After blustery and wet conditions led to some late finishes at the Texas Open last week, the PPA Tour heads to warm and sunny Sacramento, California, for the first time.
The Sacramento Open is looking very different from last week’s tournament in Fort Worth: the weather is bright, the high temperatures are in the three-digit range, and big partnership change-ups are happening in Northern California.
James pairs up with the World No. 1
Men’s doubles is where most of the partnership shifts are occurring. The most notable change comes due to Collin Johns' absence from the draw. Ben Johns will instead be playing with James Ignatowich, who had been regularly playing with Matt Wright and more recently, Federico Staksrud. James and Ben have a lot of potential together, with Ben being a strong left-sided player and James being excellent on the right. The pairing is likely to make a deep run with a solid chance to go for the gold. However, other strong contenders in the draw include Dylan Frazier and JW Johnson, who are looking for their fourth consecutive title.
Jack is back
Just a few days after the launch of his Signature Paddle, Jack Sock is back in action, this time with a new partner for men’s doubles. Sock has played with Collin Shick since the start of the season but will partner with Thomas Wilson in Sacramento. Wilson has consistently been a threat in doubles, and Sock has been improving his doubles game with every tournament. The duo will undoubtedly be an exciting team to watch.
Sock is also entering the tournament as the 7th seed in singles. He has consistently proven himself as a top contender in singles and has top 10 wins dating back to his first official tournament as a pro pickleball player: the Masters. Sock looks to have a manageable draw for the first few rounds but could face Federico Staksrud in the quarterfinals.
The Ball Bender
18-year-old rising star, Quang Duong, has quickly moved up the ranks in 2024. At the beginning of the season, Duong was part of Selkirk’s Emerging Pros Program and just recently signed onto the Selkirk Elite Pro roster. Duong has recorded two wins against the World No. 1 and earned a silver medal finish at the Houston Open in April. He will be the 6th seed in Sacramento and may face off against Emerging Pro Marshall Brown in the Round of 32.
The Power Duos
With her signature blue Power Air in hand, Catherine Parenteau continues to be a dominant force in the women's draws. Last week, Parenteau earned a bronze medal in singles and lifted the women's doubles trophy alongside World No. 1 Anna Leigh Waters in Fort Worth. The duo are amongst the favorites to win the title this week, but the No. 2 seeds Rachel Rohrabacher and Anna Bright are back in the mix, which could lead to an exciting and highly competitive final.
Tune In
The Sacramento Open kicks off Thursday, June 6! Tune in on the Selkirk app and PickleballTV to catch all of the action!
