PPA & International Updates
Anna Leigh Waters Nets Triple Crown Again—This Time at Veolia Texas Open
Anna Leigh Waters is just adding to her legend at this point. The undisputed GOAT of pickleball continued her assault on the sport’s record books at the Veolia Texas Open, where she netted another Triple Crown—the 42nd of her already storied career.
Joining Anna Leigh Waters as the undisputed stars of Texas was fellow GOAT Ben Johns, who won two gold medals in the tournament to add to his own legend. Anna Bright also had a good run, winning won gold medal and netting a silver in Mixed Doubles, where she and partner Hayden Patriquin lost to the indomitable tandem of Anna Leigh Waters and Ben Johns.
Below is the list of winners at the Veolia Texas Open:
MIXED DOUBLES FINAL: (1) Anna Leigh Waters and Ben Johns def. (3) Anna Bright and Hayden Patriquin, 11-4, 9-11, 11-5, 11-6.
- Waters and Johns’ 61st title together and 12th this season.
- Waters hit 21 Third Shot Drops before her only Third Shot Drive.
- Patriquin had the most Clean Winners, 16.
- Patriquin had the most Serve/Return/Thirds Errors, 9, and the most Volleys into the net, 12.
- Longest rally: 44 shots.
MEN’S DOUBLES FINAL: (1) Ben Johns and Gabe Tardio def. (4) Andrei Daescu and Federico Staksrud, 11-0, 12-10. 11-7.
- Johns and Tardio’s 14th title together and 12th this season.
- Game Three had 74% Third Shot Drives to counter windy conditions.
- Johns and Tardio had more Clean Winners, 20-10.
- Tardio had no Dinks into the net or wide.
- Staksrud had no errors on Dinks, Serves, Returns, or Thirds.
- Longest rally: 44 shots.
WOMEN’S DOUBLES FINAL: (1) Anna Bright and Anna Leigh Waters def. (4) Parris Todd and Alix Truong, 11-2, 11-6, 11-4.
- Bright and Waters’ 20th title together and 12th this season.
- Bright and Waters now have a career match record of 99-2.
- Truong’s first PPA Tour final.
- Bright had no errors on Serves/Returns/Thirds.
- Bright and Waters had more Clean Winners, 23-4.
- Longest rally: 57 shots.
MEN’S SINGLES FINAL: (1) Federico Staksrud def. (2) Chris Haworth, 2-11, 11-5, 11-5.
- Staksrud’s 19th career title and fifth this season.
- Staksrud led Game Three 6-5 at the change-over, won 11-5.
- Staksrud had fewer Baseline Drive Errors, 16-4.
- Longest rally: 13 shots.
WOMEN’S SINGLES FINAL: (1) Anna Leigh Waters def. (2) Kate Fahey, 11-1, 11-6.
- Completed Waters’ 42nd career Triple Crown.
- Waters’ 61st career title and tenth this season.
- Waters has won fifty consecutive gold medal matches.
- Waters is now 14-0 in her career vs. Fahey.
- Waters had fewer Baseline Drive Errors, 14-8.
