Racquet House San Diego Pro-Am - Preliminary Results

In the final preliminary round of the Racquet House San Diego Pro-Am - the 3rd tournament of the International Racquetball Tour (IRT) season - there were two upsets, but neither was a real surprise. In the #16 v. #17 match, Alvaro Beltran (#17) won over Hiroshi Shmizu (#16), 11-0, 11-6, 11-9.

With the win Beltran will face top seed and IRT #1 Kane Waselenchuk in the Round of 16. Waselenchuk hasn't lost since January 2009, when Beltran beat him in the California Open. Can he do it again?

The other upset was Mike Green (seeded 21st), the current Canadian Champion, defeating Alejandro Herrera (12th), 12-10, 11-2, 11-2. Green will now be the beneficiary of Mitch Williams's late withdrawal from the tournament, as Williams withdrew after the draw was public so it was not changed.

Green's win puts him in the Q5 spot, which was to be a match with Williams. Now it will be a walkover win for him and then a quarter final match against with Jack Huczek or Charlie Pratt. After playing three matches on Thursday, Green could probably use the rest. His quarter final is scheduled for 8 PM Friday.

Earlier, Jamie Slamko and Allan Hernandez have made a bid for one of the highest scoring matches of the season, as they took five games and 92 points to determine the winner. Slamko took it 11-6, 4-11, 12-10, 11-13, 11-3.

In Round 2, Slamko also played five games, but came out on the losing end, as Felipe Camacho defeated him, 11-9, 2-11, 8-11, 11-4, 11-1. However, Camacho didn't make it past the last round of qualifying, losing to racquetball legend Cliff Swain, 11-4, 11-4, 12-10.

The tournament will be available for viewing over the internet via the IRT Network. Friday's action - Round of 16 and quarter finals - can be viewed for free with subscribers being able to see the semi-finals and final on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. The first Round of 16 matches are scheduled for 11:30 AM PDT.

San Diego Racquet House Pro/Am
San Diego, California - September 30-October 3, 2010

Preliminary Third Round

Q8: Alvaro Beltran d. Hiroshi Smimizu, 11-0, 11-6, 11-9
Q1: Jose Rojas d. David Horn, 11-7, 12-10, 12-10

Q4: Mike Green d. Alejandro Herrera, 12-10, 11-2, 11-2
Q5: Charlie Pratt d. Felipe Munoz, 11-6, 11-6, 11-7

Q6: Alejandro Landa d. Tony Carson, 11-6, 11-6, 11-13, 11-9
Q3: Anthony Herrera d. Andres Herrera, 11-7, 6-11, 11-3, 11-4

Q7: Juan Herrera d. Sebastian Franco, 11-9, 11-4, 11-9
Q2: Cliff Swain d. Felipe Camacho, 11-4, 11-4, 12-10

Round of 16

Kane Waselenchuk v. Alvaro Beltran
Shane Vanderson v. Jose Rojas

Mitch Williams v. Mike Green
Jack Huczek v. Charlie Pratt

Ben Croft v. Alejandro Landa
Andy Hawthorne v. Anthony Herrera

Chris Crowther v. Juan Herrera
Rocky Carson v. Cliff Swain

Preliminary First Round

Jose Diaz d. A.J. Reyes
Marco Rojas d. Daniel De La Rosa, 11-2, 11-6, 0-11, 13-11

David Horn d. Jamie Martel, 3-11, 12-10, 11-8, 11-7
Carlos Oviedo d. Alejandro Morales, 11-2, 2-11, 11-4, 13-11

Mike Green d. Joel Barshaw, 11-4, 11-2, 11-6
Willie Tilton d. Bruce Robles, fft

Mike Orr d. Blake Martin, 11-4, 11-5, 11-1

Felipe Munoz d. Jeremy Mcglothin, 11-1, 11-4, 11-3
Hank Minardo d. Chris Conrad, injury fft

Jose Serrano d. Tim Prigo, 11-7, 11-2, 11-0

Daniel Bautista d. Roby Partrovich, 11-0, 11-5, 11-2

Andres Herrera d. Juan Felipe Garzon, 11-1, 11-2, 3-11, 11-5
Greg Dorman d. Brian Pineda, 7-11, 11-4, 11-4, retired

Sebastian Franco d. Jorge Ramos Jr., fft
John Scott d. Rafael Morales, fft

Dawoud Gharfashod d. Manuel Flores, fft
Jamie Slamko d. Allen Hernandez, 11-6, 4-11, 12-10, 11-13, 11-3

Preliminary Second Round

Q8: Hiroshi Smimizu d. Jose Diaz, 7-11, 11-4, 11-9, 11-7
Q8: Alvaro Beltran d. Marco Rojas, 11-8, 11-7, 12-10
Q1: David Horn d. Carlos Oviedo, 4-11, 11-6, 11-5, 11-6

Q4: Mike Green d. Willie Tilton, 11-3, 11-3, 11-8
Q5: Charlie Pratt d. Mike Orr, 3-11, 11-3, 12-10, 11-2
Q5: Felipe Munoz d. Hank Minardo, 11-2, 11-0, 11-9

Q6: Alejandro Landa d. Jose Serrano, 11-2, 11-5, 2-11, 11-8
Q6: Tony Carson d. Daniel Bautista, 11-3, 11-4, 11-1
Q3: Andres Herrera d. Greg Dorman, 11-6, 11-4, 11-1

Q7: Sebastian Franco d. John Scott, 11-9, 11-6, 11-5
Q2: Cliff Swain d. Dawoud Gharfashod, 11-5, 11-3, 11-0
Q2: Felipe Camacho d. Jamie Slamko, 11-9, 2-11, 8-11, 11-4, 11-1

Follow the bouncing ball....

Racquet House San Diego Pro-Am - Preliminary Draws

Round 3 of the International Racquetball Tour (IRT) season begins Thursday in San Diego with the San Diego Racquet House Open. There is a large draw of players including all the regulars. However, word is that Mitch Williams will have to miss this tournament due to a knee injury.

That word came after the draw was released, so Williams's name will stand in the draw as the 5th seed. That means one of Alejandro Herrera, Mike Green, Joel Barshaw, Willie Tilton or Bruce Robles will benefit from a default win over Williams in the Round of 16.

Those five players are competing in qualifying for the Q4 spot, which was to play Williams in the 16s. But that should now be a default win.

Jack Huczek will also benefit, as he was to play the winner of the Williams match. He'll now face a lower ranked opponent in the quarter finals, if he wins his Round of 16 match. Given his recent form, Huczek should be happy about this development.

