![Anna Leigh Waters hits a forehand.](https://cdn.pickleball.com/news/1706846583735/ScreenShot2024-02-01at10.01.43PM.png?width=1320&height=528&optimizer=image)
Waters advances to final; Jansen v. Brascia to finish Friday morning
PHOENIX, AZ - It was a strange—but exciting—day for women’s singles.
In addition to there being four (!) withdrawals from Round of 32 matches, there were also some notable upsets.
Courtney McIntosh beat No. 5 seed Lauren Stratman in three games, and former top-40 ranked women’s doubles tennis player Kaitlyn Christian made a run to the semifinals, picking up quality wins against Salome Devidze and Brooke Buckner along the way.
Anna Leigh Waters still made it to Championship Sunday, but she faced firm resistance from No. 7 seed Lina Padegimaite.
The two faced off at the PPA Masters in early January, with Waters comfortably winning 11-4, 11-3.
But Padegimaite had an inspired performance in their quarterfinal match in Phoenix, rallying to take Game 2, 11-9, to force a deciding game.
Waters found another gear in Game 3, though, booking her spot in the semis 11-8, 9-11, 11-0.
She faced the aforementioned Christian in her final match of the day, ending the No. 22 seed’s impressive run in two games.
For the 17-year-old, singles success comes down to winning the battle between the ears.
“I think the reason I do well in singles is because of my brain,” she shared. “I just try and keep that intact when I play, and today I did that.”
Waters will face the winner of Lea Jansen and Mary Brascia in the finals.
Their match was postponed until Friday morning because of rain and wind after Brascia won Game 1, 11-9.
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