PPA Kansas City Men’s Singles Recap: The 2024 Selkirk Kansas City Open, part of the Professional Pickleball Association’s tour, wrapped up a grueling week and a half for the tour pros this past weekend. Held in Overland Park, Kansas, the event subjected players to the sweltering Midwest heat for the second consecutive weekend. As a PPA 1000 event, it followed the familiar one-event-per-day schedule, which simplifies recaps but limits fan flexibility. The tournament offered intense Men’s Singles matches and standout performances, with Connor Garnett and Tyson McGuffin making significant strides. Here’s a detailed recap of the weekend’s action.
Men’s Pro Singles: Garnett’s Victory and McGuffin’s Resilience
The Men’s singles draw highlighted the competitive depth of the pro tour, with many matches going deep into tiebreakers and several rising stars making significant strides. The absence of long-time #1 Ben Johns, the sole top-10 player missing from the draw, elevated Connor Garnett to the #2 seed behind #1 Federico Staksrud.
Top Half of the Draw
In the top half, younger players made their presence felt. #24 Eric Roddy defeated the in-form #14 Hayden Patriquin with scores of (9),0,9 in the 32s. Teenager #22 Gabe Tardio shocked #6 Quang Duong to advance to the quarterfinals. Veteran #44 John Cincola turned back the clock, overcoming #18 Rettenmaier and #13 Shick before a tough round of 16 match against #1 Staksrud, which ended in a close 8,9 loss.
Staksrud edged out #8 Vich 12-10 in game three of the quarters, but the effort seemed to catch up with him as he fell to #3 Tyson McGuffin 11-8 in the third game of the semifinals. This marked just the second time in 14 PPA tournaments this year that Staksrud did not advance to the gold medal match.
Bottom Half of the Draw
The bottom half saw the defending PPA singles champion, #9 Christopher Haworth, making a strong run. Haworth defeated #6 Frazier in the 16s and then took down the surprising #15 Hewett in the quarters, who had previously upset #4 Christian Alshon. Haworth’s journey ended in the semifinals against the red-hot #2 seed Connor Garnett, who cruised through to the final. Garnett topped Haworth in a thrilling three-game match 8,(9),7 to secure his first singles final since winning in LA last April.
Final Match: Garnett vs. McGuffin
The final showed the unpredictable nature of singles play. Garnett dominated the first game with an 11-0 win, achieving what is known in the industry as a “Golden Pickle,” where the opponent never gains serve. Despite this, Tyson McGuffin responded with a strong performance, winning the second game 11-2. In the decisive third game, Garnett regained his form and clinched the title with an 11-2 win, finishing with a final score of 0,(2),2. In the bronze medal match, Haworth overcame Staksrud 7,(0),9 to claim the bronze, sending Staksrud home without a singles medal for the first time this year.
Final Standings
- Gold: Connor Garnett
- Silver: Tyson McGuffin
- Bronze: Christopher Haworth
News in Brief: PPA Kansas City Men’s Singles Recap
The 2024 Selkirk Kansas City Open, part of the PPA Tour, concluded with Connor Garnett winning the Men’s Singles title after defeating Tyson McGuffin in a thrilling final. Garnett dominated the first and third games, while McGuffin took the second.
Christopher Haworth claimed the bronze by defeating top-seed Federico Staksrud, who missed out on a singles medal for the first time this year. The tournament showed intense competition, with several upsets and standout performances from rising stars.
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