
Waters, Johns avenge Mesa loss, beat Bright, Patriquin for mixed doubles gold
Three weeks after meeting in the final of the Carvana Mesa Cup in late February, the pairings of Anna Leigh Waters/Ben Johns and Anna Bright/Hayden Patriquin met once again with a gold medal on the line.
Bright/Patriquin triumphed in Arizona to the tune of a stunning three-game sweep, but Waters/Johns got their revenge on Sunday in the Lone Star State.
The top seeds, who also struck gold at last week’s event in Newport Beach, won the day’s opening contest by an 11-4, 9-11, 11-5, 11-6 score line to capture their 61st title as a partnership.
“They’re a dangerous team. Obviously, they played really well last time and, honestly, great today too,” Johns said afterwards. “I felt like we executed a little bit better this time around, so definitely happy with today’s result overall.”
Waters/Johns have been red-hot following their defeat in Arizona, dropping just one game through their twelve matches since that moment.
Johns gave some insight into what it takes to compete at a high level week in and week out as the PPA Tour travels across the United States.
“It’s mostly just about routine, practice, and discipline,” he explained. “You’re bound to get a little bit tired over the course of so many tournaments, so it’s really just about doing the same stuff you’ve always done and almost making it automatic. You just have to complete your routine and make sure you’re ready to go day after day.”
No. 5 seeds Parris Todd/Andrei Daescu will take on No. 6 seeds Catherine Parenteau/Gabe Tardio in the bronze medal match later Sunday afternoon.
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