The tournament will be available for viewing over the internet via the IRT Network. Friday's action - Round of 16 and quarter finals - can be viewed for free with subscribers being able to see the semi-finals and final on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

San Diego Racquet House Pro/Am
San Diego, California - September 30-October 3, 2010

First Round
A.J. Reyes v. Jose Diaz
Daniel De La Rosa v. Marco Rojas

David Horn v. Jamie Martel
Carlos Oviedo v. Alejandro Morales

Mike Green v. Joel Barshaw
Willie Tilton v. Bruce Robles

Mike Orr v. Blake Martin

Felipe Munoz v. Jeremy Mcglothin
Hank Minardo v. Chris Conrad

Tim Prigo v. Jose Serrano

Daniel Bautista v. Roby Partrovich

Andres Herrera v. Juan Felipe Garzon
Greg Dorman v. Brian Pineda

Sebastian Franco v. Jorge Ramos Jr.
John Scott v. Rafael Morales

Dawoud Gharfashod v. Manuel Flores
Jamie Slamko v. Allen Hernandez

Second Round

Q8: Hiroshi Smimizu v. A.J. Reyes or Jose Diaz
Q8: Alvaro Beltran v. Daniel De La Rosa or Marco Rojas
Q1: David Horn or Jaime Martel v. Carlos Oviedo or Alejandro Morales

Q4: Mike Green or Joel Barshaw v. Willie Tilton or Bruce Robles
Q5: Charlie Pratt v. Mike Orr or Blake Martin
Q5: Felipe Munoz or Jeremy Mcglothin v. Hank Minardo or Chris Conrad

Q3: Alejandro Landa v. Tim Prigo or Jose Serrano
Q3: Tony Carson v. Daniel Bautista or Roby Partrovich
Q6: Andres Herrera or Juan Felipe Garzon v. Greg Dorman or Brian Pineda

Q7: Sebastian Franco or Jorge Ramos Jr. v. John Scott or Rafael Morales
Q2: Cliff Swain v. Dawoud Gharfashod or Manuel Flores
Q2: Felipe Camacho v. Jamie Slamko or Allen Hernandez

Third Round

Q8: Hiroshi Smimizu or A.J. Reyes or Jose Diaz v. Alvaro Beltran or Daniel De La Rosa or March Rojas
Q1: Jose Rojas v. David Horn or Jaime Martel or Carlos Oviedo or Alejandro Morales

Q4: Alejandro Herrera v. Mike Green or Joel Barshaw or Willie Tilton or Bruce Robles
Q5: Charlie Pratt or Mike Orr or Blake Martin v. Felipe Munoz or Jeremy Mcglothin or Hank Minardo or Chris Conrad

Q3: Alejandro Landa or Tim Prigo or Jose Serrano v. Tony Carson or Daniel Bautista or Roby Partrovich
Q6: Anthony Herrera v. Andres Herrera or Juan Felipe Garzon or Greg Dorman or Brian Pineda

Q7: Juan Herrera v. Sebastian Franco or Jorge Ramos Jr. or John Scott or Rafael Morales
Q2: Cliff Swain or Dawoud Gharfashod or Manuel Flores v. Felipe Camacho or Jamie Slamko or Allen Hernandez

Round of 16

Kane Waselenchuk v. Q8
Shane Vanderson v. Q1

Mitch Williams v. Q5
Jack Huczek v. Q4

Ben Croft v. Q3
Andy Hawthorne v. Q6

Chris Crowther v. Q2
Rocky Carson v. Q7

Follow the bouncing ball....

World Outdoor Racquetball, Las Vegas - Results

A big World Outdoor Racquetball (WOR) tournament happened on the weekend in Las Vegas. Several indoor players were in attendance, and scooped up most of the hardware. Rocky Carson won the men's singles title in a squeaker against Alvaro Beltran. He took it 15-3, 14-15, 11-10.

In the semis, Carson defeated Chris Crowther, 15-3, 15-5, while Beltran had a walkover win against Jason Geis.

Beltran and Geis teamed on the doubles side and defeated Carson on the way to taking the title. They beat Carson and Son Nguyen, 15-5, 15-12 in one semi, while Crowther and Huczek beat Mike Green and Cliff Swain in the other, 15-13, 5-15, 11-10.

In the final, Beltran and Geis defeated Crowther and Huczek in two straight games, 15-13, 15-11.

Similar results on the women's side as the singles winner didn't also take the doubles title. Rhonda Rajsich won singles, defeating Jack Paraiso in the final by injury default. But in doubles Rajsich and Aimee Ruiz lost to Paola Longoria and Keely Franks, 15-6, 15-7.

There was also a Classic Pro Racquetball (CPRT) doubles event, which was won by Cliff Swain and Craig Lane. They defeated Robert Sostre and Fred Ramieez in the final, 7-15, 15-3, 11-10.

World 3 Wall Ball Championships
Las Vegas, September 24-26, 2010

Men's Singles

Final
Rocky Carson d. Alvaro Beltran, 15-3, 14-15, 11-10

Semi-finals
Rocky Carson d. Chris Crowther, 15-3, 15-5
Alvaro Beltran d. Jason Geis, forfeit

Men's Doubles

Final
Alvaro Beltran & Jason Geis d. Chris Crowther & Jack Huczek, 15-13, 15-11

Semi-finals
Alvaro Beltran & Jason Geis d. Rocky Carson & Son Nguyen, 15-5, 14-15, 11-7
Chris Crowther & Jack Huczek d. Mike Green & Cliff Swain, 15-13, 5-15, 11-10

Women's Singles

Final
Rhonda Rajsich d. Jackie Paraiso, forfeit due to injury

Semi-finals
Jackie Paraiso d. Aimee Ruiz, 15-8, 15-4
Rhonda Rajsich d. Janel Tisinger, 15-13, 15-3

Women's Doubles

Final
Keely Franks & Paola Longoria d. Rhonda Rajsich & Aimee Ruiz, 15-6, 15-7

Semi-finals
Keely Franks & Paola Longoria d. Martha Mcdonald & Jackie Paraiso, 14-15, 15-6, 11-5
Rhonda Rajsich & Aimee Ruiz d. Michelle Poage & Janel Tisinger, 15-5, 15-2

CPRT Divison

Final
Cliff Swain & Craig Lane d. Robert Sostre & Fred Raminez, 7-15, 15-3, 11-10

Semi finals
Cliff Swain & Craig Lane d. Kevin Booth & Mike Peters, 15-7, 15-12
Robert Sostre & Fred Raminez d. Scott Mcmasters & Jesus Ustamoz, 15-8, 9-15, 11-2

Follow the bouncing ball....

Two Down, Eighteen To Go

Two tournaments are in the books on the International Racquetball Tour's (IRT's) 2010-11 season, and the IRT has changed its serving rule from one serve to two serves. What has been the effect of that change?

