The PPA Tour heads to Newport Beach, California, this week for the fifth stop of the year.
Shimabukuro tests new partnerships
15-year-old Tama Shimabukuro was the talk of the MLP Draft last week, as the youngest player drafted in the top 10 this season. The Utah Black Diamond’s newest talent will play in all three events this tournament. He’ll test two new partnerships, teaming up with Greg Dow in men’s doubles and the young and talented Aussie Nicola Schoeman for mixed.
Kunimoto looks to make another deep run
Eighteen-year-old Kiora Kunimoto had a strong run in Mesa, where she took down Jorja Johnson and Catherine Parenteau before falling to Anna-Leigh Waters in their first-ever matchup. On Friday, Kunimoto’s big goal of getting drafted into MLP came true when she was selected nineteenth overall by the California Black Bears. More motivated than ever and with a No. 10 seed next to her name in Newport, Kunimoto will look to continue her momentum this week. She’ll face the winner of Mehvish Safdar and a qualifier.
Pairing up with fellow MLP teammate and Sparta Pro Anouar Braham, the duo will take on Cailyn Campbell and Blaine Hovenier to start their week.
Selkirk vs. Selkirk in men’s singles
In one quarter of the draw, Team Selkirk matchups are set to happen early in Newport. Jack Sock and Sparta Pro Anouar Braham are positioned to face off in the Round of 32—if Sock can get past one of the qualifiers and Braham can defeat Ivan Jakovljevic. Sparta Pro Rafa Lenhard also shares the same quarter of the draw and could meet Sock or Braham in the Round of 16. Lenhard will face Emerging Pro Edward Perez to kick off his campaign in SoCal.
Emerging Pros break through in qualifiers
Team Selkirk’s Emerging Pros looked strong in a tough, full qualifying field as they battled for main draw spots in Newport.
Emerging Pro Matt Sah punched his ticket to the main draw in two divisions: men’s singles and mixed doubles alongside fellow Emerging Pro Alyssia Fossorier. Sah and Fossorier, two former UC Irvine tennis players, will make their main draw debut against Albie Huang and Aussie George Wall.
In men’s doubles, Emerging Pro and Selkirk Combine participant Daniel Traxler teamed up with Mike Anderson to make their mark, finishing fifth in a field of 44 teams. They’ll test their game in the round of 64 tomorrow.
Tune in
The live broadcast of the Newport Beach Open kicks off on Thursday, March 5, at 1pm ET on Pickleball TV. In the meantime, catch all the action from SoCal on the PPA Streamed Courts Channel on YouTube, from 1pm-9pm ET.
