Waters/Bright vs Schneemann/Pisnik at the SXY Newport Beach Open

So Game 1, time in, 0-0-2. Important even first rally here. Let's play pickleball. And here we go. Inside out poke from Lacey. That was sneaky to start it up. 1-0-2. And Adam, this first game is like my Chick-fil-A chicken sandwich. I'll have a number one no pickle. This is Game 1, no pickle. 0-1-1. And I think in general in a vacuum, I'd like to see a little more dink aggression towards Anna Lee and some softer, deader dinks to Anna Bright. Okay. And that is because Anna Bright has been very successful out of the air lately. Yes. And Anna Lee Waters might be the best either gender, speed or upper of the ball off of the bounce. Oh no. And they had three looks and they played it safe? That all started from an aggressive dink to Anna Lee Waters' backhand that was popped up a little bit. So just something to keep an eye on. I mean, that's what she wants. That's exactly right. Tina has definitely been going to the paddle bite. She's not thrilled with her shot. She didn't have to go to it much and mix because she didn't miss a lot. That will fade away fire from Anna Bright. Off the bounce? I thought she told us. I know it. She was going to let others do that. Inside out. Lacey doing a little wrist action after that miss, trying to find that perfect contact point for the roll drop. A little slow lob to hit it as hard as I can. It has been a thing of beauty to watch the last few turns. What a clear of the body from Anna Bright. No two hands in space. That was really nice and not something that you see too frequently from her. We agree with you, Lacey. That is so out. 4-2-1. Uh-oh. Second serve. That just didn't have any spin on it. That spin is your margin for error when you don't have it easy to fly. Drops that bad boy in there and that was the right amount of spin. A little teeny corner hop there too on that forehand speed up. Very nice A.B. And this is where you need to go to the towel or something because you're sprinting to the line to serve. And Lacey Schneeman was all over that first ball. 6-2-2. Didn't matter. Oh. Oh, the crowd liked that one. Set out. Yeah, that's that ball just, I'm not sure exactly if it was the wind or not, but Anna Bright made the decision too early. She was just going to fire by the time it got to her paddle. 2-6-1. Not the right decision. Popped up from A.L. there. 3-6-1. Just one woman wrecking crew. 3-6-2. She knows she popped that one over the point it goes. She wants to make it right. There's that inconsistent breeze. It comes and goes. And right now it is going. 6-3-1. Man, did that take off. Retrieval. Winner. I was waiting for the ball to drop to see Anna Lee drop it back and get forward. 7-3-1. Anna Bright picked it off out of the air. What a play. 8-3-1. Nasty cause. Wow. Second serve. I mean, that was a pretty good little trip from Anna Lee Waters and Tina Piznik found the slice. I mean, they're getting really short returns from these lob serves but really haven't taken advantage of it. Yeah, mixed results after. 3-8-1. Spectacular. Anna Bright can just look over and nod her head and give the ball back. It's alright. You have to do that sometimes. 4-8-1. Bailed herself out of trouble there. Good take from Lacey Schneeman but she can't find the combo. 4-8-2. Wow. When it's cross court Anna Lee making on court. It's all about the execution now we have the strategy. Man, Anna Bright has hit some winners from awkward spots. 8-5-1. Go, go, go, help. Wow, and Lacey handles the one up the line and she was slightly fooled. Yeah, the switch over. Lacey wanted a backhand thinking it was coming cross body. That was wonderful hand speed from her. 8-5-2. Nice left foot target in the midcourt for Tina Piznik to earn the ball back. 5-8-1. Even when they can't fully release on the ball it just seems to be perfect to reset in the location that they want. Point. They are within two. Bailed out of motions. She needed a little more snap on that ball to bring it down. Not sure extra snap would have helped that particular ball, but in general I get it. 6-8-2. A little bit off the tape but aggressive stance, posture and thought process and they are within one. 7-8-2. Snowman in the sand on his side. Creativity, come on now. Just relentless pressure. Purple backing up. They are down. Tina Piznik had a day 45 years young. 9-8-2. Unbelievable. 8-9-1. She was running into the booth, Adam. 9-9-1. Same lady. Gotta hit her with it. I have to. That is equal opportunity employer. That's your job, you have to. The response. You walk out here, you just got absolutely demolished last time and they just washed it. 9-9-1. Second try to get a game point. And she red lines. 9-9-2. Pensively, Waters looking on. Just yelling at anything in her gaze. No tenth point in the future is pickleball. So is the presence. No. Watch it. Game point. Off the knifiest dink of the day too. 10-9-1. Jeez. Just mash the turbo button. Game one where it's just a little bit of the right foot over the corner of the kitchen to get that extra extension to tack that ball out of the air. Let's go, let's go. 2-0-2. Yeah, that wasn't your ball Anna Bright. She was engaged and looking for the combination so I get it but there was a heavy forehand right behind her backhand on that point. That slice is just disgusting. 1-2-1. And it's the clean winners. Short angle. Midcourt play from Tina Piznik on the short hops to give her partner an opportunity to do that. And a missed return and guess who's got the lead again Adam? 3-2-1. Almost extra special. I mean the fact that that was in play is unbelievable. 