Consider who the semi-finalists have been so far: Kane Waselenchuk, Mitch Williams, Chris Crowther, Ben Croft, and Rocky Carson, with Waselenchuk, Croft and Williams all reaching the semis in both tournaments.

Three of those players - Waselenchuk, Williams, and Crowther - are big drive servers. Moreover, these results were Williams's 3rd and 4th career semis and Crowther's 2nd career semi (and 1st final). That suggests the rule change is indeed favoring players who are primarily drive servers, as most people would have expected.

Oh fer four

An alternative explanation for improved results from Crowther and Williams could be Jack Huczek being off his game. Huczek has now failed to reach the semis in four straight tournaments (five if you count the tournament he missed due to injury: the Mexico Open).

You have to go back to 2002-2003 - only his 2nd season on tour - to find a stretch where Huczek failed to reach the semis in four straight tournaments. In fact, in the 7 and half year period since then there haven't been two consecutive tournaments without Huczek reaching at least the semi finals, so not doing so in four tournaments is arguably the biggest slump of his career.

That's not a hinder!

The Racquetball Blog staff was looking at the Waselenchuk-Croft semi-final from Kansas City on the IRT Network archive, and on the first rally of the match Waselenchuk is given a hinder against Croft despite Croft being well out of the way. Waselenchuk indicated he was going for an overhead shot to the front left corner from the back right corner with Croft in the middle of the court.

But isn't the rule that you need to give your opponent the front wall and not the side wall? Croft was giving Waselenchuk the front wall, so we don't think there was a hinder on the play. Waselenchuk should have hit a straight in winner.

If a player wants to hold up for safety once, well, OK. But in a situation where your opponent has given you all the space he/she needs to, then you shouldn't expect to get that call again.

Even if you're Kane Waselenchuk.

Follow the bouncing ball....

IRT Rankings - September 23, 2010

The International Racquetball Tour (IRT) has released its updated rankings following the results of the World Professional Racquetball Championships in Cali, Colombia. Kane Waselenchuk remains on top of the rankings, but others have moved in the top 20.

The big move up has been made by Ben Croft who has reached a career high at #3. He passed Jack Huczek, who has had a poor start to the season and now sits 4th in rankings. That means he'll be on Waselenchuk's side of the draw in upcoming tournaments.

Chris Crowther has also moved up and he sits in the 5th spot, also a career high. Shane Vanderson has slipped to 7th and Mitch Williams is in 8th.

Andy Hawthorne and Jose Rojas, who have gone 1 and 1 against each other so far this season, round out the top 10 in 9th and 10th, respectively.

Lurking outside the top 10 are three Herreras. Juan is 11th; Anthony is 12th; and Alejandro is 13th. Also, Alvaro Beltran is back in the top 20 at #20.

IRT Rankings - Sept 23, 2010
Rank - Player - Points

1 Kane WASELENCHUK, 3829
2 Rocky CARSON, 2389
3 Ben CROFT, 2303
4 Jack HUCZEK, 2201
5 Chris CROWTHER, 2081
6 Jason MANNINO, 1930
7 Shane VANDERSON, 1868
8 Mitch WILLIAMS, 1807
9 Andy HAWTHORNE, 1343
10 Jose ROJAS, 1309
11 Juan HERRERA, 995
12 Anthony HERRERA, 911
13 Alejandro HERRERA, 882
14 Charlie PRATT, 880
15 Alejandro LANDA, 834
16 Kris ODEGARD, 630
17 Javier MORENO, 575
18 Cliff SWAIN, 490
19 Hiroshi SHIMIZU, 428
20 Alvaro BELTRAN, 405

Follow the bouncing ball....

Racquetball news from Europe

The European Racquetball Federation (ERF) announced the 2011 European Championships will be in Bad Tölz, Germany. Bad Tölz has hosted the championships twice before, in 1990 and 1999. The championships are scheduled for the first week of August.

Bad Tölz is on the Isar River in Bavaria, close to the German-Austrian border. At 670 metres (over 2100 feet) above sea level, play could be effected by Bad Tölz's altitude.

"Bad Tölz is a wonderful venue for our major event. We have had great events in the past and in 2011 we expect nothing different", said ERF President Erik Meyer of Belgium.

Two years ago in Nanterre, France, players from Catalonia (Spain) took most of the honors, as they won the men's and women's team competitions, with Victor Montserrat and Elisabet Consegal taking the individual men's and women's titles, respectively. Irish teams took the doubles titles with Adam Neary and Joe Farrell winning the men's and Antonia Neary and Geraldine Byrne the women's.

Follow the bouncing ball....

2010 World Professional Racquetball Championship - Rajsich defeats Longoria

Rhonda Rajsich defeated Paola Longoria in the final of the Women's Professional Racquetball Organization (WPRO) World Professional Racquetball Championship in Cali, Colombia on Sunday, 7-11, 11-7, 13-11, 11-7.

Despite the loss Longoria should remain #1 in the WPRO rankings, so she should be top seed next month at the US Open, where Rajsich is the defending champion having beaten Longoria in last year's final.

Rajsich has defeated Longoria in their last two meetings: in Cali and last month in Seoul at the IRF World Championships.

WPRO World Professional Racquetball Championship - Cali, Colombia

Final
2 Rhonda Rajsich d. 1 Paola Longoria, 7-11, 11-7, 13-11, 11-7

Follow the bouncing ball....

2010 World Professional Racquetball Championship - Waselenchuk bests Crowther

Kane Waselenchuk defeated Chris Crowther in the final of the International Racquetball Tour (IRT) World Professional Racquetball Championship in Cali, Colombia, 11-3, 3-11, 11-7, 11-0, to keep his match unbeaten streak going. Waselenchuk hasn't lost in 22 months. However, Crowther's win in game two means that Waselenchuk has now lost almost as many games in the first two tournaments this season as he did all of last season, when he lost only three.

Despite the loss, Crowther had his best tournament as a profession, as he made the finals for the first time. He should move up in the IRT rankings passing Shane Vanderson and perhaps also Jason Mannino.

The IRT's next main event will be the San Diego Racquet House Pro-Am September 30 to October 3.

2010 World Professional Racquetball Championship, Cali, Colombia

Final
Kane Waselenchuk d. Chris Crowther, 11-1, 3-11, 11-7, 11-0

Follow the bouncing ball....

2010 World Professional Racquetball Championship - WPRO SFs

It will be #1 versus #2 in the final of the Women's Professional Racquetball Organization (WPRO) World Professional Racquetball Championship in Cali, Colombia on Sunday as both top seeds advanced to the final. In the semi-finals, #1 seed Paola Longoria defeated Samantha Salas, 11-3, 11-8, 11-2, and #2 seed Rhonda Rajsich defeated Cheryl Gudinas, 11-4, 11-1, 11-9.

