MLP: Dallas Stun LA, New Jersey Survive Scare as St. Louis, Brooklyn Reach Semifinals

New Jersey 5s, St. Louis Shock, Dallas Flash and Brooklyn Pickleball Team booked their places in the Major League Pickleball (MLP) semifinals after a dramatic quarterfinal weekend in Newport Beach. St. Louis dominated Texas Ranchers, New Jersey survived a major scare against Palm Beach Royals, Dallas stunned Los Angeles Mad Drops, and Brooklyn edged defending champions Columbus Sliders. The semifinal stage now shifts to New York, where New Jersey will choose between Dallas and Brooklyn as its opponent.

St. Louis Shock roll over Texas Ranchers

Second-seeded St. Louis arrived in Newport Beach still recovering from their regular-season-ending loss to New Jersey, which cost them the top seed spot. They looked determined at practice and were convinced they were the best team in the field, Orlando notwithstanding.

Texas managed only nine total points across three games in Match One. Anna Bright and Kate Fahey set the tone with an 11-3 victory over Lea Jansen and Kaitlyn Christian.

Saturday's second match was even more emphatic. St. Louis allowed Texas just 11 points in three games, with Bright and Fahey again defeating Jansen and Christian, 11-2. Jansen had a few chippy comments for Hayden Patriquin in mixed doubles, but it did little to change the result.

St. Louis were simply too good. The Shock believe they had the best team in 2024 and 2025, only to be denied the title each time. Their Newport Beach display suggested they are on a mission in 2026.

New Jersey 5s survive Palm Beach Royals scare

Top-seeded New Jersey faced seventh-seeded Palm Beach, whose women's doubles strength — Sofia Sewing and Tina Pisnik — ran into Anna Leigh Waters and Jorja Johnson.

Waters and Johnson won 11-4, but Palm Beach hit back. Dekel Bar and Casey Diamond won men's doubles 11-4, with Zoey Weil tweeting that Bar was playing like his heyday of 2024. Bar and Pisnik then stunned Noe Khlif and Waters 11-4.

Jorja Johnson and Federico Staksrud forced a DreamBreaker, where Staksrud again delivered in the big moments. A Will Howells winner sealed a 21-18 New Jersey escape.

Sunday brought another scare. New Jersey won both gender doubles games, but Bar and Pisnik again defeated Waters and Khlif, 11-9. Staksrud responded in mixed doubles #2, leading New Jersey to an 11-3 win.

Palm Beach, roughly a 100-1 underdog, earned huge credit. Bar played like a top-10 player, despite his 30-27 season record, while Pisnik produced the shot of the weekend, a desperate lunge ATP in the Match One DreamBreaker.

Dallas Flash upset Los Angeles Mad Drops

LA had chosen Dallas over Brooklyn, but Dallas overturned the odds.

LA won Match One 3-1 after Dallas took women's doubles 11-8, Ben Johns won both his games and Connor Garnett-Catherine Parenteau closed with an 11-6 win.

The second match again saw Dallas win women's doubles and Johns put LA ahead 2-1. Augie Ge and Danni-Elle Townsend, 19-4 on the year, responded with an 11-5 win, forcing a DreamBreaker. JW Johnson went 3-1 in both rotations against Ben Johns, Townsend swept all eight points, and Dallas won 21-11.

In Sunday's deciding Match Three, LA took women's doubles, but Johnson defeated Johns for the first time all weekend. Johnson and Augie Ge won 11-2, while Brooke Buckner produced a defensive masterclass. Dallas then beat LA 11-6 before Ge and Townsend sealed an 11-8 win over Garnett and Parenteau.

Brooklyn edge defending champions Columbus

The first match between fifth-seeded Brooklyn and defending champions Columbus was decided by a 13-11 men's doubles comeback for Columbus. The 2-2 split forced a DreamBreaker, which Brooklyn won 21-10, with Jackie Kawamoto starring.

Sunday produced another DreamBreaker. CJ Klinger won the final three points against world singles No. 1 Chris Haworth as Columbus prevailed 21-18.

In the third match, Brooklyn swept both gender doubles 11-5, Columbus won mixed doubles #1, and Brooklyn raced to an 8-0 lead. Columbus fought back, but Kawamoto's winner sent Brooklyn into the semifinals.

New York now awaits New Jersey, St. Louis, Dallas and Brooklyn. Whatever the matchups, the semifinals promise some of the most exciting pickleball of the year.