Day 2 of the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) Tour Atlanta Open was a thrilling spectacle, as mixed doubles teams demonstrated their skills and strategies in a series of nail-biting matches.
The first mixed doubles team to clinch a Championship Sunday appearance were the top-seeded Anna Leigh Waters & Ben Johns. The pair displayed their prowess and tactical acumen throughout the day. Their track record for the day stood undefeated at 4-0, and their form was so commanding that they did not concede a single game to 11 throughout the day's play.
The duo combined raw power with intelligent shot selection to outwit and outplay their opponents. Their dominance was on full display during their semi-finals match against the formidable twelfth seeded team, Callie Smith & Dylan Frazier (opens in a new tab, Learn more about Dylan Frazier, professional pickleball player at selkirk.com). Smith & Frazier, despite their impressive stylistic combination that has made waves at recent PPA tournaments, could not break through the defenses of Waters & Johns. The top seed emerged as the undeniable victors, putting their skill and experience on full display as they took down their opponents convincingly 11-2, 11-2.
On the other side of the bracket, the sixth-seeded duo of Parris Todd & Riley Newman presented an equally exciting performance. Parris Todd is coming off of a short layoff from the PPA Tour, and returned with a bang by going undefeated, especially after the recent launch of her signature SLK Halo paddle. The two have only played one previous tournament together, yet their chemistry and coordination on court have already shown significant improvement. They went undefeated with a 4-0 record today, displaying their resolve and competitive spirit in a pair of thrilling three-set games.
A second-round match against Lima Padegimaite & Rafa Hewett saw them put to the test. The 22nd seed duo came out swinging, setting off intense volley exchanges and forcing Todd & Newman to ramp up their defensive strategies. But Todd & Newman displayed their tenacity, clinching a hard-fought victory with a scoreline of 11-7, 8-11, 11-9.
Their momentum continued against Mary Brascia & Federico Staksrud in the quarterfinals, setting them up for another three-set face-off in the semis. Their opponents, Catherine Parenteau & Tyson McGuffin, put up a fight, taking the first game 11-8. But the resilient Todd & Newman upped their game, responding with stunning victories in the next two games with scores of 11-5, 11-1. Their comeback performance solidified their place in the Championship match on Sunday.
Catherine Parenteau & Tyson McGuffin will face Callie Smith & Dylan Frazier for the bronze medal later this weekend. Following this, the Championship Sunday matchup between the top-seeded Waters & Johns and the underdog team of Todd & Newman is sure to be an unmissable highlight of the tournament. Both pairs have shown remarkable performances thus far and we can't wait to see how the day unfolds. Could Todd and Newman, in a relatively new partnership, be the stylistic combination to topple Waters & Johns? The culmination of the Atlanta Open promises a grand showcase of Pickleball at its finest.
Fans won't want to miss a moment of the ongoing drama and skillful displays at the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) Tour Atlanta Open. Thankfully, they won't have to. All the exhilarating action is available to stream live on Amazon Prime Video, with livestream coverage beginning at 10am ET. The thrilling competition continues tomorrow with gender doubles day.
