The Association of Pickleball Professionals (APP) Tour completed its second tour event of the year this past weekend at the 2023 APP Daytona Beach Open.
Hosted at the beautiful Pictona at Holly Hill, the tournament saw many exciting matches featuring over 1,100 pro and amateur players from across the nation. The five-day event concluded yesterday with a remarkable Championship Sunday that was broadcast live on ESPN+.
The main stage events for the day started with Women’s Pro Singles. Parris Todd went up against Salome Devidze, and was able to claim victory after two back-to-back victories, 11-1 and 11-4.
Men’s Pro Singles followed Todd’s incredible performance, with Hunter Johnson and Yates Johnson going head-to-head to see which of the brothers could take home the gold.
The brothers put on quite the show, with Hunter winning game one 11-9 and Yates responding strongly in game two with a decisive 11-4 win.
This round of the sibling rivalry goes to Hunter Johnson! He keeps his quest for a Triple Crown alive. #APPFamily #APPTour #Pickleball #PickleballHighlights #Daytona #Florida pic.twitter.com/FtKhFw7aXz
— APP Tour (@OfficialAPPTour) February 12, 2023
Hunter applied pressure in game three, allowing him to come out on top, 11-8. Game four is where sparks continued to fly, as the brothers tied up at match point a couple times before Hunter was able to claim victory, 15-3.
Both Parris Todd and Hunter Johnson were able to claim their second gold medal in their respective pro’s singles categories. 2023 is shaping up to be a big year for the duo, who also team as Mixed Pro Doubles partners.
After the singles championship matches concluded, the Daytona Beach Open then moved into doubles. First up was the Women’s Pro Doubles bracket, featuring the championship matchup of Parris Todd and Simone Jardim versus Susannah Bar and Megan Fudge.
Fudge and Barr started strong with a game one win, 11-9. Todd and Jardim bounced back in game two with a dominant 11-2 victory, and then were able to take home the gold in game three, 11-7.
This marks the Jardim and Todd duo’s second-straight Women’s Pro Doubles title in the 2023 APP Tour.
Men’s Pro Doubles saw some equally exciting competition in the championship match of Andrei Daescu and Kyle Yates versus Hunter Johnson and Yates Johnson. The teams went back and forth, leading to a game 3 tiebreaker match.
Game 3 concluded 15-11, with Yates and Daescu claiming victory after a tough wrong receiver fault by the Johnson brothers. This is Yates and Daescu’s second Men’s Pro Doubles title, allowing them to continue their streak going into the next tour event at the APP San Diego Classic next month.
Andrei Daescu & Kyle Yates defend their Punta Gorda title and win Gold in Daytona! #APPFamily #APPTour #Pickleball #PickleballHighlights pic.twitter.com/xU4YiXlSgU
— APP Tour (@OfficialAPPTour) February 12, 2023
“We were just sticking to the game plan. Obviously these guys are so tough, there’s so much talent coming into the sport these days. I’ve been playing for a long time, and the sport’s just getting faster and faster.”
Kyle Yates on his victory in Men’s Pro Doubles
The final event of the APP Daytona Beach Open was in Mixed Pro Doubles. Bobbi Oshiro and Brendon Long teamed up to take on the reigning champs, Hunter Johnson and Parris Todd.
Todd and Johnson were the favorites going into this matchup following their gold medal performance together at the APP Punta Gorda Open. However, Oshiro and Long were able to claim victory in the game three match, 15-6.
The next stop on the 2023 APP Tour brings us to Spring Valley, CA for the APP San Diego Classic. Running from March 15-19 at The HUB pickleball club, expect more exciting pro pickleball action as the competition continues to heat up.
Be sure to check out the APP Tour’s website for updates regarding the 2023 season, and click here for more information about upcoming professional pickleball tournaments.
