- [Rusty] This is Rusty Howes from Pickleball Channel
with coverage from the 2018 Minto
US Open Pickleball Championships in Naples, Florida.
We're bringing you the pro men's senior singles
gold medal match that was previously
streamed live on Facebook.
I was fortunate to have Alex Hamner
by my side providing commentary.
In this matchup, top pro senior player
Brian Staub and Scott Moore go head-to-head
for the gold medal.
- [Alex] We are ready to play.
- [Announcer] Zero, zero.
- [Alex] Brian Staub serving to Scott Moore.
Passing shot, using that right side of the court.
- [Rusty] So for those of you who
are not familiar, Brian Staub is in the tank
with those tattooed shoulders of his,
and Scott Moore is on the opposite side.
- [Announcer] Point.
- [Alex] Point to Brian.
- [Rusty] Score is two serving zero.
- [Announcer] Side out.
- [Alex] Right off the bat, they're mixing
their serves up, using different pace,
different depth.
- [Announcer] Zero, two.
Point.
- [Rusty] Apparently someone said
aren't these guys too young to
be playing in senior division?
- [Alex] Well, they'll be happy to read
that or hear that later.
- [Rusty] So the senior division is 50 plus.
And these guys have a few more years than 50
but they are extremely athletic.
And they both could beat me.
Which isn't really saying much, is it?
- [Alex] Well, I wasn't going to
say it, Rusty.
- [Rusty] I'm a good strong two point two.
- [Announcer] Two, two.
Side out.
- [Alex] Really good use of the backspin,
taking the pace off of that ball,
and cutting it short, which Brian wasn't expecting.
- [Announcer] Two, two.
- [Alex] I think we're going to see a good
display of the different spins, the different placement.
- [Announcer] Three two.
Side out.
- [Alex] And even the occasional way-out ball.
- [Rusty] So that was an atypical wide out serve
on Scott, sometimes he tries to come backhand,
put a little spin on it, looks like
it got a little out of control there.
- [Announcer] Two three.
- [Alex] We do have a bit of a breeze
here under the beautiful tent.
- [Announcer] Point.
- [Rusty] They got it.
The ball rolled towards the media desk there.
- [Alex] The breeze has cut down,
but I don't know if you can see the flags
- [Announcer] Three, three.
in some of our shots.
It's blowing from the south to the north.
- [Announcer] Point.
- [Rusty] Almost got it.
- [Alex] Scott Moore with that
- [Rusty] Long reach.
- [Alex] Got a 74 inch wingspan or something.
- [Announcer] Four, three.
- [Rusty] Exactly.
- [Alex] Brian really hit a great
shot and even Scott couldn't get it.
- [Announcer] Side out.
- [Alex] Might have been a little greedy there going
for that same shot he was leaning over,
he didn't have his balance, his feet
weren't quite under him.
- [Rusty] So that was a side-out.
The score will be three serving four.
- [Announcer] Three, four.
- [Alex] Scott Moore serving at three-four.
Great inside-out, Scott really moves his feet for that.
- [Rusty] So again for those of you joining us,
we are at the Minto US Open Pickleball Championships,
this is the-- - four, four.
- [Rusty] Men's singles senior pro.
Brian Pulls it wide.
- [Announcer] Side out.
- [Rusty] And Scott couldn't quite get it.
We have a side out.
Serve coming back to Brian.
- [Announcer] Four four.
Side out.
- [Alex] You see Scott Moore again,
he's the one in the regular tee shirt looking
shirt getting ready to serve here,
he uses a little bit--
- [Announcer] Four, four.
- [Alex] Of an elongated paddle,
that he uses for singles.
He uses more of a traditional paddle for doubles.
- [Announcer] Side out.
- [Alex] While Brian Staub uses the more traditional shape.
- [Rusty] So Brian's doing a pretty good job
right now, he's been pulling Scott to the side.
- [Announcer] Four, four.
