Gavin Manders and Benjamin Jones fell short in their quest to win a golden ticket at the APP New York City Pickleball Open, where more than 1,300 players competed.

Manders and Jones were among several Bermudians who took part in the event at the Billie Jean King Tennis Centre.

Danny Fox, the Pickleball Association Bermuda vice-president and his wife, Sarah, as well as Sue Chiappa, were the other participants from the island.

“I just came back from the APP tournament in New York, which was another great experience of getting out there and competing on the international stage,’’ said Manders.

“We missed out on the semi-finals by one point, we lost 19-17 in the game that goes to 15.

“It was a round robin, the team that we lost to ended up getting the silver medal, but it was such a good experience.

“In the mixed doubles, I had a rough going, my partner Maria Sarmiento was fighting through an injury, we just didn't have a shot.’’

Manders and Jones are trying to qualify for the USA Pickleball National Championships, to be held in Arizona from November 10 to 17.

Chiappa has already secured her spot after winning gold at the Chase APP Miami Pickleball Open in March.

“It was a golden ticket event, if anyone gets a gold, they automatically qualify for nationals,’’ Manders said.

“That’s what we’ve been working on, we got the silver in Miami, which actually puts us in a pretty good spot.

“What I found is that the gold medal-winners get automatic bids, and the silver medal-winners get the next bids to the nationals. It means we’re actually in a decent spot to still make nationals.”

Since it was only his second overseas tournament, Manders is more concerned about gaining more understanding of the sport.

“For us it’s really about getting exposure, getting out there, seeing all the other clubs and different countries and the players that are coming,’’ he said.

“Seeing the different game styles, tactics and strategy and bringing all that knowledge back, so that we can start to build a proper framework for everyone to raise the level of pickleball.

“Obviously we have a lot of play going on, we want to make sure that everyone is keeping up to the standards of what’s going on in the US and around the world.

“The competition is one thing and it’s great. We’re trying to accomplish something by making it to nationals out in the US, but at the end of the day the grand scheme of things to bring all this knowledge back.

The 21-year-old Jones relished another opportunity to compete overseas.

“I enjoyed my New York experience,’’ he said. “I would like to go to another tournament out there sometime again.

“When we went to Miami, we played indoors but in New York it was outside. This meant that there were some weather factors to deal with, a little bit of wind.

“Playing in different environments is good, getting that experience and variety, it helps me get better.

“Pickleball is still new to me, I’m just coming from 16 years of tennis experience. Transitioning over to a new sport now, a lot things do carry over, but I'm still young.

“It’s still fun for me to go out there and play pickleball, I feel like the sky is the limit for me.’’

Fox also shared the same sentiments as Manders. The PAB second in command spoke of the possibility of holding almost identical competitions on the island.

“As we continue to develop pickleball in Bermuda, we learn a lot from attending these events and make many contacts that assist us,’’ Fox said.

“Our hope is we will have larger contingents attending these events in the future and perhaps hosting a similar event on Island.”