Delray Beach players dominate pro pickleball event
Locals made up the majority of the finals in the recent Pro Pickleball Association’s Takeya Showcase in Fountain View, California.
Delray Beach’s “Hurricane” Tyra Black picked up her first career singles win with a come-from-behind 11-13, 11-8, 11-3 victory against Yana Newell (Kansas City, Missouri) to capture gold in the women’s singles division.
Along the way, the No. 9-seeded Black upset No. 1-ranked Anna Leigh Waters, also of Delray Beach, in the quarterfinals. The 11-8, 2-11, 11-3 defeat was the first singles loss for the No. 1 ranked Waters since March.
Black also made the podium in earning a bronze medal in Women’s Doubles with teammate Allyce Jones (Pleasant Grove, Utah).
Waters rebounded to take gold in both the Women’s Doubles with Boca Raton’s Anna Bright, 11-5, 11-9, and 11-6 over Lucy Kovalova (Wichita, Kansas) and Callie Smith (Orem, Utah) and in the Mixed Doubles with Ben Johns (Austin, Texas) as they defeated Delray Beach’s Jorja Johnson and JW Johnson, 11-6, 11-4 and 11-8. It was the duo’s 10th title this year and their sixth straight win.
Waters now has the most career Women’s Doubles titles (22) and is the all-time female leader for career titles in Singles, Doubles and Mixed Doubles. Waters has been a part of the winning Women’s Doubles team in seven straight tournaments.
Delray Beach’s James Ignatowich and Bright picked up bronze medals as they topped Lindsey and Riley Newman (Phoenix), 11-6 and 11-4 for the bronze.