No Joke: Ignatowich’s and Wright’s Paddles Are Good to Go

There’s no question, James Ignatowich likes to joke around.

You’ve seen him treat interviews like it’s Open Mic Night at the Laugh Factory, so when Federico Staksrud challenged his paddle Friday at the Texas Open, Ignatowich thought it was a prank.

“My initial thought was he was joking, because I was under the impression pros can tell pretty quickly when a paddle is delaminated because it sounds so different,” Ignatowich said.

Turns out, it wasn’t a prank or a joke or anything, and it turns out Staksrud as well as Lauren Stratman, who challenged Matt Wright’s paddle in a match Friday, were serious.

Well, no joke. Both Wright’s and Ignatowich’s paddles both passed on-site testing and both Staksrud and Stratman will be fined $250 each. 

So, naturally, Ignatowich turned the situation into his own comedy routine, tweeting “I bagged Federico several times (he’s my favorite player to bag. He told the refs I was hitting too hard and it was scary. No hard feelings. Federico is a good kid. If I were him I would be scared of me too.”

Staksrud challenged Ignatowich’s paddle in the bronze medal match. Ignatowich and partner Anna Bright went on to win, 11-4, 11-8 over Staksrud and Megan Sheehan-Dizon.

Oh, and the “bit” continued for Ignatowich as he took a shot at paddle manufacturer Joola. Ignatowich is sponsored by Selkirk.

“For people like Federico or anyone with a Joola (paddle), it’s tough to relate the power I am able to impart on the ball,” Ignatowich said. “It’s not easy. Someone like Fed, he’s never hit the ball as hard as I hit the ball. He’s having a tough time comprehending that level of power.”

Meanwhile, Wright’s paddle was challenged by Stratman in a second-round match Friday. Neither he nor his partner Lucy Kovalova were worried that the paddle would be found illegal.

“Lauren challenged the paddle at match point,” Kovalova said. “We knew it was legal, because we get it tested every morning. We were confident it would pass. I think it was just Lauren who wasn’t happy with how the match was going.”

Wright also had little concern.

“I was surprised she did it on match point,” he said. “I know they aren’t close to illegal. I felt comfortable and confident they were fine.”

And while the challenges both failed, Ignatowich and Kovalova both agreed it’s important for players to be able to call into question an opponent’s paddle.

“He’s a good friend of mind,” Ignatowich said of Staksrud. “I think he’s a great guy, and I don’t have any hard feelings toward him. I’m really glad the PPA is cracking down on delamination. I want to thank him for challenging (the paddle) and having it pass, dispels any rumors.”

Kovalova didn’t mind the challenge either.

“Everyone has the right to challenge a paddle,” Kovalova said. “I have done it. We get ours tested so we have a clear mind and compete with a clear conscience that our paddle is legal.”