Upsets Galore: Top Seeds Fall Early at Palm Springs Men’s Doubles Tournament

The year’s first tournament at Palm Springs has already seen its fair share of drama, with several top-seeded teams exiting early in the men’s doubles draw. On Thursday, under the swirling winds at Mission Hills Country Club, lower-seeded pairs Hunter Johnson/Julian Arnold and Rafa Hewett/Noe Khlif pulled off stunning upsets to secure spots in the quarterfinals.

Johnson and Arnold Edge Past No. 3 Seeds
The No. 13-seeded team of Hunter Johnson and Julian Arnold delivered a thrilling performance to topple the No. 3 seeds, Dylan Frazier and Pablo Tellez. In a nail-biting match, Johnson and Arnold emerged victorious with a 12-10, 4-11, 12-10 scoreline.

The duo displayed remarkable resilience, overcoming significant deficits in both games they won. They trailed 2-7 in the first game and 2-9 in the decisive third game before mounting incredible comebacks to seal the victory.

“We finished on what we believed to be the better side, so we just had to go after our shots,” Johnson explained. “We ramped up our serves, and that really helped us put the pressure on.”

Hewett and Khlif Dominate No. 4 Seeds
Minutes later, another upset shook the tournament as No. 15 seeds Rafa Hewett and Noe Khlif ousted No. 4 seeds JW Johnson and Gabe Tardio in straight games, 11-7, 11-7. Playing together for the first time, Hewett and Khlif showcased excellent chemistry and a well-rounded game plan.

Their performance combined patience during dink rallies with lightning-fast reflexes during hands battles. Hewett praised his partner’s contributions, saying, “Noe has a crazy good drive and a great drop. Once we get up to the kitchen line, we can work the ball around, figure out which ball to pull the trigger on, and our hands do the rest.”

Looking Ahead to the Quarterfinals
Both winning pairs will aim to continue their impressive runs on Friday. Johnson and Arnold are set to face the winner of Augie Ge/Jaume Martinez Vich vs. Pat Smith/Jay Devilliers, while Hewett and Khlif will take on Christian Alshon and Andrei Daescu.

As the tournament progresses, all eyes will be on these underdogs to see if they can extend their Cinderella stories and shake up the bracket even further.