Team Europe, led by GB’s Thaddea Lock and Louis Laville, fell to an agonising 5-4 defeat to the USA in the inaugural APP Atlantic Cup in Miami on Sunday.
The APP Atlantic Cup is a Ryder Cup-style event played between teams of six over two days in a best-of-nine format. European captains Thaddea and Louis were joined by fellow Brit James Chaudry as well as Pialena Ander (Nyköping, Sweden), María Costantino (Malaga, Spain) and Felix Grunert (Erlangen).
The event coincided with the Chase APP Miami Pickleball Open and the major new RacquetX racket sports festival – all taking place concurrently in the giant Miami Beach Convention Center.
After two days of the first-ever international team pickleball event, Team Europe led 4-2. But with their backs against the wall, Team USA rattled off three straight victories on Sunday, including the clinching mixed doubles victory by Ava Kalist and Richard Livornese, Jr., to claim the title of Atlantic Cup champions.
Despite the final-day defeat, Team Europe co-captain Thaddea said it had been “an amazing experience.”
“It’s so exciting for the six of us to come in from Europe and to compete against the American team,” she said. “The atmosphere has been great, it’s really exciting.
“The level of play over here in the States is higher than it is in Europe, so for us to get to come over here and compete at a higher level is so fun. We don’t get to compete at this level back home, so it’s exciting to come out here and get pushed by these players. We’re really challenging them out here and thankfully we came through with some wins.
“I think this event can only get bigger and better. Whether it’s with bigger teams, or as a standalone one-day event, it’s something that can definitely grow. You can hear the support all week here, I think it’s definitely something that can continue to grow.
Co-captain Lous added: “As I’ve said from the start, it’s been an honour to be part of the team. It’s the first major European event. I also just love being on the same side of the court as the other UK players and European players – we’re all good friends and I use that bond to win.
“It’s been really exciting. There was a lot of great energy, a lot of crowd cheering and supporting both sides.”
