Mixed doubles day got underway in Bristol, Tennessee today. Some weather issues forced play indoors for part of the day but most of the matches were completed. The semifinals will continue at 9AM EST tomorrow. Let’s breakdown who will play in the morning for a spot on Championship Sunday.
Mixed Doubles Semifinals #1: Top seeds make it through
Ben Johns and Anna Leigh Waters continued their winning today advancing over Federico Staksrud and Rachel Rohrabacher in a tough fought quarterfinal. Johns and Waters got out to a one game lead and were up big in game 2 before the underdogs made a run of their own to tie the game up at 8-8. However, the top seeds were able to close it out after a late timeout.
They’ll face Dekel Bar and Tina Pisnik who continue to deliver phenomenal mixed doubles results on the PPA Tour. It took Bar & Pisnik three games to get past Donald Young & Ewa Radzikowska in round 1 but from there it was smooth sailing as they beat Gabe Tardio and Hurricane Tyra Black 11-1, 11-1 to advance to the semifinals. Tardio/Black had beaten Daescu/Parenteau earlier in the day.
Mixed Doubles Semifinals #2: Kawamoto & Martinez Vich make a big run
Jaume Martinez Vich and Jackie Kawamoto is a brand-new partnership this week. They started their day out on center court and looked a bit shaky early vs Quang Duong and Alix Truong but finished strong to earn a round 1 victory in three games. They found their chemistry from there as they took down the Johnson siblings 12-10 in the 3rd and Hayden Patriquin/Jessie Irvine in three games. Their scrappiness and creativity from all parts of the court propelled them through a tough section of the draw.
They’ll face Anna Bright and Christian Alshon in the semifinals which is also a brand-new partnership. Bright & Alshon seemed to be working out some kinks in rounds 1 and 2 as they were pushed by Klinger/Walker and Navratil/Jones but hit their stride in the quarterfinals vs Jack Sock and Lea Jansen, winning 11-6, 11-4. It should be an interesting semifinal but look for Martinez Vich to be hyper aggressive early to keep Alshon and Bright off balance.
On the Horizon
After the mixed doubles semifinals conclude gender doubles will begin. Rachel Rohrabacher and Anna Bright are back together after some time off. Jack Sock will pair with his good friend Collin Shick while James Ignatowich will play with Andrei Daescu. It’s a jam-packed schedule so make sure to tune in bright and early on PickleballTV and the PPA’s YouTube Channel.
