PPA Red Rock Open Preview

A quick look at this week's PPA Red Rock Open.

What to Watch at the PPA Red Rock Open

When Ben Johns is in the field, he's the one to watch, but Johns is particularly worth checking out this week at the PPA Red Rock Open after ending his three-year partnership with Franklin last week. Johns has just signed a new deal with JOOLA, so we'll see how he and his new paddle respond this week in Utah against a deep field. He'll be using the JOOLA Hyperion CFS 16mm. It retails for $219.95.

GET THE NEW BEN JOHNS HYPERION PADDLE AT FROMUTH PICKLEBALL. If you snag anything else before you checkout, get 10% off with 10DINK (exclusions apply).

Johns will be playing singles, doubles with his brother Colin, and then mixed doubles with his regular partner Anna Leigh Waters. Last week in Austin, Johns didn't medal while pairing with Andrea Koop.

Men's Singles at the PPA Red Rock Open

A stacked field, including all three medalists from last week at the Austin Open: Ben Johns, Tyson McGuffin, and Jay Devilliers.

Of the 28 players in the PPA Red Rock Open men's singles draw, watch for a couple of dark horses in Tyler Loong and Julian Arnold. Both had strong showings in Austin last week, with the two set to meet for the right to play Devilliers in the consolation final before Loong withdrew.

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Women's Divisions at the PPA Red Rock Open

Thirteen players are in the women's singles field, including Anna Leigh Waters, who won gold last week in Austin, as well as Callie Smith, who earned bronze last week in Austin.

Four of the five players at the top of the PPA singles standings are in the field, including No. 3-ranked Lea Jansen. Jansen is the only one of the five not to have played last week in Austin.

Mixed Doubles at the PPA Red Rock Open

Very full field of 25 teams. Riley Newman and Catherine Parenteau will try to make it two wins in a row after the pair earned gold last week in Austin. That will be tough with Johns and Waters playing together again.

A lot of different pairings from a week ago when Tyson McGuffin played with Leigh Waters. This week, McGuffin is playing with Lauren Stratman and Leigh Waters is teamed with Patrick Smith.

Jesse Irvine and Jay Devilliers are back together after earning bronze last week in Austin. Lucy Kovalova and Matt Wright took silver last week.

This week, Kovalova is paired with Rob Nunnery and Wright isn't playing.

Men's Doubles at the PPA Red Rock Open

With Matt Wright out, the normal number 1 seeded team is out of the competition and Riley Newman is filling the void with AJ Koller. Koller and Newman beat the Johns brothers at the PPA Championships in Las Vegas last year. Will they be able to recreate the magic in Utah and bring home gold?

The home state will also have a lot of representation in the men's field. The team of Spencer Smith/Chuck Taylor is Utah-based as well as other competitors Austin Gridley, Shellton Baptiste, and Tyler Loong.

Women's Doubles at the PPA Red Rock Open

The Waters will be the team to watch and we could very well see a rematch of last week's gold medal match in Austin when the mother-daughter team took four games to beat Kovalova and Callie Smith.

The team of Catherine Parenteau and Jessie Irvine is split this weekend. They will have new partners, which helps to expand the competition in the division. Is the split going to be permanent? We will have to wait and see.

Parenteau will be playing with Lea Jansen and Irvine with pickleball newcomer Anna Bright. Both new teams have a shot at the title this weekend and add some excitement to women's doubles.

Schedule and Where to Watch the PPA Red Rock Open

Where: Little Valley Sports Complex, St. George, Utah

Schedule:

• Thursday, April 7: Men's and women's singles
• Friday, April 8: Mixed doubles
• Saturday, April 9: Men's and women's doubles
• Sunday: Championships

Where to watch:

• Thursday through Saturday: PPA TV at www.youtube.com/c/PPAtour starting at 10 a.m. local time
• Sunday: FS1, Time TBA

PPA Red Rock Open Weather Forecast

Let's just say it's a bit better than last year when players had to deal with a February event in Utah. With the PPA Red Rock Open being moved to April this year, things are looking a lot better for competitors and fans alike.

• Thursday: Sunny. High of 82 with light winds
• Friday: Sunny. High of 87 with light winds
• Saturday: Partly cloudy. High of 89 with winds 10-20 mph out of the West/Southwest
• Sunday: Mostly sunny. High of 81 with winds 10-20 mph out of the West/Southwest

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the PPA Red Rock Open?

The PPA Red Rock Open is a professional pickleball tournament on the PPA Tour held each year in St. George, Utah. It is one of the premier Utah pickleball events of the season, featuring the world's top pros competing across singles, doubles, and mixed doubles divisions.

Where is the PPA Red Rock Open held?

The PPA Red Rock Open takes place at Little Valley Sports Complex in St. George, Utah. The venue hosts all tournament categories from opening-round singles play through championship Sunday.

How can I watch the PPA Red Rock Open live?

Thursday through Saturday action streams live on PPA TV via YouTube at youtube.com/c/PPAtour, with play starting at 10 a.m. local time. Championship Sunday airs on FS1, with the exact broadcast time to be announced.

What paddle is Ben Johns using at the PPA Red Rock Open?

Ben Johns is debuting the JOOLA Hyperion CFS 16mm at the PPA Red Rock Open after signing a new sponsorship deal with JOOLA. The paddle retails for $219.95 and is available through authorized retailers like Fromuth Pickleball, where you can use code 10DINK for 10% off (exclusions apply).

Who are the favorites to watch at the PPA Red Rock Open?

In men's singles, Ben Johns enters as the clear favorite, with Tyson McGuffin and Jay Devilliers as top challengers across the full field of 28. In women's singles and doubles, Anna Leigh Waters is the player to beat, while Riley Newman and Catherine Parenteau head into mixed doubles as the defending Austin champions looking for back-to-back gold