team. They play so well together now. They are now 66 and four. Crazy. And there's gonna be a lot more gold where this one just gets them to continue on that path. Big milestone for Gabe Tardio, too. 20th gold of his career, tying him for fifth all time behind Ben Johns, Collin Johns, J-Dub, and Fed. So a big milestone. We'll chat with him about it next. Yes, they are, Dave, and for Gabe, a huge milestone here. Your 20th career gold ties you for fifth all time with Riley Newman and Matt Wright on the PPA Tour, and something tells me that you're gonna keep climbing that list. What does that milestone moment mean to you? Yeah, I know it means a lot. You know, I've been playing for a little over five years, and I never thought I would be in this position, so pretty grateful for the PPA to give me this opportunity, to all my sponsors, Focalostria, my family, and all the fans. And Ben, for you, this partnership continues to solidify itself at the top of the list, world number one ranking. You guys just continue to breeze through the draws. What fuels this partnership and makes it so effective in today's era of talent? Yeah, I feel like it's a lot of things. I feel like we definitely have fun out here. It's some really quality points. It's really fun to just watch him do his thing and, you know, thrive together as partners. So yeah, phenomenal points, good matches, and, you know, still trying to just keep on winning, so it's always fun out here. Always fun to watch these two win gold, 11 titles together as a team, and they're just getting started here in 2026. Now, please welcome to the stage the mayor of Cape Coral, John Gunter, is here to deliver the trophy to these two to start our championship Sunday. Thank you very much. I would like to thank the Professional Pickleball Association, the courts, and the city of Cape Coral for putting on a great event here today. I want to thank all the fans that are here. You're the reason that makes these events successful. I'd like to thank all the vendors, and I would like to congratulate the two winners here today on a great match, great tournament, and we are proud to be able to put these types of events on, and we'll like to invite you out again sometime. Love it. The title is theirs once again, Dave, and these two continue to dominate in Southwest Florida. Do they ever. So a terrific start to Championship Sunday for these two. Now we're going to take a couple of humans off the court. We got singles. One v. two. Is it going to be Hunter or Fed? We'll see when we come back.