- [Rusty] And Scott with his height and his reach can
typically catch most of those balls but
Brian's got a few past him.
Tried to go again cross court but just hit the net.
- [Announcer] Side out.
- [Alex] At this level, you really do,
you have to just aim just over the net.
- [Announcer] Four, four.
- [Alex] Because you do have to keep it low,
if it's up a little bit too high,
you're gonna get pounded on.
But obviously hitting it in the net is a risk.
- [Announcer] Side out.
- [Rusty] Scott goes down the line,
Brian goes cross court, Scott can't quite get it.
- [Alex] Again, using the whole court.
You gotta use all those shots.
- [Announcer] Four, four.
- [Alex] Cross courts.
- [Rusty] Especially in singles,
keeping you opponent moving.
- [Announcer] Side out.
- [Rusty] I didn't see that, if that hit the line.
- [Alex] I didn't hear a line call.
- [Rusty] A little delay there.
- [Announcer] Four, four.
- [Alex] But it was out.
- [Rusty] Ah, there you go.
- [Announcer] Point.
- [Alex] Brian thought he was going to be
able to get behind Scott on that.
- [Rusty] And Scott was moving forward,
but athletic enough to reach out there, catch it,
and put it over the net.
- [Announcer] Five, four.
- [Alex] Get there.
- [Annoucer] Point
- [Alex] Good try.
- [Rusty] This is a close game.
- [Alex] Scott Moore when he starts
getting on a roll like he has the last
few points.
- [Announcer] Six, four.
- [Alex] He likes the pace of game
to go quickly so you'll see him getting ready
for the next serve very quickly.
He tries to control the pace; he likes
to get going quickly.
- [Rusty] Brian was up, and now
- [Alex] It's turned around, yeah.
- [Announcer] Seven, four.
- [Rusty] Scott with the three-point lead.
- [Alex] It'd be a great time for Brian
to take a timeout.
- [Rusty] It'll be interesting to see,
every player uses timeouts a little bit differently.
Many many players forget that it can be an
extremely strategic part of the game.
- [Announcer] Eight, four.
Side out.
- [Alex] That was a great move.
- [Rusty] Scott's visiting somebody over there
on the one of the gold boxes.
Tried to get that but it was just a little
too sharp of an angle and Brian was able
to put it away.
- [Announcer] Four, eight.
- [Alex] Brian Staub serving at four, eight.
- [Announcer] Side out.
- [Rusty] Scott took some pace off it,
and got a little bit of extra help from that net,
and there's nothing that Brian could have done.
- [Alex] I was getting ready to say.
- [Announcer] Eight, four.
- [Alex] In lieu of taking a timeout, Brian decided
to just win a rally, but then Scott.
- [Announcer] Point.
just turned it back around
- [Rusty] Yup.
- [Alex] So again I think-- - Nine, four
- Strategy-wise-- - Yeah this is a pretty
big gap right here.
- [Alex] It would be good to take a timeout.
- [Rusty] I don't know if Brian's
just too into it.
- [Announcer] Point.
- [Alex] Because like I said,
Scott likes to just keep rolling.
- [Rusty] 10 four, so we'll see what happens.
This could be the game but--
- [Alex] This could be the game right here.
- [Rusty] Brian's not taking a timeout.
- [Announcer] 10, four.
- [Alex] Oh, it must have caught.
- [Rusty] Thought it was going out,
so that's game number one, we will be back
to you in game number two.
It's Rusty and Alex here at the Minto US Open
Pickleball championships, the first singles men pro
has gone to Scott Moore.
(rock music)
- [Announcer] Second game, zero zero.
- [Rusty] Alright we're back for the second game,
Scott serving zero zero.
- [Announcer] Point.
- [Rusty] So it feels like Brian got the last
game, let the last game get away from him
a little bit; he didn't take any timeouts.
So we'll see if there's a little different
strategy here.
