Predictions and storylines heading into PPA Tour Masters
Last Edited
Jan 06 2025
Category
News
If you’re not already excited to turn on the TV and soak in the scenes from Palm Springs this week, the matchups at the PPA Tour Masters should get you there.
The tour’s most iconic tournament – also the first Slam of the season – started Monday with pro qualifying, then it will be a progressive draw (one round per day in each division) from Tuesday through Sunday.
Looking to catch the action in person? Tickets can be purchased here.
You can also see the TV schedule here:
The pros will be decked out in all white apparel, while the courts at Mission Hills Country Club are painted all green.
As a Slam, The Masters offers 2,000 ranking points toward the season-long race, offering players a chance to get off to a strong start. There are plenty of new partnerships in the field and multiple divisions where several teams have a legitimate chance to take gold.
So let’s dive into some predictions and storylines to watch:
Men’s Doubles
Semifinals
Christian Alshon/Andrei Daescu def. Ben Johns/Collin Johns
Federico Staksrud/Hayden Patriquin def. Pablo Tellez/Dylan Frazier
Finals
Alshon/Daescu def. Staksrud/Patriquin
It’s hard to imagine the vibes being good for Ben and Collin after they announced they were splitting up last month, then apparently couldn’t find different partners for this event and ultimately decided to play together one last time. They are still a top contender, but we saw them visibly frustrated with each other a lot in 2024 and there’s no shortage of good teams in this field who can beat them.
Alshon was somewhat limited by a knee injury in the second half of 2024, but I’m betting on him being at or close to 100% after a month off since the PPA Tour Finals. And Daescu proved a couple weeks ago that he has what it takes to beat Staksrud and Patriquin, knocking them off in the semifinals at the Daytona Beach Open on his way to the title in that one with CJ Klinger.
Men’s Singles
Semifinals
Federico Staksrud def. Hunter Johnson
Quang Duong def. Connor Garnett
Finals
Staksrud def. Duong
This might be a finals matchup we see a lot in 2025. Ben Johns is notably absent from the singles draw – perhaps an indication that he’s taking a step back from singles this year to focus more on men’s doubles and mixed doubles.
That clears the way for Staksrud to have another big year in singles, since Ben was the player he struggled against the most last season. Duong was hampered by a couple injuries toward the end of 2024 and had to pull out of the PPA Tour Finals last month, but he’s expected to be healthy coming into this one.
Women’s Doubles
Semifinals
Anna Leigh Waters/Catherine Parenteau def. Callie Smith/Parris Todd
Anna Bright/Rachel Rohrabacher def. Jorja Johnson/Tyra Black
Finals
Waters/Parenteau def. Bright/Rohrabacher
This is a finals matchup we saw a lot of last year, and it was clear in the later months of the season that Bright and Rohrabacher had pulled almost even with Waters and Parenteau.
We could be in for another instant classic if both teams can get to the finals in this one. Give me ALW and CP in 5.
Women’s Singles
Semifinals
Anna Leigh Waters def. Lea Jansen
Kaitlyn Christian def. Catherine Parenteau
Finals
Waters def. Christian
It’s really hard to pick anybody but Waters in this division right now. She won 12 gold medals in singles last year – the next closest was Brooke Buckner and Kate Fahey, who each won three.
The most interesting match of this draw could come in the quarterfinals, where Waters and Fahey could match up.
Mixed Doubles
Semifinals
Ben Johns/Anna Leigh Waters def. Hayden Patriquin/Anna Bright
Federico Staksrud/Catherine Parenteau def. JW Johnson/Jorja Johnson
Finals
Johns/Waters def. Staksrud/Parenteau
Johns and Waters are the clear favorite here, but you could make a case for 6-8 teams who could be the second-best team in this bracket. I’m interested to see how MLP teammates James Ignatowich and Rachel Rohrabacher do (we hear Ignatowich will be using a new paddle), but they’ll likely match up with the Johnson siblings in the quarterfinals.
Perhaps the most intriguing partnership is Staksrud and Parenteau. Staksrud had a great year in 2024 in men’s doubles and men’s singles, but didn’t see the same success in mixed, with one silver and two bronze. Can Parenteau be the missing piece to make him a threat to win gold in all three events?
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