Sunday, November 9th, 2025

2:11 p.m.

Day four, Championship Sunday. I'm watching, I'm not playing. Obviously, not the best weekend, but always a fun weekend, coming, seeing friends and not having to work a nine to five. It's nice being able just to do this as my living. We're taking a red eye home because there are not a lot of flights going on right now, so I'm just chilling watching pickleball today, maybe find a party somewhere and get rowdy before my flight, because I gotta try to knock myself out to go on a red eye.

Want to say thanks to the APP for putting up with me all week and having to hang out with me, I know that's a tough thing! Thanks for reading, and I hope you guys enjoyed. Gonna head home tomorrow, and there are some waves coming, so I'm going to get in the water and get a little different scenery, because I know at least I'm better at surfing than pickleball after this weekend!

Saturday, November 8th, 2025

1:53 p.m.

The US Open Thunder Squad has been taken out in the ninth place draw. We had some hot, long, interesting days out here in Mesa, but we will be ready for the next one. We're playing in Fort Lauderdale, I got my boy Benny Bombs here next to me right now, we always have a blast playing on court. Just feel like our strengths weren't there today and that was our weakness. But you know, I think our strengths will probably be hitting the local cantina tonight, couple margaritas, we'll got a couple tequila shots. I love sharing the court with him. It's just good energy. This guy, he moves like a freaking gazelle, the guy bounces around like a Mexican jumping bean. But honestly, though, in our second round, what he had 10 ernes?

We'll be moving on back home to Florida, hopefully catch our flight, there are a lot of cancelations. APP Mesa Open, not the best for me, but it's always fun, you know, I'm not working a nine to five, I'm just hitting a plastic ball, having a good time. I will see you guys at the APP event in Fort Lauderdale next month, hopefully still with some cheetah hair!

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11:49 a.m.

Round two was a tough three-set loss. We played Kyle and Casey, they played well. We played well, I think we just had a couple opportunities missed, couple sitters, couple dinks missed. Against good teams we definitely can't give balls away, that's free points. The sides were actually pretty tough. They went up like 6-0 in the third against us, and then we brought it back to something close. They got the end of it. I was playing next to my wife, and she won so she's in the quarters. So good job, Glauka!

So moving on to the ninth place draw. Got a grind in the ninth place draw, but we just got to keep improving. Always a good time playing with Benny. Looking for a long day in the ninth place draw. I've heard there's actually a lot of teams in the ninth place draw now, Will Howells and Jack Munro, Richard and Tanner, a couple of the top seeds are there, so it'll be a dog fight and good practice. Excited!

9:36 a.m.

First round, got the W with Benny Bombs! It was a tough first team. Benny and I like to play pretty fast, and they were playing pretty slow. So we kind of had to switch it up. Their hands were good, so we had to slow it down. First set was tough, 11-8, and then the second set we started grooving together and feeling the vibes. It's always fun playing with Benny, he's just full send the whole time. He rips a serve, rips a third, the fifth, the seventh, the ninth, the eleventh - until it maybe hits the net or goes 10 feet out, he's just going to rip it, so it's a blast playing with him. Not sure who we play second round, but we're feeling good and excited to keep running it.

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8:48 a.m.

Day three here at the APP Mesa Open. Last night, we all passed out. Long day, tough day, I think we were all drained, mentally and physically. Excited to play today. I'm playing with Benny 'Bombs' (Newell). We played earlier in the year at the US Open where we got fourth. Very fun, chaotic team, so a lot of action to be watched out here. So yeah, super excited to get out there with him first round. I think we have a local team, don't know too much about them, so just gotta go out there play our game, have fun and live through the moment.

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Friday, November 7th, 2025

2:53 p.m.

The first ninth place draw match was not the best. We lost that one, I think it was like 10-15, just tough conditions today. It just felt different. When you come out to Arizona - it's one of the tournaments I definitely come out to and take a couple more days to prepare. The ball moves a little differently, the sun, it's dry, the heat hits you differently. Definitely not a great day today for me, but it's all good.

I'm playing with Benny Bombs tomorrow! We did great at the US Open. The guy will drive a hundred balls before he gets to the net! So it's always fun, a little chaotic. I'm excited for that tomorrow. We'll be here sometime early in the morning, probably between eight and 10. We just have to shift gears and move on and drop everything today and tomorrow's a new day.

Update on Glauka and me: we had to do a little photo shoot, so that was good. We took a video of each other saying we love pickleball. Maybe we should have said, "I love you," "you love me." It's tough playing your significant other on the court, you you just got to get through it. We're all out here for the same reason, and at the end of the day, you know, hopefully I go home in one piece. Today's a great day and hopefully I drive home, not walk home.

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11:28 a.m.

In the second round we played Ronan and Kat, they played well. We played horribly, so not a good combination. If someone's playing really well, you have to at least be playing well. It was pretty tough, I think our warm up was longer than the actual match. We got annihilated.

Now on to the ninth place draw. Hopefully we can get some more wins and get that ninth place. We just have to regroup. They played well. We played terrible, but good job to them. They're in the quarters right now. It's getting hotter, the ball is getting a little slower, so probably time to change the game plan.

10:41 a.m.

Mixed day round one...tough match. We played Kevin Dong and actually Glauka, my wife. They gave us a good run for our money. In the first one, I think we were tied at seven for like 15 minutes. Emily and I found some spots and got to 11. Second set was great. We kind of got a little more rhythm and started playing a little more aggressive, how we usually play, and we pulled it out. It's always hard playing against your wife, but you know, we're playing at the pro level, so you just got to go out there and do your job. Now we have Ronan and Kat - they took out PK and Daria - so we're looking forward to the next round. We're gonna get tuned up and ready to go. Should be going on soon, and excited to keep running it with Emily!

