
Duong defeats World No. 1 Johns in men’s singles at PPA Masters
PALM SPRINGS, CA – Major upset alert in Southern California.
Seventeen-year-old Quang Duong made headlines by defeating World No. 1 Ben Johns in Round of 16 men's singles action at The Masters on Thursday with an 11-7, 7-11, 11-6 triumph on Humana Championship Court.
“Honestly, I didn’t expect this,” said Duong, the No. 17 seed, during his post-match interview. “I got lucky with the new ball, the wind, and the new serve rules.”
ADVERTISEMENT
After a weather delay that pushed the match back an hour, Duong was clearly prepared to battle the most dominant - and decorated - male athlete in the sport.
The youngster capitalized on a few favorable line calls and a serve penalty by Johns, and showcased outstanding court coverage along the way.
“I was just trying to get into my rhythm and do my best,” mentioned Duong.
Throughout the contest, Duong regularly discussed strategy with his coach - who just happens to be his father.
The pair obviously did their homework on Johns to get ready accordingly.
“My dad and I looked at Ben’s cat and mouse games, and we worked on the new serve [ahead of the match],” he explained.
Duong will face eighth-seeded Pablo Tellez in the quarterfinals on Friday.
“I’ll let my dad scout him,” he said with a laugh.
Related articles

Waters powers past Fahey for women’s singles title, 40th career PPA Triple Crown
Anna Leigh Waters would not let over four hours of court time stop her from claiming her record-extending 40th Triple Crown on the PPA Tour.
1 day ago
-Will Daughton

Waters, Johns rally to outduel Bright, Patriquin in five games
The mixed doubles final in Palm Springs will go down as an instant classic.
1 day ago
-Will Daughton

Haworth earns second straight men’s singles title as Sock suffers injury on match point
Chris Haworth is bringing his men’s singles success from 2025 into 2026.
1 day ago
-Will Daughton

Waters, Bright take tense opening game, go on to sweep Kawamotos for women’s doubles crown
Winning a back-and-forth opening game proved to be crucial for the top seeds as they secured their 15th title as a partnership.
1 day ago
-Will Daughton