2021 Major League Pickleball

 

Anna Leigh's Major League Pickleball Profile 

Ann Leigh was the second woman drafted: Interview

 

Leigh's Major League Pickleball Profile 

Anna Leigh Waters, AJ Koller, Kyle Yates, Lee Whitwall

Friday November 5

Team Clean vs Chimeras

2:43:11 Callie Smith/Corrine Carr vs Anna Leigh Waters/Lee Whitwell 3:16:04 Adam Stone/Dekel Bar vs Kyle Yates/AJ Koller 3:48:02 Kyle Yates/Anna Leigh Waters vs Dekel Bar/Callie Smith 4:21:48 Lee Whitwell/AJ Koller vs Adam Stone/Corrine Carr 4:54:22 Singles: Lee Whitwell Highlights

ATX Pickleball vs Chimeras

7:44:57 Catherine Parenteau​/Yana Grechkina vs Anna Leigh Waters/Lee Whitwell 8:00:36 Tyler Loong/Patrick Smith vs Kyle Yates/AJ Koller 8:27:48 Catherine Parenteau​/Tyler Loong vs AJ Koller/Lee Whitwell 9:03:42 Kyle Yates/Anna Leigh Waters vs Yana Grechkina/Tyler Loong

Pickle Ranchers vs Discovery Warriors 8:05 Vivienne David/Lea Jansen vs Leigh Waters/Lindsey Newman 27:36 Zane Navratil/Tyson McGuffin vs Riley Newman/Andrei Daescu 1:00:05 Riley Newman/Lindsey Newman vs Vivienne David/Zane Navratil 1:20:17 Leigh Waters/Andrei Daescu vs Lea Jansen/Tyson McGuffin

MLP Day 1 AMAZING HIGHLIGHTS

Saturday November 6

Team BLQK vs Chimeras 

2:45:15 Andrea Koop/Irina Tereschenko vs Lee Whitwell/Anna Leigh Waters 3:22:46 AJ Koller/Kyle Yates vs Ben Johns/Rob Nunnery 3:53:29 Kyle Yates/Anna Leigh Waters vs Ben Johns/Irina Tereschenko 4:23:08 Andrea Koop/Rob Nunnery vs Lee Whitwell/AJ Koller

Rob Nunnery Rolls On The Court At 10-11-1

Team Rally vs Chimeras 0:05 Susannah Barr/Jessie Irvine vs Lee Whitwell/Anna Leigh Waters 20:38 AJ Koller/Kyle Yates vs JW Johnson/Dylan Frazier 42:30 Kyle Yates/Anna Leigh Waters vs Jessie Irvine/JW Johnson 1:19:12 Dylan Frazier/Susannah Barr vs Lee Whitwell/AJ Koller

Sunday November 6

The Lions vs Chimeras 14:58 Lee Whitwell/Anna Leigh Waters vs Michelle Esquivel/Lauren Stratman 37:43 AJ Koller/Kyle Yates vs Jay Devilliers/Collin Johns 56:05 Kyle Yates/Anna Leigh Waters vs Jay Devilliers/Lauren Stratman 1:17:36 Lee Whitwell/AJ Koller vs Collin Johns/Michelle Esquivel 1:43:52 Singles

Chimeras vs Discovery Warriors

11:31:20 Lee Whitwell/Anna Leigh Waters vs Lea Jansen/Vivienne David AJ Koller/Kyle Yates vs Rob Cassidy/Zane Navratil Kyle Yates/Anna Leigh Waters vs Lea Jansen/Rob Cassidy
Lee Whitwell/AJ Koller vs Vivienne David/Zane Navratil

Monday November 7

Chimeras vs Pickleball Ranchers 4:06:47 Lee Whitwell/Anna Leigh Waters vs Leigh Waters/Lindsey Newman 4:30:50 AJ Koller/Kyle Yates vs Riley Newman/Andrei Daescu 4:57:10 Kyle Yates/Anna Leigh Waters vs Leigh Waters/Andrei Daescu 5:27:32 Lee Whitwell/AJ Koller v Riley Newman/Lindsey Newman 6:02:31 Singles

BLQK vs Chimeras (Finals)

9:05 Andrea Koop/Irina Tereschenko​ vs Lee Whitwell​/Anna Leigh Waters 46:59 AJ Koller/Kyle Yates​ vs Ben Johns​/Rob Nunnery 1:11:10 Kyle Yates/Anna Leigh Waters vs Ben Johns/Andrea Koop 1:42:23 Irina Tereschenko /Rob Nunnery vs Lee Whitwell/AJ Koller

