Zane Ford Takes Out Anger on Paddle in Epic Meltdown, Reminds Us Pickleball Can Get a Bit Too Heated
Just because pickleball is a sport for all doesn’t mean matches can’t get competitive.
They do. In fact, matches can get way too intense, particularly at the pro level, where more than bragging rights are at stake. Then again, when big cash prizes and pickleball honour are on the line, it’s all but guaranteed that the competition will be intense, exciting, and worth watching.
Sometimes, though, the heat of the moment can get to a player, leading to some heated moments as when Ben Johns nearly hit Quang Duong in the head at the Zimmet Biomet Masters early this year and when Anna Leigh Waters and Hayden Patriquin got into a verbal spat at the at the USTA National Campus back in April.
Now, add Zane Ford to the list of pro picklers getting a little too heated. Currently the no. 14 singles player in the world, Ford had an all-time meltdown, destroying his paddle after losing his match against James Ignatowich at the Humana Championship Court during the continuation Carvana PPA Tour.
Ford lost his Round of 32 match against Ignatowich, 0-11, 11-1, 11-4, on a wayward volley that landed too far to the left of the line. Immediately after hitting the pickleball out, Ford lost his cool as well and took out all his anger and frustration on his paddle—smashing it to the ground twice before trying to break it in half using his knee.
He tried once, but the paddle proved too strong.
He tried again, but the paddle bent just a little.
He tried a third time, but the puddle wouldn’t break. It just bent a little more.
Ford’s crash out at least proved three things. One, topnotch pickleball paddles are pretty strong and durable. Two, Ford needs to work on his strength if he wants to break his paddles. Three, pickleball at the highest level isn’t for the faint of heart.
Ignatowich, ranked no. 46 in the world, was later seen smiling as he walked off the court after his stunning upset of Ford. We reckon he was smiling because he pulled off a great win and saw an all-time meltdown right after. Two birds with one stone, as the saying goes. In fairness to Ford, we’d get angry too if we lost in similar fashion: Dominating at the start only to falter badly in the end. But we’d probably spare our paddles if that happened to us.
