Kaitlyn Christian playing pickleball at Desert Ridge Open
Kaitlyn Christian competing at the Desert Ridge Open. PPA Tour

Christian earns semifinal berth with comeback victory over Buckner

LAKEWAY, TX - Kaitlyn Christian’s favorite number might just be 16 after today, if it isn’t already.

After all, she did erase a 1-6 deficit in back-to-back games in her quarterfinal match against Brooke Buckner, as the No. 16 seed.

After dropping the first game of her match against Buckner 11-9, it looked like Christian’s day may finish in short order after she faced the same deficit in Game 2.

But she was able to right the ship by sticking to her strategy of trying to finish points at the kitchen line despite the challenges caused by the wind on both sides.

“My game is coming in and putting pressure on my opponent, so that’s what I did today, and I came out on top,” she shared.

Funnily enough, Christian found herself in the exact same scenario in Game 3.

And that exact same scenario brought the exact same result.

The former top-40 ranked women’s doubles tennis player rallied in Games 2 and 3 to take the victory 9-11, 11-9, 11-9 and book her spot in the semifinals.

This was the second of Christian’s matches Thursday that went to a deciding game (she overcame Nicole Eugenio 15-13 in the third in the Round of 32).

Her affinity for singles is keeping her going in the tough moments.

“I really enjoy singles, so I’m just trying to stay as positive as I can, and that’s what’s been getting me through each match," she said.

Christian will next face No. 21 seed and PPA Minnesota silver-medalist Parris Todd in the semifinals.