The BioFreeze National Championships at Brookhaven Country Club came to a close today. Singles is often an afterthought in pro pickleball but today we saw some electric matches with plenty of highlight reel points from both the ladies and the men. Let’s dive into the action starting with the first match of the morning.
Men’s Singles Championship: JW Johnson Prevails
JW Johnson finished his men’s doubles semifinal at around 11pm CST last night and was first to go off around 8am CST this morning vs the very energetic and exuberant Jaume Martinez Vich. It was understandbly a slow start for Johnson as the underdog took the first game 11-6 but JW really found his top level in games 2 and 3. Even with a Franklin X-40 ball that plays much slower than the Onix Dura Fast 40 Johnson was clocking balls by the speedy Spaniard. Vich tried to mount a comeback down 9-1 in game 3 but Johnson shut the door to take gold. He breaks the Tyson McGuffin and Ben Johns run of singles golds at Nationals, a streak that started back in 2016.
Women’s Doubles Championship: Waters & Parenteau Remain Perfect
Anna Leigh Waters and Catherine Parenteau are unbeaten as a pair this year on the PPA Tour and they kept the streak alive as they knocked out the Brascia sisters in three games. Not many teams out there can win with both the soft game and fast game as it’s usually one or the other but that is what makes the Waters and Parenteau partnership so unstoppable. The Brascia sisters did their best to take it to the #1 seeds but ultimately fell short. Great run to the silver medal by those two as the #6 seeds.
Men’s Doubles Championship: Johns Brothers in Straights
The Johns brother’s vs Frazier/Johnson rivalry has heated up over the past few months with Frazier/Johnson beating them at the Takeya Showcase in LA and taking them to five games at the PPA Tour’s last stop in Las Vegas. Today was a different story though as Ben & Collin clinched the match in three straight games. Game 2 was extremely close and was the best chance for Frazier and Johnson to sink their teeth into the match but the 12-10 loss seemed to take some wind out of their sails. This won’t be the last time we’ll see these teams matched up on Sunday.
Mixed Doubles Championship: Johns & Waters Flawless
Johns & Waters went up against what has been their stiffest competition lately in Anna Bright and James Ignatowich but they simply put their foot on the gas early and did not let up until the match was over. It was an 11-6, 11-5, 11-3 victory for the #1 seeds as they proved to be the better team today.
Women’s Singles Championship: Parenteau & Waters Trade Blows
This was a heavyweight boxing match between two of the game’s best. Court coverage, shot making and pure athleticism was on full display for all three games. After Waters took game 1 11-6, Parenteau executed extremely well in game 2 to send the match to a deciding game 3. Game 3 was back and forth and tied up at 9-9 but it was Parenteau who edged in front. After losing a match point on her paddle Waters ran off the next three points on serve to win her 20th triple crown. Hats off to Catherine as she pushed Anna Leigh to the brink today and left it all out on the court.
