Top Teams Clean House on Friday in Phoenix
| July 11, 2023
All of the top eight mixed doubles teams advanced to the quarterfinals, and all of the top four teams advanced to the semis. You’ll rarely see an upset-free day of pickleball like this one. There was also plenty of excitement from start to finish on Friday, and a must-see final has been set for Sunday!
Coming into the event, the major storyline remains the utter dominance displayed by No. 1 seeds Anna Leigh Waters and Ben Johns. Waters and Johns dropped just a single point in their first two matches on Friday (no typo there, one point!). Things abruptly changed in the quarterfinal during a tight match against the sibling team of Jorja and JW Johnson. JW’s quick hands led the Johnsons to a 9-5 lead in the second game, making fans sit up in their seats and start to question how the match would unravel.
The top seeds leveled up in answer to the challenge, and several amazing exchanges later, the game was knotted up at 10-10. Notably, Johns and Waters continued to look for the poach at this crucial juncture of the match – a high-risk high-reward strategy they had been implementing all day long. The pair completed a remarkable comeback and won the neck-and-neck match by a score of 11-8, 13-11.
Waters and Johns then faced a tricky pair in the semis, fourth-seeds Jessie Irvine/AJ Koller. Despite the talent and prowess Irvine/Koller bring to the court, Johns commandeered this match, and fans were treated to his sharpest performance of the day. The favorites cruised 11-1, 11-3.
“When we are all over the court, it benefits us a lot,” Johns said. “This semifinal was a display of maximum energy from us, and right now the triple crown is the goal.”
Second seeds Lucy Kovalova and Matt Wright had a much different day. After escaping a close encounter with No. 15 seeds James Ignatowich/Lindsey Newman in the round of 16, Kovalova and Wright were pitted against seventh-ranked Callie Smith/Jay Devilliers. Despite an inspired performance from the underdogs, Kovalova/Wright hung on through the ups and downs of the ferocious power displayed by team Smith/Devilliers. Kovalova/Wright managed to take advantage of their opponents mis-cues and played impeccable defense throughout. The final score was 7-11, 11-3, 11-7.
Kovalova/Wright’s semifinal was by far the closest match-up of the day and was quickly dubbed the match of the tournament. After falling behind 9-3 to Kovalova and Wright in the first game, third seeds Riley Newman/Anna Bright suddenly found their groove. Bright’s blistering power ignited a masterful comeback in the first game, but Kovalova and Wright stayed mentally tough. Kovalova saved a match point with a gutsy swinging volley and spearheaded a revenge comeback in the second game. After a battle of nerves between the teams in the final game, Matt Wright came in clutch by staying aggressive and taking every opportunity to speed up and take balls out of the air at the kitchen line. The second seeds finally won the thriller 10-12, 13-11, 11-9.
“We’re very happy right now, but that’s a heck of a team,” Wright said. “Lucy’s dinking in the last game was so good; I thought that was a good pattern for us. Just like Lucy, I am always fighting out there.”
To finish out the day, Newman/Bright and Koller/Irvine dropped down to play for bronze. The match was an incredibly close one with momentum swings on both sides and finished with Newman/Bright closing it out 11-5, 6-11, 11-7.
Both of the top two seeds have been playing some of their best pickleball, so expect a final on Sunday with some entertaining points! Tennis Channel and PPA TV are set to cover the action the rest of the weekend – don’t miss a minute!