Earlier, 4th seed Kerri Wachtel again failed to advance to the semi-finals for the second consecutive tournament, as she fell to Salas in the quarter finals, 11-0, 11-9, 11-5.

The WPRO final will be played on Sunday at 11 AM central time and webcast via the IRT Network.

WPRO World Professional Racquetball Championship - Cali, Colombia

Quarter finals
1 Paola Longoria d. 8 Krystal Csuk, 11-3, 11-2, 11-5
5 Samantha Salas d. 4 Kerri Wachtel, 11-0, 11-9, 11-5

3 Cheryl Gudinas d. 12 Claudine Garcia, 11-4, 2-11, 11-8 (sic)
2 Rhonda Rajsich d. 7 Jennifer Saunders, 11-7, 11-3, 11-3

Semi finals
1 Paola Longoria d. 5 Samantha Salas, 11-3, 11-8, 11-2
2 Rhonda Rajsich d. 3 Cheryl Gudinas, 11-4, 11-1, 11-9

Final
1 Paola Longoria vs. 2 Rhonda Rajsich

Follow the bouncing ball....

2010 World Professional Racquetball Championship - IRT SFs

Chris Crowther reached his first career final Saturday by defeating Mitch Williams in the semi-finals of the International Racquetball Tour (IRT) World Professional Racquetball Championship in Cali, Columbia, 7-11, 11-3, 2-11, 12-10, 11-3. It was only Crowther's second career semi-final.

Crowther will play top seed Kane Waselenchuk who is undefeated in the past 21 months. However, he did lose his first game since March as Ben Croft won the first game of their semi-final. But the Waselenchuk got himself back on track and won the match in four games, 10-12, 11-4, 11-4, 11-5.

The Racquetball Blog staff believes this is the first time the semi-finals of an IRT main event - Tier 1 or Grand Slam - has featured only one of the top 4 ranked IRT players since the San Diego Open in February 2005, when Jason Thoerner, Mike Guidry, Cliff Swain and Shane Vanderson were in the semis. Swain beat Vanderson in the final.

Sunday's final can be viewed via the web at the IRT Network.

2010 World Professional Racquetball Championship, Cali, Columbia

Semi finals
Kane Waselenchuk d. Ben Croft, 10-12, 11-4, 11-4, 11-5
Chris Crowther d. Mitch Williams, 7-11, 11-3, 2-11, 12-10, 11-3

Finals
Kane Waselenchuk v. Chris Crowther

Follow the bouncing ball....

2010 World Professional Racquetball Championship - IRT QFs

Chris Crowther has reached the semi-finals for only the second time in his career at an International Racquetball Tour (IRT) main event and the first time at an IRT Grand Slam event, with a quarter final win over 3rd seed Jack Huczek at the World Professional Racquetball Championship in Cali, Columbia, 11-4, 11-9, 11-6.

The defeat may prompt some to ask the question "what's wrong with Jack Huczek?" as it's the second tournament in a row that he's gone out to a higher seeded competitor; Crowther's the 6th seed. Moreover, Huczek defeated Alejandro Landa in the Round of 16, but didn't look like he was playing his best, needing 4 games to defeat Landa.

Crowther will meet another upset winner Mitch Williams in the semis in Cali on Saturday as Wiliiams defeated 2nd seed Rocky Carson, 10-12, 12-10, 11-9, 5-11, 11-4.

On the other side of the draw, #1 Kane Waselenchuk will play #4 seed Ben Croft. Waselenchuk defeated Andy Hawthorne in three straight games in the quarters, 11-3, 11-2, 11-3, but Croft needed a full five before getting the best of Shane Vanderson, 6-11, 11-5, 7-11, 11-7, and 11-8.

Vanderson came back from 9-3 down in the fifth game to make it 9-8, but couldn't get past that. On the last point, Vanderson skipped a ball that was a big set up off the back wall.

The semi-finals go Saturday and final on Sunday. They can be viewed via the web at IRT Network.

2010 World Professional Racquetball Championship, Cali, Columbia

Quarter finals
Kane Waselenchuk d. Andy Hawthorne, 11-3, 11-2, 11-3
Ben Croft d. Shane Vanderson, 6-11, 11-5, 11-7, 7-11, 11-8

Chris Crowther d. Jack Huczek, 11-4, 11-9, 11-6
Mitch Wiliiams d. Rocky Carson, 10-12, 12-10, 11-9, 5-11, 11-4

Semi finals
Kane Waselenchuk v. Ben Croft
Chris Crowther v. Mitch Williams

Follow the bouncing ball....

2010 World Professional Racquetball Championship - WPRO Draw 16s

Claudine Garcia was the only upset winner in the Women's Professional Racquetball Organization (WPRO) division at the World Professional Racquetball Championship in Cali, Columbia. Garcia, seeded 12th, defeated 6th seed Jo Shattuck in three straight games, 11-9, 11-8, 11-6.

Garcia will next face 3rd seed Cheryl Gudinas, who defeated Maria Paz Munoz, 11-3, 11-5, 11-1, on Friday.

The two top seeds also won in three straight games. Number 1 seed Paola Longoria defeated Claudia Andrade, 11-0, 11-0, 11-3, and 2nd seed Rhonda Rajsich beat Carolina Gomez, 11-7, 11-1, 11-4.

Only two of the eight Round of 16 matches went more than three games. Samantha Salas needed four games to defeat fellow Mexican Nancy Enriquez, winning 9-11, 11-5, 11-5, 11-7, and Krystal Csuk got by Cristina Amaya, 10-12, 11-6, 11-6, 11-5.

The WPRO quarter finals and semi-finals will be played on Saturday, and some of them will be available via the IRT Network.

WPRO Cali Columbia Grand Slam

Round of 16
1 Paola Longoria d. 16 Claudia Andrade, 11-0, 11-0, 11-3
8 Krystal Csuk d. 9 Cristina Amaya, 10-12, 11-6, 11-6, 11-5

5 Samantha Salas d. 13 Nancy Enriquez, 9-11, 11-5, 11-5, 11-7
4 Kerri Wachtel d. 14 Ivonne Carplo, 11-4, 11-2, 11-4

3 Cheryl Gudinas d. 10 Maria Paz Munoz, 11-3, 11-5, 11-1
12 Claudine Garcia d. 6 Jo Shattuck, 11-9, 11-8, 11-6

7 Jennifer Saunders d. 11 Susy Acosta-Mendoza, 11-4, 11-8, 11-5
2 Rhonda Rajsich d. 15 Carolina Gomez, 11-7, 11-1, 11-4

Quarter finals
1 Paola Longoria vs. 8 Krystal Csuk
4 Kerri Wachtel vs. 5 Samantha Salas

3 Cheryl Gudinas vs. 12 Claudine Garcia
2 Rhonda Rajsich vs. 7 Jennifer Saunders

Follow the bouncing ball....

