Martinez Vich moves into singles final

Jaume Martinez Vich played so well, was so dominant and was so effective Saturday morning in Dallas at the PPA’s National Championship, it looked like he didn’t miss a shot. He took apart Hunter Johnson in two efficient and effective games, 11-5, 11-2 and moved to...

Best Dressed at Nationals 

Spectators and players arrived runway-ready at Nationals.  From tie-dye to sparkles to clever pun shirts and DIY necklaces, players and pros alike showed up to the courts in photo-worthy fits that deserve recognition.  Susan Crossland and Linda Shafer arrived on...

A day in the life of a pickleball pro at Nationals: Christian Alshon

On Thursday, Nov. 9, I spent the day with PPA Tour pro Christian Alshon.  The seventh-ranked player in the world had a full schedule consisting of matches in every discipline – men’s singles, mixed doubles, and men’s doubles.  Before hitting the court, Alshon began...

Haworth upsets No. 1 Johns in round of 16

Chris Haworth wasn’t that happy after his mixed doubles and his men’s doubles performances left him 0-2 at the National Championships in Dallas. He and partner Jenna Hessert were bounced out of the second round of qualifying on Tuesday and didn’t make the main draw in...

Top Seeds, Upsets, and Injury: Breaking Down Wednesday Afternoon’s Pro Action

Pro singles, gender doubles, and mixed doubles play kicked off on Wednesday at the Biofreeze USA Pickleball National Championships. With an unfortunate injury and upsets in mixed doubles, here are snapshots from a busy afternoon of play at Brookhaven Country Club. On...

New format, notable upsets, favorites advance

Day 1 of a new championship and Day 1 of a new format. But a lot of the same for the top players. Ben Johns advanced in singles, mixed doubles and men’s doubles, Anna Leigh Waters advanced in all three brackets as well and the National Championships in Dallas is now...