Rika Fujiwara competing at the Hang Seng Bank Hong Kong Slam.
Rika Fujiwara competing at the Hang Seng Bank Hong Kong Slam. PPA Tour

Singles rematches take center stage in PPA Hong Kong Slam quarterfinals

As the quarterfinals approach at the Hang Seng Bank Hong Kong Slam, some of the upcoming singles matchups might seem familiar.

That’s because they are.

Four of the eight singles quarterfinals are rematches of matches that have already happened this year at international PPA Tour events.

Some of them happened as recently as last week’s Australia Pickleball Cup.

 

MEN’S SINGLES: Tama Shimabukuro v. Grayson Goldin

These two faced off in the semifinals of the Shenzhen Open in August, where Goldin won 11-8, 11-4 en route to winning his first career PPA Tour title of any kind.

The 15-year-old Shimabukuro will be out for revenge, while Goldin will be looking to make his second singles semifinal in as many weeks.

 

MEN’S SINGLES: Federico Staksrud v. Hong kit (Jack) Wong

Staksrud won their previous clash by a 7-11, 11-6, 12-10 score line in the quarterfinals of the Hanoi Cup back in April.

Both players are coming off three-game victories in the Round of 16 over Eric Oncins and Francis Chi, respectively, and will be looking to surge into the semifinals.

 

WOMEN’S SINGLES: Kaitlyn Christian v. Judit Castillo

This is a rematch of last week’s semifinal in Brisbane, which Castillo won by a 14-12, 10-12, 11-8 score line before eventually falling to Andie Dikosavljevic in the finals.

The 82-minute epic was one of the last week’s best matches, so expectations for Friday’s clash are high as the top-seeded Christian looks for a different result.

 

WOMEN’S SINGLES: Sahra Dennehy v. Rika Fujiwara

Dennehy and Fujiwara have shared the court on numerous occasions over the past two months, with Dennehy winning last week’s quarterfinal encounter 10-12, 11-4, 11-2.

Before that, Fujiwara triumphed by an 11-8, 9-11, 12-10 score line in the semifinals of the Shenzhen Open in August.

Another three-game battle may be on the horizon as Dennehy and Fujiwara run it back this week.


Action from Kai Tak Arena continues at 8pm CT / 9pm ET on the PPA Your YouTube channel.