2010 World Professional Racquetball Championship - IRT 16s

This week's battle of the 8th and 9th seeds went to Andy Hawthorne, as he defeated Jose Rojas, 11-9, 11-3, 11-3 at the World Professional Racquetball Championship in Cali, Columbia - the second event of the International Racquetball Tour's (IRT's) 2010-2011 season. Cali is at an elevation of over 3200 feet - almost 1000 meters, which may be part of the reason Rojas never seemed to settle into the match. Hawthorne, who played yesterday to qualify for the Round of 16, may have benefitted from that extra court time in getting adjusted to the altitude. Last week Rojas defeated Hawthorne in the Kansas City Pro-Am.

No other upsets happened in the 16s. For example, top seed Kane Waselenchuk easily won his match against Francisco Gomez Reyes, taking it 11-1, 11-5, 11-0.

Play can viewed via the web at IRT Network for free on Friday, which will have the rest of the Round of 16 this afternoon and then the quarter finals this evening.

2010 World Professional Racquetball Championship, Cali, Columbia

Round of 16
Kane Waselenchuk d. Francisco Gomez Reyes, 11-1, 11-5, 11-0
Andy Hawthorne d. Jose Rojas, 11-9, 11-3, 11-3

Shane Vanderson d. Anthony Herrera, 10-12, 11-2, 11-8, 11-6
Ben Croft d. Alejandro Herrera, 11-5, 11-7, 13-11

Jack Huczek d. Alejandro Landa, 11-5, 7-11, 11-4, 11-8
Chris Crowther d. Charlie Pratt, 11-3, 16-14, 11-2

Mitch Williams d. Juan Herrera, 11-3, 11-5, 11-7
Rocky Carson d. John Scott, 11-1, 11-5, 11-3

Quarter finals
Kane Waselenchuk v. Andy Hawthorne
Ben Croft v. Shane Vanderson

Jack Huczek v. Chris Crowther
Rocky Carson vs. Mitch Williams

Follow the bouncing ball....

2010 World Professional Racquetball Championship - IRT 1st Round Results

Francisco Gomez Reyes is the main upset winner coming out of the qualifying rounds at the World Professional Racquetball Championship in Cali, Columbia - the second event of the International Racquetball Tour's (IRT's) 2010-2011 season. Reyes was seeded 17th and defeated the 16th seed Andreas Herrera. After falling behind twice in games - 1-0 and 2-1 - Reyes won the last two games of the match by 2 points each, the narrowest of margins, taking the match in five games: 7-11, 11-1, 7-11, 11-9, 12-10.

Reyes's reward is a Round of 16 match against the top player in the world, Kane Waselenchuk.

The most comfortable win in preliminaries was Anthony Herrera's victory over Juan Felipe Garzon, as Herrera only gave up 2 points in three games winning 11-0, 11-2, 11-0.

Play can viewed via the web at IRT Network beginning Friday at 11:30 CDT time.

2010 World Professional Racquetball Championship, Cali, Columbia

Round 1
Sebastian Franco d. Raul Banegas, 11-7, 5-11, 11-6, 8-11, 11-5
Juan Felipe Garzon d. Fernando Siera, 11-2, 10-12, 11-4, 11-7
Andres Gomez d. Mario Villacreses, 11-5, 11-5, 11-2
Jorge Suarez d. David Rojas, forfeit
Juan Rivas d. Blake Martin, 11-8, 11-8, 11-2

Round 2
Q1: Francisco Gomez Reyes d. Andres Herrera, 7-11, 11-1, 7-11, 11-9, 12-10
Q8: Andy Hawthorne d. Sebastian Franco, 11-0, 11-2, 6-11, 11-2

Q4: Anthony Herrera d. Juan Felipe Garzon, 11-0, 11-2, 11-0
Q5: Alejandro Herrera d. Andres Gomez, 11-5, 11-6, 11-9

Q6: Alejandro Landa d. Fernando Rios, 11-4, 1-11, 11-4, 11-4
Q3: Charlie Pratt d. Jorge Suarez, 11-2, 11-5, 11-2

Q2: Juan Herrera d. Juan Rivas, 11-6, 11-2, 11-7
Q7: John Scott d. Felipe Munoz, forfeit

Round of 16
Kane Waselenchuk v. Francisco Gomez Reyes
Jose Rojas v. Andy Hawthorne

Shane Vanderson v. Anthony Herrera
Ben Croft v. Alejandro Herrera

Jack Huczek v. Alejandro Landa
Chris Crowther v. Charlie Pratt

Mitch Williams v. Juan Herrera
Rocky Carson v. John Scott

Follow the bouncing ball....

2010 World Professional Racquetball Championship - WPRO Draw

Here's the official draw for the Women's Professional Racquetball Organization (WPRO) division of the World Professional Racquetball Championship in Cali, Columbia. There are a few differences from what we had, which we based on the latest WPRO rankings.

Now it's Samantha Salas who has the tough Round of 16 match up with Nancy Enriquez, not Kerri Wachtel as we had speculated. But if Wachtel wins her Round of 16 match against Ivonne Carpio, she'll play the winner of Salas and Enriquez in the quarter finals.

WPRO Cali Columbia Grand Slam

1 Paola Longoria vs. 16 Claudia Andrade
8 Krystal Csuk vs. 9 Cristina Amaya

5 Samantha Salas vs. 13 Nancy Enriquez
4 Kerri Wachtel vs. 14 Ivonne Carplo

3 Cheryl Gudinas vs. 10 Maria Paz Munoz
6 Jo Shattuck vs. 12 Claudine Garcia

7 Jennifer Saunders vs. 11 Susy Acosta-Mendoza
2 Rhonda Rajsich vs. 15 Carolina Gomez

Follow the bouncing ball....

2010 World Professional Racquetball Championship - IRT Draw

The draw has been released for the second event of the International Racquetball Tour's (IRT's) 2010-2011 season - the World Professional Racquetball Championship in Cali, Columbia. It's a Grand Slam event, and the draw reflects some changes in the rankings as a result of the Kansas City Pro-Am.

The main changes are Rocky Carson moving up one spot to 2nd past Jack Huczek who drops to 3rd. Other changes in the top 10 are Ben Croft moving past Shane Vanderson into 5th and Jose Rojas moving into 9th, which puts Andy Hawthorne in 10th. Thus, Rojas is in the main draw of 16 while Hawthorne has go through qualifying.

