Johns bros clinical in men’s doubles final
PHOENIX, AZ - Sometimes when you’re on, you’re on.
That was the case for Ben and Collin Johns in their match against Tyson McGuffin and Dekel Bar in the men’s doubles championship match.
It’s usually the younger brother Ben who impresses the most in their matches—and he definitely did, too—but today it was Collin.
The right-side specialist found ways to be aggressive no matter which one of his opponents lined up in front of him at the kitchen line, executing numerous ernes and backhand counters when attacked.
To earn opportunities to win points at the kitchen, though, the brothers had to first figure out how to deal with the big serves and drives from their opponents who hit some of the hardest shots in the sport.
The key to dealing with the drives? Returning well.
“You really have to hit a high-quality return,” said C. Johns. “It all really starts with the feet and making sure you get the body weight behind the return. That way, you’re not dealing with the drive when you’re a little late coming in.”
Emphasizing depth on the return helped the No. 1 seeds capture their second title of 2024 with an 11-3, 11-3, 11-9 victory.
In the bronze medal match, Zane Navratil and Erik Lange bested Christian Alshon and Julian Arnold 11-1, 13-11.
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