Weather was once again a factor today in Bristol but despite some short delays all five championship matches were completed. There were some interesting results across the board so let’s dive into what happened starting with men’s doubles.
Men’s Doubles Championship: Ranchers ride tall
MLP Texas Ranchers teammates Christian Alshon and Quang Duong finished their men’s doubles run in style today as they took out the Johns brothers in a stunner 11-7, 11-7, 12-10. The fast-paced style of play seemed to cause the Johns some confusion but the match was won at the kitchen line as Duong and Alshon won the majority of the hands battles and extended rallies. It is Duong’s first doubles medal on the PPA Tour.
Women’s Doubles Championship: Waters & Parenteau extend record to 103-1
Anna Bright and Rachel Rohrabacher played well today as they forced Catherine Parenteau and Anna Leigh Waters to beat them in long extended exchanges but the top team in the world didn’t give them an inch. The match was full of highlights and entertaining points but the top seeds were just too strong as they pulled away to win 11-6, 11-6, 11-4 to clinch their 10th title of the season.
Men’s Singles Championship: Johns continues dominance over Staksrud
Ben Johns has had Federico Staksrud’s number in men’s singles this year. Federico plays a similar to style to Ben’s and I think the more experienced Johns is comfortable in the matchup as he is undefeated against the current world #1 this year. It was a big moment for Johns who has taken some unexpected losses over the past couple of months.
Women’s Singles Championship: Buckner goes back-to-back
Weather forced the women’s singles championship indoors but the high quality pickleball continued as the match between Brooks Buckner and Kaitlyn Christian went the distance. The power of Buckner from the back of the court was the difference as she clinched back-to-back singles titles. It was a heartfelt moment for Buckner who had her kids in the stands watching.
Mixed Doubles Championship: Johns & Waters roll
Anna Bright and Christian Alshon struggled mightily against Anna Leigh Waters and Ben Johns accumulating only eight points across three games. Bright had trouble getting her team to the line and Waters had success using Alshon’s aggressive court positioning against him. Bright is scheduled to play with James Ignatowich next week in Utah.
On the Horizon
The 3rd tournament in three weeks kicks off in Utah next Thursday and will be played at the Picklr, the host site for MLP Salt Lake City just last month. Tune in on Thursday for singles action and make sure to follow the PPA Tour on social media for updates on the schedule and draws.
