STORYLINES FOR THE VIZZY HARD SELTZER ATLANTA OPEN PRESENTED BY ACRYTECH SPORTS SURFACES

Author: Dave Fleming | May 13, 2024

FIELD OF DREAMS: Everyone is back with a full field fighting for a major title.
A TON OF POINTS: 2,000 points go to the winner, the most available just 4 times per year.
A PERFECT 10: Can Federico Staksrud make his 10^th straight singles final in 2024?
MLP IMPACT: Some players excelled, others floundered, at MLP – what’s the PPA impact?
LET’S SEE HOW WE PROGRESS: One round of each discipline will be played each day, leading to Quarters Friday, Semis Saturday, Championship Sunday.

Event #10 of the year – one of 4 major titles and the second of ’24 – Masters was the 1st.
Big pickleball week at Life Time Peachtree Corners with PPA and MLP back to back.
Broadcast start times are 11am Eastern Wednesday through Sunday.
Coverage on PickleballTV (Prime Video, Roku Channel 229, Samsung TV Plus 1184, and many more).
Championship Sunday coverage includes a 2-hour block on FS1 from 2pm to 4pm Eastern.

Defending medalists: Waters, Mary Brascia, bronze not played
Anna Leigh Waters is back, looking for her 5^th title. She has not lost in singles in 2024.
2024 winners throughout the draw: Mary Brascia (3), Jansen (4), Castillo (5), Devidze (7), Buckner (8).
Bouchard (22) returns to try to make another run in singles.
WATCH OUT FOR: Catherine Parenteau (2) – will she secure her first gold of 2024?

Defending medalists: JW Johnson, Garnett, Kusmider
Ben Johns (2) is not the #1 seed for the first time in a PPA singles event he is participating in.
JW Johnson (6), the defending champion, is looking for his first singles medal in ’24.
Jack Sock (10) made his first PPA singles final in Red Rock – can he take the last step in the ATL?
WATCH OUT FOR: Federico Staksrud (1) is him – can he make 10 straight Sundays and put a stranglehold on the #1 ranking with a championship?

Defending medalists: Waters/Johns, Todd/Newman, Parenteau/McGuffin
AL Waters and Ben Johns are the top seed, back together, looking for crown # 5 on the season (#7 in mixed for Ben who won 2 titles with Etta Wright in April).
DEEEEEEEEEEP field, check out these seeds: Black/Frazier (11), Dizon/Daescu (13), Wright/Loong (14), Smith/Devilliers (15).
WATCH OUT FOR: Sock/Parenteau (12) – have not hit the podium in 2024. Will this be the week they reach their full potential?

Defending medalists: Bright/Waters, David/Johnson, Parenteau/Todd
AL and CP (1) are back, with a single loss on the docket in ’24, looking for title #5 on the campaign.
Bright and Rohrabacher (2) have played brilliantly in ’24, with 4 titles of their own and a victory over Waters and Parenteau.
Jorja Johnson and Mari Humberg are a very dangerous 12 seed.
WATCH OUT FOR: Lucy Kovalova and Parris Todd (6) – fun new pairing, but could face AL/CP in the quarterfinals.

Defending medalists: Johns/Johns, Newman/Wright, Frazier/Johnson
Break up, Part 1: Staksrud is paired with Wright as the 3 seed, as in not with Pablo.
Break up, Part 2: Tellez is paired with Ignatowich as the 4 seed, as in not with Federico.
Break up, Part 3: Tellez beat Staksrud in men’s doubles on Sunday at MLP (Ranchers vs. Squeeze).
WATCH OUT FOR: Giant killers Daescu and Tardio (8) could play the Johns brothers in the quarters (who they pickled in St. George and are 2-0 against in 2024).

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