Hang Seng Bank Hong Kong Slam: Johns Siblings Collide in Quarters as Local Hopes Dwindle
Hong Kong has a showdown on its hands, or, as the tour puts it, a bro-down.
The round of 16 at the Hang Seng Bank Hong Kong Slam has set up a family affair. On Friday, Ben Johns and Gabriel Tardio take on Collin Johns and Len Yang in the men’s doubles quarterfinals, putting Ben directly across the net from his brother Collin.
Brothers, Opposite Sides
The two have won stacks of Men’s Doubles medals side by side, but against each other they’re near strangers. It’s only the third time in PPA history that the Johns brothers have lined up on opposite sides of a men’s doubles court, and Ben leads the head-to-head, 2-0.
Collin and Yang earned the meeting the hard way. They ended Hong Kong’s hopes in the doubles with an 11-3, 8-11, 11-5 win over Jack Wong Hong-kit and his right-side partner, Eunggwon Kim.
Wong Still Alive, Tang’s Week Over
Wong at least has a consolation. Hong Kong’s No. 1 is into the Men’s Singles quarterfinals, where he meets No. 2 seed Federico Staksrud. It’s a rematch of their MB Hanoi Cup quarterfinal earlier this year, which Staksrud edged, 7-11, 11-6, 12-10.
Nok Yiu Tang’s week, however, is over. She lost her women’s singles match to her own doubles partner, Chao Yi Wang, and the pair then fell together in women’s doubles to Mari Humberg and Cailyn Campbell.
The Seeds Keep Marching
The seeds kept moving toward the business end, and the quarterfinals look loaded. Ben Johns and Anna Leigh Waters won both of their matches and stay alive across the board.
In women’s singles, the one to circle is top seed Kaitlyn Christian against Judit Castillo, who defeated her at the Australian Pickleball Cup just last week.
What’s Next
The quarterfinals begin on Friday at 9:00am (GMT+8) at Kai Tak Arena in Hong Kong, China, with Championship Sunday still to come.
Indeed, with brothers on opposite sides, a rematch from Hanoi, and a revenge bid on the line, Friday has the makings of a very good day. Bring snacks.
