The Association of Pickleball Players (APP) recently held its second 'Signature' event of the season, the 2024 AARP US Champions Cup. This senior-only event took place at the renowned Pictona facility in Holly Hill, near Daytona Beach. With a massive prize purse of $75k, this competition attracted the best 40+ talent from both amateur and senior professionals.
The APP has always placed a specific focus on senior pros, serving as the de facto 'senior tour' for several years. It has been the driving force behind senior rankings and has partnered with the AARP to sponsor senior events. In addition, the APP created the 'Super Senior' and 'Masters' divisions, which have gained considerable popularity among players. In 2024, APP CEO and Commissioner Ken Herrmann decided to offer even more by introducing a signature series with bigger prize money than ever before.
Let's take a closer look at the action-packed tournament. Since this was a senior-pro-only event, we will cover the Senior/Champions and Super Senior/Masters events, similar to our coverage of the regular APP pro tour.
In the men's Champions Pro Singles event, the top-ranked players fulfilled their seeds, with #1 Rick Witsken emerging as the gold medalist. Witsken, the #1 senior player in 2022, secured victories over #5 Arick Lane in the semifinals and #2 Paul Olin in the final. The bronze medal went to Lane, who defeated #4 Gonzalo Petschen in the third-place match. Notably, the senior singles draw had a strong Mid-Atlantic representation, with a significant portion of the players hailing from Maryland, Virginia, or Pennsylvania.
On the women's side, Karin Ptaszek-Kochis claimed the gold in the Champions Pro Singles. Two of the top four seeds fell in the quarterfinals, leading to an open draw. Ptaszek-Kochis, the #2 seed, triumphed over #4 Aye Unnoppet in a three-game battle for the gold, while #6 Brenda Tilford secured the bronze medal.
In the Mixed Champions Pro Doubles event, the #1 seeds Dave Weinbach & Evelyn Welsher, made it a memorable day for Welsher, who announced her retirement from professional competition. Together, they won the gold medal, defeating the #2 seeds Angela Simon & Dan Granot in the final. Welsher leaves the tour as the #2 player in Champions Doubles and #1 in Mixed Doubles, and her presence will be dearly missed.
Turning to the men's Champions Pro Doubles, the #3 seeds Jose Derisi and Mircea Morariu pulled off a major upset. They comprehensively defeated the #1 seeded team of Dave Weinbach and Altaf Merchant, who had been undefeated in senior competitions in 2023. The bronze medal went to the #4 seeds Kristopher Heddings & Rick Witsken.
In the Women's Champions Pro Doubles, the #3 seeds Jennifer Dawson & Nathalie Bagby emerged as the gold medalists. They upset the #4 seeds Kelly Ojeda & Stacy Potter in an exciting final that went down to the wire. Meanwhile, the #1 seeds Sue Johnston & Pam Gilbert settled for the bronze.
Moving on to the AARP Masters (Super Senior 60+) Pro Competition, the dominant #1 team of Scott Moore & David Spearman continued their reign by winning the men's Masters Pro Doubles. They solidified their status as the top team, defeating F.D. Wilder & William Muno in both the winner's bracket final and the gold medal match. Notably, this event featured tennis legend Ivan Lendl, who made a strong showing and reached the quarterfinals.
In the Women's Masters Pro Doubles, the #3 seeds Jenny Reifeis & Cynthia Dardis pulled off several upsets to reach the winner's bracket final. They then triumphed over #4 seeds Kelly Ojeda & Stacy Potter in a thrilling final game. This victory marked Reifeis' first-ever APP gold medal and Dardis' first since the NYC Open in the previous year. Meanwhile, the #1 seeds Sue Johnston & Pam Gilbert settled for the bronze.
The Mixed Masters Pro Doubles event saw the #1 seeds Kristin Hickman & David Spearman, both top-ranked players individually, face a setback in the winner's bracket semifinals. However, they regrouped in the consolation bracket and earned a spot back in the gold medal match. There, they defeated #7 seeds Sue Johnston & Steve Price to claim the gold. Diane Wainio & Todd Headley secured the bronze.
Finally, in the Men's Masters Pro Singles, David Spearman, known for his success in doubles, took the #1 seed and emerged as the gold medalist. Spearman defeated Steve Price in the semifinals and Egan Adams in the final, earning the first-ever Masters Pro triple crown.
With these thrilling results, the Pro Pickleball Medal Tracker has been updated to reflect the winners' achievements. To review the complete pro medal history for all tours and events, please visit the provided link.
Looking ahead, the pickleball calendar indicates a brief break in professional events due to the cancellation of MLP's first planned 2024 event and the rescheduling of APP Fountain Valley. However, the SPT will host an event in Tustin Hills, and there is an APP-affiliated event in India. For the APP tour, the upcoming NextGen event is scheduled for February 18, 2024, in San Antonio, followed by the next regular APP Stop in Sacramento during the second weekend of March.
