The Selkirk Kansas City Open came to a close today and the matches did not disappoint as all five finals were not only entertaining but unpredictable. Let’s take a look at who walked away with a gold medal.
Women’s Singles Championship: Brooke Buckner outlasts Kate Fahey
The power from the back of the court from Brooke Buckner looked like it was going to decide this match either way. Buckner was on early, dictating most of the action and she secured game 1. In game 2, it turned and she made too many unforced errors giving Fahey the opportunity to pull even. In game 3 Buckner was able to right the ship and get back on track to close the door and earn her first title of the year.
Men’s Doubles Championship: Staksrud & Tardio pull the upset
Gabe Tardio has broken out in a major way the past couple of months and is now regarded as one of the best right siders in the game. He played like it today as JW Johnson and Dylan Frazier never really found their footing in this match. What makes JW and Dylan so tough is that they get to the line and they don’t beat themselves. Today their unforced error count was uncharacteristically high and it allowed Staksrud and Tardio to take way less risk than opponents normally have to against Johnson/Frazier as they pulled off the win in straight games.
Mixed Doubles Championship: Johns & Waters pushed to the brink
Ben Johns and Anna Leigh Waters have not looked invincible the past couple of tournaments. The one team that has given them the most trouble is their opponents today, JW and Jorja Johnson. The Johnson siblings were up 10-5 in game 3 to take a 2 games to 1 lead but couldn’t close it out, losing 12-10. They bounced back to win game 4 but Johns and Waters responded with a big win in game 5. That's back to back close losses to Johns and Waters in back to back tournaments. It's the closest they have been to taking the top seeds down since early 2023.
Women’s Doubles Championship: Waters & Parenteau secure 9th gold
Waters and Parenteau did what they normally do, jump on teams early and apply as much forward pressure as they can so teams play on their heels. They play fast and a lot of times there is nothing teams can do to stop it. Schneemann and Kawamoto did their best to punch back but the #1 seeds were too strong as they won in straights and secured their 9th gold medal of the year.
Men’s Singles Championship: Garnett in three over McGuffin
The first two games of this match were over in about 15 minutes. Garnett came out and blanked McGuffin 11-0. McGuffin responded with an 11-2 victory in game 2. In game 3 Garnett was too strong at the kitchen line as McGuffin had a difficult time passing him and gaining any points on serve. McGuffin is a rhythm player who feeds off momentum and crowd energy and Garnett did a wonderful job of not allowing the crowd to get too involved in the deciding game.
On the Horizon
This was the first stop of four in a row for the PPA Tour. The Bristol Open will kick off next Thursday and a few key names will be back in the mix, one being James Ignatowich. Make sure to follow the PPA Tour on social media for updates on the schedule and draws.
