The APP Tour is back this weekend for the 2023 APP Houston Open, hosted at the Houston Memorial Park Tennis Center from October 25-29. Following the excitement of the Dallas Open earlier in the month, we expect the Texas sun to shine again upon the APP in Houston.
Today marks the start of the tournament, with amateur doubles and pro qualifiers. The rest of the tournament will see our usual lineup of pro singles and doubles, so let’s take a peek at which players we think you should watch this weekend!
Men’s Pro Singles
Our Top 3 Contenders:
- Hunter Johnson/Yates Johnson
- Quang Duong
- Jaume Martinez Vich
We’ve got the Johnson brothers tied in our top slot because it always feels like a toss-up as to which one will pop off in singles at any given tournament. Hunter took home the gold in Dallas, but Yates also has a couple of golds under his belt this season and is looking to catch up with his brother.
However, it’s never a sure thing for the Johnson brothers, and they’ve got some especially tough competition in Houston. Jaume Martinez Vich is one of the players who’s shown the most growth in pro pickleball this year, dominating in all three pro-level events: PPA Tour, APP Tour, and Major League Pickleball (MLP).
Quang Duong, AKA the Avatar Ball Bender, is another of our favorite rising stars in pro pickleball. One look at his Instagram account, and you know that this kid is seriously all-in when it comes to pickleball. 2023 feels like a fundamental year to Duong’s career, and we expect him to really start to pop off moving into 2024.
Women’s Pro Singles
Our Top 3 Contenders:
- Megan Fudge
- Judit Castillo
- Salome Devidze
Following men’s pro singles, we’ve got women’s pro singles. Will Megan Fudge be able to secure her third gold medal of the year, making it three wins in a row? She’s been looking at the top of her game, especially in singles and women’s dubs, so a three-peat is certainly on the table!
In the last two tournaments, she’s met Judit Castillo and Salome Devidze in the finals. The Devidze/Fudge heated rivalry breathes life into APP women’s singles, so we’re always down to see them run it back. However, Castillo has consistently been finding her way to the semifinals and finals in the last few events, making her another viable finalist.
It’s also worth noting that Parris Todd will not be playing in Houston, opening the doors for other players to see opportunities in women’s singles and mixed dubs.
Mixed Pro Doubles
Our Top 3 Contenders:
- Andrei Daescu & Susannah Barr
- Jack Munro & Megan Fudge
- Yates Johnson & Emily Ackerman
Speaking of mixed doubles, with Todd and Johnson out of the picture, we expect Andrei Daescu and Susannah Barr to take complete control of mixed doubles this weekend. Together, the two have six gold medal finishes in 2023; we expect this to be their seventh.
However, there are a couple of exciting teams worth noting. While Fudge hasn’t seen much success in mixed this season, we like her partnership with Jack Munro, an up-and-coming pro player and Texas native.
Yates Johnson and Emily Ackerman have been tearing it up in the MLP on the Las Vegas Night Owls, and we expect them to continue building chemistry in the APP! They played an integral part in the Night Owls’ second-place finish at MLP Atlanta, and they will use every rep they can to prepare for MLP Dallas – they’re definitely bringing the heat this weekend!
Women’s Pro Doubles
Our Top 3 Contenders:
- Megan Fudge & Susannah Barr
- Emily Ackerman & Allison Harris
- Vivian Glozman & Alix Truong
Three-peat incoming for #FudgeBarr – It’s that simple! Well, maybe not that simple, but Fudge and Barr are easily the best women’s doubles team on tour right now, and we expect to see them in the finals.
However, we have to shout out Vivan Glozman and Alix Truong once again, who are the back-draw warriors and can never be counted out of the tournament. They also managed to take out Barr and Fudge at the APP Atlanta Open in the quarter-finals, so we know they have what it takes to defeat the APP’s top team.
We also have to acknowledge the partnership of Emily Ackerman and Allison Harris, as the two are absolute stars in the MLP right now. Harris made an incredible first impression as a replacement for Mary Brascia on the Miami Pickleball Club in Atlanta, and was recently picked up in the Challenger Level by the Los Angeles Mad Drops during the Shuffle Draft.
Men’s Pro Doubles
Our Top 3 Contenders:
- Andrei Daescu & Rob Nunnery
- Hunter Johnson & Yates Johnson
- CJ Klinger & Ross Whittaker
Rounding off our APP Houston predictions, we’ve got men’s dubs. Rob Nunnery and Andrei Daescu have been difficult to compete against this year, with six men’s doubles titles under their belt, including three in a row and even a double pickle in the finals match in Atlanta!
If anyone can take them down, it’s the Johnson brothers. It’s been a minute since we’ve seen them hit the podium together, and they’ve been collecting silver medals all season – it might be time for a gold.
Finally, we’ve got to shout out CJ Klinger, the MVP of MLP Atlanta, after helping lead the Hard Eights to a gold medal finish. Klinger also took home a gold medal with Andre Mick back at the APP St. Louis Open, and we hope he can find similar success alongside Ross Whittaker.
