It was a powerhouse lineup of names today in Palm Desert. With five events and a chance to reach the final 8 on the line the pros did not disappoint as we saw not only some great pickleball but also some exciting upsets. Let’s start with men's singles and work are way through each of the five draws
Sock Battles Back
We saw glimpses of what Jack Sock could do on the singles court in North Carolina last May but he showed us another gear today as he took out one of the hottest names on tour in Connor Garnett in three games. His shot selection and decision making were flawless in games 2 and 3 as he battled back from a deficit to make his way into the quarterfinals.
In the top half of the draw Quang Duong secured the first win of his career over Ben Johns. Quang used his serve to pressure Johns and force him into short returns and it paid off in the big moments. He'll face the southpaw Pablo Tellez for a spot in Saturday's semifinal.
Parenteau Sets up Showdown with Todd
Catherine Parenteau had to fight her way to a three-game victory over up and comer Christine Maddox whose size and length posed problems in game 2 but Parenteau is one of the best problem solvers on tour and she found a way in game 3 to secure a date with Parris Todd on Friday. Todd did not compete in a PPA singles event last season so this will be a fun matchup for pro pickleball fans everywhere. Make sure to tune in.
In the top half of the draw it was chalk across the board as Anna Leigh Waters will face Lina Padegimaite in one QF and Lea Jansen will face Judit Castillo in the other.
Sock/Parenteau Into the QFs
We are starting to see why the Jack Sock/Catherine Parenteau partnership made so much sense on paper. Jack’s aggressive style paired with Parenteau’s defense and their ability to switch gears at any moment is a headache for just about any opponent. In their match versus Travis Rettenmaier and Lacy Schneemann it was clicking from start to finish as they lost just six total points. Tomorrow they will face Anna Bright and James Ignatowich. Get your popcorn ready.
A few other mixed upsets today on the grounds today were Federico Staksrud/Rachel Rohrabacher taking out the Johnson siblings 10 & 9. Also, Julian Arnold/Lauren Stratman beat veterans Matt Wright/Lucy Kovalova in three games.
Top Eight Men’s Seeds Advance
The top eight seeds in men’s doubles all advanced today. McGuffin/Bar were pushed to three games by Arizona natives Augusus Ge and Craig Johnson. Jack Sock and Collin Shick gave Newman/Wilson a solid test in game 1 but the #4 seeds were just too good in the end as they closed out the match 11-1 in game 2. A few matches to keep an eye out for tomorrow will be Ignatowich/Wright vs Staksrud/Tellez and Newman/Wilson vs Arnold/Alshon.
Kawamoto’s Prevail in Sister-Sister Matchup
The Brascia sisters gave the Kawamoto sisters all they could handle late into the evening but Jackie Kawamoto really asserted herself down the stretch to close out the match for the twins. They will face the dangerous Etta Wright/Meghan Dizon. The winner of that will get the winner of Waters/Parenteau vs Jansen/Tyra Black.
On the bottom half the team to beat looks to be Anna Bright/Rachel Rohrabacher but they will have to get through Stratman/Jones and either Pisnik/Johnson or Smith/Kovalova if they want a shot at a gold medal on Sunday.
