The PPA is heading up to the mountainous region of St. George, UT for the Selkirk Red Rock Open. Because of Easter, the event starts a day early, making the finals matches be pushed ahead by a day to Championship Saturday.
Anna Leigh Waters and Ben Johns had yet another double-triple crown performance at the last event, the PPA Austin Open, but both of them will be absent during this tournament. Who will step in and win the gold while they’re away? Let’s take a look!
Men’s Singles
Ben Johns is away this tournament, meaning that the field has opened up to new championship contenders. Federico Staksrud assumes the number 1 seed, and after his incredible performance in the finals at the PPA Austin Open, it’s likely will see him again at Championship Saturday.
It’s likely that Staksrud will face either 3-seed James Ignatowich or 2-seed Jay Devilliers in the finals. Ignatowich has an easier line-up in the draw, with Devilliers likely having to take on Pablo Tellez, who has been turning up in the MLP with the Bay Area Breakers.
Women’s Singles
Anna Leigh Waters is off all of April, so expect Catherine Parenteau to take over the top spot in her absence. Parenteau made it to the finals against Waters in Austin, but came up just short with a silver medal. She potentially will have to face the likes of Mary Brascia or Irina Tereschenko in the main draw, so the journey to Championship Saturday will be a tough one!
We expect 2-seed Lea Jansen to dominate in her draw to reach the finals. She last faced Parenteau at the PPA Florida Open Finals where she managed to take home silver. Jansen has been dominant this season in doubles, and will be on the hunt for another gold medal in singles.
Men’s Doubles
All eyes are on the new pairing of Riley Newman and James Ignatowich. Newman is typically seen alongside Matt Wright, who will not be participating in the main draw of this tournament, and together they’ve become one of the most dominant duos in men’s doubles.
Ignatowich dominated at the PPA Indoor National Championships, earning a gold in men’s singles and mixed doubles, lets see if he can team up with Newman and take home the gold in men’s doubles.
Women’s Doubles
Anna Bright pairs up with Vivienne David for this tournament, and we’re expecting the two to make it all the way to the finals. The two faced off against one another in women’s doubles at PPA Austin, but with Anna Leigh Waters out of the picture, Bright and David now join forces.
That bracket will be incredibly interesting to watch, as there are so many other powerful duos. Meghan Dizon and Etta Wright will be fun to watch, as their incredible performances at MLP Daytona were instrumental in leading the Seattle Pioneers to a gold medal.
Mixed Doubles
With the championship-winning duo of Waters and Johns absent, PPA Austin’s silver medalist team of Anna Bright and James Ignatowich will be the top team to beat at the Red Rock Open. They put on an impressive performance, and you can tell that their on-court chemistry continues to grow.
On the other side of the bracket, the new team of Andrea Koop and Riley Newman is intriguing. Both players are known for their power and resiliency at the line, so it’ll be interesting to see if their partnership is a good match.
