Gavin Manders and Benjamin Jones warmed up for the Pickleball World Cup at the end of next month by clinching the men’s doubles at the Jamaica International Pickleball Open in Kingston.

The Bermudians defeated the pair of highly rated Canadian Ernesto Fajardo and Kobi Stiebel, from Jamaica, 11-7, 11-4 in the final at Pickle & Chill on Sunday.

Manders, who also reached the men’s singles semi-finals and the mixed doubles quarter-finals, was thrilled to achieve success at the same venue where he won two titles last December.

“From my perspective, our mission for going to Jamaica was accomplished,” the former Davis Cup player told The Royal Gazette.

“This is preparation for the World Cup. It’s also part of our competitive structure and long-term athletic development playing in regional events.

“Coming down to play the first international pickleball tournament in Jamaica, where they brought other professionals, was just a phenomenal experience for us.

“Having played before at Pickle & Chill, it feels like home when I play there. I’ve big support, crowds that come out to watch me really appreciate the level and the passion I show on the court.

“When other international players were coming down, I was definitely more of the home-crowd favourite. It really helps when you’re playing in hot weather.”

For Jones, it was a wonderful experience playing pickleball in Jamaica for the first time. The Bentley University final-year student pointed to the great understanding he has with his mentor for delivering the victory.

“It was my first time competing in Jamaica and the facility there was great,” the 22-year-old said.

“Out of the teams that played, we had the most chemistry because we’ve played the most together. Since we understand each other’s playing styles, I think that really worked for us.

“I’m more of a defensive player by nature and I like to orchestrate points. Gavin is more of the aggressive player, who picks our opportunities.

“Our opponents were a tricky pair, but because Kobi was a bit weaker than Ernesto, we were able to pick mostly on him. We stayed consistent enough to beat them without keeping Ernesto invested in the play.

“Personally, I think I played one of my best defensive games. Having the crowd supporting us gave us the energy to perform at our best.”

With the load of playing 12 matches at the two-day event taking its toll on Manders, he made the decision to forego his third-place singles play-off against American Django Chassang, to be at his best for the doubles final.

“Losing in the singles semi-finals was tough,” Manders said.

“But I lost to a professional, an 11-times champion from Canada. I had to put the ego aside and forfeit my bronze medal singles match.

“It was a matter of putting Benjamin and Bermuda first. The bronze medal match would have been a tough one against a 21-year-old who does this for a living.

“I had to put that aside and get myself ready. I was struggling with a little bit of tightness in my back and had to use the sports massage at the facility.

“Benjamin was able to help me in small areas when my legs couldn’t carry me and my back was a bit tight.

“It was a phenomenal win for us to bring home the gold. At my age, you don't take these things for granted because you don't know how many more years you have left playing at this level.”