The Association of Pickleball Players (APP) is back in action in Sacramento, California. The Johnson Ranch Pickleball Complex is hosting the event, once again.
Johnson Ranch, built in 2022, features 24 outdoor courts and is widely considered the nicest pickleball venue in northern California.
Sacramento will serve as the third stop on the APP Tour this year (Fort Lauderdale and Daytona prior). The competition is heating up for tour points and this should make for an exciting event!
Weather Outlook
Thursday and Friday of the event (singles and mixed doubles) look to be lovely days for pickleball! Saturday night into Sunday looks like the weather could cause problems. The rain may directly affect Championship Sunday, which is something to keep an eye on.
How to watch the APP Sacramento Open
Championship Court
- Thursday, 2/27 | 1 – 7 pm | APPTV on YouTube, Court Sports Network, Facebook
- Friday, 2/28 | 3 – 9 pm | APPTV on YouTube, Court Sports Network, Facebook
- Saturday, 3/1 | 3 – 9 pm | APPTV on YouTube, Court Sports Network, Facebook
- Sunday, 3/2 | 3 – 8 pm | APPTV on YouTube, Court Sports Network, Facebook
Players Court
- Thursday, 2/27 | 11 – 5 pm | APPTV on YouTube
- Friday, 2/28 | 1 – 7 pm | APPTV on YouTube
- Saturday, 3/1 | 1 – 7 pm | APPTV on YouTube
- Sunday, 3/2 | 1 – 7 pm | APPTV on YouTube
National Coverage - Replays of the best
- Monday, 3/3 | 8 – 9 pm | CBS Sports Network
- Thursday, 3/6 | 10 – 11 pm | CBS Sports Network
- Tuesday, 3/11 | 10 – 11 pm | CBS Sports Network
- Tuesday, 3/11 | 11 pm – 12 am | CBS Sports Network
Now that the intro to the event is done, let’s get into the action!
Women’s Singles
Top Seeds
- Yana Newell
- Amanda Hendry
- Bobbi Oshiro
- Judit Castillo
- Shelby Bates
- Maria Klokotzky
- Madalina Grigoriu
- Alejandra Lopez Borobia
Top Storylines
- Megan Fudge withdrew from singles - The normal #1 seed withdrew from the singles event, leaving the field wide open. Yana Newell has taken over the #1 seed, with her 3,030 points.
- (12) Sofia Sewing has gone from playing qualifiers in Fort Lauderdale, to earning a silver medal there, and a gold medal in Daytona Beach. Sewing will be a favorite in the event, despite her being seeded outside the top 10.
- (11) Alexa Schull has made some deep runs in singles recently. She is going to have a tough time after the first round, as she may have to face off against Klokotzky and then Oshiro, to make it to the semis.
- There are 15 women in the qualifiers, competing for four slots in the main draw. I like Riley Bohnert, Mehvish Safdar, Dodo Kong, and Jalina Ingram, depending on matchups.
Prediction
- Semi-finalists: (1) Yana Newell, (12) Sofia Sewing, (2) Amanda Hendry, and (3) Bobbi Oshiro
- Finals: Sofia Sewing beats Bobbi Oshiro for her second straight gold
Men’s Singles
Top Seeds
- Chris Haworth
- Grayson Goldin
- Jack Foster
- Will Howells
- Ryler DeHeart
- Max Manthou
- Brandon Lane
- Ronan Camron
Top Storylines
- At this point, it just doesn’t feel like (1) Chris Haworth can lose. The last time Haworth lost on the APP Tour was at the APP Miami last year, nearly a month ago.
- (4) Will Howells faced off against Haworth in the finals and moved up to the 4th seed with his silver medal. Can he make back to back finals?
- (2) Grayson Goldin was knocked out early in Daytona by Dusty Boyer, and I am sure that is not sitting well with him. I expect Goldin to bounce back in Sacramento.
Prediction
- Semi-finalists: (1) Chris Haworth, (4) Will Howells, (2) Grayson Goldin, and (6) Max Manthou
- Finals: Haworth wins his record tying gold medal over Goldin
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Mixed Doubles
Top Seeds
- Bobbi Oshiro/Will Howells
- Megan Fudge/Jack Munro
- Susannah Barr/Brandon Lane
- Yana Newell/Erik Lange
- Jill Braverman/Mark Dancuart
- Riley Bohnert/Richard Livornese, Jr.
- Amanda Hendry/Chris Haworth
- Allison Harris/William Sobek
Top Storylines
- (2) Megan Fudge and Jack Munro are teaming up again in mixed doubles. They have a gold and a silver this year and look to be another lock for the podium this weekend.
- Will Howells played mixed doubles with Jill Braverman for the first two events of 2025 (while Oshiro was getting married - CONGRATS!!!), but now that Bobbi is back, Howells is playing with her and they are the #1 seeds.
- What do the following teams have in common? You guessed it, they all have medals on the APP Tour within the last year. Does one of these teams have what it takes to make it back to the podium?
- (7) Amanda Hendry/Chris Haworth
- (10) Christine Maddox/Max Manthou
- (11) Daria Walczak/Patrick Kawka
- (12) Kelsey Grambeau/Robert Slutsky
Prediction
- Semi-finalists: (1) Bobbi Oshiro/Will Howells, (4) Yana Newell/Erik Lange, (10) Christine Maddox/Max Manthou, and (11) Daria Walczak/Patrick Kawka
- Finals: Oshiro and Howells beat Maddox and Manthou
Women’s Doubles
Top Seeds
- Megan Fudge/Jill Braverman
- Emily Cederquist/Yana Newell
- Susannah Barr/Bobbi Oshiro
- Amanda Hendry/Daria Walczak
- Allison Harris/Rianna Valdes
- Riley Bohnert/Kelsey Grambeau
- Arielle Butler/Domenika Turkovic
- Nicole Eugenio/Christine Maddox
Top Storylines
- (1) Fudge and Braverman are two for two this year in winning gold, can they make it three for three? They are the overwhelming favorite.
- (4) Hendry and Walczak made a deep run in Daytona Beach, earning a silver medal. They are looking to go back to back.
- Be on the lookout: Youngsters (12) Ava Cavataio and Alexa Schull could make a run. They’ve been playing well, but they may run up against the 5 and 4 seeds.
Prediction
- Semi-finalists: (1) Fudge/Braverman, (12) Cavataio/Schull, (2) Emily Cederquist/Yana Newell, and (3) Barr/Oshiro
- Finals: Fudge and Braverman beat Barr and Oshiro in the finals for a three-peat to start 2025
Men’s Doubles
Top Seeds
- Jack Munro/Will Howells
- Erik Lange/Max Manthou
- Ryler DeHeart/Richard Livornese, Jr.
- Mario Barrientos/Patrick Kawka
- Tanner Tomassi/Erik Pailet
- Jason Bock/Ben Newell
- Brandon Lane/William Sobek
- Mark Dancuart/Spencer Lanier
Top Storylines
- Similar to the women’s doubles side, Howells and Munro are two for two thus far in 2025. Can anyone unseat the in Sacramento? I wouldn’t bet against Howells on his birthday weekend!
- (9) Grayson Goldin and Chris Haworth have been playing better and better and doubles, but they’re going to have to go through the 1 seed.
- (2) Erik Lange and Max Manthou have finished with a silver medal in two events - can they get over the hump against Howells and Munro?
Prediction
- Semi-finalists: (1) Howells/Munro, (4) Barrientos/Kawka, (2) Lange/Manthou, and (3) DeHeart/Livornese, Jr.
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