Anna Leigh Waters and Ben Johns captured the mixed doubles title at the Carvana PPA Championship Sunday in Cincinnati with an 11-2, 11-8, 11-9 win over Anna Bright and Andrei Daescu. The victory came nearly 18 months after Bright and Daescu handed them their only defeat of 2024.
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Revenge After a Long Wait
The final took place at the Lindner Family Tennis Center, where Waters and Johns dominated from the start. This match was especially meaningful for Waters, who admitted she never forgot the Austin Open final in 2024 when Bright and Daescu shocked them.
“I told Ben that the match against Anna and Andrei in Austin has haunted me since that final, and I really wanted some revenge, so I’m glad we got this one,”(Anna Leigh Waters).
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Tactical Adjustments Make the Difference
One of the key strategies came from Waters’ decision to run around her forehand and use her two-handed backhand. Johns explained how that created openings for their team.
“Creating offensive opportunities is the big thing, whether it’s actually speeding up the ball and keeping Andrei on his side—Anna Leigh had a lot of success going up his line—or running around the forehand and creating angles with the backhand.
That can be rolling it behind or attacking through the middle. All of those things just create a lot of offensive opportunities for us.”(Ben Johns)
Bright and Daescu Stay Positive
Even in defeat, Anna Bright praised her partnership with Andrei Daescu. The duo showed strong teamwork despite falling short.
“Definitely super proud of our fight this week. We kind of got hit in the face here in Game 1, and even though we didn’t get Games 2 or 3, I’m proud of how we made them work for it.
They’re obviously an amazing team, and we have a lot of positives for us this week. I’m happy to string together a good performance at a Slam. I wish today went differently, but that’s sports,” (Anna Bright).
What It Means Going Forward
The win highlighted once again why Anna Leigh Waters and Ben Johns are considered the greatest mixed doubles pair in pickleball. Their ability to bounce back after a rare loss shows their consistency and competitive spirit. For Anna Bright and Andrei Daescu, the performance proved they can compete at the highest level and remain strong contenders for future tournaments.
News in Brief: Anna Leigh Waters and Ben Johns
Anna Leigh Waters and Ben Johns won the mixed doubles title at the Carvana PPA Championship in Cincinnati, defeating Anna Bright and Andrei Daescu 11-2, 11-8, 11-9. The victory gave Waters and Johns revenge for their 2024 Austin Open loss, the only defeat they suffered last year.