Riley Newman, Leigh Waters, Lindsey Newman, Andrei Daescu

Friday November 5

Pickle Ranchers vs Discovery Warriors 8:05 Vivienne David/Lea Jansen vs Leigh Waters/Lindsey Newman 27:36 Zane Navratil/Tyson McGuffin vs Riley Newman/Andrei Daescu 1:00:05 Riley Newman/Lindsey Newman vs Vivienne David/Zane Navratil 1:20:17 Leigh Waters/Andrei Daescu vs Lea Jansen/Tyson McGuffin

Pickle Ranchers vs Team Rally

5:37:19 Lindsey Newman/Leigh Waters vs Susannah Barr/Jessie Irvine 6:09:49 Riley Newman/Andrei Daescu vs JW Johnson/Dylan Frazier 6:37:50 Andrei Daescu/Leigh Waters vs Dylan Frazier/Jessie Irvine 7:06:19 Lindsey Newman/Riley Newman vs Susannah Barr/Dylan Frazier

Saturday November 6

The Lions vs Pickle Ranchers

13:20 Leigh Waters/Lindsey Newman vs Michelle Esquivel/Lauren Stratman 42:35 Jay Devilliers/Collin Johns vs Riley Newman/Andrei Daescu 1:09:52 Riley Newman/Lindsey Newman vs Jay Devilliers/Lauren Stratman 1:31:36 Leigh Waters/Andrei Daescu vs Collin Johns/Michelle Esquivel

ATX Pickleballers vs Pickle Ranchers 2:03:43 Catherine Parenteau​/Yana Grechkina vs Leigh Waters/Lindsey Newman 2:28:56 Tyler Loong/Patrick Smith vs Riley Newman/Andrei Daescu 2:58:14 Riley Newman/Lindsey Newman vs Catherine Parenteau​/Tyler Loong 3:33:57 Andrei Daescu/Leigh Waters vs Patrick Smith/Yana Grechkina

Sunday November 6

Team Clean vs Pickleball Ranchers 8:55:59 Leigh Waters/Lindsey Newman vs Callie Smith/Corrine Carr 9:32:22 Riley Newman/Andrei Daescu vs Adam Stone/Dekel Bar 10:04:49 Riley Newman/Lindsey Newman vs Adam Stone/Corrine Carr 10:31:04 Leigh Waters/Andrei Daescu vs Dekel Bar/Callie Smith 11:05:48 Singles

BLOK vs Pickleball Ranchers

1:31 Andrea Koop/Irina Tereschenko vs Leigh Waters/Lindsey Newman 29:04 Ben Johns/Rob Nunnery vs Riley Newman/Andrei Daescu 56:10 Ben Johns/Andrea Koop vs Riley Newman/Lindsey Newman 1:19:24 Irina Tereschenko/Rob Nunnery vs Leigh Waters/Andrei Daescu

#TeamWaters Ready To End 2021 With A Bang

 

 

Team Waters Ready to End 2021 with a Bang

The end of the year is synonymous with the word "busy." The holidays are looming and it just seems that there is always a rush to get everything done before the New Year rings in. Well, the professional pickleball tour is no different. The biggest, baddest, coolest pickleball tournaments and events are all coming up between now and December 2021. And, Anna Leigh and I (Leigh Waters), the mother-daughter duo making up Team Waters, are here for it! (Read More)

PPA 2021 Champtionships Las Vegas

 

Singles

4:31:47 Anna Leigh Waters vs Lea Jansen (Game 1, Game 2 not streamed) 9:58 Gold Medal Match - Anna Leigh Waters vs Catherine Parenteau

Doubles

3:13:20 Leigh Waters/Anna Leigh Waters vs Corrine Carr/Callie Smith 6:05:56 Leigh Waters/Anna Leigh Waters vs Simone Jardim/Lucy Kovalova 3:23:36 Gold Medal Match - Anna Leigh Waters/Leigh Waters vs Jessie Irvine/Catherine

Mixed Doubles

1:17:40 Ben Johns/Simone Jardim vs Kyle Yates/Anna Leigh Waters 2:02:50 Lucy Kovalova/Matt Wright vs Tyson McGuffin/Leigh Waters 5:12:34 Kyle Yates/Anna Leigh Waters vs Jessie Irvine/Jay Devilliers

Pickleball’s popularity is soaring in the Lehigh Valley. Two of the sport’s phenoms got their start here

 By STEPHANIE SIGAFOOS THE MORNING CALL

Two Lehigh Valley natives among the best in the world

Mention the name Anna Leigh Waters among local pickleball players, and the recognition is instant.

