Anna Leigh Waters and Ben Johns on the court.
Anna Leigh Waters and Ben Johns defeated Rachel Rohrabacher and Andrei Daescu on Friday. PPA Tour

Waters, Johns survive push from Rohrabacher, Daescu to reach mixed doubles semis

The top-seeded tandem of Anna Leigh Waters and Ben Johns clinched a spot in the mixed doubles semifinals on Friday at the Rate Vegas Cup presented by Holland America, but it didn't come easy.

Waters and Johns were forced to play from behind in the quarterfinals against No. 6 Rachel Rohrabacher and Andrei Daescu after dropping the opening game 8-11 on Championship Court.

ADVERTISEMENT

That isn't an issue for these superstars, though, because they have plenty of knowledge and world-class skill under their respective belts.

Waters and Johns ultimately turned the tables on their opponents with 11-7 and 11-9 victories down the stretch to advance in the bracket.

"I guess you can chalk it up to a lot of experience, a lot of matches under pressure," said Johns. "They played phenomenal and put a lot of extra pressure on us. There’s normal pressure, and then there’s also just kind of hitting great shots and taking up a lot of court like Andrei does. Rachel was speeding up from a lot of spots, too, so it definitely keeps you on your toes. There were a lot of good rallies there, so you just kind of put your head down, play points, and try to be solid."


Waters and Johns wil face No. 3 Anna Bright and Hayden Patriquin on Saturday.

Talk about a solid matchup.

"They’re an amazing team," praised Bright. "They had a great battle, so they’ll definitely be battle-tested. It’ll be a fun match. It’s always fun playing AL and Ben. You kind of see where you stack up, so I’m excited for it."

The other semifinal will feature No. 2 Jorja Johnson and JW Johnson against No. 5 Jessie Irvine and Gabe Tardio.