8:20 Lea Jansen vs Anna Leigh Waters (Highlight Reel 6+ mins) 3:15:01 Leigh Waters/Anna Leigh Waters vs Simone Jardim/Lucy Kovalova (Highlights, Top 10 Points)
Highlight Point - Michelle Esquivel: "She (#AL) is just painting. She is being artistic out there and placing that ball in every single spot where it gets Simone and Lucy out of position."
The Orange County Register (16 photos, 2 AL photos): Pickleball pros battle in San Clemente
NML Blog: PPA Orange County – 5 Takeaways – Phenom-enal
"(1) Phenom-enal (Slim) – I think it’s time to start asking the question, of when, not if Anna Leigh Waters, will become the best female player in the game. We are not the only one’s thinking this obviously, as Dave Weinbach and Scott Golden were talking about it on the broadcast this weekend. The talent is just undeniable, and it seems like she is just now coming into her own.
While she may not have had the defining gold medal performance this weekend, I thought she showed off her tremendous talent, competitiveness and potential in all three events. Her silver in the singles, an event she has just started playing more regularly, showed her raw potential there and she is is obviously just figuring out that game. Her fourth place run with Kyle Yates in mixed was very impressive as she was often the dominant player in their matches, and the ability of her hands to not okly hold up against but cause problems again for Riley Newman, widely considered to have some of the best hands in the game, is beyond impressive. Then in women’s doubles we saw her taking more court than ever as she and her mom grabbed silver. It has also been pretty cool to see the roles of the Waters switch this year with Anna Leigh becoming the dominant left side player, the role her mom used to hold.
The weekends performance made it pretty easy to see many potential future triple crowns in Anna Leigh’s future. With perhaps the only question there being, do she and Ben Johns team up? A question we have asked before, or does she find another top male, and perhaps attempt to be the first real threat Ben’s reign has faced?
Anna Leigh is still young, and obviously it sounds like there is a potential soccer passion that could slow down her pickleball career. However, if she keeps playing pickleball competitively, I think it is very clear that she is on track to quickly become the dominant women’s player in the game. She is definitely the games first true phenom."
- Leigh Waters and Dekel Bar had an early upset over Catherine Parenteau and Morgan Evans 11-2, 11-3. Waters/Bar kept the momentum for another upset in the quarterfinals as they ended Jessie Irvine and Jeffrey Warnick’s hopes of Championship Sunday 12-10, 8-11, 11-6.
- The most entertaining match was Waters and Bar meeting Matt and Lucy in the semifinals. The match was relatively straightforward as Matt and Lucy won 11-1, 11-7; however, there were enough “Let’s Go” and “Com’on” yells between some great points to keep the crowd entertained. The feud continued after the match, which might usher in a new rivalry in the sport.
- Riley Newman and Lindsay Newman had to fight through Anna Leigh Waters and Kyle Yates as Anna Leigh drew big crowds.
- Riley Newman and Lindsay Newman took down Anna Leigh Waters and Kyle Yates to take home the bronze medal, but it looked like they are close to breaking up the traditional mixed doubles final match-up soon.
- (Mixed) The Newman’s are too much. The conservative nature of Lindsey’s game is only a “criticism” in so much as it isn’t enough to beat literally the best mixed team in the world. Her ability to reset is astounding and it was just too much for Anna Leigh and Yates.
- Yates/Waters are still going as well and we’ll get a Waters v. Waters match to go to bronze, which can never be easy for either Waters player I don’t imagine.
- Anna Leigh Waters is so damn good. She’s the reason her and Yates had any chance against the Newmans and now they take down Tyson and Callie in the back draw. She is ridiculous and I don’t think enough people are realizing what a force she is.
- Warnick and Irvine’s disappointing year continues with a loss to Leigh Waters and Dekel Bar. Again, there is no reason Bar’s mixed results should not be better and Leigh is a very good player even if she does get a bit speed up happy in mixed. Quality win for them.
- (Singles) On the women’s side Anna Leigh Waters looked very impressive taking down Catherine Parenteau in her semi-final. Performances like this make me think it’s a question of when, not if, Anna Leigh will become the dominant women’s player in the game. Anna Leigh will see Lea Jansen who cruised through her matches today, in what should be an entertaining gold medal match on Sunday.
3:27:45 - Anna Leigh Waters v.s. Callie Smith (Women's Singles - Quarterfinal)