- [Announcer] One zero.
- [Alex] He let Scott get on a roll,
as we know, Pickleball is a game of streaks.
- [Announcer] Point.
- [Alex] Scott is really at this point,
doing well the last two points, dropping the ball
right where Brian's feet are.
Those are the hardest balls to pick up.
- [Announcer] Two, zero.
- [Rusty] Keeping him close to the line as well.
[Announcer] Side out.
- [Alex] Yeah, Brian's gonna need to change
his strategy up a little bit and just
slow the game down.
- [Announcer] Zero, two.
- [Rusty] There you go, there you go.
- [Alex] Or hit straight-out winners,
That will work as well.
- [Rusty] Yeah I mean that was pretty.
- [Alex] Brian does have back in the day--
- [Announcer] One, two.
- [Alex] A division one tennis background.
Might have noticed that, with his strokes.
- [Announcer] Side out.
- [Rusty] He hails from The Villages in Florida,
actually was one of our earliest Pickleball
Channel videos, talking all about the third shot drop,
so that's a great one to watch.
- [Announcer] Two one.
- [Alex] No shortage of pickleball courts in The
Villages, they've got about 200.
Well played.
- [Rusty] So it looked like Brian had him,
but Scott stayed in it and then just let that
really soft touch right over the net;
Brian couldn't
get back because it was too much momentum
going one way.
- [Alex] Brian also plays--
- [Announcer] Three, one.
- [Alex] On a national softball team.
- [Rusty] Score three one, Scott Moore is up.
- [Announcer] Side out.
- [Rusty] And some of you guys might be
able to comment, I don't know how well you're
hearing the referee there.
We're trying to call the score since we're
limited on our graphics capabilities.
- [Announcer] One three.
- [Alex] Brian Staub serving at one three.
- [Announcer] Side out.
Three, one.
- [Rusty] Score is three serving one.
- [Alex] Whoa, that long reach, little
extra inch or two on the paddle there,
nice flick of the wrist for a cross court winner,
Scott Moore.
- [Announcer] Four one.
- [Alex] Again with that reach and that stretch.
- [Rusty] Yeah.
- [Alex] Brian thought he hit the winner.
- [Rusty] Exactly, I mean Scott moves well,
he's fast, he's tall.
- [Announcer] Five, one.
- [Rusty] He's accurate.
- [Announcer] Side out.
- [Rusty] There you go.
- [Alex] Brian had been going to the backhand
side of Scott Moore a lot, that time he decided
to mix it up a little bit, go to his forehand,
and it paid off.
- [Rusty] If you watch, Scott definitely
does like to run around his backhand,
he prefers his forehand and he's fast enough that
he can get away with it.
I myself--
- [Announcer] Side out.
- [Rusty] Would get stuck constantly.
- [Alex] Scott's even hitting winners
off of his mishits now.
- [Rusty] So for those of you just joining us,
we are at the Minto US Open Pickleball Championships
powered by Margaritaville, we are in a beautiful
open air arena with several hundred people here.
- [Announcer] Five, one.
- [Rusty] Watching the men's senior single pro match.
- [Announcer] Point.
- [Rusty] This is the first pro gold match
of the whole tournament.
We are on day number one.
- [Alex] There is rain scheduled for today.
Doesn't look like it's going to happen anytime soon.
- [Announcer] Six, one.
- [Rusty] Exactly, it was supposed
to be raining by now so we are very thankful
that it's still beautiful.
- [Announcer] Side out.
- [Alex] And for those of you who don't know
we are under a shade structure.
We are not indoors so if it were to rain,
we would still get wet and the game would have to stop.
- [Rusty] Alright we're going to a timeout,
we're gonna mute the audio so the music can play,
we'll talk to you soon.
- [Announcer] One, six.
- [Alex] We're back from timeout.
Brian Staub serving at one six.
Scott Moore won the first game.
- [Announcer] Side out.
