Pickleball Magazine 2019 USA National Championships | Page 15

rivalries the sport of pickleball has
to offer.
McGuffin, arguably the sport’s most
marketable player, is a crowd favorite.
Playing with an absolutely tenacious
style, drawn from his many years on
the wrestling mat, the road to the gold
medal often leads to the Idaho native.
Such was the case at this year’s
Nationals, but Johns was more than
up to the task. Displaying a deft touch
around the net and opportune passing
shots off both wings, Johns took the
first game, 11-7. The key to beating
McGuffin is to get up early, and that’s
what Johns did in the finals. With one
game up, he quickly jumped out to a
big lead in game two and McGuffin
had little to answer with. Johns
coasted, winning easily 11-3, and
captured the gold medal.
“I do consider it a rivalry because
we play each other so frequently, and
like any good rivalry, I think we also
have a healthy mutual respect,” said
Johns. “I also think it’s great for the
sport as we’ve pushed each other
to keep improving and have both
elevated our games considerably. He’s
a tremendous athlete and competitor
and I always look forward to
playing him.”
It’s been quite a year for Ben Johns.
He also won the Triple Crown at the
2019 Tournament of Champions and
has been the event’s Men’s Singles
Champion for the past three years and
became the first male player to win
the Triple Crown at one of the three
major events.
“I was feeling pretty confident
going into Nationals because I think
I have been playing some of my best
pickleball in the past few months,
and the last few singles tournaments
have gone my way,” he explained.
“So, knowing that, I went in with the
Playing in Tandem: Anna Leigh Waters and her mom, Leigh.
2019 USA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS EDITION |
CONTINUED >>>>
MAGAZINE 13