Connor Garnett hitting a pickleball backhand.
Connor Garnett competing at the Texas Open in McKinney, TX. PPA Tour

3 things to watch for on Wednesday at PPA Utah

 

Now, let’s get into what to watch for.

  • In men’s singles, Connor Garnett and Tama Shimabukuro will face off for the second tournament in a row. Shimabukuro pulled off an 11-4, 12-10 upset victory a few weeks ago in Texas, so the fifth-seeded Garnett will be seeking revenge on Wednesday as he pursues his first podium finish of 2026. This will be the fourth contest on Humana Championship Court.

 

  • The mixed doubles draw will give fans what projects to be a must-watch matchup between No. 9 seeds Kate Fahey/Federico Staksrud and No. 19 seeds Lea Jansen/Jack Sock. Staksrud and Sock are new Major League Pickleball teammates on the Orlando Squeeze, so there will be a little extra on the line between the two with a spot in the Round of 16 on the line. Fahey and Jansen, to their credit, have also produced some of the best women’s singles matches in recent memory on the PPA Tour. This will be the day’s fifth match on Carvana Grandstand Court.

 

  • And in men’s doubles, No. 41 seeds Clayton Powell/Nicolas Acevedo are into the Round of 32 after a 14-12, 11-13, 11-3 victory over No. 18 seeds Tom Protzek/Martin Emmrich on Tuesday. Both players—who happen to be teammates on the Miami Pickleball Club—are 2026 UPA signees and have wasted no time in picking up quality wins. Powell/Acevedo will look to carry the momentum from Tuesday’s triumph into Wednesday’s clash against No. 10 seeds Dekel Bar/Wyatt Stone in what will be the day’s final match on Court 3.

 

Live broadcast coverage from Black Desert Resort will be available at noon ET on Pickleballtv.