The No. 1-ranked woman in the world Anna Leigh Waters is still competing in the U.S. Open Pickleball Championships despite her partner Andre Agassi’s early exit from the second round of the mixed pro doubles draw.
She is currently competing in the women’s pro doubles division with her mother, Leigh Waters. They defeated Alexa Schull and Ava Cavataio 11-2, 11-5, on Thursday in Naples, Florida to progress to the women’s doubles semifinals.The mother-and-daughter duo are the event’s reigning champions. Daria Walczak and Allison Harris, who defeated Bobbi Oshiro and Susannah Barr 11-6, 3-11, 12-10, will be their next opponent. Tennis player and eight-time Grand Slam champion Agassi, who turned 55 this week, joined 18-year-old Anna Leigh Waters in the mixed pro doubles division. They faced defeat at the hands of Len Yang and Trang Huynh-McClain in their second match after winning their first on Wednesday.Meanwhile, Megan Fudge is still alive for a kind of triple crown at the enormous competition that bills itself as the world’s largest pickleball party. With victories on Thursday, Fudge, the top-ranked female by the Association of Pickleball Players, progressed to the semifinals of the women’s pro singles, women’s pro doubles, and mixed pro doubles competitions.Fudge and Jillian Braverman defeated Nicole Eugenio and Riley Bohnert 11-2, 13-11 in the women’s doubles match. Shelby Bates and Sofia Sewing, who defeated Huynh-McClain and Xiao Yi Wang-Beckvall 11-2, 11-2, will face the duo in their semifinal match. After defeating Ryler DeHeart and Pei Chuan Kao 11-3 and 11-0, Fudge and Jack Munro are among the four teams remaining in mixed doubles. Sewing and Casey Diamond’s team, who defeated Eugenio and Kyle Koszuta 11-2, 11-6, will be their opponent.Additionally, Fudge defeated Walczak in singles with a stunning 11-0, 20-18 record. Simone Jardim will be Fudge’s next opponent there; she defeated Katerina Stewart 12-10, 4-11, and 11-9. Oshiro defeated Kao 6-11, 11-5, 11-0 in the quarterfinals to earn a spot in the opposite semifinal. Emilia Schmidt lost to Amanda Hendry 11-8, 11-9.Christopher Haworth, who settled for silver in 2024, is still vying for the gold medal in men’s singles. On Thursday, Haworth defeated Frank Davis 11-6, 12-10 in the quarterfinals. Haworth will then face Ammar Wazir, who defeated Eduardo Irizarry 11-9, 11-6. Grayson Goldin (11-3, 8-11, 11-8 against Armaan Bhatia) will face Ronan Camron in the opposite half of the bracket. Camron was given a free ticket to the semifinals after opponent Patrick Kawka pulled out.Mark Dancuart and Braverman will face Richard Livornese and Bohnert in the other mixed doubles semifinal. Dancuart and Braverman defeated Oshiro and Andre Mick 11-6, 11-7, while Livornese and Bohnert defeated Yang and Huynh-McClain 11-7, 11-7.