The Pickleball Central Indoor National Championships is kicking off on March 6th and the professional draws for all five divisions of play have officially been released. It’s time to dive into the excitement!
As players gear up for intense battles on the court, we invite you to join in the thrill and share your result predictions on social media. To tune into all the action, see the full broadcast schedule and visit PPA TV on Youtube. Tournament results, updates, and pickleball news are made in real time via the PPA Tour Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts, so follow us there to stay in the loop!
Men’s Singles
- The favorite: Staksrud. No one has been more consistent, and that includes Ben Johns. Staksrud has a gold and two silvers so far in 2024.
- Player to watch: Alshon. Just a dynamic winner in singles, Alshon has done about everything in a short amount of time but earn gold. He had two bronze finishes and two silver finishes last year. He hasn’t medaled this year, finishing in the quarters last time out. Expect an excellent effort this week from Alshon in Minnesota.
- Wildcard: Hard to call Sock a wildcard, but he’s so new to the game, he has to be, right? Sock has yet to medal, but he did finish fourth last time out in Mesa. He’s the No. 11 seed this week. No one is more creative, has more speed and athleticism than Sock. It’s only a matter of time until he’s on the medal stand.
- Prediction: Silly to pick against Fed. Staksrud has been so good, for such a sustained period, he’s definitely the easy pick.
Womens Singles
- The favorite: Catherine Parenteau. Other than Waters, no one is better in women’s singles. Parenteau heads into Minnesota as the top seed.
- Player to watch: Is this the tournament Jansen breaks her gold medal drought? She’s been a consistent medalist on tour, but she hasn’t won gold since 2021, when she won twice, including beating Waters in a final.
- Wildcard: Kaitlyn Christian. A lot of folks are talking about her upside as she is the No. 12 seed this week after winning three matches last time out as the No. 19 seed, and advanced to the round of 16.
- Prediction: It’s got to be Parenteau. She hasn’t won gold since August of last year, but this week she should get it done.
Mixed Doubles
- The favorite: Wilson and David will be the top seed as Waters and Johns are out this week. Deservedly so. Great power from Wilson, great consistency from David for a team that earned silver last time out against Johns and Waters.
- Team to watch: Collin Johns and Anna Bright should be a fun pairing. Bright’s regular partner James Ignatowich is out with an injury and Ben is taking a break this week. It ought to be a fun pairing as Collin Johns plays a much different style than Ignatowich.
- Wildcard: Lots to choose from this week, including Black and Alshon, which will be a phenomenal team, as well as Lea Jansen and Hayden Patriquin, but a team that few will be looking at to advance deep is Dekel Bar and Tina Pisnik. Both are tall and long with tons of power. They are the 13-seed but have the ability to be on the medal stand.
- Prediction: Jack Sock and Catherine Parenteau, who earned a game off of Waters and Johns in the quarterfinals, will put it all together this week and earn their first gold medal as a team.
Mens Doubles
- The favorite: Collin Johns and Matt Wright, both consistent winners with others on tour, are paired together this week. It will be interesting to see how these two – both of which are predominantly right-side players, will fare together.
- Team to watch: Jack Sock and Julian Arnold. Talk about a duo that will play to the crowd. These guys are gonna be fun. Sock’s attitude and Arnold’s antics make this a team that’s a must-watch.
- Wildcard: Pablo Tellez and Federico Staksrud are consistent. They play together all the time. They are a team that will definitely try to extend points and dink. They could very well win this tournament
- Prediction: Christian Alshon and Thomas Wilson check all the boxes. No team will have more firepower and ability to end rallies quickly. The two will get their first gold together.
Womens Doubles
- The favorite: Lucy Kovalova and Callie Smith come into the tournament as the top seed since Waters is sitting this tournament out. Kovalova and Smith are prolific winners on tour. They are the defending champs in Minnesota.
- Team to watch: Anna Bright and Rachel Rohrabacher are the No. 2 seed, and the two have played together and had success, medaling together twice already this year.
- Wildcard: Tyra Black and Parris Todd are both elite players and make for an excellent duo. They made the round of 16 last time out in Mesa. Expect a breakthrough this week. This team should make a medal match.
- Prediction: The third-seeded team of Vivienne David and Lacy Schneeman should be excellent. David’s composure, ability to reset and defend, mixed with Schneeman’s firepower, should be a great combination.
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