London Pickleball’s Pei Chuan Kao overcame Thaddea Lock in a pulsating final to become women’s national singles champion – going one better than her runner-up spot in August’s English Open.
The respect between the finalists was evident, with Pei stating after the match: “Thaddea is extremely good, and she’s pushed me to higher standards.”
Pei only arrived in the UK in February from Taiwan on a temporary working visa, but soon discovered the welcoming community of London Pickleball, which has changed her life.
“When I first came to England, I felt lonely and nervous. I feel so grateful to Louise [Stephens] and everyone at London Pickleball who welcomed me and became my family,” she said, choking back tears.
The final went to three games, in a back-and-forth affair that could have gone either way in the end.
After a comfortable first game win for Pei, 11-5, Thaddea raced to a 6-0 lead in the second, before Pei’s run of four straight points was halted by a nasty fall into the barriers.
After just making it back onto the floor within the 15-minute time limit, there was some concern over Pei’s ankle, but she was able to continue; although she was not able to claw back the deficit, eventually losing the second game 8-11 to set up a deciding game.
“It was a little bit worrying and I had to make some adjustments to my movements afterwards”, said Pei.
A back-and-forth game opened up late, with Thaddea stretching to a 5-9 lead, but Pei was not fazed, slowly chipping away at the lead before winning 11-9.
Pei had cruised through the round robin stage, winning all six games to set up a semi-final matchup with Jess Wilson, who she had already beaten 15-2 in the round robin.
Jess fought hard but ultimately World Pickleball Championship runner-up Pei had too much, taking home the win 11-4, 11-0.
On the other side of the draw, Thaddea Lock finished second in the groups, winning five games and losing only to Pei. That game finished 15-9, and showed flashes of what was to come in the final.
She faced Mollie Kubrick-Finney in the semi-finals, who had a 4-2 record in the round robin, having lost to Thaddea (11-15) and Pei (6-15).
After a tightly contested round robin contest, the semi-final never looked in doubt, with reigning champion Thaddea winning 11-1, 11-3 to set up a final against Pei.
In the bronze medal match, Mollie and Jess had a fantastic contest. Mollie eventually emerged as the winner, coming from a game down to take the final podium position, 10-12, 11-6, 11-5.
