
Upsets galore: Smith and Tuionetoa, Black and Todd to face off for women’s doubles gold
Since the beginning of 2024, either Anna Leigh Waters/Catherine Parenteau or Anna Bright/Rachel Rohrabacher had won the women’s doubles title at every PPA Tour event.
Notice the use of ‘had’ in the prior statement.
The pairings of Callie Smith/Etta Tuionetoa and Tyra Black/Parris Todd brought that streak to an end on Saturday at the CIBC Texas Open presented by Fasenra and will square off for women’s doubles gold in the Lone Star State.
Smith/Tuionetoa earned the result of the week with their 4-11, 11-8, 11-8 comeback victory over Waters/Parenteau in the quarterfinals to hand the top seeds their first loss of 2025.
They carried that momentum into the semifinals, where they battled past No. 6 seeds Lea Jansen/Lucy Kovalova by an 11-6, 11-6 score line to make it to Championship Sunday in their first tournament as a partnership.
With one top seed taken down, Black/Todd decided to do the honors in the other half of the draw.
They defeated No. 2 seeds Anna Bright/Rachel Rohrabacher in a truly impressive semifinal display to make their second final together.
Saturday’s wild results make this the first tournament ever where both Waters/Parenteau and Bright/Rohrabacher have suffered a loss.
That stat is demonstrative of just how dominant both tandems have collectively been over the past year and a half, but it also paints a picture of the huge opportunity that awaits Saturday’s victors in the final.
A win on Sunday would give both Smith and Tuionetoa their first women’s doubles titles since the 2023 season, while Black and Todd would each earn their first career PPA Tour women’s doubles crowns with a triumph.
Both teams have already made memorable runs in North Texas, but who will finish atop the podium?
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