9:18 a.m.

Day two here at the APP Mesa Open! We've got mixed today, I'm playing with Emily. Super excited for that first round. I'm actually playing my wife, Glauka, so this will be fun. We've played a couple times, so when I have her in front of me, I think the first couple times it was a little interesting. I didn't want to be like, crazy mean, but at the same time, her guy's gonna be mean to my girl. This is a matchup for the ages here - it's not even like a medal here, it's more of like, who's sleeping on the couch, who's sleeping on the floor tonight? Are we even gonna be hitting lunch and dinner together today? But no, it's exciting. We didn't even ride together today. We rode in separate cars, so the vibes are strong right now. But yeah, Emily and I are feeling good. We had a good dinner last night, all of us before we found out we were going against each other. So this is good.

One of the pro surfers on the tour right now, Cole Houshmand, he commented on one of my hair posts from the APP, so that was that was super sick. So shoutout to Cole he's killing it on tour. That's pretty rad. So, yeah, ready to go!

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Thursday, November 6th, 2025

7:25 p.m.

Just finished dinner!

After losing in the quarters I went to train with Emily for a little after she got finished in the bronze medal match. Unfortunately she got fourth, but watching her play was good, so I'm excited to get it going and run with it tomorrow. We got some good practice games in today and we all just went to go eat some Mexican food. Had some good fajitas, a couple tequila shots, margaritas - we're feeling it! We're tuned up, we're ready to get this party going tomorrow. Cheetah Lane full cheetah outfit coming tomorrow!

10:44 a.m.

Didn't play my best, Ronan played well. I missed a lot of returns. I don't know if it was the conditions that changed - there is a little bit of wind and it did heat up a little more - but I think it probably goes slower. I just couldn't put a return in and I'm definitely not gonna win a match like that in rally scoring. But yeah, another quarters!

I have mixed tomorrow, playing with really good friend of mine, Emily. Super excited. One of the last times we played was Delray Beach and we got to the quarters so I'm excited to run it back with her. Always super fun being on court with her. I'm really looking forward to tomorrow, so hopefully she's looking forward to it too.

For tonight, I ate some pasta last night, so maybe I'll go back there and eat some pasta. Maybe we'll change it up, we are in Arizona so maybe we'll go to a little Mexican place or something, and probably have some good Mexican food. Maybe I'll call up Emily. We'll get some good team chemistry over some guacamole and chips, maybe a couple margaritas before we play tomorrow, to get a little tuned up, loosened up. So yeah, you know, couple tequila shots for tonight, and we'll be ready to go in the morning.

(Emily was next to me this whole time!) 

9:38 a.m.

Second round, I played Elliott Schupp, good APP Next kid, another lefty, which was fun. I already had the reps from earlier, from Kento. So I found the patterns, he gave me a run for my money in that second one but I got the job done. Excited to move on to the quarters. I got Ronan, and unfortunately, he's got my got my number on that one, so hopefully I can change it! Shoot, the way I'm feeling today, maybe make me a little faster and give me that win that I've been looking for!

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8:41 a.m.

Round one, done. Feeling really good, actually, that was probably one of the best matches I played the last couple tournaments. Feeling good now, waiting on Max (Purple Jesus) or Elliott Schupp. Purple Jesus, shoot. I've played Purple Jesus probably at least 10-12 times this year. I mean, if they're not doing a "30 for 30" on us by the end of the year, I don't know what to say. Love the guy to death. Good competitor, good guy. We always pretty much go three sets. He probably wants to go two. I probably want to go two, but I guess we make it three just to get the people what they asked for. And then Schupp, I don't know, I've seen him in the qualities, but he's in three right now with Max and battling. But you know, I wouldn't mind playing him. I just played a lefty, so kind of same patterns will be working for me. But yeah, I'm excited. I'm feeling good and feeling pretty fast, actually!

7:55 a.m.

Hey guys, Brandon lane here! We just arrived in Mesa, Arizona. Well, I arrived on Monday. This is definitely one of the tournaments I come to a little earlier, just because the air is a little thinner, harder to breathe with all the dust going in your lungs. But you know, you can't get enough of the nice Arizona sunsets, so that's good. I always come out here early too. I dye my hair every year. This year I went with cheetah print! We'll definitely make sure we have some good photos of that.

One of my best friends lives out here, and like I said, before, it's good to come out and play a couple games, get a couple of days of practice before the match starts. Way different conditions in Florida. I'm used to hot, heavy, humid, sluggish, sweaty conditions. So this is a little faster, but I got the cheetah on my head today, so I'll be even quicker than what we're used for.

We have a huge Airbnb here. They actually have Galaga! Galaga, the old arcade game - I've been playing a lot of Galaga at night, just kind of preparing myself, like, you know, dodging bullets. Then also they have - what's it called - Space Invaders! So been playing a lot of arcade games the last couple days. So trying to get my reaction and my hands ready.

Singles today. Everyone's good now. I get to play Kento, a good buddy of mine, in the first round, and he's a lefty, so I have to kind of change my game plan. I'm used to playing righties and going to the backhand, now I have to go to the other side. I just practiced hitting those other shots today, but yeah, gonna go out there, give it my all, and hopefully we'll be talking about second round here in a little bit!