Too much power or spin won’t be a problem for the pros in the PPA Sacramento Vintage Open - welcome to the wooden paddle tournament!

That’s right. The pros will be using wooden paddles provided to them by PickleballCentral (also the marquee sponsor of the event).

Amateurs are still using whatever certified paddle of their choice, but the pros are going to use the wood paddles all weekend.

This is a regular Open level event, and 1,000 PPA points are on the line for the winners. Life Time Arden is hosting the event.

Because this event is between a Slam (PPA Cincinnati Showcase just ended a week and a half ago) and a Cup (Virginia Beach Cup begins October 6th), many players are choosing to take this event off. Additionally, the PPA Asia Malaysia Cup has quite a few regular PPA pros playing in Kuala Lumpur.

Notable Players Missing the Vintage Sacramento Open

Players instead playing in the PPA Asia Malaysia Cup:

Ben Johns
Anna Bright
Christian Alshon
Eric Oncins
Kaitlyn Christian
Tyson McGuffin
Chao Yi “Zoey” Wang
Zane Navratil
Grayson Goldin
Alix Truong
Liz Truluck
Hannah Blatt
Jonathan Truong

Both Parris Todd and Hayden Patriquin are missing the event to play in a Franklin Asian showcase tour, promoting their new paddles.

Additionally, the following players have chosen to skip this event for one reason or another:

Anna Leigh Waters
Catherine Parenteau
Rachel Rohrabacher

Weather Outlook in Sacramento

Temperatures with highs in the 80s and 90s mean it will be a little hot for this time of year in northern California. The wind doesn’t look to play a huge factor. With draws as small as they are, conditioning and fitness shouldn’t really play a factor this week.

How to Watch the Vintage Sacramento Open

Thursday, September 25 - Singles

11am - 7pm ET - Championship Court - Pickleballtv
11am - 7pm ET - Grandstand Court - Pickleballtv

Friday, September 26 - Mixed Doubles

11am - 7pm ET - Championship Court - Pickleballtv
11am - 7pm ET - Grandstand Court - Pickleballtv

Saturday, September 27 - Gender Doubles

11am - 7pm ET - Championship Court - Pickleballtv
11am - 7pm ET - Grandstand Court - Pickleballtv

Sunday, September 28 - Championship Sunday

10am - 4pm ET - Championship Court - Pickleballtv
9am - 2pm ET - Grandstand Court - Pickleballtv

Let’s get into the action.

Women’s Singles

Top Storylines

It’s been over five months since the #1 seed, Kate Fahey, has won a gold medal and this is the last one she plays in before she gets married in early October
Lea Jansen is the #3 seed, and I like her chances in this one for two reasons - the draw is tiny, and she won’t have to go through six back to back matches - it will only take four wins for her to claim gold, AND she is the best woman when it comes to volleying and getting to the net
The most intriguing first round matchup has got to be (5) Genie Bouchard and (10) Layne Sleeth. This would be a quarterfinal in a normal tournament.

Prediction

Semifinalists: (1) Kate Fahey, (13) Cailyn Campbell, (2) Brooke Buckner, and (3) Lea Jansen
Finals: Fahey takes down Jansen in three games

Men’s Singles

Top Storylines

(33) Riley Newman is playing singles for the first time in at least 2.5 years. I don’t know the last time he played singles.
(13) Chris Haworth has moved up in seeding significantly since the last tournament, where he was the 57 seed.
Since there are no qualifiers for this tournament, I am seeing some unsigned players in the 30s in terms of seeding - will be interesting if any of them can break out and make a run
Out of the top four seeds, I believe the wooden paddle suits Fed the best - Hunter will have to get to the net a lot more than usual if he wants to win this one

Prediction

Semifinalists: (22) Tom Protzek (I know - a huge stretch), (13) Chris Haworth, (2) Federico Staksrud, (5) Jack Sock
Finals: I think Chris Haworth beats Fed in the finals

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Mixed Doubles

Top Storylines

It’s been over five months since (1) JW and Jorja Johnson upset Ben and Anna Leigh for their gold medal in North Carolina, and they don’t have a win since. Will wooden paddles be the answer?
I love seeing one of the OG couples in pickleball in this draw - (31) Regina and Johnny Goldberg - they may actually have some experience playing with a wooden paddle competitively
A potentially epic Round of 16 matchup could be (6) Hurricane Tyra Black and Pablo Tellez vs. (9) Layne Sleeth and Riley Newman. This could be the matchup with the best defense on display and with wood paddles, it is going to be tough to put overheads away.

Prediction

Semifinalists: (1) Jorja & JW Johnson, (3) Jessie Irvine/Gabe Tardio, (2) Tina Pisnik/Andrei Daescu, and (4) Lea Jansen/Federico Staksrud
Finals: Jorja and JW beat Tina and Andrei in the finals in four

Women’s Doubles

Top Storylines

(1) Jorja Johnson and Hurricane Tyra Black already have two gold medals together this year - can they make it three?
It is crazy to think Allyce Jones and Mari Humberg are the two seed - the last time either of them medaled in women’s doubles was nearly six months ago when Allyce earned silver with Etta Tuionetoa in Utah
The most intriguing matchup in the first round has got to be (5) Brooke Buckner and Lea Jansen vs. (11) Lindsay Newman and Layne Sleeth - two of the hardest hitting women against two of the best defensive women in the game

Prediction

Semifinalists: (1) Jorja & Hurricane Tyra Black, (3) Kate Fahey/Tina Pisnik, (8) Mary and Maggie Brascia, and (4) Etta Tuionetoa/Lacy Schneemann
Finals: Jorja and Tyra beat Etta and Lacy in three

Men’s Doubles

Top Storylines

(1) Andrei Daescu and Collin Johns are pairing up for this one - I don’t think I could think of two players more suited to make more balls in a wooden paddle tournament than these two
(4) Dylan Frazier and JW Johnson are teaming up together after nearly 11 months mixing up partnerships - the duo is 146-26 lifetime and it will be fun seeing them play again
Don’t look past (2) Federico Staksrud and Matt Wright - they won two bronze medals toward the end of last year together

Prediction

Semifinalists: (1) Collin Johns/Andrei Daescu, (4) Dylan Frazier/JW Johnson, (2) Matt Wright/Federico Staksrud, and (6) Riley Newman/Jay Devilliers
Finals: Collin and Andrei beat Matt and Fed in four