Ben Johns captures first singles title of 2025 with a 12-10, 11-1 victory over Hunter Johnson in the men’s final of the Carvana Mesa Cup. The match, held on Sunday, marked a strong start to the season for Johns, while Johnson battled an injury that affected his performance.
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A Tight First Game
Johnson fought back from a 0-4 deficit and had chances to win the opening game at 10-8 and 10-9. However, he missed crucial passing shots, allowing Johns to rally and claim the set.
“In singles now, you can get cleanly passed from anywhere. You can hit a great return, and sometimes they’ll just hit a clean winner and you’ve just gotta accept it and move on. I think in Game 1 I wasn’t doing a great job of that, and when Hunter had 10-8 and 10-9, I think he missed two passing shots by no more than an inch, and that allowed me to come through and come back.” – (Johns)
Johnson’s Injury Struggles
During the final points of Game 1, Johnson injured his ankle while attempting a backhand pass.
“I tried to step and I kind of extended my ankle and it jammed. I was dealing with it a little bit all week, and it just kind of gave out. I didn’t fully realize it until I started playing the next few points in the second game when I ran for a ball and realized that I couldn’t really get there.” – (Johnson)
He took a medical timeout in Game 2 but struggled to move effectively, and Johns cruised to victory.
A Positive Start for Johns
Reflecting on his win, Johns said he wasn’t expecting an easy victory but was pleased with the outcome.
“I wasn’t coming into this tournament with huge expectations. I knew I could potentially win, but I also knew that with a lot of factors in the field right now, you can lose to anybody as well. Obviously I’m happy with the result, and it’s definitely a good omen for upcoming tournaments.” – (Johns)
Johnson’s Takeaway
Despite the loss, Johnson remained optimistic after securing a silver medal in Mesa following his gold in Tucson.
“It’s still a great tournament, one that I can build a lot of confidence from. I beat Fed yesterday in a crazy match. I still haven’t beat Ben yet, so that’s kind of a goal for me this year. I’m close every time, but it just doesn’t seem to go my way.” – (Johnson)
Bronze Medal Match
In the battle for third place, Federico Staksrud edged out Connor Garnett in a close match, winning 2-11, 11-4, 11-9.
News in Brief: Ben Johns Captures First Singles Title
Ben Johns claimed his first singles title of 2025 Carvana Mesa Cup with a 12-10, 11-1 win over Hunter Johnson. Johnson, who suffered an ankle injury, took silver, while Federico Staksrud won bronze. Johns sees the win as a strong start to the season, while Johnson remains optimistic about future matches.
ALSO READ: Ben Johns Overpowers Hunter Johnson to Clinch Carvana Mesa Cup Men’s Singles Title