India’s emerging pickleball talent, Armaan Bhatia, made history on Day 4 of the PWR DUPR India Masters at New Delhi’s Delhi Lawn Tennis Association (DLTA) Stadium by winning three consecutive Pro (Open) category matches. His achievements electrified the tournament, which saw over 2,300 matches spanning 33 categories, from Under-12 to senior 60+ age groups, making it Asia’s largest pickleball event to date. The competition attracted top Indian and international talent, fostering a supportive, community-driven atmosphere as players rallied for one another across various categories.
Bhatia’s performance in the Men’s Singles finals was especially remarkable. Facing off against Dusty Boyer from the USA, he came from behind after an initial 11-8 loss to win the second game 11-9, narrowly edging out Boyer. In a gripping third game, Bhatia turned the match around from an 8-0 deficit to clinch an 11-8 victory. Bhatia also triumphed in the Mixed Doubles with Dutch player Roos Van Reek, overcoming Australia’s George Wall and Danni E. Townsend in a thrilling three-set match. To complete his hat-trick, he and teammate Harsh Mehta outperformed the Australian-American pair Mitchell Hargreaves and Roman Estareja with a commanding 11-3, 11-2 win in the Men’s Doubles.
In the women’s matches, USA’s Sofia Sewing beat Chinese-Taipei’s Kao Pei-Chuan in two straight games, 11-3 and 11-2, in Women’s Singles. The Dutch-Australian duo of Van Reek and Kaitlynn Hart won the Women’s Doubles title in a hard-fought match against Asian players Yuchieh Hsieh and Xiao Yi Wang-Beckvall, concluding the final game with an 11-7 win.
Reflecting on his wins, Armaan expressed gratitude and optimism for the sport’s future in India. Tournament Director Mihir Khandelwal and PWR CEO Pranav Kohli praised the event’s success and the growth of pickleball in India, congratulating Bhatia on his milestone achievement. The event’s four days fostered a strong community of pickleball fans, setting the stage for more high-profile tournaments in the country.
