In The Kitchen At The Long Island Pickleball Challenge

The Long Island Pickleball Challenge which is organized by Long Island Tennis Magazine hit the courts at SPORTIME Hempstead Lake as players competed across four different doubles divisions.

Each division consisted of round-robin play with the top teams in each divisions advancing to the knockout rounds. Throughout the morning, a breakfast spread of bagels, muffins and fruit was available to players, and in the afternoon, as the tournament concluded, participants enjoyed cocktails which helped create a festive atmosphere for all to enjoy.

“I think the organizers did a great job with this event as it was very well-run,” said Richard Nessim. “You get a lot of matches, even in the round-robin play. I’ve played in other tournaments where you don’t get to play a lot and there’s a long wait in between matches, but not here. The games moved smoothly, and there was great competition. A+.”

Nessim competed in the Men’s 3.5 – 4.0 division alongside Nick Gambina in their first tournament together as a doubles tandem. The pairing used what they worked on during practice sessions and recreation play to come away with the title, as they defeated Chris Biscuiti & Daniel Palumbo 13-8 in the championship match.

“I loved the style of play and formatting of the event,” said Gambina. “I was a bit nervous in the beginning with it being my first tournament, but I loved playing and we were able to win.”

Nessim added:

“It was about being patient in the finals. We like to hit a lot from the back, but we got into some dinking games there, and had to play solid until they made the mistakes. We had to change our style a bit but I think we did a good job with that.”

In the Men’s 4.0 – 4.5 division, Roey Heymann & Brad Berger effectively utilized their strategy coming in to claim the title, as the duo beat Anthony DiGuiseppe & Robby Falvo 15-9 in the championship match.

“We wanted to attack the middle with our forehands, and we were able to do that well,” said Heymann. “We said whoever found themselves in the middle during a point, just keep the ball low and down the middle.”

The pairing had to dig deep in order to win, as DiGuiseppe & Falvo built an early lead in the finals.

“They played great, but we were able to come through,” added Berger. “We were down 2-8, but didn’t give up and stayed with it.”

For Jennifer Walsh & Corinne D’Andrea, employing a strategy of not over thinking and just playing proved to be a smart one, as they won the Women’s 3.5 – 4.0 Championship. The pairing defeated Emilie Katz & Abby Lerner 15-9 in the finals.

“We’ve been playing doubles for quite some time together, and our motto is ‘don’t think, just play’, and we were able to do that,” said Walsh.

“We complement each other well, and we know where the other is going to be on the court. Our games work well together. Playing with her was the best part of the day, we always have fun together. This was a great day and we’ll be back for another title.”

Kattie Figgie captured the title in a Women’s Doubles division in the Long Island Pickleball Challenge that took place in June, and this time tried her hand in the Mixed Doubles 3.5 – 4.0 division, pairing with Brett Epstein.

After advancing to the knockout stages as the top-seed, Figgie & Epstein finished their day off with a 15-8 victory over Kim Pflaumer & Eric Chaffer in the finals.

“It was a really fun day, and we were able to play consistently throughout the day,” said Figgie. “Being able to play with Brad was great.”

Epstein added:

“I leaned on her in the big moments and we were able to play well when it was needed most.”

The Long Island Pickleball Challenge was the latest event in the Long Island Tennis Magazine Event Series, and continued the magazine’s commitment to providing the community with top-tier tournaments in multiple racquet and paddle sports.

“The entire tournament ran smoothly and featured great competition,” said LI Tennis Magazine Owner and co-tournament director David Sickmen. “As we continue our foray into the pickleball world, we have received great feedback from players and spectators which only motivates us to use our platform and media apparatus to run more pickleball events. Thank you to SPORTIME Hempstead Lake for their hospitality, and my co-tournament director Michelle Stoerback for helping us put on another professionally run event. I also want to show our gratitude to SassyLI who set up a booth with their latest pickleball apparel, Town Bagel for providing the breakfast spread, and iPlayMe2 for featuring the tournament results on their website. We are excited to host more tournaments to close out this year and into 2025.”

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