HILTON HEAD OPEN
The Hilton Head Open has come to a close , but not before we saw some of the most interesting partnerships and gold-medal wins we ’ ve ever seen on the APP Tour . This tournament was a “ golden ticket ” stop on the USA Pickleball National Championship Series and brought over 800 players to the beautiful Palmetto Dunes Resort Tennis and Pickleball Center on Hilton Head Island .
Mixed Doubles saw Simone Jardim play with JW Johnson and ultimately take gold . What was most unique about the Johnson / Jardim partnership was how much court Simone covered , allowing her to play a larger variety of shots than she normally would while JW played the aggressor with his super-fast hands and ability to neutralize attacks .
JW was able to come away with not one , but two gold medals on the Franklin Medal Stand . Partnering with Dylan Frazier , the two beat out a very stacked Men ’ s Doubles field .
Vivienne David and Lea Jansen managed to knock off Simone Jardim and Catherine Parenteau twice in their run to Women ’ s Doubles gold .
Jack Foster : A name you may not recognize but one you should absolutely learn quickly . The Hilton Head Open saw Jack have one of the best runs so far in his professional tournament career . Coming up short on a medal in previous tournaments , Foster had an impressive showing , beating Frank Anthony Davis , Dylan Frazier , JW Johnson , and Jay Devilliers although ultimately taking second to a whitehot Zane Navratil .
Catherine Parenteau managed to sweep Women ’ s Singles Pro , showcasing how much time she has put in off-court in her workouts and conditioning .
The Senior Pro brackets offered some amazing competition highlighted by Julie Johnson ’ s double run to gold in Senior Pro Singles and Women ’ s Doubles with partner Sarah Mitten . Scott Crandall and Kim Kesner took gold in Senior Mixed Doubles , and powerhouse team John Sperling and Mircea Morariu captured gold in Men ’ s Doubles along with Senior Pro gold medalist Paul Olin rounding out the field .
Palm trees , pickleball , Palmetto Dunes … We can ’ t wait to go back next year for the APP Tour Hilton Head Open ! •
— Laura Gainor
NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2021 | MAGAZINE 59