Anna Leigh Waters, the undisputed No. 1 in women’s singles, faced off against rising star Kate Fahey in the final, a highly anticipated match in the pickleball world. Waters, with only 12 career losses in singles, dominated the court, while Fahey’s recent strong performances, including a title in Salt Lake City, raised questions about Waters’ dominance. However, Waters swiftly silenced those doubts, winning the match 11-0, 11-6. She started the contest with a dominant performance, earning a pickle (11-0 game win) and showcasing exceptional skill.
“I think that first game is one of the more solid singles games that I’ve played,” she mentioned after the fact.
The second game appeared to be going smoothly for Waters until Fahey, taking advantage of Waters rolling her ankle while chasing a ball, rallied from a 1-5 deficit to lead 6-5. However, Waters regained her composure and pulled away to secure the victory, capturing her 40th PPA singles title and surpassing Ben Johns’ record of 39 titles.
“When I started missing returns and rolled my ankle and was doing weird stuff, I began to think about this Gary Vee quote I saw yesterday: ‘don’t let fear hold you back.’ I noticed I was starting to get tight and was starting to let fear hold me back, so I told myself to stop. Remembering that quote definitely lifted me up in this match.”
