pickleball

Highlights from PPA Orange County Cup: San Clemente

(Carvana PPA Tour)

Published Jun 12, 2023

Championship court was bumping all weekend at the PPA Tour Orange County Cup in San Clemente, CA. We got it all from chugging beers to behind the back shots to huge upsets. The party is just getting started as Major League Pickleball comes into town this week.

Tyson Mcguffin hits for the pickle cycle taking gold, silver and bronze. He won gold in men’s singles beating local OC star Connor Garnett, won silver in mixed with fellow Skechers and Selkirk Sport partner Catherine Parenteau, and took bronze in men’s doubles with James Ignatowich. #mulletpower

Joolabros Ben Johns and Collin Johns are dubbed their 8th men’s doubles gold medal in 2023. However, it was a first time doing it in matching t-shirts.

NoBetta Ettat Wright gets her back to back silver medal in women’s doubles doing it with a different partner this time in Irina Tereshenko. The Seattle Pioneers aren’t complaining at all…

As you might have predicted, the MLP partnership who played together this weekend that went the furthest was Callie Jo Smith and Lucy Kovalova. They took bronze in women’s doubles letting all of their Major League Pickleball opponents know that they’re coming!

Mullet hits for the cycle

(Carvana PPA Tour)

The most electrifying man in sports hits for the pickle cycle taking gold, silver and bronze. Tyson McGuffin won gold in men’s singles beating local OC star Connor Garnett, won silver in mixed with fellow Team Skechirks partner Catherine Parenteau, and took bronze in men’s dubs with James Ignatowich. Some may say that Tyson is playing his best pickleball of his career.

Are you not entertained?

(Carvana PPA Tour)

Ben and Collin Johns won their 8th men’s doubles gold title in 2023 but did it in a different fashion, literally. It was only a matter of time before Ben recruited his brother Collin to the Joola team. Ben playing with his new signature paddle Perseus and Collin with the Scorpeus paddle, center court looked like a true gladiator coliseum as Matt Wright and Riley Newman took them to 5 games.

NoBetta Etta

(Photo by Bruce Yeung/Getty Images)

Etta Wright is taking the pickleball world by storm as she earns back to back silver medals in women’s doubles but doing it with a different partner this time in Irina Tereshenko. She and Irina gave Anna Leigh Waters her first game 1 loss in women’s doubles this year. We see big things for NoBetta Etta!

Ladies in red

(Photo by Bruce Yeung/Getty Images)

Calli Jo Smith and Lucy Kovalova were the MLP Team that partnered up and went the deepest in their bracket taking home a bronze medal. We’re not surprised as they have been playing together for a couple of years now. Their 2-6 MLP record isn’t a true indicator on how dangerous this partnership can be.