3 Reasons to watch: PPA Tour’s Daytona Beach Open
Last Edited
Dec 17 2024
Category
News
The PPA Tour’s Daytona Beach Open presented by ROAR Organic serves as the final PPA event of 2024, but here’s the twist: this tournament already counts toward 2025 standings.
While some top players are taking an early holiday break, this event is packed with new partnerships, big returns, and wide-open draws that set the stage for surprises. Unpredictable matchups? Yes, please.
Here’s what we're most looking forward to watching:
1. The comeback: Leigh Waters returns with ALW
For the first time in over a year, Leigh Waters is back. The original pickleball mom-daughter powerhouse reunites, with Leigh and world No. 1 Anna Leigh Waters headlining women’s doubles as the No. 2 seed.
Related: Leigh Waters returning to PPA Tour at Daytona event
This is a “home game” for the Waters family, playing in Florida, and the stakes are high.
While they’ve proven their magic can still win titles—see: 2024 U.S. Open—their chemistry will be tested against a stacked field full of new, intriguing pairings.
Key pool match: Waters/Waters vs. Bright/Kawamoto. Anna Bright and Jackie Kawamoto hold the top seed and have their own claim to doubles dominance.
2. Can Staksrud/Patriquin go back-to-back?
Hayden Patriquin and Federico Staksrud come into Daytona on fire after their CIBC Finals victory. These two look unstoppable, but the rest of the draw is full of wildcards and fresh combinations ready to dethrone them.
At No. 2, Pablo Tellez and Dekel Bar bring a lefty-righty pairing that feels tailor-made to disrupt even the strongest teams. Meanwhile, dark horses like Andrei Daescu/CJ Klinger—a righty-lefty duo with big upside—could spoil the party.
Key Pool Match: Tellez/Bar vs. Daescu/Klinger. New partnerships mean new dynamics, and this one is a tactical chess match in the making.
3. Wide-open mixed: who will rise?
With big names like Ben Johns and Catherine Parenteau sitting this one out, mixed doubles is a free-for-all. Anna Bright/Dekel Bar hold the top seed as the most battle-tested team, but there’s no shortage of challengers.
Hayden Patriquin and Jorja Johnson—a fresh pairing with youth, speed, and firepower—are looking to make a splash. Down the bracket, veteran combos like Tina Pisnik/Andrei Daescu and Tyra Black/Pablo Tellez can’t be counted out.
Key Pool Match: Bright/Bar vs. Kawamoto/Klinger. Can a seasoned duo withstand a team brimming with untapped chemistry?
How to Watch and Buy Tickets
The Daytona Beach Open runs Thursday through Sunday, starting daily at 10 a.m. Eastern. You can catch the action live on Pickleball TV (Prime Video), the Tennis Channel, and ESPN2.
Prefer the courtside vibes? Tickets are still available—don’t miss the chance to see the Waters’ big return in their home state.
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