Two names not in the draw that we would have liked to see are Alvaro Beltran, who got to the quarter finals last week in Kansas City after beating Huczek in the Round of 16, and Ricardo Monroy, who was a semi-finalist at the IRF World Championships last month.

2010 IRT World Professional Racquetball Championship
Cali, Columbia

Round 1
Raul Banegas v. Sebastian Franco
Juan Felipe Garzon v. Fernando Siera
Andres Gomez v. Mario Villacreses
Jorge Suarez v. David Rojas
Blake Martin v. Juan Rivas

Round 2

Q1: Andres Herrera v. Francisco Gomez Reyes
Q8: Andy Hawthorne v. Raul Banegas or Sebastian Franco

Q4: Anthony Herrera v. Juan Felipe Garzon or Fernando Siera
Q5: Alejandro Herrera v. Andres Gomez or Mario Villacreses

Q6: Alejandro Landa v. Fernando Rios
Q3: Charlie Pratt v. Jorge Suarez or David Rojas

Q2: Juan Herrera v. Blake Martin or Juan Rivas
Q7: Felipe Munoz v. John Scott

Round of 16
Kane Waselenchuk v. Q8
Jose Rojas v. Q1

Shane Vanderson v. Q4
Ben Croft v. Q5

Jack Huczek v. Q6
Chris Crowther v. Q3

Mitch Williams v. Q2
Rocky Carson v. Q7

Follow the bouncing ball....

World Professional Racquetball Championship - WPRO Round of 16 - Cali, Columbia

We've done an unofficial Women's Professional Racquetball Organization (WPRO) draw for the World Professional Racquetball Championship in Cali, Columbia based on the latest WPRO rankings. Most of the top 10 have made the trip to Cali and there are some other strong players there as well.

The most interesting match up of the first round could be Kerri Wachtel versus Nancy Enriquez, as Enriquez had a strong showing at the World Championships last month when she got to the finals with victories over Jennifer Saunders and Cheryl Gudinas.

If Wachtel gets by Enriquez she'll likely have to play another Mexican: Samantha Salas, who reached the final of the Texas Open last month.

WPRO World Professional Racquetball Championship
Cali, Columbia

1 Paola Longoria vs. Claudia Andrade or Carolina Gomez
8 Krystal Csuk vs. 9 Cristina Amaya

5 Samantha Salas vs. 12 Claudine Garcia
4 Kerri Wachtel vs. 13 Nancy Enriquez

3 Cheryl Gudinas vs. 14 Jvonne Carplo
6 Jo Shattuck vs. 11 Susy Acosta-Mendoza

7 Jennifer Saunders vs. 10 Maria Paz Munoz
2 Rhonda Rajsich vs. Claudia Andrade or Carolina Gomez

Follow the bouncing ball....

WPRO Rankings - September 10, 2010

Paola Longoria remains #1 in the latest Women's Professional Racquetball Organization (WPRO) rankings with Rhonda Rajsich and Cheryl Gudinas maintaining their spots in 2nd and 3rd, respectively.

But Adrienne Fisher has moved into 4th ahead of Kerri Wachtel, who's dropped to 5th. Wachtel dropped points, because she was a finalist in last year's Texas Open, but lost in the Round of 16 this year.

Jennifer Saunders defeated Wachtel and Fisher in reaching the semis in Dallas and those wins have put her back into the top 10 at #9.

Samantha Salas, the Texas Open runner up to Longoria, has also moved up. She's #6. Jo Shattuck is 7th, Keely Franks 8th and T.J. Baumbaugh 10th.

WPRO Rankings Sept 10, 2010
Rank - Name - Country - Points

1 Paola Longoria (Mexico) 1432.00
2 Rhonda Rajsich (USA) 1075.90
3 Cheryl Gudinas (USA) 822.70
4 Adrienne Fisher (USA) 394.40
5 Kerri Wachtel (USA) 372.50
6 Samantha Salas (Mexico) 318.55
7 Jo Shattuck (USA) 285.80
8 Keely Franks (USA) 264.50
9 Jennifer Saunders (Canada) 258.25
10 T.J. Baumbaugh (USA) 254.20
11 Vivian Gomez (USA) 249.75
12 Krystal Csuk (USA) 237.00
13 Cristina Amaya (Colombia) 177.00
14 Kristen Bellows (USA) 167.00
15 Susy Acosta-Mendoza (Mexico) 157.70
16 Doreen Fowler (USA) 144.25
17 Aubrey O'Brien (USA) 124.75
18 Angela Grisar (Chile) 118.00
19 Jackie Paraiso (USA) 91.00
20 Janel Tisinger (USA) 75.00

Follow the bouncing ball....

2010 IRT Kansas City Pro-Am - Waselenchuk wins again

Kane Waselenchuk continued to show why he is the #1 player on the International Racquetball Tour (IRT) with a comfortable victory over Rocky Carson in the final of the Kansas City Pro-Am/11th Annual Ghost of Georgetown tournamant, the first event of the IRT season. Waselenchuk won 11-4, 11-4, 11-1.

Waselenchuk's extended his unbeaten streak to 15 tournaments. He last lost in January 2009 in the semi-finals of the California Open to Alvaro Beltran.

The next event on the IRT schedule is next weekend's Cali Columbia Grand Slam, which will be the first IRT Grand Slam event outside of the USA.

IRT Kansas City Pro-Am
11th Ghost of Georgetown, Kansas City

Final
Kane Waselenchuk d. Rocky Carson, 11-4, 11-4, 11-1

Follow the bouncing ball....

2010 IRT Kansas City Pro-Am - Semi-final results

Kane Waselenchuk, the #1 player on the International Racquetball Tour (IRT), will look to begin the 2010-2011 IRT season as he ended the 2009-2010 season: with a victory, as he's in the final of the Kansas City Pro-Am/11th Annual Ghost of Georgetown tournamant, which is the first event of the IRT season. Waselenchuk will face 3rd seed Rocky Carson in the final.

Waselenchuk had a relatively easy match in the semi-finals on Saturday, as he defeated Ben Croft, 11-4, 11-1, 11-3. Carson on the other hand, needed five games to beat Mitch Williams, 3-11, 11-6, 11-5, 2-11, 11-8.

Waselenchuk and Carson met in two finals last season, with Waselenchuk winning both of them. However, Carson was competitive with Waselenchuk in both matches and is coming off his 2nd victory at the IRF World Championships - one of the few feats that has eluded Waselenchuk in his career.

