122-SHOT RALLY in Sacramento!

The longest rally in any PPA Tour final since the start of 2022 happened at the Fasenra Sacramento Open, in the Men’s Doubles final. Let’s take a deep dive into a breathtaking two-minute and one-second rally!

Game Three. After splitting the first two games, Ben Johns and Gabe Tardio led JW Johnson and CJ Klinger 5-4-2. The rally started with an ordinary five-shot sequence: Tardio serve, Johnson return, Johns third-shot drive, Klinger volley, Johns fifth-shot drop into the kitchen. Then, 34 dinks, an eight-shot firefight, 67 dinks, and another eight-shot firefight. Yes, 101 dinks in one rally.

After the first five shots, there were 30 dinks before Johnson became involved with a dink of his own. After three more dinks, Klinger started the first firefight, which ended with Tardio resetting a Johnson smash back into the kitchen.

“Wow, wow, wow,” Dave Fleming said on the broadcast.

A 67-dink rally ensued, until Johns initiated a firefight, which ended with a Klinger volley sailing long.

“Yes please… that was sensational!” Fleming said.

Here are some stats: 

Shots: Klinger 48, Johns 33, Tardio 28, Johnson 13.

Dinks: Klinger 42, Johns 27, Tardio 23, Johnson 9.

Klinger hit 78% of his team’s shots in the rally. It was more balanced on the other side of the net, with Johns hitting 54% of his team’s shots.

Johns and Tardio won the point, the game, and the match… a match that included this epic rally.

By the way, this rally was like a tsunami. The six rallies before it and the six rallies after it were all seven shots or less!