3-2-2. Barely missed. Got another good opportunity with the heavy slice. Man there have been balls off that Annalie backhand that have been sitting there to be roasted. Second serve. Referee timeout. We have a challenge to the out call. The result of the rally puts us at 2-3-2. That's a free challenge. No free challenge remaining. One free challenge remaining. We'll resume play at 2-3-2. Yeah, Annalie who loves her timeouts and holds those very special. Surprising she didn't just listen to the entourage there Adam. And maybe negotiate. I don't want it anymore. It's a significant entourage too. There was a lot of heads nodding. There it is. Really good from Lacey. 3-2-1. Second serve. Not this one. I know that feeling. Two incredible stabs with paddles hitting the ground over there from both Schneeman and Piznik. Loud actually. Got away with something but they'll take it. Of course. 4-2-2. Side out. If you want them to play aggressive you can't be upset with that execution. Totally agree. I don't have a problem with that play from Lacey. Especially with her great movement. So now Annalie is sick and tired of it and runs around the backhand Adam. You don't see that hardly at all. You see it on the other side. 2-4-2. She got the ball down but if I'm Tina and I see her running around that I'm like yes, I am in her cranium. Bullseye. I have a target now of exactly where to go. Video boards dimmed please. Here we are Adam. 5-0-5. Anytime after 5 it's video board time. There they go. Here we go. 4-2-1. She tries to rock it like the hurricane but on the wrong shoulder. She's not interested in attacking out of the air. Annalie Waters would much rather retreat and pull the trigger but the thing is they work. They do work. Man that's a great look. 2-4-1. 3-4-1. Digs at both feet there from Annalie Waters. Lacey looking for a little extra action cross court. 4-4-1. A-B. A-B got tagged in slow motion. Ran into it. Wow. I talked about the slice return. You might see a third shot lob. I just thought it was going to be Annalie Waters not Anna Bright that tries it. I don't see her trying that one again. Such a good dig there from Annalie. I love that spot from Schneeman. 4-4-2. Didn't matter. Sometimes Annalie has mixed results on the touch of the drop volleys. That one was on point. That might have been one of those preordained if she drives it on drop and it was perfect. Point. I would be looking to drive third shots at the backhand of Lacey Schneeman right now. 5-4-1. She has had some issues on that wing. To have the expectation of knowing a big push back is required from the team that got demolished last time and to see them deliver it is what sports is all about. So they call timeout here. See if they can get the ball back with no additional damage. They were looking for the exact same thing before the break. This time Tina picks it off. But still successful. 7-4-1. She did it! Third shot top spin lob clean winner from Annalie Waters. You can't knife the slice to that lady. 8-4-1. You can start to feel the pressure. I think that last one just clipped the tape too. 9-4-1. And now she runs around it and goes inside out the other way and a different kind of clean dink winner for Annalie Waters. How many tricks can you have? It's not fair. 10-4-1. Unbelievable. Match point. Stop it. Can't come up with that one. I think she was entertained by herself right there. Lacey did stop it. You asked for it to stop. Match point 2. And walks it and they are into the final. Tremendous effort from Schneeman and Piznik. Welcome back everybody to the SXY Newport Beach Open presented by YOLA. Yeah, folks, you just saw a walk-off top spin lob third shot winner. Thanks for coming. Top seeds moving on to the final. Take it away, Ireland. Annalie, you pickled these guys two weeks ago in Mesa. Felt like they were doing a really good job putting pressure on you. What do you think they did well? Yeah, I honestly feel like in Mesa they came out maybe a little tentative. This time I felt like they were just giving us their best stuff. They were playing super aggressive, not making unforced errors, really making us earn the point. Obviously when you pickle somebody, it's not because you played amazing, but the other team helped you a little bit in that as well. Honestly, going into this match I was like, I kind of wish we hadn't double pickled them the last time because they're going to come out here and give us their best stuff and they did. Tina's been having an amazing week. Tina's been having an amazing week so I knew she was going to come out here balling and Lacey kind of backed her up there. Happy Anna and I could get the dub. Anna, you mentioned before this interview how hard it was to see on this side. How are the conditions tonight? I feel like both sides out here have their pros and cons. The wind is a little swirly. All the time as it gets towards twilight, things get a little bit interesting, but really fun to battle here with my girl. We were just saying it's good to feel a little bit battle tested going into a really tough final tomorrow. I just want to shout out the crowd. I see a lot of signs for me and Anna Lee. It's just like you guys make us feel so special so thank you. Third shot drop walk-off winner. How do you do that? I don't know to be honest. I was like, Tina it's your spin. I've been hitting it off the slice. I honestly got the idea from Anna because she was doing it in Cape Coral maybe I saw her do it. That's kind of why I tried it the other day. I don't know. I guess it's kind of one of my shots now. You told me you had an earlier dinner reservation tonight. Where are you going? I actually don't have a reservation. I was hoping we'd get done early enough to go in somewhere, but all the restaurants in Newport are amazing. I absolutely have loved every single one. I went to Joey last night. It was really good. Tonight I'm feeling like a cheeseburger. I don't know. I feel like I've earned a cheeseburger after today. These girls have both earned cheeseburgers. They're into the finals. Dave, back to you.