Anna Leigh Waters Stages Dramatic Comeback: Anna Leigh Waters won her semifinal match against Judit Castillo on Saturday, June 21, 2025, at the Select Medical Orange County Cup. The match took place at Life Time Rancho San Clemente. With this win, Anna Leigh Waters moved on to the women’s singles final, where she will face Catherine Parenteau.
Waters Wins After Falling Behind
Anna Leigh Waters, the top seed in the tournament, defeated Judit Castillo in straight games, 11-7, 11-9. Judit Castillo, who recently joined the PPA Tour in May, was playing in her first PPA event. Even though she had leads in both games—7-4 in the first and 9-6 in the second—she couldn’t hold on as Waters came back both times to win.
Anna Leigh Waters has now gone more than a year without losing a singles match. She has remained strong and focused in tough moments, which has helped her stay unbeaten.
Waters Talks About Her Game Plan
After the match, Anna Leigh Waters talked about how she plays when she is trailing in a game.
“I feel like sometimes if the score’s even or if I’m up, I can get too creative or go for too much,” she explained. “When I’m down, I feel like I do a really good job of just sticking to the gameplan and sticking to the shots I know I can make. That sounds weird because you’d think you would play the same throughout the whole match, but I definitely play more high percentage when I’m down.”
Waters and Parenteau Set for Final Matchup
Anna Leigh Waters will now play against Catherine Parenteau in the gold medal match. This is the first time the two will meet in singles since they ended their partnership in women’s doubles earlier this year. The matchup is expected to draw a lot of attention, as both players are among the best in the sport.
What This Win Means
Anna Leigh Waters’ win keeps her perfect singles record alive for another tournament. Judit Castillo showed promise in her first PPA tournament and could become a strong player on the tour in the future. The final between Waters and Parenteau could mark the beginning of a new singles rivalry in pro pickleball.
News in Brief: Anna Leigh Waters Stages Dramatic Comeback
Anna Leigh Waters beat Judit Castillo 11-7, 11-9 in the Select Medical Orange County Cup semifinal on Saturday. Waters will now face Catherine Parenteau in the women’s singles final. Castillo played her first PPA event since joining in May and showed strong potential despite the loss.
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