Mixed Doubles has become one of the most competitive events in pro pickleball given the current depth in both the men’s and women’s game so it was no surprise we saw very close matches all day long. The margins at this level are slimmer than they have ever been which makes watching each and every round extremely enjoyable. Let’s dive into the action-packed day in Cincinnati.
Mixed Doubles Championship: (1) Ben Johns/Anna Leigh Waters vs (6) Vivienne David/Thomas Wilson
No surprise to see Ben Johns and Anna Leigh in their 12th final of the year together but this will be the first mixed final of the year for Thomas Wilson and Vivienne David. They do have two bronze medals to their name this year but both of them are finally healthy and playing well at the same time. It should be an interesting matchup on Sunday but let’s first see how they got there.
Johns/Waters faced an early test from the team of (17) Tellez/Jackie Kawamoto in the round of 16. After winning game 1 11-6 they dropped game 2 11-8 before rebounding to win game 3 11-7. In the QF they were also pushed by (8) Frazier/Smith winning game 2 12-10 to clinch their spot in the SF. Waiting for them was one of the best mixed teams out there in (4) Bright/Ignatowich. It was too much Johns/Waters as they won 11-6, 11-7 in what was a much closer than the score battle.
Wilson/David got stronger as the day went along which is usually the case as these draws unfold. After winning a three-game round 1 match vs (38) Klinger/Humberg they went on to defeat (11) Schneemann/Koller, (19) Black/Hewett and (2) Newman/Irvine all in two games. Wilson’s aggressive style coupled with David’s steadiness was the perfect blend as they played off each other extremely well.
Other Notable Performances
It was another impressive showing from Hurricane Tyra Black as she and partner Rafa Hewett took out (14) Young/Lindsey Newman & (2) Parenteau/McGuffin before bowing out to Wilson and David.
Bright/Ignatowich took home bronze for their 7th medal of the year together. Considering they started playing together in mid March that is quite the achievement.
On the Horizon
Gender doubles kicks off tomorrow morning at 10AM EST. Some teams to keep an eye on are Kawamoto/Kawamoto, McGuffin/Ignatowich and Stratman/Tyra Black. Catch all the matches on the PPA Tour’s YouTube Channel. It should be another exciting day!
