The PPA Pickleball Central Indoor Championships concluded today with five championship matches. It was a fun day of three best of five games doubles matches followed by two best of three singles matches. Let’s take a look at which players were able to lift the trophy starting with men’s doubles.
Men’s Doubles Championship: Alshon/Wilson Defeat Garnett/Loong
Christian Alshon and Thomas Wilson didn’t break away from their plan of speeding the ball up early and often as they jumped out to an early 11-2 lead but Garnett/Loong finally responded mid-way through the 2nd game as they stole it 12-10 to even the match up at one game apiece. However, Alshon//Wilson were able to bounce back and win a tight game 3 11-9 and that broke the match open as they sealed the victory with an 11-2 win in game 4. This may be a partnership we see moving forward the rest of the PPA season and if so it looks like they will be in serious contention each and every tournament they enter.
Women’s Doubles Championship: Rohrabacher & Bright Cruise to Straight Game Victory
Much like Alshon & Wilson, plan A for Rachel Rohrabacher and Anna Bright this week has been to grip it and rip it to try and earn cheap, quick points. In this match they never had to move away from that plan as Kovalova/Smith had no answers on how to slow them down. It was a relatively straightforward three game win for the #2 seeds as they captured their first title of the year together.
Mixed Doubles Championship: Wilson & David Continue Hot Streak in 2024
Thomas Wilson and Vivienne David have both elevated their mixed doubles games in 2024. They make it difficult on opponents to get to the kitchen line frequently as both possess the power and finesse to keep teams off balance. It’s a team that is difficult to get any sort of rhythm against and Staksrud/Rohrabacher found it difficult today as they lost 12-10, 11-6, 11-2. Nonetheless a great tournament for Rohrabacher/Staksrud and most certainly a tournament they can build on heading into Austin next week.
Men’s Singles Championship: Federico Staksrud Defeats Connor Garnett
Federico Staksrud and Connor Garnett are very familiar with each other’s games, having faced off in several PPAs the past few years, so this was a match that was always going to come down to execution in the big moments. Staksrud once again showed why he is a top two singles player in the world right now as he came back from a game deficit to defeat Garnett 4-11, 12-10, 11-2.
Women’s Singles Championship: Salome Devidze Squeaks Past Parris Todd
In a battle of the baseliners, it was Salome Devidze that was able to claim her first singles title of the year 12-10, 2-11, 11-9. If we learned anything this week it’s that Parris Todd fights until the very end as she was down early in several matches over the course of the tournament but didn’t give her opponents an inch and made them work for every single point.
On the Horizon
It’s a quick turnaround as PPA Austin kicks off in just four days. As always, we’ll be back with a recap of Thursday’s action as soon as the day’s action concludes. Make sure to follow the PPA Tour on social media for updates on the schedule and the draw release.