That’s because at just 14 years old, Anna Leigh is already a pickleball superstar. The Allentown-born teen started playing the game in 2017, when her family was evacuated from their Florida home during Hurricane Irma. As they waited out the storm here in the Lehigh Valley, Anne Leigh’s grandfather, Neil, taught her the game alongside her mom (and Neil’s daughter), Leigh Waters.

“I grew up in Center Valley and played tennis for Southern Lehigh,” Leigh said. “I won states one year, and I also played softball, so I was very immersed in the Lehigh Valley sports scene. And as it turned out, we were the first people to play on the Grange courts ... the first time we played we were like ‘we want to play again.’”

Not long after picking up the sport, mother and daughter turned pro. They now rank among the best in the world, winning gold in tournaments across the country, including the U.S. Open. Anna Leigh is also a fierce competitor in singles and mixed doubles, and holds the distinction of being the youngest professional pickleball champion in history.

“We’ve really kind of had this mother-daughter intuition where we know what the other is going to do, so we can anticipate the next call. And I think that’s been one of the things that’s helped us be so successful,” Leigh said.

While the two are busy showcasing an aggressive style of play that has won them a legion of new fans around the world, they look forward to coming back to play at Grange Park again soon.

“It’s just fun to get back to the people that like started it all for us and taught us how to play,” Leigh said. “We’ve made a lot of new friends up there and it’s just like coming home.”

Professional Pickleball Teen Wins 4th Consecutive Title

West Orlando News

Anna Leigh Waters, who is the World #1 Ranked Singles Champion at age 14, won her 4th consecutive Professional Pickleball Singles Championship earlier this month at the PPA Texas Open Shootout. Waters defeated Lea Jansen in the 3 out of 5 Gold Metal Match: 11-9, 11-5, 11-6. She won three medals at the PPA Texas Open Shootout.

The Delray Beach, Florida based teen also won a Silver medal in Pro Women’s Doubles with her mother, Leigh Waters.

Anna Leigh Waters also won a Bronze medal in Pro Mixed Doubles with JW Johnson, who is 18. Johnson is also from Delray Beach. 

Anna Leigh is the youngest to win a Professional Pickleball Singles title. In August, she won professional singles titles at the PPA Takeya Showcase in Newport Beach, CA and she won the Tournaments of Champions in Brigham City, UT. In September, Waters won the PPA Orlando Cup that took place locally, and now in October she has won the PPA Texas Open Shootout in Rockwell, TX.

The mother/daughter pickleball duo picked up the sport back in 2017 when they evacuated their home in Florida due to Hurricane Irma and stayed with Leigh’s parents for a couple of weeks. Leigh’s dad introduced them to the sport and from there they were hooked. “I think we played like morning, noon and night for two weeks straight while we were up there and the rest is history,” said Leigh.

The fourteen year old  is rated #1 in Pro Women’s Singles on the September 28, 2021 Dupr Top 25 Player List.

PPA 2021 Texas Open Shootout

Anna Leigh wins her 4th consecutive Pro Women's Singles Title 

Singles

1:52:57 Anna Leigh Waters vs Lea Jansen Gold Medal Match (Highlights)

5:53:20 Anna Leigh Waters vs Catherine Parenteau 

Doubles

5:03:12 Jessie Irvine/Catherine Parentau vs Anna Leigh Waters/Leigh Waters (Highlights)

Lucy Kovalova/Simone Jardim vs Leigh Waters/Anna Leigh Waters (Video coming soon)

Lucy and Simone Won The Gold Medal Match: 5-11,2-11,11-8,11-7,11-7

JW Johnson and Anna Leigh Win Bronze Medal

Mixed Doubles

0:01 Leigh Waters/Tyler Loong vs Katie Fagan/Damian Spizzo 17:28 Dekel Bar/Vivienne David vs JW Johnson/Anna Leigh Waters 1:17:26 Ben Johns/Simone Jardim vs JW Johnson/Anna Leigh Waters 5:50:42 Dekel Bar/Vivienne David vs JW Johnson/Anna Leigh Waters (Bronze)

• AJ Koller/Lea Jansen vs JW Johnson/Anna Leigh Waters 
• Dylan Frazier/Andrea Koop vs JW Johnson/Anna Leigh Waters 

Press Release 

Pro Pickleball Teens Play Together In Texas Open Shootout

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Anna Leigh Waters, 14, and JW Johnson, 18, Pro Pickleball Singles Champions

(Photo Credit: Leigh Waters/Julie Johnson)

              

Pro Pickleball Teens Play Together In Texas Open Shootout

Anna Leigh Waters, World #1 Ranked Singles Champion, and JW Johnson, World #7 Ranked in Singles, Teamup For Second Time In 2021

ROCKWALL, TX  (September 30, 2021) -- Delray Beach, FL based teens Anna Leigh Waters, 14, and JW Johnson, 18, are playing mixed doubles in the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) Texas Open Shootout, September 30-October 3, at the Oasis Beach and Tennis Club in Rockwell. The dynamic duo played together in March at the Delray Beach Open.  (See Highlights)

Texas Open Shootout matches will be live streamed on the PPA YouTube Channel.

