Chaos and Composure: Los Angeles Mad Drops Top Utah Black Diamonds in MLP Dallas Opener
The energy was electric at Group Play Day 1 of the Major League Pickleball event in Dallas as the Los Angeles Mad Drops clinched a thrilling 3-1 match victory over the Utah Black Diamonds. In a showcase defined by incredible defense, explosive hand exchanges, and massive momentum swings, newly formed partnerships on both sides kept the crowd on the edge of their seats until the final forehand winner.
Women’s Doubles: LA Sets a Dominant Tone
The match opened with a masterclass in positioning and pace control by LA’s Catherine Prento and Jade Kawamoto. From the first serve, Prento and Kawamoto functioned like a well-oiled machine. Prento anchored the kitchen line with pristine footwork, suffocating Utah’s offensive rhythm by holding her ground and taking time away from opponents Elise Jones and Eda Tuiotona.
Utah showed brilliant defensive flashes, at one point giving a clinical display of tactical recovery to survive an aggressive overhead barrage. However, miscommunications and unforced errors ultimately plagued the Black Diamonds. Prento seemed to be everywhere on the court, playing with loose, confident energy. An explosive hands exchange sealed a decisive 11-3 victory for the Mad Drops.
Men’s Doubles: Utah Fires Back
The Utah Black Diamonds found their response in the men’s doubles division, powered by the formidable duo of Conor Garnett and 15-year-old Thomas Shimakuro. Facing pickleball legend Ben Johns and the hard-hitting lefty Max Freeman, Utah leaned heavily into aggressive net play.
Garnett commanded the kitchen line, executing precise roll volleys and timely counter-attacks. Beside him, Shimakuro displayed breathtaking hand speed, generating heavy pace with a remarkably compact stroke. Freeman attempted to spark an LA comeback with an energetic “Ernie” play, but Utah’s unrelenting defense forced uncharacteristic fourth-ball errors from Johns. Utah evened the overall score with a statement 11-5 win.
Mixed Doubles Game 1: The Johns & Kawamoto Clinic
With the overall match tied 1-1, Ben Johns and Jade Kawamoto stepped onto the court to face Shimakuro and Tuiotona. Johns immediately neutralized Utah’s offense, inserting himself across the kitchen line and cutting off passing lanes.
Kawamoto executed a flawless tactical plan, relentlessly targeting Tuiotona to keep the ball away from Shimakuro’s dangerous disguised angles. The pressure proved insurmountable for Utah, as the Mad Drops executed a staggering run to lock down a 11-0 shutout “pickle” win, pushing LA ahead 2-1 in the series.
Mixed Doubles Game 2: Freeman and Prento Survive the Surge
The final game pitted Max Freeman and Catherine Prento against Conor Garnett and Elise Jones. Freeman opened the game with explosive fire power, bouncing back from his men’s doubles frustrations to push LA out to a commanding 6-0 lead before the side switch.
However, the Black Diamonds refused to go quietly. Following a strategic timeout, Garnett turned into a puppet master, utilizing perfectly disguised lobs and jumping backhand put-aways to disrupt Freeman’s timing. Supported by strong communication from Jones, Utah mounted an inspiring comeback, chipping the LA cushion down to just a single point at 7-6.
The match reached its peak in a sequence of pure MLP chaos: an unexpected net-cord clip sent both teams into a scramble of desperate gets, diving stabs, and frantic resets. LA survived the rally to secure an 8-6 advantage. Moments later, Freeman brought the crowd to its feet by nonchalantly countering a full-pace overhead smash from Jones, completely freezing the defense.
Freeman capitalized on the momentum, hammering a clean forehand winner down the line to take the game 11-7, cementing a 3-1 match victory for the Los Angeles Mad Drops.
Post-Match Reflections
“Max and I just trusted each other and really brought the energy,” Prento noted after avoiding a Dream Breaker tiebreaker. Ben Johns credited Utah’s resilience, saying, “Garnett was playing phenomenal… but the Mad Drops are looking really good too.”