IRT Kansas City Pro-Am
11th Ghost of Georgetown, Kansas City

Semi-finals
Kane Waselenchuk d. Ben Croft, 11-4, 11-1, 11-3
Rocky Carson d. Mitch Williams, 3-11, 11-6, 11-5, 2-11, 11-8

Final
Kane Waselenchuk vs. Rocky Carson

Follow the bouncing ball....

2010 IRT Kansas City Pro-Am - Quarter final results

Half of the usual suspects are in the semi-finals at the Kansas City Pro-Am/11th Annual Ghost of Georgetown - the first event of the International Racquetball Tour (IRT) season. Top seed Kane Waselenchuk and 3rd seed Rocky Carson are playing on Saturday, but 2nd seed Jack Huczek and 4th seed Shane Vanderson are not.

Huczek went out early as Alvaro Beltran beat him in close Round of 16 match, but Beltran, the former #3 IRT player, pulled off the victory in five games,10-12, 11-9, 11-3, 9-11, 13-11.

But that was as far as Beltran went as Mitch Williams defeated him in the quarter finals, 11-8, 8-11, 11-9, 11-8. Williams will play Carson in the semis, as Carson defeated Chris Crowther in the quarters, 12-10, 11-6, 11-7.

Vanderson went out to 5th seed Ben Croft in four games, losing 11-7, 11-2, 0-11, 11-4. The win puts Croft in the semis against Waselenchuk, who defeated Jose Rojas, 11-7, 11-4, 11-4. Rojas had an upset win in the Round of 16 over Andy Hawthorne, 11-7, 11-5, 13-11.

The semi-finals are later Saturday with the final on Sunday.

IRT Kansas City Pro-Am
11th Ghost of Georgetown, Kansas City

Round of 16
Kane Waselenchuk d. Felipe Camacho, 11-4, 11-0, 11-0
Jose Rojas d. Andy Hawthorne, 11-7, 11-5, 13-11

Ben Croft d. Anthony Herrera, 5-11, 11-9, 12-10, 6-11, 11-5
Shane Vanderson d. Alejandro Herrera, 2-11, 11-7, 12-14, 11-4, 11-2

Rocky Carson d. Tony Carson, 11-4, 11-8, 11-1
Chris Crowther d. Juan Herrera, 9-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-6

Mitch Williams d. Alex Ackermann, 11-4, 11-5, 11-4
Alvaro Beltran d. Jack Huczek, 10-12, 11-9, 11-3, 9-11, 13-11

Quarter finals
Kane Waselenchuk d. Jose Rojas, 11-7, 11-4, 11-4
Ben Croft d. Shane Vanderson, 11-7, 11-2, 0-11, 11-6

Rocky Carson d. Chris Crowther, 12-10, 11-6, 11-7
Mitch Williams d. Alvaro Beltran, 11-8, 8-11, 11-9, 11-8

Semi-finals - Saturday
Kane Waselenchuk vs. Ben Croft - 4 PM CDT
Rocky Carson vs. Mitch Williams - 5 PM CDT

Thursday Play
Round 3
Q1: Felipe Camacho d. Bradley Rogers, 11-8, 11-13, 11-3, 11-4
Q8: Jose Rojas d. Juan Martinez, 11-2, 11-3, 11-4

Q4: Anthony Herrera d. Grant Barker, 11-7, 11-9, 11-4
Q5: Alejandro Herrera d. David Horn, 5-11, 11-5, 11-9, 11-0

Q6: Tony Carson d. Nick Montalbano, 11-6, 11-13, 11-2, 11-3
Q3: Juan Herrera d. Travis Mettenbrink, 16-14, 11-1, 11-4

Q2: Alex Ackerman d. Charlie Pratt, 10-12, 12-10, 12-10, 11-9
Q7: Alvaro Beltran d. Felipe Munoz, forfeit

Round 2

Bradley Rogers d. Tyler Otto, 11-3, 7-11, 11-6, 11-5
Juan Martinez d. Martin Hammond, 11-1, 11-2, 11-4

Grant Barker d. Bart Miller, 11-3, 11-1, 11-1
David Horn d. Joel Barshaw, 11-3, 13-11, 11-1

Nick Montalbano d. Jeremy McGlothin, 11-5, 11-5, 11-5
Alex Ackerman d. Bryan Crosser, 11-2, 11-3, 11-6

Alvaro Beltran d. Logan Reese, 11-3, 11-3, 11-5
Travis Mettenbrink d. John Scott, 11-4, 11-9, 11-13, 11-3

Round 1
Logan Reese d. Jose Ramos, forfeit
Bradley Rogers d. Dave Schwent, 11-5, 12-10, 12-10

Follow the bouncing ball....

2010 Kansas City Pro Am - Draw

The 11th Annual Ghost of Georgetown / Kansas City Pro-Am kicks off the International Racquetball Tour's (IRT's) 2010-2011 season, and the draw has been released. All the usual suspects are there.

Perhaps the most interesting potential Round of 16 match will be Jack Huczek versus Alvaro Beltran, who is working his way back up the rankings after missing almost all of last season with a knee injury. Beltran, formerly as high as #3 on the IRT, is certainly capable of pulling off an upset against Huczek, but he'll first have win two qualifying matches to get that opportunity.

The other intriguing potential Round of 16 match is Andy Hawthorne versus Jose Rojas, as Rojas is on the rise and Hawthorne's a drive serve type player that could benefit from the 2 serve rule the IRT is playing with this season. Hawthorne may need 2 serves against the two time World Junior Boys U18 Champion.

11th Ghost of Georgetown, Kansas City

Round 1
Logan Reese v. Jose Ramos
Bradley Rogers v. Dave Schwent

Round 2

Tyler Otto v. Bradley Rogers or Dave Schwent
Juan Martinez v. Martin Hammond

Grant Barker v. Bart Miller
David Horn v. Joel Barshaw

Nick Montalbano v. Jeremy McGlothin
Bryan Crosser v. Alex Ackerman

Alvaro Beltran v. Logan Reese or Jose Ramos
John Scott v. Travis Mettenbrink

Round 3

Q1: Felipe Camacho v. Tyler Otto or Bradley Rogers or Dave Schwent
Q8: Jose Rojas v. Juan Martinez or Martin Hammond

Q4: Anthony Herrera v. Grant Barker or Bart Miller
Q5: Alejandro Herrera v. David Horn or Joel Barshaw

Q6: Tony Carson v. Nick Montalbano or Jeremy McGlothin
Q3: Juan Herrera v. John Scott or Travis Mettenbrink

Q2: Charlie Pratt v. Bryan Crosser or Alex Ackerman
Q7: Felipe Munoz v. Alvaro Beltran or Logan Reese or Jose Ramos

Round of 16
Kane Waselenchuk v. Q8
Andy Hawthorne v. Q1

Ben Croft v. Q4
Shane Vanderson v. Q5

Rocky Carson v. Q6
Chris Crowther v. Q3

Mitch Williams v. Q2
Jack Huczek v. Q7

Follow the bouncing ball....

