The Atlanta Pickleball Championships — the second PPA Slam event of the season — kicked off today in Peachtree Corners, GA, featuring a new ball in play, surprising upsets, and thrilling pickleball action. Here’s a look at some of Team Selkirk’s results heading into tomorrow’s round of 32 across all divisions.
Stratman sets up clash with the No. 1
Lauren Stratman won her first-round match against Julia Ronney, 11-3, 11-3, setting up a head-to-head with world No. 1 Anna-Leigh Waters in the round of 32. Stratman will look to regain her form after a strong singles performance in 2024, when she captured silver at the LA Open.
“Emerging Pros” in full force
Team Selkirk’s Emerging Pros made a strong showing on the first day of play in Atlanta. Recently signed PPA pro Polina Libo defeated Martina Frantova in straight games, 11-3, 11-6. Libo will next face Salome Devidze in the round of 32.
International talent Ting Chieh Wei and her partner Yufei Long are new to the U.S. pickleball scene but are no strangers to success. After advancing through the qualifiers, the duo earned a main draw win over Pierina Imparato and Rachel Rettger in two games. Wei and Long will aim to continue their streak against the formidable team of Chao Yi Wang and Brooke Buckner.
Up next: the Catherine Parenteau x Rachel Rohrabacher debut
One of the biggest shakeups of the season occurred last month when the number one women’s doubles team—Anna-Leigh Waters and Catherine Parenteau—split, followed shortly by the breakup of the number two team, Rachel Rohrabacher and Anna Bright. Waters chose to pair with Bright for the remainder of the season, while Team Selkirk’s Parenteau and Rohrabacher will partner in the short term.
Parenteau and Rohrabacher have snagged the No. 1 seed, due to a 100-point lead over Bright and Waters. The new Selkirk duo will make their highly anticipated debut tomorrow, where they’ll face Hannah Blatt and Michelle Esquivel.
Ignatowich runs it back
James Ignatowich began his mixed doubles campaign today with partner Hurricane Tyra Black. The pair last played together at the Red Rock Open, where they took fourth place after defeating tough opponents like Rachel Rohrabacher / Hayden Patriquin and CJ Klinger / Mari Humberg. After breezing through the round of 64 today, Ignatowich and Black will take on Layne Sleeth and Tyler Loong tomorrow.
Ignatowich will also team up with Collin Johns in men’s doubles, playing their first match of the tournament tomorrow against Yuta Funemizu and Craig Johnson. The duo has partnered twice before, going 1-1 at the Texas Open in March. In 2023, they reached the semifinals at the Indoor National Championships.
Be sure to tune in on PickleballTV to catch all the action from Atlanta!
