It took an extra day and was anything but easy, but Anna Leigh Waters but wrapped up her 36th professional “triple crown” Monday morning before about 200 spectators at Pickleball Virginia Beach. It was the second year a row she accomplished the feat in the Professional Pickleball Association’s Virginia Beach Cup.
Waters, a teenager who’s the face of a burgeoning sport, saved a game point to defeat Brooke Buckner 12-10, 11-6 for the women’s singles championship at the complex on Birdneck Road.
Sunday, despite numerous rain delays, she joined Ben Johns for the mixed doubles title and Anna Bright for the women’s doubles trophy, but the precipitation kept her from taking the court for singles. Waters, who lives in Boynton Beach, Florida, is ranked No. 1 in the world in singles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles.
“I’m trying to grow the sport and I’m trying to grow my brand,” she said in a postmatch interview streamed by PickleballTV. “I’m excited to have two jobs. I’m 18, so I’m trying to work my butt off now so when I’m older, I can relax.”
Buckner, 33, seeded fourth, is a mom who lives near Charlotte, North Carolina, and has been a tennis assistant coach at several universities. She’s like many pro pickleball players in that she used to play serious tennis. Known as Brooke Bolender before marriage, she graduated from Michigan in 2015 as an All-American with 233 combined wins, the most in Wolverines women’s tennis history.
She has a history of success near the Oceanfront, too. More than half her life ago, she won the 2007 U.S. Tennis Association Girls 16 Clay Court singles title at Virginia Beach Tennis and Country Club, beating 2017 U.S. Open champ Sloane Stephens in the final.
Buckner shook off a slow start to go ahead 10-9 in the first game and came to the net, but Waters hit a perfect forehand crosscourt pass to extend the game. Two Waters backhand winners and a Buckner backhand error later, the game was over.
Waters took an 8-3 lead in the second game and prevailed when Buckner belted a forehand too wide.
Waters said until late in the first game, “I had playing a little tentative, but after that (10-9 point), I just wanted to keep going for it. Brooke always gives me a tough match. She loves to rip the ball. I think she hits harder than some of the guys.”
The chilly morning began with a stunningly quick conclusion to the men’s doubles final, which was suspended Sunday night in the third game with top-seeded Johns and Gabriel Tardio serving at 5-6 but leading by two games.
After a warmup, they played six points Monday — and won every one, with Tardio serving — to complete an 11-3, 12-10, 11-6 triumph over fourth-seeded CJ Klinger and JW Johnson.
It was the fifth consecutive triumph on tour for Johns and Tardio, a Bolivia native who turned 20 Sunday.
Johns said, “I want to give a shout-out to everyone who helped this court remain dry. The field’s really strong. We’ve had a lot of tough matches. It’s a testament to Gabe getting better and better and me getting better with him as a partner.”
Waters made $12,330 and Johns $9,000 for the weekend.
Both singles champions — Waters and Chris Haworth of Edmond, Oklahoma — made $3,330 apiece, and the runners-up gained $1,832. But in men’s, women’s and mixed doubles, the champs split $9,000 and the second-place finishers divided $4,950. Money went down to players who made the round of 16 in each bracket.
During the week, numerous players — from Hampton Roads and far beyond — competed in amateur divisions alongside the pros. The tournament attracted about 1,000 competitors.
