PPA Tour Asia Hong Kong Slam recap: Huge crowds, big upsets and controversial moments
The PPA Tour Asia Hong Kong Slam proved yet again that pickleball is exploding on the world stage.
The event drew huge crowds throughout the week at Kai Tak Arena, where a stacked field of U.S. and international stars competed for a share of the $1.1 million prize pool (the largest payout in Asian pickleball history) plus 1,500 World Pickleball Ranking points.
Fans were treated to several close matches, intense moments and plenty of drama. In this video, Chris Cali from Sorry Not Sorry Pickleball is breaking it all down like only he can.
The most controversial moment of the week came during a men’s singles quarterfinal match between Federico Staksrud and Hong Kit Wong (who goes by Jack). Wong, who is from Hong Kong and had the home crowd behind him, was ahead late in Game 3 and looked like he was going to punch his ticket to the semifinals.
But Staksrud was granted an extended timeout to fix an equipment issue — it appeared as though he had sweat through the insoles of his shoe, which was causing him to slip. When play resumed, Staksrud was assessed a 1-point penalty for inappropriate language (which appeared to be directed at Wong).
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Ultimately Staksrud came back and won Game 3 12-10 in dramatic fashion. He would go on to lose in the semifinals to Hunter Johnson, who then beat Tama Shimabukuro in the final.
Check out the video above for more on the Staksrud-Wong match and a full breakdown of all the biggest moments from the Hong Kong Slam.
Here are the winners from the other divisions:
Men’s doubles: Hayden Patriquin/Federico Staksrud def. Ben Johns/Gabe Tardio
Women’s doubles: Anna Leigh Waters/Anna Bright def. Tyra Black/Jorja Johnson
Mixed doubles: Ben Johns/Anna Leigh Waters def. Hayden Patriquin/Anna Bright
Women’s singles: Andie Dikosavljevic def. Judit Castillo