Auckland, New Zealand played host to the explosive Round 2 of the 2025 Major League Pickleball Australia (MLPA) Tour from April 24–27, delivering four days of elite-level action, intense rivalries, and major leaderboard shifts. With the mid-season shuffle looming in June, every match in Auckland counted—and none more than those that led the Northern Crocs to a stunning comeback championship win.

Four Days of Fierce Competition

From the opening serve on Thursday, the energy was electric. The round-robin group stages brought upset wins, heroic performances, and razor-tight finishes, with the Mavericks topping the standings early on. Powerhouse franchises such as Gold Coast Glory, Sydney Smash, Eastern Rush, and New Zealand Hustle all surged, finishing group play neck-and-neck at the top.

But the knockout rounds were where legends were made.

Quarterfinal Results

Matchups

QF1: Glory (1) vs Aces (8) Glory def. Aces 3-1 – Led by Sarah Burr and Thaddea Lock, the Glory dominated the women’s and mixed divisions.

QF2: Rush (2) vs Breakers (7) Breakers def. Rush 3-1 – Brisbane Breakers overturned the odds with clutch play from George Wall and Wong Hong Kit.

QF3: Smash (3) vs Mavericks (6) Smash def. Mavericks 3-0 – A clean sweep with standout play from Connie Lee and Mitch Hargreaves.

QF4: Hustle (4) vs Crocs (5) Crocs def. Hustle 3-1 – Andie Dikosavljevic and Jamie Haas powered the Crocs past the home favourites.

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Semifinals Set the Stage

Semifinal 1: Crocs vs Glory
The Crocs delivered a commanding 3-1 win over the Gold Coast Glory. With Dikosavljevic and Haas in control, the Crocs cruised through every discipline, tallying 82 points to Glory’s 59.

Semifinal 2: Smash vs Breakers
Sydney Smash outlasted the red-hot Brisbane Breakers in a decisive 3-1 battle. Connie Lee and Bernadette Massih shined again, especially in mixed doubles with a dramatic 23–21 finish that sealed the match.

Grand Final: Crocs vs Smash – A Clash for the Ages

In a highly anticipated showdown between Northern Crocs and Sydney Smash, fireworks lit up the Auckland Centre Court.

• Smash struck first, taking Game 1 behind the ever-reliable Connie Lee and Massih combo.
• But the Crocs bit back hard, flipping momentum with relentless defensive stands and powerful shot-making from Stirling and Dikosavljevic.
• Game 4 was the decider, with the Crocs trailing mid-match before storming back for a 26–24 mixed doubles clincher.

Final Score: Northern Crocs 3 – Sydney Smash 1
The Crocs scored 85 total points to Smash’s 76, snatching victory with poise and grit. Prycen Haas was named MVP.

Updated Standings and MVP Race

The win propels Northern Crocs up the overall table, now firmly in the championship hunt. Sydney Smash, despite the loss, sits second on 26 points, with New Zealand Hustle and Eastern Rush close behind.

On the individual leaderboard:

• Andie Dikosavljevic remains atop the player standings.
• George Wall (B) and (Hustle) continue to rise.
• A special spotlight on Bee Massih, who dominated Auckland and now sits inside the top 10 after a breakout weekend.

Gold Coast Awaits

The MLPA heads to the Gold Coast for the event 3 from June 5–8. With the leaderboard tightening and teams peaking at just the right time, the championship race is wide open.

Don’t miss the drama. The MLPA is just getting started.

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Team and individual rankings can be found here.

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Relive the Championship Match plus plenty more at our YouTube Channel

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