It was a wild and unpredictable day in Atlanta with some weather delays forcing some of the day's action indoors but the matches were completed and there is a lot to discuss so lets dive right in.
Men’s Singles: Ben Johns Survives Against Quang Duong
Quang Duong came out with his best stuff today on center court as he was ripping passing shots left and right past Johns late in game 3. The former #1 ranked singles player had a bewildered look on his face as there was simply nothing he could do but watch them go by. The tide turned at 6-10 in the 3rd though as Johns fought off a match point and came back from the late four point hole to secure the victory. He’ll face Tyson McGuffin for a spot in Sunday’s final. The other semifinal will feature Federico Staksrud and Christian Alshon.
Women’s Singles: Parris Todd Continues Strong Run
Parris Todd’s singles game continues to improve week after week as she backed up her win over a Catherine Parenteau with a three game win over Lina Padegimaite today. She’ll face Salome Devidze in the semifinals, an opponent she is extremely familiar with having faced her earlier this year. The top half of the draw features Anna Leigh Waters and Lea Jansen who both advanced in straight games.
Mixed Doubles: Sock/Parenteau Fall to Waters/Johns
Jack Sock and Catherine Parenteau were a point away from sending their match vs Ben Johns and Anna Leigh Waters to three games but fell short as the #1 seeds clamped down on defense to win game 2 12-10. On the bottom half of the draw, Rachel Rohrabacher and Federico Staksrud upset Thomas Wilson and Vivienne David in three games. They’ll face James Ignatowich and Anna Bright tomorrow for the right to play for gold. Ignatowich and Rohrabacher are coming off a strong week together as teammates in MLP which makes this match even more intriguing.
Women’s Doubles: Jade Kawamoto Puts on Defensive Clinic
Jade Kawamoto and Andrea Koop put on a defensive clinic in their upset win over Anna Bright and Rachel Rohrabacher, fending off a match point in game 2 to send the match to a deciding game 3. Kawamoto defended every attack thrown her way and it got her and Koop over the finish line. It opens up the bottom half of the draw as they’ll face Callie Smith and Lea Jansen for a spot in the finals.
Men’s Doubles: Frazier & Johnson Bounce Back
Dylan Frazier and JW Johnson lost a tough game 1 to Connor Garnett and Christian Alshon 13-11 but went right back to work in games 2 and 3 to win the match rather comfortably. They’ll face Tyson McGuffin and Dekel Bar, a rematch from the semifinals at the Red Rock Open just last month. The other semifinal will be the Johns brothers vs Federico Staksrud and Matt Wright.
On the Horizon
Catch all the semifinals action on PickleballTV beginning at 11AM EST. The day will begin with singles and end with gender doubles. For updates on the order of play make sure to follow on the PPA Tour on all social media platforms.
