JW Johnson competing at the Rate Championships presented by Skechers.
JW and Jorja Johnson handed Catherine Parenteau and James Ignatowich their first loss together to make it to Championship Sunday. PPA Tour

Johnson siblings hand Parenteau, Ignatowich first loss, earn finals berth

For the second week in a row, Jorja and JW Johnson will face top seeds Anna Leigh Waters and Ben Johns for the mixed doubles crown.

 

The Johnsons advanced to the final with an 11-2, 11-4 victory over No. 4 seeds Catherine Parenteau and James Ignatowich.

It was a fairly straightforward win for the No. 2 seeds, who took advantage of some uncharacteristically hesitant play from their opponents.

This result marks the first loss for the partnership of Parenteau and Ignatowich; they won the only other tournament they played, the 2023 PPA Indoor Championships in Minnesota.

Sunday will be the fourth time that the Johnsons have faced off against Waters and Johns with a gold medal on the line in 2024. Waters and Johns have won each time so far, but the Johnsons came particularly close to dethroning the top seeds in Kansas City in August.

Jorja says that execution and consistency will be the keys to leaving Las Vegas with a mixed doubles title.

“Execution is always important,” she said. “They’re a really good team, so just staying consistent and staying in our game plan will be crucial. We still have gender doubles tomorrow, so we’ll get through that and then worry about Sunday.”

In gender doubles, Jorja will play with Mari Humberg, while JW will play with Dylan Frazier.