Next up on the PPA Tour is the CIBC Atlanta Slam presented by Vizzy.

The tournament will begin on Monday from the Life Time Peachtree Corners. This will be a traditional draw, with the usual five events.

Draws are out and we can try to predict some upsets and winners.

 

 

 

The top seed goes to JW Johnson/Dylan Frazier. They have been in a bit of a slump lately, and will look to break out in Atlanta. They will be tested, most likely by #5 Hayden Patriquin/Pablo Tellez in the quarters. Ben Johns and Collin Johns get the #2 seed and face a probable quarterfinal match with #6 Andrei Daescu/Gabe Tardio. That one is must see pickleball. Daescu/Tardio have had the better of the Johns brothers recently. It will be interesting to see what adjustments the Johns make, in an effort to return to the medal rounds. Yet another probable quarterfinal match that is on the can’t miss list is #3 Federico Staksrud/Matt Wright v #8 Christian Alshon/Riley Newman. These quarterfinal matches once again demonstrate how hard it is to win a gold medal in men’s doubles. Winning the gold requires a team to prevail in at least three matches against very top competition. A lower seed to watch is #12 Quang Duong/Augie Ge. They have a reasonable draw, and appear well-matched, although it is their first tournament together. We are all watching to see if Duong can take the next steps to become a top ten player. One way to show it is to get good results with a variety of partners. The Atlanta draw provides Duong with a good opportunity to show he belongs as a regular participant in the late rounds of men’s doubles.

 

 

 

Ben Johns returns to the singles event in Atlanta. He gets the #2 seed, while Federico Staksrud gets the top seed. Johns skipped singles in Las Vegas, while Staksrud dominated the field to get the gold. I suspect pickleball fans all want to see another Johns v Staksrud final, but both face stiff competition to get there. Johns got the better half of the draw and will not have to face any of the pure power players that sometimes give him trouble. Staksrud, on the other hand, likely will have to face Blaine Hovenier, the winner of Rafa Hewett/Roscoe Bellamy, Quang Duong, and the winner of Connor Garnett/Christian Alshon, just to get to the final. Staksrud’s road is difficult but he has shown time and again that he can handle it. For an interesting early match, watch for a Round of 16 battle between #12 JW Johnson v #8 Jaume Martinez Vich.

 

 

 

Anna Leigh Waters and Ben Johns have the top seed and are big favorites for the gold. In the bottom half of the draw, the #2 seed goes to Anna Bright and James Ignatowich. The bottom half of the draw is much more difficult than the top half, so Bright/Ignatowich will really have to earn their way if they are to make the final. Right off the bat, Bright/Ignatowich are likely to face #31 Kate Fahey/Todd Fought in the Round of 32. Fahey is getting a lot of deserved praise for her singles wins, but she is also developing well as a doubles player. Fought is a fighter and has some big wins, so they will not be a pushover for anyone. Catherine Parenteau enjoyed success in Las Vegas with Riley Newman; this week, she pairs with Christian Alshon and they get the #4 seed. They should enjoy success, and a berth in the semis. Another early match to watch is a Round of 32 battle between #11 Tyra Black/Dylan Frazier v #22 Parris Todd/Hunter Johnson. The winner of that match has a pretty good draw and reasonable path to make at least the quarters.

 

 

 

Anna Leigh Waters gets the top seed, of course, and is an overwhelming favorite. She did not lose a game in Las Vegas, much less a match. Can anyone topple her, or at least make her work for a win? She does have a fairly difficult draw. She likely faces #14 Zoey Wang in the Round of 16. Wang has been hot and has a high ceiling in singles. Waters is likely to face #5 Salome Devidze in the quarters, and the winner of #3 Brooke Buckner v #16 Jorja Johnson in the semis. A lot of eyes will be on #11 Kate Fahey, as she has made two finals in a row. To make a third, Fahey will have to work her way through #20 Layne Sleeth, #7 Parris Todd, #4 Mary Brascia and the winner of #2 Lea Jansen v #6 Kaitlyn Christian. That is a very tough road, but Fahey has done it before. For a longshot, watch #24 Mari Humberg. She has a low seed, but a reasonable draw.

 

 

 

The champs from Las Vegas, Anna Leigh Waters and Catherine Parenteau, are back again with the top seed. They did not lose a game in Las Vegas and will look to duplicate that success again. The #2 seed goes to Anna Bright/Rachel Rohrabacher, but they have the tougher draw. In the Round of 16, Bright/Rohrabcher are likely to face #16 Kate Fahey/Lina Padegimaite. Another expected Round of 16 matchup is #3 Etta Wright/Meghan Dizon v #13 Mari Humberg/Alix Truong. Dizon had some issues with her play the first half of the year, but played well in Las Vegas, so hopefully she is back to her top form. Another lower seed to watch is #14 Zoey Wang/Brooke Buckner. They should pair well together, with Wang on the left. Wang has been enjoying success with a variety of partners and should mesh well with Buckner, as Buckner is better on the right.

 

Awfully hard to bet against Anna Leigh Waters in any event. Men’s doubles remains the most competitive event, and the one most likely to produce a lower seed winning it.

 

Men’s doubles:
I’m looking for a bounce back week from Ben Johns and Collin Johns, where they make adjustments and get revenge on Andrei Daescu/Gabe Tardio. Pablo Tellez/Hayden Patriquin have shown potential.

I will take Ben Johns/Collin Johns over Pablo Tellez/Hayden Patriquin.

 

Men’s singles:
Ben Johns over Christian Alshon, as Federico Staksrud suffers a rare loss before the final

 

Mixed doubles:
Ben Johns/Anna Leigh Waters over Catherine Parenteau/Christian Alshon

 

Women’s singles:
Anna Leigh Waters over Kate Fahey, as Fahey almost does it again

 

Women’s doubles:
Anna Leigh Waters/Catherine Parenteau over Anna Bright/Rachel Rohrabacher 

 

Tickets are still available if you want to get to Atlanta and see it all live.

Or catch all the action on PickleballTV. 

 

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