It was an exciting final day at the Veolia LA Open. All five championship matches left fans on the edge of their seats so let’s get into which players and teams were able to secure gold medals.
Women’s Singles Championship: Buckner Bests Stratman
Brooke Buckner and Lauren Stratman played a tight game 1 that could have gone either way but Buckner pulled it out 11-8 and she never looked back winning game 2 11-0. An incredible run for Stratman who looks to be playing with more confidence on the singles court.
Men’s Doubles Championship: Johns Brothers Survive in 5
Tyson McGuffin and Jaume Martinez Vich were big underdogs coming into today’s final but they played like they believed they could win from the first point. Martinez Vich was able to successfully attack Collin Johns while McGuffin’s defense in the mid court and selective offense from the kitchen kept the #1 seeds off balance for the entirety of the match. The Johns kept it clean in game 5 though and were able to walk away with the win.
Women’s Doubles Championship: Rohrabacher & Bright in Straights
The offensive firepower from the #1 seeds proved to be too much for Lacy Schneemann and Vivian Glozman today as they claimed their 4th gold medal of the season in women’s doubles. Rohrabacher continues to show her versatility from both sides of the court as her and Anna Bright mixed up the looks and kept the underdogs at bay winning 11-5, 11-5, 11-5.
Men’s Singles Championship: Garnett Gets Over the Hump
Connor Garnett has surrendered a couple of big leads to Federico Staksrud this year but today was a different story as he came from behind to win his first PPA gold medal. Garnett was flying around the court and creating highlight reel shots from all over with his signature two handed backhand. Expect these two to meet more than a few times as the 2024 season rolls on.
Mixed Doubles Championship: Wilson/David Pull the Upset
After getting out to healthy lead in game 1, Anna Bright and Ben Johns lost game 1 13-11 and they were never able to recover, losing the match in four games. The strike first attacks from Wilson gave the #1 seeds problems throughout but it was Vivienne David's aggression that dictated the tempo of the match. It’s the second gold medal of the season for Wilson and David but this one has to feel extra special as many of their previous losses have come at the hands of Ben Johns.
On the Horizon
The month of April will conclude in Utah as the PPA Red Rock Open begins on Thursday. Make sure to follow the PPA Tour on social media for the updates on the draws and the schedule.
