Kristen Nuss was covered in sand, dulling her neon two-piece swimsuit. A white lei hung around her neck as she attempted to balance her champion’s plaque awkwardly in one hand.

“This thing is heavy,” she said, “my arm is getting sore.”

Despite her and partner Taryn Brasher repeating as Manhattan Beach Open champions for the second straight year — grinding out a 15-21, 21-18, 15-13 victory over former USC standouts Megan Kraft and Terese Cannon — on Sunday, the weight of both the hardware and the title wasn’t lost on Nuss.

“This is Wimbledon,” Nuss said. “It’s the grand daddy of them all. My mom always said she wanted me to play at Wimbledon. ... This is definitely one of the most coveted trophies right here.”

Partners since 2021, Nuss and Brasher were greeted with a roar before the fir

See Full Page