The inaugural APP Women’s Open took place this past weekend in Columbus, Ohio, at Pickle & Chill. This tournament celebrated women in pickleball while raising funds for breast cancer research.
The event successfully raised $25,000 for the Stefanie Spielman Fund for Breast Cancer Research at the OSUCCC—James. The timing was especially fitting, as it coincided with the beginning of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Victoria’s Secret & Co. was the presenting sponsor of this fantastic tournament. After the matches on Saturday, the event hosted over 100 young women at the Dream Big Summit, where a panel of influential women spoke on the importance of self-advocacy.
The tournament featured three main events: pro singles, split-age women’s doubles, and pro women’s doubles.
Women’s Pro Doubles
Megan Fudge, the APP Tour’s all-time leader in women’s total medals, teamed up with pickleball veteran Jill Braverman to compete against Allison Harris and Daria Walczak in the women’s doubles final. Braverman and Fudge emerged victorious, winning the match with scores of 11-9 and 11-4.
“It’s a privilege to be out here and play in such an amazing event,” said Fudge. “We wanted to put on a good show for everybody, and hope they enjoyed it. Thanks to everybody for coming out and to all the sponsors. It’s truly an amazing cause. I know so many women and men are fighting something that is so hard to beat and we’re praying for a cancer-free world.”
After their victory, Braverman shared a heartfelt message:
“I want to dedicate this win to my mother-in-law, who is currently undergoing chemotherapy. She is such an inspiration, and I kept her in my thoughts throughout the match.”
Meanwhile, Susannah Barr and Arielle Butler secured the bronze medals in women’s doubles.
Women’s Pro Singles
In a thrilling final, Ohio native Shannon Pretorius faced off against Domenika Turkovic. Pretorius dominated the first game in front of her home crowd, winning 15-6.
However, Turkovic fought back in game two, pulling off a nail-biting 16-14 victory to force a decisive third game. Pretorius quickly took the lead in game three and maintained her advantage, ultimately winning 15-10 to secure her first career APP gold medal.
“It feels so amazing,” said Pretorius, a native of Chagrin Falls, Ohio. “I’ve come really close this year, and to do it here at the APP Women’s Open feels amazing. I had so many close matches and I really pushed over and got those wins, so it feels great.”
Alla Mikhno earned women’s singles bronze in Columbus.
Split-Age Women’s Pro Doubles
Split-Age Pro is one of the most exciting events, though it’s held only a few times a year. Each team consists of one player under 50 and another over 50.
In the finals, Megan Fudge and Angela Simon faced off against Susannah Barr and Sheri Courter. Barr and Courter triumphed, winning the match 11-6, 11-8 to take home the gold medal.
“This lady is a beast out there,” Barr said, referring to Courter. “She just picked me up. I was having a hard time seeing the ball at first, and then we settled in and found our groove. Shouts out to Angela and Megan. They played great and are amazing competitors.”
“This weekend was so special to be part of,” Barr continued. “We had a huge crowd supporting us, the staff has done an amazing job, all these women came together, and to have the first gold is pretty awesome.”
“This is my hometown,” said Courter, a native of nearby Dublin, Ohio. “I saw a lot of friendly faces out there, but I also noticed so many women supporting each other. It’s a really special event.”
The left-handed duo of Lee Whitwell and Amanda Hendry secured the bronze medal in the split-age pro event.
Full Results
Pro Women’s Singles
🥇 Shannon Pretorius
🥈 Domenika Turkovic
🥉 Alla Mikhno
Split Age Women’s Doubles
🥇 Susannah Barr/Sheri Courter
🥈 Megan Fudge/Angela Simon
🥉 Amanda Hendry/Lee Whitwell
Pro Women’s Doubles
🥇 Jill Braverman/Megan Fudge
🥈 Allison Harris/Daria Walczak
🥉 Susannah Barr/Arielle Butler
