The Veolia Houston Open kicks off Wednesday at Life Time Pickleball in Atascocita, Texas. This is the second of four back-to-back tour stops in April on the PPA Tour.
As an open, this tournament is worth 1,000 PPA Points and has a "traditional draw" instead of the "progressive draw."
How to Watch
- Thursday, April 11 - Championship Court Singles - Noon-8pm - PickleballTV/Prime Video
- Thursday, April 11 - Grandstand Singles - Noon-6pm - PPA YouTube
- Friday, April 12 - Championship Court Mixed Doubles - Noon-8pm - PickleballTV/Prime Video
- Friday, April 12 - Grandstand Mixed Doubles - Noon-6pm - PPA YouTube
- Saturday, April 13 - Championship Court Gender Doubles - Noon-8pm - PickleballTV/Prime Video
- Saturday, April 13 - Grandstand Gender Doubles - Noon-6pm - PPA YouTube
- Sunday, April 14 - Championships - Noon-8pm - PickleballTV/Prime Video
- Sunday, April 14 - Championships - Noon-4pm - Tennis Channel
- Sunday, April 14 - Bronze Matches - 11am-3pm - PPA YouTube
Notable players not playing this week
Since this is an Open level event and the second of four back-to-back tournaments, some top players are taking this tournament off. Here are some names who are not playing in Houston:
- Anna Leigh Waters
- Catherine Parenteau
- Brooke Buckner
- Jack Sock
- Riley Newman
- Tyson McGuffin
- JW Johnson
Women’s Singles
![](https://www.thedinkpickleball.com/content/images/2024/04/image-9.png)
Click here to get the full draw from the PPA Tour (PDF format)
Interesting Facts/Matchups
- Mary Brascia is the No. 1 seed without ALW or Catherine competing.
- Christine Maddox is the No. 14 seed and she hasn’t played on tour in the last month.
- Dominique Schaefer is the No. 5 seed even though she hasn’t made a quarterfinals this year - is this the event where Schaefer makes a run?
- If they make it to the quarterfinals, new MLP teammates Lacy Schneemann and Kaitlyn Christian will play each other for the first time.
Predictions
- Semifinalists: Mary Brascia (1), Kaitlyn Christian (7), Lea Jansen (2), and Lina Padegimaite (3)
- Gold: Lea Jansen gets her first win on tour this year in singles over Kaitlyn Christian
Men’s Singles
![](https://www.thedinkpickleball.com/content/images/2024/04/image-10.png)
Click here to get the full draw from the PPA Tour (PDF format)
Interesting Facts/Matchups
- I really think the PPA should make some seeding exceptions from time to time - Hunter and Yates Johnson shouldn’t be 30-something seeds.
- Travis Rettenmaier is playing a singles event in a traditional draw - hopefully he is fully healthy.
- Rafa Hewitt is the No. 15 seed, but hasn’t made it past the Round of 16 this year - is Houston the place? Doubtful because he will probably face Federico Staksrud.
Predictions
- Semifinalists: Ben Johns (1), Federico Staksrud (2), Connor Garnett (3), and Christian Alshon (4) - Straight Chalk
- Gold: Federico beats Christian Alshon (who upsets Ben) in the gold medal match
Women’s Doubles
Click here to get the full draw from the PPA Tour (PDF format)
Interesting Facts/Matchups
- Can Rachel Rohrabacher and Anna Bright bounce back after a not-so-great event in North Carolina?
- Lea Jansen and Tina Pisnik are the No. 8 seed and this is their first time playing together.
- Callie and Lucy are back together; they are the No. 2 seed
Predictions
- Semifinalists: Bright/Rohrabacher (1), Jansen/Pisnik (8), Todd/Black (9), David/Jackie Kawamoto (4)
- Gold: Bright/Rohrabacher beat Todd/Black to win gold
Men’s Doubles
Click here to get the full draw from the PPA Tour (PDF format)
Interesting Facts/Matchups
- Tyler Loong and Christian Alshon are pairing up, making them the most athletic team in this draw.
- Rafa Hewitt and Will Howells are paired up together for the first time as the No. 13 seed.
- CJ Klinger and Jaume Martinez Vich do not get a first round bye and have to play one of the pro qualifiers - this off of his second place finish in North Carolina.
Predictions
- Semifinalists: Johns/Johns (1), Wilson/Bar (5), (2) Wright/Ignatowich, and Staksrud/Tellez (3)
- Gold: The Johns beat Wright and Ignatowich to win another gold
Mixed Doubles
Click here to get the full draw from the PPA Tour (PDF format)
Interesting Facts/Matchups
- Ignatowich and Bright have the No. 1 overall seed, even after their loss to Maggie Brascia and Todd Fought in North Carolina.
- With ALW out, Ben picked up Etta Wright; they are the No. 2 seed.
- Jaume Martinez Vich and Mary Brascia don’t get a bye and have to play a qualifier as the No. 19 seed.
Predictions
- Semifinalists: (7) Jansen/Patriquin, Rohrabacher/Staksrud (8), Johns/Wright (2), and Frazier/Black (6)
- Gold: Ben Johns and Etta Wright beat Lea Jansen and Hayden Patriquin in the finals
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