Anna Leigh Waters (AL) won her third consecutive professional singles title and the pro Women’s Doubles title with her mother, Leigh Waters, at the Orlando Cup earlier this month. 

Top Photo: 2018 Texas Open

Gold: Sarah Ansboury / Lucy Kovalova

Silver: Anna Leigh Waters / Leigh Waters

Bronze: Katie Dyer (Not in Photo: Kasandra Gehrke )

Bottom Photo: 2021 PPA Orlando Cup

Gold: Anna Leigh Waters / Leigh Waters

Silver: Simone Jardim / Lucy Kovalova (#1 Team In The World)

Bronze: Jessie Irvine / Catherine Parenteau

Leigh Waters: “Top photo is Anna Leigh’s and my first Pro Tournament playing together as a team!! It was the 2018 Texas Open and AL was 11. We got Silver!!

In a few days we head back to the Pro Pickleball Association Texas Open and I’m able to reflect on all that has happened between these two events!! Never did we imagine the memories, experiences, and possibilities this great sport would bring us!!

But you know what’s so SPECIAL about this sport?? You don’t have to be a pro to make these kinds of memories and have amazing experiences together in the sport of pickleball. So go grab a family member, a friend, a neighbor, and go make some memories! I promise you won’t regret it!!”

Last month, Anna Leigh won Pro Women’s Single Titles at the PPA Takeya Showcase in Newport Beach, CA and the Tournaments Of Champions in Brigham City, UT. She is rated #1 in Pro Women’s Singles on the September 28, 2021 Dupr Top 25 Player List while JW is rated #7 in Pro Men’s Singles.

Anna Leigh is the youngest to win a Professional Pickleball Singles title. 

Last month, JW Johnson beat Ben Johns, 22, the #1 Singles/Doubles/Mixed Doubles Pickleball player in the world at the Tournament of Champions in Brigham City, Utah: 11-9,9-11,11-3. (Highlight Reel 5+ mins)

Johns had not lost a singles match since the summer of 2020. JW broke Ben’s winning streak of over 170 matches. 

The teen then faced Tyson McGuffin,  the #2 singles pickleball player in the world, twice. Winning their first match: 11-8,6-11,11-7 and then the Gold Medal Final: 11-0,9-11,11-3 (Highlight Reel 5+ mins) 

 

In July, JW won his first professional Men’s Singles Title at the APP 2021 Beer City Open in Grand Rapids, Michigan defeating the #1 Rank AAP Men’s Singles Pro Jay Devilliers, 26, in the Gold Medal Match:  4,11, 11-8, 11-5 (Highlight Reel, Game 3)

JW, Jorja (JW’s 15 year old sister) and Julie (mother), APP/DUPR #1 Senior Women’s Pro Pickleball Player, travel coast-to-coast together playing in pro pickleball tournaments.

 

Follow JW Johnson’s Pro Pickleball journey on Facebook at JW Johnson Pickleball

Anna Leigh and her mother Leigh Waters, “the mother/daughter duo” (#TeamWaters) won the 2019 Margaritaville USA Pickleball National Championships Pro Women’s Doubles title in Indian Wells, CA. At 12 years 10 months, Anna Leigh became the youngest athlete to win a professional championship.

The TeamWaters Pickleball Story Began in 2017

“The mother/daughter duo picked up the sport back in 2017 when they evacuated their home in Florida due to Hurricane Irma and stayed with Leigh’s parents for a couple of weeks. Leigh’s dad introduced them to the sport and from there they were hooked. “I think we played like morning, noon and night for two weeks straight while we were up there and the rest is history,” said Leigh.”

The inspiring mother/daughter journey can be followed on Facebook and Instagram. 

Team Waters Digital Press Kit (Interviews, Tournament Videos, Highlights, Photos, Schedules)

Lynn Cherry, Pickleball Podcast: “Actually, the media kit was really helpful. It really made it very fast to prep and the timestamps on the (interview) videos were great because I could get to exactly what I wanted to see or hear. I think that is really key!”

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