Riley Newman takes 1st, sister Lindsey 2nd, in professional tournament / Pickleball

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By Jim Waller • August 28, 2020 1:30 am
South Whidbey’s Riley Newman, front, teamed with Tyson McGuffin to win a professional pickleball doubles tournament earlier this month. (Photo courtesy of Team Selkirk)
South Whidbey’s Riley Newman, front, teamed with Tyson McGuffin to win a professional pickleball doubles tournament earlier this month. (Photo courtesy of Team Selkirk)

South Whidbey siblings Riley and Lindsey Newman placed first and second respectively in their doubles divisions in The Showcase, a professional pickleball tournament in Newport Beach, Calif., Aug. 13-16.

The Pro Pickleball Association tournament, closed to the public, featured $50,000 in prize money. The next tournament on the PPA schedule is the Georgia Open at Life Time, a grand-slam qualifier Sept. 17-20 in Peachtree Corners, Ga.

Riley Newman teamed with Tyson McGuffin to finish first out of 38 pairs in the professional men’s doubles tournament at Newport Beach. Lindsey Newman joined Jessie Irvine to nab second in the 14-team professional women’s doubles bracket.

Riley Newman and McGuffin received a bye in the first round and then beat Derek Shearer and Hugh Zbinden 11-2, 11-2. The pair fell in the third round to Jay Devilliers and Patrick Smith 12-10, 6-11, 11-7.

That forced Newman and McGuffin to win six straight matches in the losers’ bracket (15-4, 15-4, 15-10, 15-8, 15-6, 15-11) to qualify for the semifinals.

There they came from behind to defeat Ben Johns and Matt Wright 6-11, 12-10, 11-6 to get a shot at the title.

To win the crown, they had to defeat the previously unbeaten Callan Dawson and DJ Young twice. They took the first match 11-3, 11-6 and then the pro set final 15-5.

Lindsey Newman and Irving won twice (11-0, 11-2; 11-7, 11-3) before dropping a third-round match to Irina Tereschenko and Callie Smith 11-9, 4-11, 11-6.

In the losers’ bracket, Newman and Irvine won 15-6 to earn a rematch with Tereschenko and Smith, this time cruising to a 11-5, 11-2 win.

The pair lost to Simone Jardim and Lucy Kovalova 11-2, 11-4 in the title match.

The Newmans also teamed up to place fifth in the 26-team professional mixed doubles event, won by Jardim and Johns.

After receiving a bye, they rallied to win 1-11, 11-2, 11-5 in round two and then 11-7, 11-4 in the third. From there, the Newmans lost twice, falling 11-6, 11-7 to Kovalova and Wright and then 15-2 to Terescheno and Dawson.

South Whidbey High School graduate Lindsey Newman, who teamed with Jessie Irvine, took second in doubles in The Showcase, a professional pickleball tournament Aug. 13-16. (Photo courtesy of Team Selkirk)

South Whidbey High School graduate Lindsey Newman, who teamed with Jessie Irvine, took second in doubles in The Showcase, a professional pickleball tournament Aug. 13-16. (Photo courtesy of Team Selkirk)