With solely three USA based mostly tournaments remaining earlier than the PPA Finals in Could, the Higher Zion Cup brings added stress to make the distinguished finals. Being a Cup, this match is value 1.5x the traditional PPA Factors, so winners earn 1,500 Factors.
The Higher Zion Cup has the entire prime execs enjoying in it as a result of it’s value so many factors. Traditionally, this has been often called the Pink Rock Open, however with the attractive Black Desert Resort increasing this 12 months, a reputation change was so as.
One notable participant replace is Will Howells, who’s again enjoying doubles in Utah, after a reasonably extreme ankle harm in Minneapolis in January. Howells is with Noe Khlif and Meghan Dizon this week.
Tips on how to Watch the Higher Zion Cup
Tuesday, March 24 – Spherical of 64
- Midday – 8pm ET – Championship Courtroom – pickleballtv
- Midday – 8pm ET – Grandstand Courtroom – pickleballtv
Wednesday, March 25 – Spherical of 32
- Midday – 8pm ET – Championship Courtroom – pickleballtv
- Midday – 8pm ET – Grandstand Courtroom – pickleballtv
Thursday, March 26 – Spherical of 16
- Midday – 8pm ET – Championship Courtroom – pickleballtv
- Midday – 8pm ET – Grandstand Courtroom – pickleballtv
- 9:30 – 11:30pm ET – Spherical of 16 Replay – FS2
Friday, March 27 – Quarterfinals
- 1pm – 7pm ET – Championship Courtroom – pickleballtv
- 1pm – 9pm ET – Grandstand Courtroom – pickleballtv
- 7pm – 9pm ET – Stay Quarterfinals – FS1
Saturday, March 28 – Semifinal
- 2pm – 8pm ET – Championship Courtroom – pickleballtv
- 2pm – 10pm ET – Grandstand Courtroom – pickleballtv
- 8pm – 10pm ET – Stay Semifinals – FS1
Sunday, March 29 – Spherical of 16
- Midday – 6pm ET – Championship Courtroom – pickleballtv
- 11am – 3pm ET – Grandstand Courtroom – Bronze Matches – pickleballtv
- 7pm – 9pm ET – Championships Replay – FS2
Climate Outlook
Wind performed an enormous consider Texas two weekends in the past, however it doesn’t look to be a lot of a consider Utah, with winds between 8-11mph. The excessive temperatures are going to be between the mid 80s and low 90s with the lows within the 50s and 60s. This makes for superb climate situations all through your complete match.
Ladies’s Singles
High Storylines
- If Anna Leigh Waters can win, she will probably be undefeated for one 12 months and 10 months in singles, with 4 extra tournaments to play earlier than she formally goes two years undefeated
- The one participant in girls’s singles to make it to the semi-finals outdoors of a prime 10 seed was (19) Kiora Kunimoto on the Indoor Nationwide Championships in January – she is now the 11 seed, and should face Catherine Parenteau early and beat her 11-6, 11-4 in Mesa
- (2) Kate Fahey and (3) Kaitlyn Christian have confronted off 4 instances because the starting of 2025, and the collection is tied 2-2, however Fahey gained the final one, 12-10, 11-1, within the bronze match in Vegas in October
- (4) Brooke Buckner vs (5) Lea Jansen is a big quarterfinal matchup to see who faces off in opposition to Anna Leigh within the semis – that they had an EPIC battle in Newport Seaside in March, with Lea successful 13-11, 9/11, 11-9
Predictions
- Semifinalists: (1) Anna Leigh Waters, (4) Brooke Buckner, (2) Kate Fahey, and (3) Kaitlyn Christian
- Finals: Anna Leigh Waters wins in 3 over Fahey
Males’s Singles
High Storylines
- (1) Hunter Johnson took the Texas Open off to trip on the annual Necker Island pickleball retreat, and Federico Staksrud beat Chris Haworth within the finals – just one,700 factors separate Hunter from (3) Chris Haworth
- (9) John Lucian Goins and (13) Zane Ford made the semifinals in Texas and Ford took bronze – their reward? They’re in the identical quarter of the bracket as Hunter Johnson in Utah
- (14) Jay Devilliers is enjoying some actually good ball as of late, however might face a troublesome opponent in (4) Christian Alshon, within the Spherical of 16
- Of word, Ben Johns selected to play singles within the Mesa Cup, however is skipping singles in Utah
Predictions
- Semifinalists: (1) Hunter Johnson, (3) Chris Haworth, (2) Federico Staksrud, and (7) Jack Sock
- Finals: Hunter defeats Fed within the finals in a 3 recreation thriller
Combined Doubles
High Storylines
- (1) Anna Leigh Waters and Ben Johns actually dominated (2) Anna Vivid and Hayden Patriquin within the Texas Finals, avenging their loss earlier within the 12 months in Mesa
- There are lots of newer partnerships which might be intriguing in blended this week:
- Former NY Hustlers (RIP) teammates, Jack Sock and Lea Jansen are partnered
- (11) Alix Truong and Noe Khlif are partnered for the primary time
- (10) Jessie Irvine and Dekel Bar are paired up
- (7) Dylan Frazier and Tyra Black are an attention-grabbing new duo
- (2) Jorja and JW Johnson haven’t had the success they hoped for in 2026, regardless of being the two seed – can Utah be the place the place they decide up some momentum?
Predictions
- Semifinalists: (1) Anna Leigh Waters/Ben Johns, (4) Rachel Rohrabacher/Christian Alshon, (2) Jorja & JW Johnson, and (3) Anna Vivid/Hayden Patriquin
- Finals: Anna Leigh and Ben beat Anna and Hayden in 5
Ladies’s Doubles
High Storylines
- (1) Anna Leigh Waters and Anna Vivid have now gone over six months straight with no loss
- (6) Alix Truong and Zoey Wang is a brand new partnership within the states, however they gained the Hanghzou Open in December collectively
- Tina Pisnik and Lacy Schneemann had been having lots of success collectively, however Tina is with Millie Rane and Lacy is with Meghan Dizon on this one
- (4) Parris Todd and Kate Fahey had been knocked out sort of early in Mesa by the abovementioned Pisnik and Schneemann – can they discover some momentum in Utah?
Predictions
- Semifinalists: (1) Anna Leigh Waters/Anna Vivid, (10) Brooke Buckner/Mari Humberg, (2) Jorja Johnson/Tyra Black, and (4) Parris Todd/Kate Fahey
- Finals: Anna Leigh and Anna beat Jorja and Tyra in 4
Males’s Doubles
High Storylines
- (1) Gabe Tardio and Ben Johns have been undefeated since their finals loss at Worlds in November, and Gabe has ALL of the lads’s doubles golds in 2026 to date
- (5) Dylan Frazier and Eric Oncins (Texas Ranchers teammates in MLP) have been enjoying nice just lately, however will run up in opposition to Ben and Gabe within the quarters – robust matchup
- (13) Will Howells is again and enjoying with Noe Khlif, however they run into (3) Andrei and Fed within the Spherical of 16
- (6) Jaume and Jay earned a bronze medal in Texas, however have a troublesome early spherical matchup in opposition to (11) Pablo and Jack Sock
- (9) Armaan Bhatia and Riley Newman are an attention-grabbing new pairing – Riley will doubtless be shifting over to the proper facet for this one
Predictions
- Semifinalists: (1) Gabe Tardio/Ben Johns, (3) Federico Staksrud/Andrei Daescu, (2) Christian Alshon/Hayden Patriquin, and (9) Riley Newman/Armaan Bhatia
- Finals: Gabe and Ben beat Christian and Hayden in 4
