Friday was quarterfinal day in Arizona. For my money, quarterfinal day is the best day of any pickleball tournament. The play is exclusively at championship and grandstand courts. The players are all uber talented, and playing well to still be in the event. Every match, every game, every point is a hard fought battle. With the weather so perfect, quarterfinal day in Mesa was pretty much pickleball nirvana for any pickleball fan. It did not disappoint.

 

 

It has been awhile since Ben Johns won a Triple Crown. Certainly, it has become much more difficult for such an achievement to occur. The pros talk about how, if you want to beat Ben Johns, do it in the round of 16 or quarterfinals, as he seems to toughen up once you hit the weekend.

 

Johns and Anna Leigh Waters cruised in mixed doubles, but things were not so easy in singles or men’s doubles. In singles, Christian Alshon had a 10-4 lead in singles in game one. Alshon has been playing as well as anyone, so game one looked like a done deal. But no, Johns came back to win game one and then quickly added a game two win to move on.

 

 

In men’s doubles, Johns paired with Gabe Tardio to take on Tyler Loong and Connor Garnett. Loong and Garnett tend to be a bit underrated. Both are grinders, forcing their opponents to constantly make one more shot, wearing down the opposition. True to form, they won a long game one 13-11. Game two was another grind, but this time Johns/Tardio took it 11-9. Game three was a relative “blowout”, going 11-7 to Johns/Tardio. The potential for a Johns triple was preserved. But, let’s not forget that the other guy, Federico Staksrud, is also still alive in all three events. Something has to give.

 

 

 

In women’s doubles, there was an epic quarterfinal between Tyra Black/Parris Todd v Jorja Johnson/Vivian Glozman. Black, Todd, and Johnson have all been very high picks in MLP. All three have consistently been ranked in the top 15 or higher for some time. Glozman, on the other hand, was overlooked in the 2024 MLP Premier draft, and has mostly been ranked outside the top 20. Friday was her day to show she belongs in the conversation about top women pros.

 

The match featured a lot of powerful drives, hard hit forehand volleys, and a whole mess of defense. A huge crowd oohed and aahed as smash after smash was returned. Many points featured a team fighting desperately on defense from the baseline, barely getting the ball back, looking for an opportunity to control a drop so they could finally get to the kitchen line. Teams often shifted from controlling the point on offense, to suddenly finding themselves on defense.

 

 

Game one should have gone to Glozman/Johnson, but it was Todd/Black who took it 12-10. Game two was the reverse, with Todd/Black having every chance to win it, but Glozman/Johnson winning it 14-12. Game three started close, but Glozman/Johnson pulled away late, taking it 11-6. Todd/Black scored 12 points in two different games and scored 30 points in a match and lost, a statistical oddity you will not often see.

 

But the difference in this match was the power of Glozman. She hits as hard a ball as anyone in the game, including Waters. She can, at times, struggle with consistency, but Glozman is here to stay as a top women’s player. Expect to see her more and more often on quarterfinal day.

 

 

Semifinal Saturday at least resolves one dilemma for the pickleball fan: all matches are on championship court, so no worries about which court to watch. Ten matches on tap, with the only question being which will be the best to see? Staksrud v Hunter Johnson in singles, a matchup of who has been #1 against who may well take over as #1. Waters v Kate Fahey, to see if Kate can scale pickleball’s Mount Everest and take down the #1 player for the first time. Glozman/Johnson and Lacy Schneemann/Meghan Dizon both looking to prevent another Waters/Catherine Parenteau v Anna Bright/Rachel Rohrabacher final. And my favorite, Alshon/Andrei Daescu v Staksrud/Hayden Patriquin.

 

Championship court will be packed and will be rocking and rolling with all the action. Definitely a can’t miss pickleball day in Mesa.

 

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