APP Casa Grande Preview

Pro pickleball is back with a vengeance at the APP Casa Grande Open. We've got mixed doubles on Friday, December 3, followed by men's and women's doubles on Saturday, December 4, and men's and women's singles on Sunday, December 5.

Arizona is currently two hours behind the East Coast, so the events will be starting at 10 am EST each day.

The APP Casa Grande Open will be hosted at the Palm Creek Resort, a 55+ resort located about an hour south of Phoenix. Palm Creek has 32 pickleball courts on-site and will have you forging your birth certificate to join the community.

Let's take a look at the stacked field we have competing this weekend starting with mixed doubles.

APP Casa Grande Open: Mixed Doubles Preview

The Newman's are petitioning to have a city called Newman established in Arizona where they dominate the pickleball scene. They are jumping into the APP Casa Grande Open where they would normally be the favorite.

But this week we've got Andrea Koop and Ben Johns giving a team BLQK encore. I expect these two teams to meet in the final.

Third place is up for grabs with some unique pairings in the field. Singles standouts Zane Navratil, Ryan Sherry, and Frank Anthony Davis will all be playing doubles this weekend and could shake up the field.

Top Contenders at the APP Casa Grande Open

🥇Andrea Koop & Ben Johns
🥈Lindsey Newman & Riley Newman
🥉Lea Jansen & Dekel Bar

Women's Doubles at the Casa Grande Pickleball Tournament

We could see some new names make the podium in women's doubles at the APP Casa Grande Open. It will be a fun field to watch with the wave of new players getting into the mix and seeing where they stack up.

🥇Irina Tereschenko & Lea Jansen
🥈Allyce Jones & Meghan Sheehan-Dizon
🥉Susannah Barr & Jillian Braverman

APP Casa Grande Open: Men's Doubles Field

The men's doubles field has all the same heavy hitters from the mixed division. The Freestyle Boys (Ben Johns & Rob Nunnery) will be partnering up and wreaking some havoc.

The team I am most excited about is Dekel Bar & Riley Newman. With Newman covering the court, Bar will have free reign to go Erne hunting everywhere. I'm sure these points will be chaotic and instant highlights.

JW Johnson is pairing up with Callan Dawson and they will have a shot at the podium this weekend.

If you want to play like Callan Dawson, grab the Pickleball Master Course and get it now for 10% off.

The cousin team of AJ Koller and Thomas Wilson will be gearing up for a big run in 2022. Making the podium here will help their seeding for that run. In the big draws, it's huge to have a bye in your path to the finals.

Newly formed Team Niuppipo (Frank Anthony Davis and Jack Foster) will also be a treat to watch. These two are used to flying all over the court, so I'm sure they will appreciate having a little help with court coverage.

APP Casa Grande Open: Men's Doubles Predictions

🥇Riley Newman & Dekel Bar
🥈Ben Johns & Rob Nunnery
🥉AJ Koller & Thomas Wilson

Women’s Singles

Jessie Irvine is listed in the women's singles field for this pro pickleball event, which will be an interesting twist. We are used to seeing her specialize in doubles events. She might be the only one in the field that could stand in the way of Lea Jansen.

This APP Casa Grande Open is Jansen's to lose. At this point, she is a level above the other players in the field.

Irina Tereschenko has been playing better following MLP. If she can keep playing at this high level, then Jansen will have to beat her twice if she wants to leave with gold.

🥇 Lea Jansen
🥈Irina Tereschenko
🥉Jesse Irvine

Men's Singles at the APP Casa Grande Open

Men's Singles Predictions for the APP Casa Grande Open

Ben Johns is missing from the singles pool at this point. Maybe a scheduling issue will prevent him from playing on Sunday.

This is good and bad news for Zane Navratil. On one hand, it makes Navratil's path to gold a whole lot easier. But on the other hand, he does not get another crack at Johns with the Zanesaw on his side.

There are about 5 or 6 other players that have a chance at the podium at this Casa Grande pickleball tournament. These will be interesting matches because they are ones we have not seen often. There's no telling how the podium will shake out on Sunday, but here is where I would put my money.
🥇 Zane Navratil
🥈 Gabriel Joseph
🥉 Ryan Sherry

Frequently Asked Questions

What time does the APP Casa Grande Open start each day?

The APP Casa Grande Open begins at 10 am EST each day. Arizona is two hours behind the East Coast, so local start time is 8 am MST throughout the event weekend.

Where is the APP Casa Grande Open held?

This pro pickleball event is hosted at Palm Creek Resort, a popular 55+ community located approximately one hour south of Phoenix, Arizona. The resort boasts 32 on-site pickleball courts, making it a premier destination for this Casa Grande pickleball tournament.

Who are the favorites to win at the APP Casa Grande Open?

Andrea Koop and Ben Johns are the top picks in mixed doubles, while Lea Jansen enters as the dominant force in women's singles at the APP Casa Grande Open. On the men's side, Zane Navratil is positioned as the favorite to take gold with Ben Johns absent from the singles draw.

What makes the men's doubles field exciting at this APP Tour event?

The pairing of Dekel Bar and Riley Newman is the most anticipated team in the men's doubles bracket. Bar's aggressive Erne hunting combined with Newman's elite court coverage creates a chaotic and highlight-friendly style of play that few teams can match in this pro pickleball event.

What is the Erne shot, and why does it matter at the APP Casa Grande Open?

The Erne is an advanced shot where a player leaps outside the kitchen to attack the ball at close range, and Dekel Bar has built a reputation as one of the best at executing it. At the APP Casa Grande Open, Bar's ability to hunt Erne opportunities will be a key factor in whether the Newman-Bar partnership can reach the podium.