Johns and Waters back to their winning ways

After a day like we’ve never seen before on the PPA Tour, things got back to normal on Friday at the Takeya Showcase.

Ben Johns and Anna Leigh Waters won convincingly, and the balance of power hasn’t shifted quite yet. The pair are back in another final.

Thursday was wild. Johns lost a second-round singles matchup to Yates Johnson and didn’t get to the medal stand. Meanwhile, Waters, who was unbeaten since March, lost in a quarterfinal match-up to Tyra Black and also didn’t get to the medal stand.

Friday was different because it was back to the same.

Waters and Johns cruised to the final, didn’t drop a single game, and will face Jorja and J.W. Johnson on Championship Sunday.

The No. 1 seed has won six mixed doubles titles in a row and has gone gold 10 times in 2023.

“People talk about pressure, but pressure is a privilege and you never want to lose,” Johns said. “Having the pressure to win may seem like a lot, but that’s the position I want to be in. That’s what I never want to take for granted.”

There’s no doubt a lot of people take for granted the impressive run Johns and Waters have been on. Individually, and as a team, the two have been the best players on the court for all of the past two years.

That’s why Thursday was so shocking, and that, as well as Waters’ reaction to her loss, as if to say, “no more pressure,” had the pickleball world buzzing. Social media was full of takes – both hot and cold – speculating all sorts of things.

On the last rally of the match against Black, which Waters hit out, Waters ran to the net with her hands over her head in what looked to be semi-celebration. She quickly tapped paddles with Black and sprinted off the court. 

Waters was not available for comment but did post to Twitter, talking about emotions and how she is working to grow. Check out the post here. Waters’ mother also posted to Instagram in support of her daughter.

Johns also supported Waters after Friday’s matches wrapped up.

“AL is the ideal partner,” he said. “We were going in with full confidence, despite a loss yesterday.”

Johnson and Johnson have not played Johns and Waters in a final. The Johnson siblings have a gold, silver, and bronze this season. They last won gold together in April at the Newport Beach Shootout. 

James Ignatowich and Anna Bright, who were runner-up last week to Johns and Waters, earned third place Friday. They beat Lindsey and Riley Newman, 11-6, 11-4 for the bronze.