Anna Leigh Waters and Ben Johns secured a spot in the mixed doubles final after defeating No. 4 seeds Anna Bright and Hayden Patriquin with a score of 9-11, 11-6, 11-8 at the 2025 CIBC Texas Open. The match took place on Humana Championship Court and lasted nearly an hour and a half.
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Early Challenges for Top Seeds
In the first game, the top seeds faced challenges, falling behind 2-5 in the second game after losing the first. Patriquin successfully targeted Waters with ernes off her dinks, while Bright put pressure on Johns. However, Waters and Johns responded with a dominant 14-1 run to win Game 2 and took an early lead in the deciding game.
Resilient Fightback
Bright and Patriquin showed resilience by rallying back, eventually taking a 6-5 lead at the side switch. Despite their efforts, Waters and Johns regained control and closed out the match shortly after.
Lively Exchanges on the Court
In addition to the competitive play, there was a lively exchange during the match. Patriquin, known for his confidence, engaged in some trash talk directed at Waters, leading her to retort, “Don’t talk to me like that.”
“Hayden was telling me that my dinks were high and that he had poked the bear. He doesn’t need to be poking me, but Hayden and I get along well. He likes to talk during the match, and if he wants to fire me up like that, he can fire me up. I just wasn’t taking it. It was making me mad, but I guess it did me justice in the end.” – (Waters)
Waters and Johns will face No. 2 seeds Jorja Johnson and JW Johnson in the final on Sunday, setting the stage for an exciting matchup.
News in Brief: Anna Leigh Waters and Ben Johns
Anna Leigh Waters and Ben Johns defeated Anna Bright and Hayden Patriquin in the semifinals, advancing to the mixed doubles final at the 2025 CIBC Texas Open. The match featured lively banter and a comeback, with Waters and Johns winning 9-11, 11-6, 11-8. They will face Jorja Johnson and JW Johnson next.