Wins keep coming for Daescu and Tardio

When you beat Ben and Collin Johns, it’s worthy of a celebration.

When you beat a team seeded higher than you for a third day in a row, that’s also worth a celebration.

And when you make a semifinal in just your second tournament playing together, that’s not just worthy of a celebration, that’s an accomplishment.

What a week so far for Andrei Daescu and Gabe Tardio – and it’s not over yet. 

When it comes to up-and-comers, these two are at the top of the list with an upside that seemingly has no ceiling, and when it comes to great wins, these two have a fistful of them at the Arizona Cup in Mesa, Ariz. 

Make it three in three days now that Daescu and Tardio have pulled an upset, getting to their first semifinal together after beating Jay Devilliers and Pat Smith, 11-2, 11-6, just a day after beating the top-seeded Johns brothers on Friday.

“Beating the most decorated men’s doubles team of all time was definitely a great experience for us and we enjoyed the moment and shortly afterward for a bit, but we are still in the tournament, so the mindset remained on looking ahead and staying focused on the next match,” Daescu said. “The competition on the PPA tour is extremely tough, as we all know, so it was not easier from then on by any means.

“We still had to show up today and play our best as we got tested against another very strong and hot team at the moment.”

Seeded 16th. The duo, who train and play together in South Florida, needed just two games to get past 14th-seeded Wyatt Stone and Spencer Smith on Wednesday. Tardio and Daescu needed just two games to get past the Johns, 11-6, 11-5 Thursday and then beat eighth-seeded Devlliers and Smith, 11-2, 11-6 Friday.

“We weren’t concerned about a letdown, but definitely aware of having to navigate those emotions the right way in order to show up today in the ideal match mindset,” Daescu said. “Which we did.”

And now the pair are just a win away from the first medal on the PPA Tour. Daescu, a regular winner on the APP Tour, has also had a lot of success in Major League Pickleball. Tardio, a regular practice partner with PPA winners Dylan Frazier and J.W. Johnson is just 17 years old but considered by many to be on the verge of a breakthrough.

“The thing I like most about Gabe’s game is the fact that he’s relentless in sticking with the game plan and he’s a very well-rounded player,” Daescu said of Tardio. 

The two live about 15 minutes away from each other, so they’re constantly training and working together, building a bit of chemistry, and now having some success. The two are planning to play together for the first part of 2024.

They’ll take on either Riley Newman and Thomas Wilson, the No. 4 seed, or the fifth-seeded team of Federico Staksrud and Pablo Tellez in Saturday’s semifinal.

And hey, they’ve already beaten a top seed, so what else is there to be worried about? Nothing, Daescu said, even if you’re young and somewhat inexperienced.

“It’s definitely OK to be nervous,” Daescu said. “Gabe has shown throughout he’s a great competitor and he controls his nerves very well. He’s 17, and it’s normal to not have too much championship experience. We all have to start somewhere, and what better time to do it than now?