- [Alex] So we're in game two.
- [Rusty] This time, timeouts are being used.
- [Announcer] Six one.
Side out.
- [Rusty] That ball just a little bit long.
Scott Moore with a strong lead of six serving one.
Now the ball's coming back to Brian Staub,
we'll see if he can turn this around, get on a run.
- [Announcer] One six.
Point.
- [Rusty] There you go.
It's a little atypical, Scott doesn't hit the ball
in the net that often.
- [Alex] Especially off of a forehand.
- [Announcer] Two six.
- [Rusty] Okay so folks are asking who's who.
Good bit by Scott there.
Scott Moore is the tall gentleman in the traditional
white tee shirt, the sleeveless shirt
with the flag tattoos is Brian Staub.
- [Announcer] Six, two
Point.
- [Rusty] That's another point to Scott Moore.
Score's about to be seven two.
The ref just scared everyone with a loud cough
into the microphone.
- [Announcer] I'm not going to repeat it.
Seven two.
Point.
- [Alex] Nice little touch there,
using the backspin short ball.
- [Announcer] Eight, two.
- [Rusty] Score eight serving two, Scott definitely
wants to keep this momentum going.
- [Announcer] Side out.
- [Rusty] Scott started to move back cross,
Brian got it behind him just enough,
Scott wasn't able to get it.
- [Alex] That's what Brian's gonna have to
do more of, is mixing his balls up.
- [Rusty] Yeah.
- [Announcer] Point
- [Alex] Another free shot, another free point
off of the return of serve.
Looks like the serving's short to Scott right now
into his forehand, the ticket.
- [Rusty] Wow, two in a row.
That is very atypical.
Scott's calling time out.
- [Alex] Scott Moore taking a time out.
- [Rusty] So we're going to go to a timeout,
the audio's going to be muted, and we'll
come back to you soon.
Alright, we're back from the timeout.
It was a little bit shorter.
So technically timeouts can be a minute
but sometimes they like to come back a little sooner.
- [Announcer] Point
- [Rusty] Just need to catch their breath.
- [Alex] I was mentioning earlier,
Scott Moore likes to play quickly.
- [Announcer] Five, eight.
- [Rusty] The score, if you didn't hear the ref,
is five, eight.
- [Announcer] Side out.
- [Rusty] So a little while ago, Scott had
I think a six point lead?
- [Alex] I think it was six one.
- [Announcer] Eight five.
- [Rusty] Now it's getting close.
- [Alex] Well Brian started mixing
things up a little bit, and Scott made a few errors,
but using his reach again.
- [Announcer] Nine five.
- [Rusty] Score nine five, Scott Moore's advantage.
- [Announcer] Side out.
- [Alex] Didn't get lucky on that one.
- [Rusty] Something going on with the line judge
there joking about something, I didn't see that.
- [Alex] Fanning herself with a plate,
Brian's taking a timeout.
- [Rusty] Brian's taking another timeout,
looks like he might have tweaked a little something,
I'm not sure.
- [Announcer] Second time out, five serving nine.
Time in, five serving nine.
- [Rusty] Okay, we're back.
Brian just called that timeout.
- [Announcer] Side out
- [Rusty] Hit long.
Scott Moore has the lead with nine,
Brian's got a score of five.
For those of you who are not familiar--
- [Announcer] Nine, five.
- [Rusty] Scott Moore has a traditional white tee shirt;
he just served.
- [Announcer] Point.
- [Rusty] This could be it.
- [Alex] I think you're right that
a couple points ago Brian did something with his
left ankle maybe--
- [Announcer] Ten, five
- [Alex] Or calf.
He's struggling a little bit on that side.
- [Rusty] Alright, that's it.
- [Alex] Nice match, gentlemen.
- [Rusty] Gold medal match goes to Scott Moore.
Silver, Brian Staub, the first pro gold match of
the Minto US Open Pickleball Championships.
(dance music)