“Best Match Ever,” a Top Ten List.

The Men’s Doubles Final from the Rate Vegas Cup has been called the “Best Match Ever.”  Here are some of the notable highlights:

• Highest score in a Men’s Doubles Final Game Five since April 2023 (13-11 at Red Rock).
  
• Most combined points scored in a Men’s Doubles Final since May 2022. (99 points at Atlanta).
  
• Alshon and Daescu had a Game Point in one game and Match Point in another, but won neither game and lost the match. This had never happened in any PPA final, since at least the start of 2022. 

Those are some serious qualifications. What about some other “best ever” matches? There have certainly been several outstanding early round matches, and even some great four-game finals, but since this was a five-game final, let’s go “apples to apples.”  Here are nine more matches to fill out a “Top Ten outstanding/memorable five-game finals in PPA history,” (Since the start of 2022 and in reverse chronological order): 

2025 Red Rock Open, Mixed Doubles:  Parris Todd and Dekel Bar def. Catherine Parenteau and Christian Alshon, 11-9, 12-14, 6-11, 11-7, 11-8. Many will remember this as the “Dekel Bar Match.” He set records with 33 Clean Winners and 14 Ernes, both being the most in any PPA final since at least the start of 2022.

2025 Australia Open, Mixed Doubles: Lacy Schneemann and Tyson McGuffin def. Jessie Irvine and Gabe Tardio, 8-11, 6-11, 11-9, 11-8 11-8. Schneeman and McGuffin were two points away from being swept, down 9-6-1 in Game Three.

2024 Milwaukee Open, Women’s Doubles: Anna Bright and Rachel Rohrabacher def. Jackie Kawamoto and Jade Kawamoto, 4-11, 11-6, 11-7, 10-12, 11-7. Bright and Rohrabacher had a Match Point in Game Four but lost that game, then trailed 5-2 in Game Five. Despite the Kawamotos seeming to have momentum, Bright and Rohrabacher rallied back. This was a deliberately-played match: two-thirds of the rallies were ten shots or more, and the match averaged 17.9 shots per rally.

2024 Las Vegas Cup, Women’s Doubles: Catherine Parenteau and Anna Leigh Waters def. Anna Bright and Rachel Rohrabacher, 10-12, 11-9, 6-11, 11-6, 12-10.  “The Girlies” winning Game One 12-10 set the tone for this rollercoaster. Bright and Rohrabacher led 6-2 in Game Five, and had a Match Point at 10-9-2. Parenteau and Waters were pushed to the brink.

2024 Kansas City Open, Mixed Doubles: Anna Leigh Waters and Ben Johns def. Jorja Johnson and JW Johnson, 11-2, 10-12, 12-10, 6-11, 11-2. This was the first final where Waters and Johns were pushed to five games. The Johnsons had two Game Points in Game Three to take a 2-1 lead, but could not convert. Johns has 21 Clean Winners, JW had 20, a rare 20-20 combination.

2023 PPA Championships (Las Vegas), Men’s Doubles: Ben Johns and Collin Johns def. Dylan Frazier and JW Johnson, 7-11, 3-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-6. Frazier and Johnson were serving 6-6-1 in Game Three with a chance to sweep the Johns brothers, but Ben and Collin put together a massive comeback.

2023 Tournament of Champions (Brigham City, Utah), Men’s Doubles: James Ignatowich and Tyson McGuffin def. AJ Koller and Riley Newman, 5-11, 4-11, 11-0, 11-7, 11-8. Notable for the Game Three turnaround, a twelve-rally first-server “pickle.” All four players had at least ten Clean Winners, and this was part of McGuffin’s Triple Crown. 

2023 Red Rock Open, Men’s Doubles: Brendon Long and Tyson McGuffin def. Dekel Bar and Collin Johns, 11-1, 3-11, 8-11, 11-8, 13-11. Long and McGuffin fended off Match Points at 10-7-2 and 11-10-2 in that 13-11 Game Five. 

2022 Red Rock Open, Men’s Doubles: Ben Johns and Collin Johns def. AJ Koller and Riley Newman, 11-4, 11-8, 6-11, 9-11, 11-8. The Johns brothers rallied back from an 8-3-2 deficit in Game Five.