Friday was another rainy and wet day in Atlanta, so all quarterfinal play was held inside.

 

It was Friday the 13th, but no black cats were seen at Life Time Fitness, just great pickleball.

 

 

The mixed doubles semifinals will include three teams that have not lost a single game all week. In one semifinal, #1 Anna Leigh Waters/Ben Johns face off against #3 Jorja Johnson/JW Johnson. They have played each other many times in 2024, and although the Johnsons have come close, they have not yet won a match. Will Saturday be the day? In the other semifinal, #4 Catherine Parenteau/Christian Alshon are another team that has not lost a game. They will take on the underdogs, #14 Lacy Schneemann/Tyson McGuffin.

 

 

 

All four of the men’s singles quarterfinal matches went three games. #1 Federico Staksrud got all he could handle from #21 Gabe Tardio, but prevailed 11-9, 9-11, 11-6. Staksrud continues to be the most consistent men’s singles player. He will face #3 Connor Garnett. On the other side of the draw, it has been a week of upsets. Left standing are #11 JW Johnson and #20 Hunter Johnson.

 

 

 

Anna Leigh Waters has been so dominating this week that she not only has won every game, but she has never even been tested in any of the three events. But, on Friday in women’s doubles, #5 Allyce Jones/Tyra Black scored 10 points in the second game. They lost 11-3, 12-10, but for anyone to get 10 points off Waters in any match must seem like a victory.

 

 

 

Collin Johns and Ben Johns have been knocked out twice recently by Andrei Daescu and Gabe Tardio. They met again in the quarterfinals. Daescu and Tardio won game one 11-5, and everyone had to wonder if this would be three in a row. But, the Johns brothers came out firing in game two, played more aggressively, and won 11-6, 11-3. They will face #8 Christian Alshon/Riley Newman in the semis. It’s another revenge match for the Johns brothers, as Alshon/Newman knocked them out last week in Las Vegas.

 

 

Every semifinal match will have the look of a gold medal match. A number of the semifinalists are coming in without having lost a game, but something has to give on Saturday. Tune in to watch all the action from the CIBC Atlanta Slam presented by Vizzy.

 

Follow me on Twitter/X @pickleball_jim.