Jesper Svensson Earns Redemption with PBA Playoffs Title
Jesper Svensson, one year after finishing runner-up in the PBA Playoffs, dethroned EJ Tackett to win the PBA Playoffs at Strobl Arena inside Thunderbowl Lanes in Allen Park, Mich.
Svnesson defeated the tournament’s top seed, 3-1, in the Race-to-Three championship match, marking the final FOX broadcast of the season.
The win marks back-to-back titles for Svensson, who also won the PBA Tournament of Champions last month. After earning his second career TOC victory, the Swede joins Tackett as the only multi-time winners this season.
“These last couple of months are probably some of the biggest achievements in my career,” Svensson said. “I felt pretty rough after the first month, and just got my s--- together. I never lost my heart and my fight. That’s what I really think was a big key to the finish of the season and to hit the jackpot.”
Svensson said he felt additional motivation to win the PBA Playoffs after finishing second to Boog Krol last year. He hoped to replicate his performance in the 2024 Storm Lucky Larsen Masters, in which he won the title in his home country a year after finishing second in the event.
While Svensson lept out to a 2-0 lead in the Race-to-Three championship match — which featured the 37-foot Bat oil pattern on the left lane and the 44-foot Hardwick pattern on the right lane — he only won the first two games by a total margin of 14 pins. Svensson prevailed 217-208 in Game 1, then closed Game 2 with four consecutive strikes to win 225-220.
“Timmy and I put a solid gameplan together throughout the practices we had here,” said Svensson, referring to Storm tour rep Tim Mack. “I trust Timmy with everything. He could tell me to do any crazy thing he wants, and I would trust it with my heart and my gut.”
Tackett extended the match with eight strikes in his last nine shots of Game 3, prevailing 246-216.
In Game 4, with Tackett hoping to force a ninth- and 10th-frame roll-off, Tackett and Svensson combined for 11 strikes through seven frames with Svensson holding a narrow advantage.
Tackett ceded control of the match with spares in his eighth and ninth frames. Those spares allowed Svensson to convert a pair of single-pins to clinch the match and punctuate the title with a strike.
The moment Svensson captured the PBA Playoffs title.
Tackett earned the top seed for the PBA Playoffs, which featured the top 12 players in the tour’s competition points. In fact, Tackett earned more points (34,690) than second place Andrew Anderson (18,120) and third place Jason Belmonte (15,365) combined.
Tackett earned a bye to the quarterfinals, then defeated Anthony Simonsen and Graham Fach to reach the championship match. All matches leading up to the championship were Race-to-Two matches.
Seeking to win his fifth title of his almost-assured third consecutive Player of the Year season, the 0-2 deficit proved to be too deep of a hole for Tackett to dig himself out.
“That’s bowling: One bad shot in a bad spot and one bad break in a time of need,” Tackett said. “Those two shots, if they go the other way, you know, I'm more than likely up 2-0. It sucks, but that’s the way it goes. I can't really hang my head. I felt like I bowled pretty good, and could have thrown a couple of shots better. At the end of the day, I felt like I bowled a good match, and Jesper just bowled better.”
Svensson, who qualified for the PBA Playoffs after ranking seventh in competition points this season, defeated Jakob Butturff, Andrew Anderson and Chris Via to advance to the championship match.
The Swede only averaged 206 during his previous six games in the PBA Playoffs. He shot just one game above 205, which was 248 in his semifinal-clinching game.
“I felt like I was close throughout the first couple of rounds and got a bit fortunate to make it through,” Svensson said. “I feel like as a professional bowler, when we get to bowl in the same environment, on the same lanes and patterns a few times, we're supposed to get better and better. And I feel like I definitely did that.”
Tackett — along with Anthony Simonsen, Jason Belmonte, Bill O’Neill, Kyle Troup, Anderson and Fach — will return to PBA action June 7-8 for the PBA Tour Finals. More information is available here.
Championship Match Scores
No. 7 Jesper Svensson def. No. 1 EJ Tackett, 3-1
Game 1: Svensson def. Tackett, 217-208
Game 2: Svensson def. Tackett, 225-220
Game 3: Tackett def. Svensson, 246-216
Game 4: Svensson def. Tackett, 246-226
Final Standings
- Jesper Svensson, $100,000
- EJ Tackett, $50,000
- Graham Fach, $30,000
- Chris Via, $30,000
- Andrew Anderson, $15,000
- Jason Belmonte, $15,000
- Anthony Simonsen, $15,000
- Kyle Troup, $15,000
- Tim Foy Jr., $7,500
- Ethan Fiore, $7,500
- Jakob Butturff, $7,500
- Ryan Barnes, $7,500
Previous PBA Playoffs Stories
Tackett, Svensson to Duel for PBA Playoffs Championship
Tackett, Fach, Via, Svensson Pursue PBA Playoffs Title
Svensson, Via Win Again to Advance to Semifinals
Tackett, Fach Advance to Semifinals
Top Eight of PBA Playoffs Filled by Svensson and Via