SALT LAKE CITY - Connor Garnett is now one win away from earning his third title of 2024 after an 11-9, 9-11, 11-3 victory over Rafa Hewett.

It was a highly entertaining bout featuring some of the best two-handed backhands in pickleball, with both players firing off some blistering drives from the baseline.

The first two games followed similar sequences, in addition to having identical score lines. Garnett had a 7-1 lead in the first that he almost squandered, while Hewett had a 9-1 lead in the second that he narrowly escaped with.

Garnett noticeably raised his level in Game 3, though, finding ways to effectively counterpunch even when on the run. That proved to be the difference in the match.

Sunday will mark Garnett’s fourth singles final of 2024. He boasts a 2-1 record so far, losing to Federico Staksrud in Minnesota in March, beating Staksrud in Los Angeles in April, and beating Tyson McGuffin in Kansas City earlier this month.

With how deep the singles draws are now on the PPA Tour, Garnett is acutely aware of how much of an achievement it is to make a gold medal match.

“I’m stoked to be in the final,” he said. “There are so many great competitors in these fields. After winning my first title in April, I was away from a singles podium for a while, so just being able to get back to Championship Sunday in my last two tournaments is awesome.”

He’ll face the top-seeded Staksrud for gold, marking their third meeting of the year with a title on the line.