Another Triple Crown in Sight for Parenteau
| July 11, 2023
Not sure how Catherine Parenteau could have more confidence than she already has right now.
You tend to gain a bit when you win a singles title, a doubles title, and a mixed doubles crown in the same tournament.
But you gain a heck of a lot more when you win a match against a team that hasn’t lost together all season.
Not a bad run for Parenteau who is coming off a triple crown win in North Carolina and is on schedule to win another triple crown here in Atlanta – the PPA’s first Grand Slam of the season – at the Acrytech Open.
Parenteau will take on Anna Leigh Waters in the singles final Sunday, and after Friday’s mixed doubles win, she will play at least twice on Championship Sunday.
Teaming up with Riley Newman, Parenteau beat Ben Johns and Waters, 12-10, 11-5 and earned a spot in the mixed doubles final against Lucy Kovalova and Matt Wright.
“It feels amazing to be winning here today,” Parenteau said.
You can say that again!
Riley and Parenteau came back from down 10-7 in game one, held off a game point and then blasted past the second-seeded team in game two, scoring nine points in a row, erasing a 3-1 deficit. After the clinching point, the two had a quick hug and then went into the crowd for more than a few handfuls of high-5s.
That’s what you do when you make a second final in two days, and that’s what you do when you beat a team like Johns and Waters – a pairing who hadn’t lost all season.
“I’d love to go for another,” Parenteau said of a quest to win a second-consecutive triple crown.
We’ll see what she can do Saturday in Atlanta in the women’s doubles bracket, but chances are, with the streak she’s on, she and doubles partner Lea Jansen have to be considered the team to beat.
The victory over Johns and Waters sets up a rematch of the final from North Carolina against Wright and Kovalova. Parenteau and Newman won in Charlotte, N.C., in three games, 14-12, 11-9, 11-8.
“We had lunch together,” Riley said of his preparation with Parenteau. “We made some adjustments and we were in sync for both games. We were down 7-10 and it was a big hurdle to get over.”
Meanwhile, Wright and Kovalova didn’t have to overcome too many hurdles on the way to a finals showing.
The top-seeded duo played like it, not dropping a single game. The two beat No 12-seeded Lauren Stratman and Dylan Frazier in the semifinals, 11-2, 11-2.
“They made some mistakes early and that gave us some confidence,” Wright said. “Lucy is out there carrying me like always. It’s great to be playing Sunday.”
The No. 8-seeded team of Simone Jardim and Jw Johnson lost to Kovalova and Wright in the quarterfinals and then won three-consecutive matches, including beating Johns and Waters, 15-5. Johnson and Jardim then went on to beat Stratman and Frazier, 11-3, 11-4 and earned the bronze.
Saturday in Atlanta is men’s and women’s doubles. Check PPA Watch for all day live streaming. Championship Sunday will also be available for viewing on the same channels.
