The second PPA tournament of the season is underway in Mesa, Arizona, and Team Selkirk is making its mark through the round of 32 and round of 16.
Kunimoto dominates in two divisions
Kiora Kunimoto has been a rising star in singles since she signed with the tour, but her doubles prowess has been on full display in Mesa. Teaming up with recently signed Elliott Schupp, the pair pulled off two major upsets: an 11-6, 11-2 win over Etta Tuionetoa and Will Howells, followed by an 11-8, 11-7 victory over No. 9 seeds Kaitlyn Christian and Connor Garnett.Kunimoto and Schupp have clear chemistry and are coming off a gold-medal win at the PPA Challenger in Atlanta. They’ll look to continue their momentum in the round of 16 against John Lucian Goins and Meghan Dizon.
In singles, Kunimoto had a closer battle against rising junior Kelly Goodnow. After taking the first game 11-5 and dropping the second 3-11, Kunimoto closed it out with a statement 11-0 performance in the third. She’ll play No. 18 Victoria Dimuzio in the next round.
Sock rolls through men’s doubles
Jack Sock paired up with Augie Ge in men’s doubles this week, leveraging home-turf advantage. The round of 64 started off a bit shaky for Sock and Ge against newly signed juniors Francis Chi and Maverick Messenger. After narrowly dropping the first game 12-14, Sock and Ge bounced back with a more focused strategy to close out the match 11-4, 11-7.
Sock and Ge then swept Anouar Braham and Luca Mack 11-5, 11-4. They will face No. 10 seeds Jaume Martinez-Vich and Chris Haworth in the round of 16.
Lenhard advances to face No. 1 Haworth
Sparta Pro Rafa Lenhard earned a hard-fought win yesterday over Tyson McGuffin in three games. After a slow start in game one, Lenhard found his rhythm, covering the court well and placing the ball with precision. Now, the No. 14 seed will go head-to-head with No. 1 Chris Haworth in what is sure to be a fast-paced match.
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