Ben Johns hits a pickleball forehand.
Ben Johns competing at the Fanatics Sportsbook North Carolina Cup presented by CIBC. PPA Tour

Johns rallies to earn semifinals berth

CARY, NC - Ben Johns got a bit of revenge to start off Friday’s action on Humana Championship Court.

He downed No. 10 seed Quang Duong 6-11, 11-4, 11-6 to book his spot in the semifinals.

The last time Johns played Duong at the PPA Masters in January, he fell in three games to the powerful teenager.

Conditions were different—and far less windy—in North Carolina, save for a few light breezes throughout the match.

Those conditions were far more favorable for the top-seeded Johns, who rallied to take the win after dropping the first game.

“Playing with the wind in singles is certainly never easy,” he said. “But you can definitely deal with a little breeze and almost use it to your advantage if you think about it strategically."

Johns took that advantage and ran with it to set an intriguing semifinal matchup against Christian Alshon, wo beat Yates Johnson in two games Friday morning.