Congratulations to Penny Pearkes and John Carvell, who secured 3.0 Gold in the Mixed 70+ category at the US Open.
John, from New Quay, West Wales, and Penny, from Exeter, both come from a background in squash – with their tactics there reflected on court in Naples as they opted to drive and volley their way to success.
“The entry system to the US Open is quite different to the English event,” explains John to Pickleball 52, “being a lottery with no preference for any previous achievements.” He found Penny – and his men’s doubles partner Mark Jardine from Oregon, USA, after posting on Facebook!
John was the only player from Wales in the tournament – and both he and Penny had been inspired by a level 2 coach, Ray Puttick.
“He had embarked on a similar adventure after success in the English event in 2024 and returned with a silver,” says John. “The plan was to go one colour better!”
John and Penny competed in a practice event in Basingstoke, and also benefited from the coaching of Wales international Matthew Hazelhurst. However, it didn’t help them to prepare for the tough and intense heat of Florida! Fortunately they adjusted well, with Penny winning gold in the women’s doubles before going on to partner John to glory in the mixed event – dropping just one game.
“The aggressive driving game often proved to be effective when there was a weak opposition partner and ensured that each game time was minimal,” reveals John, who also pays tribute to “the enthusiasm of all the support staff, volunteers and referees who often had to endure the blistering heat for prolonged periods with minimal compensation.”
John says he won’t be returning to defend his title – having promised his wife this would be a one-off. Penny, on the other hand, may be back there to add to her growing collection on medals.
Well done to both!
