IRT - Lawler Sports Semi-Finals

Jack Huczek in a match he described as both "fun and frustrating" defeated Rocky Carson in the semi-finals of the Lawler Sports Pro Am in Terre Haute, Indiana. Huczek will face Kane Waselenchuk in the final, as Waselenchuk made quick work of Jason Mannino. It'll be Waselenchuk and Huczek's second meeting of the International Racquetball Tour (IRT) season, as they were in last week's final in Denver, where Waselenchuk came out on top.

Huczek and Carson played for almost three hours while Waselenchuk and Mannino were on court for barely an hour.

Huczek and Carson split the first two games, battling back and forth in both those games with neither player having more than a three point advantage until late in the third game, when Huczek went up 9-5 and held on for an 11-7 victory.

But Carson came back in game four getting an early 3-0 lead that he built to 8-2 and won 11-7 to level the match at two games apiece. He carried that momentum into the tie-breaker, as he led 6-3.

However, Huczek battled back to even the score at 6, and then at 7, after which he pushed on to win the tie-breaker 11-7, taking the match, 11-8, 10-12, 11-7, 7-11, 11-7.

During the match both players expressed disagreement several times with the referee's call. Carson said afterwards that he thought "it impaired the end of the match and really had an influence on it."

At 8-7 for Huczek in the tie-breaker, Huczek hit a ball that came high through the middle of the court, and Carson believed it hit Huczek. However, the referee didn't see it that way, calling a hinder, as both players were in the middle and Carson was hampered from taking the next shot.

Huczek won the next three rallies to win the match.

In the other semi-final, Waselenchuk said afterwards it "felt like I rolled out everything today," and it sure seemed that way.

Mannino agreed that Waselenchuk "played really good," and added it was "hard to keep up with the pace."

After getting only three points in the first two games, Mannino changed from his characteristic half lob serve to a drive serve that got him his first lead of the match at 4-1. But Waselenchuk didn't let Mannino get any more than that winning the game 11-4 and the match 11-1, 11-2, 11-4.

As good as he played Saturday, Waselenchuk said he'll have to be even better on Sunday against Huczek, who lost to him in four games last weekend. But Huczek was leading 9-7 in the fourth game, so almost got it to a tie-breaker when anything could happen.

The final is noon Sunday and can be viewed via the IRT Network.

2009 Lawler Sports Pro Am, Terre Haute, Indiana

Semi finals

Kane Waselenchuk d. Jason Mannino, 11-1, 11-2, 11-4
Jack Huczek d. Rocky Carson, 11-7, 10-12, 11-7, 7-11, 11-8

Finals

Kane Waselenchuk vs. Jack Huczek - Noon Sunday

Follow the bouncing ball....