SINGAPORE – By day, Charles Yong serves in the police force. By night, the Singaporean works on his serves as he aims to become a force to be reckoned with on the pickleball court.

On April 12, the 19-year-old notched a personal milestone at Jurong Play Grounds, where he won the PickleSlam pro men’s category after coming from behind twice to beat Malaysia’s Timothy Foo 15-13 for the biggest title of his career.

In the process, he also earned a spot in the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) Asia 500 Singapore Open at the Sports Arina @ Expo from July 23 to 26. The US$70,000 (S$89,000) event is the first PPA Tour Asia tournament to be held in the Republic.

Yong, who got hooked on the sport only about three years ago after joining his dad for a session, attributed some self-talk for helping him seal a gritty comeback win after trailing 9-5 and 13-10 in the first-to-15 final.

“The match was very intense, and I knew that going into this match I had to play my best, because he’s a riding star from Malaysia,” said the full-time national serviceman, who has also won several local titles.

“He is also a very intense guy and aggressive… So I just calmed myself down and focused on the next point.

“I feel like self-talk really helps me, because it allows me to believe that I can win. It’s not just about swinging and hitting the ball.”

Yong had started brightly, surging into a 5-2 lead, but was unable to cope with aggressive play from Foo, who rattled off seven straight points to lead 9-5.

Talking to himself as he tried to calm his nerves, Yong then managed to level the scores at 10-10.

Foo, who was shouting and all riled up, pulled away again to lead 13-10 and looked set to beat the Singaporean on his home ground.

But Yong had the last laugh as he chalked up five points in a row to clinch the title and US$650 in prize money in the third edition of the PickleSlam, which became ...