Johns Brothers Advance to Finals of PPA Rate Las Vegas Championships: The last time Ben Johns and Collin Johns squared off against Federico Staksrud and Matt Wright, the outcome was far from favorable. A painful defeat by a score of 3-11, 5-11 in the semifinals of the Atlanta Open back in May left the top seeds with a desire for redemption. Five months later, that chance arrived at the PPA Rate Las Vegas Championships men’s doubles semifinal match, and the Johns brothers made sure to seize the moment.
A Clinical Performance
In a display of sheer dominance, the Johns brothers delivered a clinical performance, defeating the No. 3 seeds with a staggering score of 11-4, 11-0. For Ben Johns, everything on the court felt just right.
“The ball and conditions felt really good. The drives felt low and hard, and then the follow-up drops just felt real crisp. It was definitely hot earlier in the day, but now it’s kind of gotten to that perfect intermediate zone.” – (ben)
A Strange Turn of Events
Despite the lopsided scoreline, the match featured one of the most peculiar endings seen in professional pickleball. After finally getting back on serve at 0-10 in the second game, Staksrud received a technical warning for unsportsmanlike conduct due to profanity. Moments later, Wright also drew a technical warning for something overheard by the referee.
In a bizarre twist, two technical warnings on the same team usually result in a loss of a point; however, with Staksrud and Wright at 0, the point was awarded to the Johns brothers, sealing their victory. This unexpected turn of events led to a tense confrontation between Wright and Head PPA Referee Don Stanley.
Reflecting on the Match
While the penalty was decisive, the Johns brothers are no strangers to such circumstances. They had experienced a similar fate just a week earlier in Virginia Beach, where they faced a point deduction due to not signaling timeouts. Despite the unusual finish, Collin Johns remained unfazed.
“I don’t know if it was the right call or not, but we ended up winning on that, and I feel like we would have finished it regardless.” – (collin)
Looking Forward
The Johns brothers now look ahead to Sunday, where they will face the winners of the second semifinal, featuring No. 2 seeds JW Johnson and Dylan Frazier against No. 8 seeds Andrei Daescu and James Ignatowich. With their eyes set on the final, the top seeds aim to capitalize on their momentum and continue their path to victory.
News in Brief: Johns Brothers Advance to Finals of PPA Rate Las Vegas Championships
Ben Johns and Collin Johns avenged their previous loss to Federico Staksrud and Matt Wright with an emphatic 11-4, 11-0 victory at the PPA Rate Las Vegas Championships semifinal match of men’s doubles. The match ended with an unusual point penalty against Staksrud and Wright due to technical warnings for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Reflecting on the match, Collin Johns stated he believed they would have won regardless of the circumstances. The Johns brothers are set to face the winners of the semifinal match between JW Johnson and Dylan Frazier and Andrei Daescu and James Ignatowich on Sunday.
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