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Waters, Fahey Set Finals Meeting With Straight-game Victories
Anna Leigh Waters kicked off Semifinal Saturday at the Veolia Atlanta Pickleball Championships with an 11-2, 11-9 victory over No. 4 seed Parris Todd.
After dominantly taking the first game in under ten minutes, the top seed jumped out to a 6-1 lead in Game 2.
Todd then caught fire from the baseline and used an 8-1 run to gain a 9-7 lead before Waters reeled off four in a row to close out the encounter in straight games.
Waters’ last singles loss came on May 30, 2024, against Salome Devidze, nearly a year ago. The 18-year-old spoke about what she’s been working on that has helped her avoid losing in nearly a year.
“I feel like before my forehand was maybe a bit weaker than my backhand, and I’ve spent a lot of time just working on that and hitting so many forehands. Now I think I might like my forehand more than my backhand,” she shared. “I also think I’ve gotten stronger and quicker, just physically. I’ve really been working in the gym and training a lot.”
Waters will face No. 2 seed Kate Fahey in the final.
Kate Fahey triumphed in the second semifinal by way of an 11-2, 11-6 victory over No. 7 seed Catherine Parenteau.
Both players delighted the crowd around Humana Championship Court with several extended rallies hat showcased their athleticism, but Fahey proved to be too much in the end with her high-quality passing shots.
“I knew she would be an incredible competitor, but I’ve never seen anyone move like that,” Fahey said of Parenteau after the contest. “She was getting to shots that I thought were winners, so credit to her—she’s an amazing athlete. I think we both played really well. We had amazing points, and I’m just really happy to get the win here.”
Fahey will play Waters will for the fifth time this year on Sunday.
