
Ford upsets Johns in three games to reach quarters
ADVERTISEMENT
Not deterred by having to play a deciding game for the third straight match, Ford caught fire in Game 3 and practically sprinted to the quarterfinals in North Texas.
Ford was especially impressive in cat-and-mouse points. Johns dominates those rallies against most opponents, but Ford found success using angles topspin rolls to pull Johns out of position at the kitchen line on multiple occasions.
The 20-year-old spoke about the role that fortitude played in the triumph.
“I’ve been working a lot on my mental game,” he shared. “I think today I was just trying to have fun and not be so hard on myself. [Ben] is a great player—you’ve got to play your best to beat him, and I think I did that today.”
Ford will face No. 7 seed Christian Alshon next with a spot in the semifinals on the line.
Related articles

An Inside Peek at Worlds (Live Webinar Event)
6 hours ago
-Tyrece Warner
.jpg?width=592&height=237&optimizer=image)
Waters, Tardio headline list of top pros moving paddle sponsors in 2026
The debate over who Anna Leigh Waters' next paddle sponsor will be has dominated pro pickleball discourse early this year.
12 hours ago
-Pickleball.com Staff

Final men's rankings for 2025
The rankings are based on doubles play, with gender doubles weighted more than mixed doubles.
17 hours ago
-Jim Kloss

Everything you missed in pickleball pop culture in December 2025
From global travels to contract terminations, it was a busy month in the picklesphere.
1 day ago
-Victoria Radnothy