Just a day after the SXY.com Newport Beach Open, the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) Tour, was already already back in action.

This “preview” is a bit different, in that the date of publication is Wednesday, March 11, and the tournament is playing the Round of 32 today. I am a bit late getting the preview out, so I will focus more on some matchups that I am looking forward to, and as always, provide who I believe will be the winners.

Of note - all PPA Tour stops this year are Progressive Draws, but for Open level tournaments, coverage on pickleballtv begins on Thursdays. Tuesdays and Wednesdays have been streamed on the PPA Streamed Courts YouTube channel using a very fun new “Firefight Zone”, similar to football’s Red Zone.

How to Watch the Veolia Texas Open Presented by Proton

Thursday, March 12 - Round of 16

• 11am - 7pm ET - Championship Court - pickleballtv
• 11am - 7pm ET - Grandstand Court - pickleballtv

Friday, March 13 - Quarterfinals

• 11am - 7pm ET - Championship Court - pickleballtv
• 11am - 7pm ET - Grandstand Court - pickleballtv

Saturday, March 14 - Semifinals

• 11am - 7pm ET - Championship Court - pickleballtv
• 11am - 7pm ET - Grandstand Court (Juniors) - pickleballtv

Sunday, March 15 - Championship Sunday

• 11am - 5m ET - Championship Court - pickleballtv
• 10am - 2pm ET - Grandstand Court (Bronze) - pickleballtv

Weather Outlook

Wind seems like it will continue to be a problem in McKinney. Early in the week will be 20mph wings and late in the week it may be the same. Gusts could be much larger. This could make for some additional upsets both in the early part of the tournament and late in play. Expect some fireworks Saturday and Sunday.

Let’s get into the action.

Women’s Singles

Top Storylines

• The above graphic was changed last minute by the PPA Tour without explanation, so the bracket is incorrect - for a correct bracket you must visit pickleballtournaments.com 
• Anna Leigh Waters is playing, despite this only being an Open Level tournamen
• This feels almost identical to the Newport Beach Open - in women’s singles it just feels inevitable that a combination of Anna Leigh, Kate, Kaitlyn, Brooke, and Lea are going to make the semis

Predictions:

• Semifinalists: Anna Leigh Waters, Brooke Buckner, Kate Fahey, Kaitlyn Christian
• Finals: Anna Leigh beats Kate Fahey in three

Men’s Singles

Top Storylines

• Hunter Johnson, Fed Staksrud, and Chris Haworth are all vying for that #1 seed, but after a win in Newport, Hunter still has a firm grasp on it
• Speaking of Hunter, he is taking the week off (along with Yates and Roscoe Bellamy) for a yearly pickleball trip to Necker Island, so Fed is the #1 seed at this tournament
• A fun matchup: Wednesday - Tama Shimabukuro and Connor Garnett are now Utah Black Diamonds teammates and will face each other in the Round of 32
• A Round of 16 matchup to look forward to (if it happens) is (5) Jaume Martinez Vich against (10 Zane Ford) - both were former SixZero sponsored players that had a falling out and I don’t think there is any love lost there (Ford has to get through Finnerty though, and that is going to be tough)

Predictions:

• Semifinalists: (1) Federico Staksrud, (3) Christian Alshon, (2) Chris Haworth, and (20) Matthew Finnerty
• Finals: Chris Haworth defeats Christian Alshon in the finals

Mixed Doubles

Top Storylines

• Anna Leigh Waters and Ben Johns got back to their winning ways in Newport Beach, and I don’t see that stopping in Texas
• After getting bounced relatively early (for them) in Newport by Eric Oncins and Tina Pisnik, both the #2 seed (Jorja and JW Johnson) and the #3 seed (Anna Bright and Hayden Patriquin are looking to right the ship
• Speaking of Pisnik and Oncins, they are still the #9 seed, and could face Fahey and Staksrud and then AB and Hayden again
• Christian Alshon seems to be playing musical chairs with mixed doubles partners after his breakup with Tyra Black, and this week he is playing with Jessie Irvine, and they are the #4 seed - they could play the #6 seed in Gabe Tardio and Catherine Parenteau in the quarters

Predictions:

• Semifinalists: (1) Anna Leigh Waters/Ben Johns, (4) Jessie Irvine/Christian Alshon, (2) JW and Jorja Johnson, and (3) Anna Bright/Hayden Patriquin
• Finals: Anna Leigh and Ben beat Anna an Hayden in four

Women’s Doubles

Top Storylines

• If Anna Bright and Anna Leigh Waters are now undefeated in over six months of play
• After skipping Newport Beach, Catherine Parenteau is back and playing with Rachel Rohrabacher
• Parris Todd is playing with Alix Truong and they are the #4 seed, but may have a tough test in the quarters against #8 seed, Kate Fahey and Brooke Buckner
• Tina Pisnik and Lacy Schneemann have made back to back semis and could face Jorja and Tyra, who they beat in Newport Beach

Predictions:

• Semifinalists: (1) Anna Bright/Anna Leigh Waters, (8) Kate Fahey/Brooke Buckner, (2)  Jorja Johnson/Tyra Black, and (3) Catherine Parenteau/Rachel Rohrabacher
• Finals: AB and ALW beat Jorja and Tyra in four

Men’s Doubles

Top Storylines

• Ben and Gabe have not lost yet this year and should be the prohibitive favorite moving forward - Gabe has five gold medals in men’s doubles this year
• Qualifiers Austin White and Daniel Miron upset Collin Johns and Len Yang yesterday in the Round of 64 - Johns and Yang made the semis last week
• Can any of the top three seeds knock off the #1? It hasn’t happened in 2026
• Dekel Bar and Matt Wright are paired up as the #6 seed, which is a partnership I have not seen before - could get interesting
• #5 seed Dylan Frazier and Eric Oncins were thiiiisssss close to making the semis last week, do they have what it takes to get themselves there this week?

Predictions:

• Semifinalists: (1) Gabe Tardio/Ben Johns, (5) Dylan Frazier/Erik Oncins, (2) Christian Alshon/Hayden Patriquin, and (4) Federico Staksrud/Andrei Daescu
• Finals: Gabe and Ben beat Christian and Hayden in four