Seone Mendez Reflects on Unbeaten WPBL Run After Hyderabad's Narrow Miss

Seone Mendez was the standout player for the Hyderabad Superstars in WPBL Season 2, remaining undefeated throughout the league stage in women's singles. Despite her dominant individual performance, the team narrowly missed out on a semi-final berth after a close final league loss. Mendez, a former tennis player, credits her smooth transition to pickleball to her strong groundstrokes and court coverage. She views the undefeated run as a special achievement and a learning experience for building consistency in crucial moments.

Key Points: Seone Mendez on Undefeated WPBL League Stage with Hyderabad

  • Unbeaten in women's singles league stage
  • Team missed semis by smallest margin
  • Valuable learning from close matches
  • Strong transition from tennis background
3 min read

"Going undefeated in league stage was special": Seone Mendez on her run with Hyderabad Superstars in WPBL

Seone Mendez discusses her unbeaten streak for Hyderabad Superstars in WPBL Season 2, the team's narrow semi-final miss, and her transition from tennis.

"Going undefeated in the league stage was a really special experience. - Seone Mendez"

Mumbai, February 8

Hyderabad Superstars missed out on the semi-final berth in the World Pickleball League season 2 by the smallest of margins after losing their final league tie to Chennai. The standout player of the season for Hyderabad Superstars has been Seone Mendez, who dominated the women's singles category and remained unbeaten throughout the league stage.

Seone Mendez expressed disappointment at missing the semi-finals but acknowledged the competitiveness of the tournament, emphasising that the experience provided valuable lessons for improving consistency in crucial moments, according to a release.

"It's disappointing to miss out on the semi-finals, but that's sport margins are always small at this level. Every team in the league was extremely competitive, and we respect the level across the board. As a group, we'll reflect on key moments and continue building consistency in the crucial stages of matches. Overall, it's been a valuable learning experience and something we can grow from moving forward," Seone Mendez said.

One of the first picks for the Hyderabad Superstars, Seone Mendez completed her unbeaten streak, beating Katerina Stewart of the Bengaluru Jawans. One of the players to watch out for at the start of the league, she has proven to be the only player to beat through her 6 league games. Transitioning from tennis, her formidable ground strokes and incredible court coverage have resulted in her dominating that event.

"Going undefeated in the league stage was a really special experience. It reflects the preparation, discipline, and mindset I brought into each match. Personally, I focused on staying consistent, trusting my training, and taking each match one at a time. It's something I'm proud of, but also something that motivates me to keep improving," she said.

Throughout her games, she never looked under the pump at any point and held a steady lead from the first minute of the game. Her strong tennis foundation has been key to Seone's smooth transition into pickleball ,where she has steadily climbed up international ranks over the last six to eight months. Touted to be one of the top-ranked players in the world by the end of this year, Seone has been instrumental for Hyderabad Superstars' points on the leaderboard.

Backed by KLO Sports, Hyderabad Superstars started extremely strong, winning their first two games on the trot and competing in some extremely close matches, but they ended their campaign before the semi-finals. The squad for Hyderabad Superstars boasts of international stars like Marcello Jardim, Talia Saunders, Kaitlynn Hart, Pep Canyadell, Lauren Mercado, Louis Laville and Indian Superstar, Mayur Patil, along with Seone Mendez.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

A
Aman W
This is why I love following WPBL. The level of competition is so high that even an unbeaten player's team can miss out. Shows the depth. Hyderabad Superstars had a great squad, just needed that one win. Better luck next season!
R
Rohit P
Respect to Seone for her humble and mature response. In India, we often only celebrate the ultimate winners, but her journey and consistency deserve equal applause. Hope she inspires more young Indian athletes in racket sports.
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Sarah B
As a pickleball fan from the US now living in Mumbai, it's fantastic to see the sport growing like this in India. Players like Seone, transitioning from tennis, are raising the bar. The Hyderabad team was electric to watch!
V
Vikram M
While Seone was brilliant, the article highlights a key issue for the team - building consistency in crucial moments. It's a classic problem. Individual brilliance can win matches, but team coordination wins tournaments. Hope they work on that.
K
Kriti O
So proud to see an Indian franchise league (WPBL) getting this kind of global talent and competitive spirit! Shoutout to Mayur Patil too, holding the fort as the Indian star amongst all these international players. 🇮🇳

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