Nikki Todd & Katie Tutrone achieved a series of impressive upsets to win their first title as a partnership at the Local World Open in Los Angeles, CA, April 13-15—the final Women’s event of the 2022-2023 season.
Todd & Tutrone hit the ground running with a 3-0 win over Charlotte Knaggs & Sakora Miller in the quarterfinals, before facing off against English pair Lauren West & Georgina Stoker, who had proceeded through the quarters with a 3-0 win over Canadians Amelia Knapp & Erin Roberts. The semifinal saw a close battle between top seeds West & Stoker and three-seeds Todd & Tutrone. Todd & Tutrone took an early lead, winning the first two games 15-12, 15-13, before West & Stoker returned in the third with renewed energy, taking the game 15-12. In the fourth, West & Stoker performed an impressive comeback run from 10-14 down, with West’s flawless shot execution at 14-14 pushing the match to a fifth game. Ultimately, however, the Brits were unable to hold off Todd & Tutrone as they powered through to clinch the fifth 15-9, upsetting the top seeds and securing their place in the final.
In the bottom half of the draw, two-seeds Julie Cerullo & Victoria Simmonds started strong with a 3-0 win over newcomers Rachel Au & Megan Picken. Fresh off a 3-0 round of 16 victory over locals Chloe Blacker & Ivy Pochoda, Canadians Jackie Moss & Jaime Laird faced off against Rachel Mashek & Jess Davis in the quarters, overcoming the fourth-seeded team in an intense five-game battle. The semifinals saw a strong challenge by Laird & Moss, but Cerullo & Simmonds prevailed with a top performance, proceeding to the final with a 15-12, 15-14, 15-10 win.
The Saturday night final marked the first finals appearance for all four players in the 2022-2023 season. Excellent performances from both teams resulted in even games throughout the match, but ultimately Todd & Tutrone were able to power through the crucial final points in each, upsetting Cerullo & Simmonds 15-12, 15-13, 15-12 to secure the Local World Open title.