Thomas Wilson and Vivienne David compete at the Mesa Arizona Cup.
Vivienne David and Thomas Wilson will compete for the mixed doubles crown on Championship Sunday. PPA Tour

David, Wilson soar into mixed doubles final

MESA, AZ - The last time Vivienne David and Thomas Wilson faced Anna Bright and James Ignatowich, things didn’t go their way.

They fell in two games and were on the wrong end of Ignatowich’s behind-the-back ATP that topped SportsCenter’s Top Ten.

That match took place in Phoenix at the Desert Ridge Open, and the No. 3 seeds wanted to make sure they avoided suffering the same fate at February’s second Arizona tournament.

And there was no repeat performance on Saturday.

David and Wilson controlled the match from start to finish and effectively countered the drives, speed ups, and aggressive style of play that make Bright and Ignatowich so difficult to beat.

They also returned serves well, which is crucial when playing against one of the biggest servers on tour in Ignatowich.

It also became clear in Game 2 that Ignatowich had injured his shoulder, getting to the point where Bright began playing the left to take some pressure off of him.

Despite these changes and seeing their opponent struggling, David and Wilson knew they had to remain on course.

“It’s hard because obviously we care for the players,” David said. “We want to make sure that they’re healthy, but it’s also super important to just stay locked in during that time and stick with the game plan.”

That’s what they did to close out the 11-9, 11-7 victory. 

David and Wilson will take on No. 1 seeds Anna Leigh Waters and Ben Johns in the final.