A lot was on the line for Ben Johns on Sunday as he was not only going for another triple crown but he was also looking to secure his 100th PPA gold medal which is quite the milestone given that the tour has only been around since 2019. Standing in his way though were some of the top competitors in the game. Let’s take a look at how all five championship matches unfolded.
Women’s Doubles Championship: (1) Waters/Parenteau vs (6) Kawamoto/Kawamoto
Championship Sunday is more times than not best of 5 in doubles which makes Waters/Parenteau that much more difficult to beat but the twin sisters put up a heck of a fight. After a game 1 win by the #1 seeds 11-4, games 2 and 3 were much tighter but Waters/Parenteau were able to clinch the victory in three straight games. The firefights and court coverage from all four players made this match extremely entertaining and even saw the Kawamoto’s have game points in game 3 but Waters firepower coupled with Parenteau’s consistency was ultimately too much to handle.
Men’s Doubles Championship: (1) Johns/Johns vs (2) Frazier/Johnson
Frazier/Johnson got off to a slow start in this match and found themselves down 11-6, 11-6 after two games. However, they are a battle tested team and responded well by winning game 3 11-8. As we often see with this specific matchup there were a lot of extended rallies at the kitchen line but in the end, it was the Johns brothers that were able to successfully break down Frazier/Johnson winning game 4 11-8 to win gold.
Mixed Doubles Championship: (1) Johns/Waters vs (6) Wilson/David
Thomas Wilson and Vivienne David threw the first punch in this match as they gained an early 6-1 lead before Johns/Waters could settle in. Game 1 felt very important for the underdogs to get if they wanted a shot at pulling the upset. However, Johns/Waters secured game 1 12-10 and from there they were off and running as they won the next two games handily 11-4, 11-1.
Women’s Singles Championship: (1) Waters vs (2) Parenteau
Anna Leigh Waters came out in this singles match very focused and didn’t give Parenteau an inch as she took game 1 11-6, often dictating early in rallies and moving Parenteau all over the court. It was more of the same in game 2 as she sealed the victory 11-2 to earn another triple crown.
Men’s Singles Championship: (1) Ben Johns vs (2) Federico Staksrud
Arguably the best match of the day was the men’s singles final between two heavyweights. Staksrud had lost his previous four finals to Johns in 2023 but he look motivated to turn the tide as he won game 1 11-9. In game 2 Johns made some nice adjustments winning comfortably 11-2. In game 3 Johns pulled ahead 8-5 and it looked all but over but Staksrud dug deep and went on an 6-1 run on serve to close out the match 11-9.
On the Horizon
The next PPA tournament is scheduled in Las Vegas at the beginning of October so there are a few weeks off before action gets back underway. Follow the PPA’s social media to stay up to date with any relevant news as it relates to the pro tournament schedule.
