Indian pickleball star Armaan Bhatia pulled off a major upset at the APP Tour in Cincinnati on Thursday to reach the final of the APP Vlasic Classic – Cincinnati.

The No. 1 Indian pickler, Bhatia dazzled on the big occasion as he took down top-seeded Chris Haworth 15-9, 15-4. He followed it up with stellar performances against Brandon Lane and Ammar Wazir to seal his place in the final.

Bhatia - who completed a treble at the PWR DUPR India Masters last year - will face second seed Grayson Goldin in the final on Sunday.

After arriving in the US for the first time in April 2024, this has been Bhatia’s best performance on American soil. The Indian pickler demonstrated his transformation into a mature senior professional.

For someone who had not played much pickleball outside of Mumbai until 2024, this was a remarkable feat. Last year, he won the men’s doubles titles at the PPA Australia Gold Coast, the Hong Kong Open, and the World Pickleball Championships in Bali, alongside Harsh Mehta. He also claimed two singles titles.

Ever since his clean sweep at the DUPR India Masters, Bhatia has shown immense potential in singles as well. He also underwent a week-long training stint in Austin, Texas, at The Lab - a pickleball facility founded by Ryan Dawidjan and Carlos Di Laura.

Bhatia trained with top pickleball professionals such as Zane Navratil, Michael Loyd, Dekel Bar, Jack Munro, Wyatt Stone, and John Cincola. His training was overseen by the coaching staff of the Texas Ranchers, a Major League Pickleball team.

Bhatia is now poised to taste his first major success at the international level when he takes on Goldin, who is ranked No. 2 on the APP World Rankings, in the final on Sunday.

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