Men’s Doubles Action at the Denver Open

Before men’s doubles action began in the Mile High City at this year’s Denver Open, the unique conditions were thought to be a potential equalizer for the underdogs. The qualifiers, who all played on Wednesday, had more time to practice and play at altitude than the main-draw mainstays. In a sport with such fine margins, this extra adjustment period seemed like a possible advantage. 

But that was not the case. In fact, the extreme altitude and thin mountain air produced far fewer upsets than normal. It was mostly chalk on Saturday, with the top four seeds all advancing to the semifinal round without any significant scares. 

In the semifinals, third-seeded Pablo Tellez and Federico Staksrud overcame second-seeded Dylan Frazier and Matt Wright in a topsy-turvy three-set win. Frazier and Wright came out hot, winning the first game 11-2 against the slightly erratic South American squad. But once Tellez and Staksrud found their range on the drives, their aggressive play and big-hitting exploited Frazier and Wright’s lack of familiarity, especially on the defensive end. 

After the first game, Staksrud and Tellez clamped down with extreme patience from the kitchen. They appeared content to dink forever, patiently waiting for the right time to attack. 

“We definitely tried to make them dink a lot more,” Staksrud said of their success in game three. “It’s funny because if you drive the ball it really flies through the air, but then the soft game is really soft, so it’s a bit of an adjustment for sure.”

This patience, combined with aggressive drive and crash combos on their third shots, ultimately resulted in lopsided one-way traffic. Tellez and Staksrud would go on to win the last eight points of the match, winning 2-11, 11-6, 11-2, and earning themselves another shot at the men’s doubles GOATs, Ben and Collin Johns. 

Frazier and Wright’s semifinal effort should be seen as a major positive, as anyone who’s played Pickleball with a new partner knows how long it takes to iron out the kinks and find a solid groove. It remains to be seen if Frazier and Wright will team up again, as JW Johnson (Frazier’s usual partner) did not play this week. 

“We’re ready to dink for five hours on Sunday,” Tellez said of the upcoming final. The Bogota native also said that he grew up in high altitude (Bogota is over 3000 feet higher than Denver) and that the conditions in Denver are comfortable for him. 

In the top half of the draw, the Johns bros were tested several times, but their defenses never cracked, and they went on to win all eight of the games they played. Callan Dawson and Hayden Patriquin had chances to steal both of the semifinal games, but Johns and Johns’ brilliance when it mattered most proved too much for the talented young team. 

“We normally talk over a couple strategic points for any team, so we’ll definitely do that,” Ben said of the upcoming final against Tellez and Staksrud. “Other than that we’re going to play like we always do, hopefully lock in a little bit in the altitude and adapt if need be.”

Sunday’s final has the potential to be one of the best contests in recent memory, as Tellez and Staksrud, who live and train together in South Florida, are gaining some serious momentum and cementing themselves as one of the top doubles teams in the world. That familiarity, combined with Tellez’s experience in high altitude, certainly has the makings of a potential upset.

Watch the men’s doubles finals below!