Sam Querrey, Ben Johns, Anna Leigh Waters - PPA Masters Results 2023
Earlier this year, the Hyundai Masters PPA Tour wrapped up after a few rain delays and crowned the pro pickleball 2023 champions. Ben Johns and Anna Leigh Waters picked up right where they left off, and newcomer Sam Querrey tried to steal the show.
Sam Querrey, a star tennis player, was the talk of the weekend. It was his first official ppa event, and he predicted he would be top 10 in the world within his first 3 months of playing. His prediction has unfortunately not materialized as he’d hoped.
The newest results are in for the standings of the top players in the world, and the Vulcan PPA Master’s Tour just concluded this August with some surprising results.
Let’s take a look back and dive into the Hyundai PPA Masters results from earlier this year and discuss how they may affect the remaining tournaments in 2023.
Men’s Doubles Recap - PPA Masters
Men’s doubles were predictable, and there wasn’t a single upset all day. While the matches were exciting, the lack of upsets from newcomers left something to be desired.
One team that was noteworthy was JW Johnson and Dylan Frazier. They took down Spencer Smith and Christian Alshon in two straight. They then played the new dynamic duo of Tyson McGuffin and James Ignatowich- handily defeating them 6-11, 11-5, 11-4.
They advanced to the semi-finals to take on the Johns Bros. JW and Dylan won game one 11-9 and were in the lead for most of game two but let it slip away and lost 9-11. The Johns Bros came out strong in game three and pulled away 11-6.
Semi-Finals
Ben Johns and Collin Johns defeated JW Johnson and Dylan Frazier 9-11, 11-9, 11-6.
Riley Newman and Matt Wright defeated Jay Devilliers and DJ Young 11-6, 11-7.
Finals
Ben Johns and Collin Johns defeated Riley Newman and Matt Wright 11-5, 5-11, 11-6.
Sam Querrey
Sam partnered with Wesley Burrows for men’s doubles. They put up a decent fight in the first round. However, decent wasn’t good enough as they lost in the first round 11-2, 8-11, 11-8 to Spencer Smith and Christian Alshon. For all the hype that he would be a top-10 player within a matter of months, we weren’t able to see the results during this PPA tour.
Mixed Doubles Results- PPA Masters
Mixed was pretty predictable as well. Ben Johns and Anna Leigh Waters proved once again they are in a league of their own. They didn’t lose a single game all day and outscored their opponents 122-41 against some of the top players in the world.
Round 1: They defeated Reyna Ash and Alec Weller 11-0, 11-2.
Round 2: They defeated Meghan Sheehan-Dizon and Christian Alshon 11-2, 11-5.
Quarterfinals: They defeated Anna Bright and Dylan Frazier 11-3, 11-1.
Semi-Finals: They defeated Catherine Parenteau and Tyson McGuffin 12-10, 11-3.
Finals: They defeated Jessie Irvine and Riley Newman 11-4, 11-7, 11-4.
Another notable performance in mixed doubles was #11 seed Thomas Wilson and Vivienne David.
Round 1: Defeated Rafa Hewett and Lacy Schneeman 11-7, 11-7.
Round 2: #6 Jay Devilliers and Callie Smith 2-11, 11-5, 11-9.
Quarterfinals: Defeated #3 Matt Wright and Lucy Kovalova 11-5, 9-11, 11-6.
Semi-finals: Lost to #2 Riley Newman and Jessie Irvine 9-11, 11-2, 11-6.
Final Results: Took the bronze by defeating #4 Tyson McGuffin and Catherine Parenteau 11-8, 11-8.
Sam Querrey
For mixed doubles, Sam teamed up with Christa Gecheva. They played in the Mixed Pro Doubles Qualifier and lost in the first round 7-11, 11-8, 11-6 to Jena Klett and Voo Venkatesan.
They moved over to the Mixed Pro Doubles PPA Points Draw as the #13 seed and were able to win four games to take the gold medal.
Women’s Doubles Results- PPA Masters
With Leigh Waters out for the year, Anna Leigh Waters needed to find a new partner. She teamed up with Anna Bright to form the team “Anna Squared.” Anna Bright stepped up and put on a show. Team “Anna Squared” dominated everyone on their path to a gold medal. The back draw was not completed due to rain, so there was no third-place finisher.
Round 1: Defeated #15 Regina Franco Goldberg and Christa Gecheva 11-5, 11-3.
Round 2: Defeated #10 Michelle Esquivel and Lindsey Newman 11-4, 11-3.
Semi-finals: Defeated #3 Jessie Irvine / Irina Tereschenko 11-6, 11-2.
Finals: Defeated #1 Lucy Kovalova / Callie Smith 11-5, 11-7.
Men’s Singles Results- PPA Masters
Another dominating performance for Ben Johns and another triple crown!
Round 1: Defeated Erne Russo 11-1, 11-7
Round 2: Defeated Zane Navratil 11-6, 11-3
Quarterfinals: Defeated Julian Arnold 11-8, 11-8
Semi Finals: Defeated Connor Garnett 11-5, 11-3
Finals: Defeated Federico Staksrud 11-6, 11-6
Other notable wins include:
#15 Christian Alshon defeated #2 Tyson McGuffin 11-2, 8-11, 11-4
#13 Connor Garnett defeated #4 JW Johnson and #5 Ryan Sherry
#6 Dylan Frazier defeated #3 Jay Devilliers 11-7, 10-12, 11-9
#7 Federico Stakstrud defeated #10 Tyler Loong, #15 Christian Alshon, #6 Dylan Frazier
Women’s Singles Results- PPA Masters
Women’s singles were dominated by none other than Anna Leigh Waters. She was able to clinch another triple crown without much of a challenge.
Semi-Finals
Anna Leigh Waters defeated Irena Tereschenko 11-4, 11-6
Lea Jansen defeated Catherine Parenteau 7-11, 11-8, 11-3
Finals
Anna Leigh Waters defeated Lea Jansen 11-5, 11-2
What are the Payouts for the PPA Tour Tournament?
$5.5 million dollars are paid out to professional pickleball players by the PPA tour. This money is distributed over 25 different events in 2023. As the popularity of pickleball grows, new sponsors are being added all the time, so it is likely this amount will increase in the coming years.
What is the Most Prestigious Pickleball Tournament in the World?
The US Open pickleball championships are considered by many to be the most prestigious pickleball tournament in 2023.
What Was the First-Ever PPA Tour Tournament?
The PPA keeps records of all PPA tournament events here. The first ever tournament was the Mesa Grand Slam which took place on 2/13/2020 in Mesa, Arizona.
