Championship Sunday started off with an improbable comeback which had the fans on the edge of their seats. Let’s break it all down below.
Men’s Doubles Championship: Patriquin/Staksrud pull off improbable comeback
After a game 1 win by Federico Staksrud and Hayden Patriquin it was all Ben Johns and Collin Johns as they were just two points away from gold medals around their necks and back to back titles. However the underdogs chipped away at a 3-9 deficit and then the Johns were administered their second technical warning for not signaling for a timeout, resulting in a loss of a point. The score moved to 8-7 in the 4th and the rest is history. Patriquin/Staksrud then went on 10+ point run on serve and ultimately won the match in five games. They are now 10-0 as a team with 2 gold medals.
Women’s Doubles Championship: Parenteau & Waters get revenge
The loss in Atlanta left a sour taste in Catherine Parenteau and Anna Leigh Waters’ mouth. Their adjustment: more aggression and that started with using Catherine Parenteau as more of an off ball poaching threat. What makes the #1 seeds so dangerous when they are playing well is their ability to win points in the first five shots. When the return went to Waters, Parenteau was disconnecting early and looking to poach 5th balls to end points. The adjustment gave the top seeds another element to throw at Anna Bright and Rachel Rohrabacher who had trouble defending it for most of the match. This rivalry continues to grow and become more interesting to follow.
Mixed Doubles Championship: Johns & Waters in 4
Ben Johns and Anna Leigh Waters have been unstoppable this year. Facing Ben Johns after a men’s doubles loss makes the road even trickier. The Johnson’s put up a good fight though. After losing two tight games 11-7, 11-7, they battled back to win game 3 12-10 but they couldn’t sustain the momentum, surrendering game 4 11-3. Anna Leigh’s offensive arsenal from the right continues to be the x-factor and the main reason why this partnership is still at the top of the mountain.
Men’s Singles Championship: Johns ends Johnson’s run
Hunter Johnson has been on quite a tear in men’s singles but beating Ben Johns on Sunday is a different animal. Game 2 was extremely tight but Johns came up clutch in the big moments down the stretch to finish the job in straights 11-5, 11-9. Johns' use of both the drive and the cat and mouse kept Johnson from stringing big runs together.
Women’s Singles: Waters win epic final
We haven't seen a women's singles final like this in quite some time. Brooke Buckner was a big underdog in this match but she didn't seem to care, winning a close game 1 11-9. You could see her confidence building with each point on the scoreboard as she had a chance to pull off the monster upset in straights but Waters came up with clutch volley after clutch volley to win game 2 11-9. It seemed to loosen her up just enough as she won game 3 11-6 to win the triple crown. Waters hasn’t been pushed in a few tournaments so props to Buckner for keeping her foot on the gas and dictating as many points as she could. She has become a top 3 singles player in 2024.
