In the women's doubles semifinal, world number one pair Anna Leigh Waters and Anna Bright delivered a dominant performance against Tina Pisnik and Jessie Irvine. The two Annas outplayed opponents they had faced multiple times on the PPA Tour in the US. The match concluded swiftly with set scores of 11-3 and 11-2 for Waters and Bright, who will meet Tyra Black and Catherine Parenteau in the final.

In the mixed doubles semifinal, Waters teamed up with Ben Johns, the world number one male player and a pickleball legend. This duo delivered an impressive back-and-forth battle against formidable opponents Gabe Tardio and Tyra Black. Waters and Johns showed more composure on crucial points in both sets, securing an 11-6, 11-9 victory to advance to the final, where they will face Kaitlyn Christian and Christian Alshon.

Waters (left) and Johns during the mixed doubles semifinal on the Championship court at My Dinh Athletics Palace, Hanoi on 4/4. *Photo: Giang Huy*

At just 19 years old, Waters has already been recognized by the pickleball community as the greatest female player of all time, holding the world number one ranking in all categories: singles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles. She has amassed 181 PPA titles, including 41 "hat-tricks" where she won singles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles at the same tournament. Competing officially outside the US for the first time, Waters registered for only two events in Hanoi, withdrawing from women's singles due to concerns about her physical condition.

Similarly, Ben Johns is regarded as a global icon in men's pickleball. The 27-year-old legendary player also reached the finals in two categories in Hanoi. Before advancing to the mixed doubles final with Waters, Johns and Tardio defeated Dylan Frazier and Eric Oncins in the men's doubles semifinal with a dominant 11-2, 11-4 score.

The PPA Asia 1000 - Hanoi Cup 2026, held from 1/4 to 5/4 at My Dinh Athletics Palace, has attracted the largest number of PPA Pro players ever seen in Asia. This marks the third time the PPA Tour Asia has taken place in Vietnam, following two events organized in TP HCM and Da Nang last year. The tournament finals will be held tomorrow, 5/4.

The total prize money for the Hanoi Cup is approximately 300,000 USD, with singles champions receiving 4,500 USD and doubles champions receiving 7,500 USD.

2026 marks the first year the PPA Tour Asia has unified its ranking points system with the Carvana PPA Tour. Athletes competing at the Hanoi Cup 2026 will earn points directly for the world rankings. The champion receives 1,000 points, the runner-up 800 points, third place 400 points, and fourth place 200 points. Athletes reaching the quarterfinals, round of 16, and round of 32 will receive 100, 50, and 25 points respectively.

Vy Anh