
3 things to watch for on Wednesday at PPA Newport Beach
The SXY.com Newport Beach Open presented by JOOLA continues Wednesday with Round of 32 action in all five pro events.
Here is the order of play:
Now, let’s get into what to watch for.
- Armaan Bhatia should have no shortage of singles confidence after his 8-11, 11-5, 11-0 victory over No. 13 seed Jay Devilliers on Tuesday. The No. 52 seed, who was selected 14th overall by the SoCal Hard Eights in last week’s MLP draft, will look to continue his run on Wednesday when he faces No. 22 seed Tom Protzek in what will be the first meeting between the two. This will be the fourth match of the day on Court 13.
- One of the day’s most intriguing matchups comes from the mixed doubles draw, where No. 9 seeds Jessie Irvine/Jay Devilliers will take on No. 19 seeds Lacy Schneemann/Jack Sock. Irvine/Devilliers have proven to be a tough out since rekindling their partnership in 2026, while Scheemann/Sock are fresh off a quarterfinal run a few weeks ago in their first tournament together in Mesa. Whichever pairing advances to the Round of 16 from this encounter will certainly have earned the right to be there. This will be the day’s fifth match on Showcase Court 2.
- And finally, the mixed doubles draw played host to several notable upsets on Tuesday: No. 50 seeds Christa Gecheva/Clayton Powell beat No. 13 seeds Chao Yi “Zoey” Wang/Tyson McGuffin, No. 49 seeds Abbigal Hatton/Lucas Pascoe beat No. 12 seeds Etta Tuionetoa/AJ Koller, and No. 45 seeds Nicola Schoeman/Tama Shimabukuro beat No. 17 seeds Callie Smith/Hunter Johnson. Gecheva/Powell will actually face off against Schoeman/Shimabukuro on Wednesday, while Hatton/Pascoe will take on No. 21 seeds Allyce Jones/Julian Arnold with a spot in the final 16 on the line.
Live broadcast coverage from the Tennis and Pickleball Club at Newport Beach will be available on the PBTV app, the Pickleballtv YouTube channel, and the PPA Streamed Courts YouTube channel starting at 10am PT.
Related articles

Breaking down the moves from Trade Window #2 of the 2026 MLP season
Stay up to date with the latest moves from Trade Window #2.
1 hour ago
-Will Daughton

Everything you missed in pickleball pop culture in February 2026
February might be the shortest month of the year, but it certainly delivered big moments.
18 hours ago
-Victoria Radnothy
No stopping Valerie Simon: 'With every step I take, I'm defying the odds'
The 17-year-old is the very definition of perseverance.
19 hours ago
-Matt Cudzinowski

3 things to watch for on Tuesday at PPA Newport Beach
After undergoing surgery to repair a torn lateral meniscus in late 2025, Alex Crum will make his 2026 PPA Tour debut on Tuesday.
1 day ago
-Will Daughton