2009-10 IRT Season Review

The International Racquetball Tour (IRT) begins another season this week with the Ghost of Georgetown tournament in Kansas City. It's been a few months since the end of the 2009-2010 season, so The Racquetball Blog has a review of last season's nine main IRT events and a look ahead at to what's to come.

2009-10 IRT Season
IRT Rank - Player - Wins - Seconds - Semis - Quarters

1) Kane Waselenchuk - 8 wins, 0 seconds, 0 semi, 0 qtrs
2) Jack Huczek - 0 win, 6 seconds, 0 semis, 1 qtr
3) Rocky Carson - 0 wins, 2 seconds, 5 semis, 2 qtrs
4) Jason Mannino - 1 win, 0 seconds, 5 semis, 2 qtrs
5) Shane Vanderson - 0 wins, 0 seconds, 3 semis, 5 qtrs
6) Ben Croft - 0 wins, 1 seconds, 3 semis, 2 qtrs
7) Chris Crowther - 0 wins, 0 seconds, 1 semis, 8 qtrs
8) Mitch Williams - 0 wins, 0 seconds, 0 semi, 7 qtrs
9) Andy Hawthorne - 0 wins, 0 seconds, 0 semis, 3 qtrs
10) Jose Rojas - 0 wins, 0 seconds, 0 semi, 2 qrts
13) Juan Herrera - 0 wins, 0 seconds, 0 semis, 3 qtrs
20) Travis Woodbury - 0 wins, 0 seconds, 0 semis, 1 qrt
32) Alvaro Beltran - 0 wins, 0 seconds, 1 semis, 0 qtrs

Event - Final - Semi-Finalists

Motorola World Racquetball Championships - Final: Waselenchuk d. Huczek - Semis: Vanderson, Carson
Lawler Sports Pro-Am - Final: Waselenchuk d. Huczek - Semis: Mannino, Carson
Kentucky Open - Final: Mannino d. Huczek - Semis: Carson, Vanderson
Choice Hotels US Open - Final: Waselenchuk d. Huczek - Semis: Mannino, Croft
California Open - Final: Waselenchuk d Huczek - Semis: Croft, Carson
New York City Pro-Am - Final: Waselenchuk d. Huczek - Semis: Mannino, Carson
Florida Spring Break Pro-Am - Final: Waselenchuk d. Carson - Semis: Mannino, Croft
IRT Network Pro-Am - Final: Waselenchuk d. Carson - Semis: Mannino, Vanderson
Mexico Open - Final: Waselenchuk d Croft - Semis: Crowther, Beltran

Waselenchuk dominates again

Kane Waselenchuk was undefeated last season following up the one loss season he had in 2008-09. Waselenchuk has dominated men's pro racquetball as no has before, and there's little reason to think that will change. He's 28, so still in his prime playing years.

Perhaps Waselenchuk's only concern is health. The only tournament Waselenchuk didn't win last season was one he missed due to illness. But with 20 events on the schedule this season, it will surely be more taxing on the players, including Waselenchuk.

Return to form?

Last year saw how much injuries can effect players and by extension the IRT. Alvaro Beltran injured his knee prior to the season and missed all but one of the events, coming back for the season ending Mexico Open. Jack Huczek and Mitch Williams also suffered injuries that caused them to missed events and hampered them in some of the tournaments they did play.

Thus, for this season one question is will those players who had injuries last year return to form? Huczek played well at the IRF World Championships this summer and Beltran won the racquetball event at the Central American Games as well as reaching the semis in his first tournament back, so both of them seem to be doing fine after their injuries.

Williams is perhaps another case, however. He was runner up to Waselenchuk in the last event of the 2008-09 season, yet didn't even reach the semi-finals once last season.

Continued improvement?

There were improved results from several players last season, including Ben Croft, Chris Crowther, Juan Herrera and Jose Rojas. Croft and Rojas are strong young players who should continue to have upward trajectories to their careers. Both are two time World Junior Champions in Boys U18, and the other players to have done that - Rocky Carson, Jack Huczek and Sudsy Monchik - all became #1 on the IRT.

Crowther's made it to the quarters in the first 8 tournaments last season and then in the last one he went one better and reached the semis for the first time in his career. He's a veteran at 31, so it would be a stretch to suggest his best racquetball is ahead of him. Yet many players have played well in their 30s, so it's not outside the realm of possibility to see better results from Crowther.

No one asked us, but ...

... The Racquetball Blog isn't on board with the IRT's decision to have 2 serves this season rather than 1. It will allow players to drive serve with abandon on their first serve and still be able to put the ball into play with a second serve if they fault on their first. That could help some players like Williams, Beltran and Crowther, who have strong drive serves.

With such a big change you'd think there was something wrong with IRT matches that demands such a change. Yet The Racquetball Blog doesn't see what was wrong. Unless you think it's Waselenchuk's dominance, and we don't think this change is going to alter that as Waselenchuk's one of the best drive servers on tour, so the change will only make him stronger.

Further will this change turn the IRT into a drive serving exhibition? Is that what people want to see? Aren't rallies more exciting than drive serves? If drive serving decreases the length of rallies, then it's unlikely to be a popular change.

Game on!

Nonetheless, we at The Racquetball Blog are happy to see another IRT season begin. We've missed you guys. Here's to another season of following bouncing balls.

The 2009-10 IRT Statistical Abstract

53 - Most points for in a victory: Polo Gutierrez d. Tony Carson, 11-9, 11-5, 10-12, 10-12, 11-4 in the Motorola World Racquetball Championships
51 - Most points against in a victory: Brad Kirch d. Alejandro Herrera, 12-10, 4-11, 11-9, 3-11, 12-10 in the NYC Pro-Am

99 - Most points in a 5 game match: Brian Simpson d. Tony Carson, 6-11, 12-10, 10-12, 11-9, 11-7 in the IRT Network Open
91 - Most points in a 4 game match: Alejandro Herrera d. Charles Pratt, 13-15, 12-10, 13-11, 11-9 in the California Open
66 - Most points in a 3 game match: Doug Ganim d. Mike Orr, 11-9, 11-9, 14-12 in the US Open

19 - Largest margin of victory 5 game match: Mitch Williams d. Javier Moreno, 11-7, 11-1, 8-11, 10-12, 11-1 at the California Open
29 - Largest margin of victory 4 game match: Jason Geis d. Simon Payne, 11-1, 11-1, 9-11, 11-0 in the Motorola World Racquetball Championships
32 - Largest margin of victory 3 game match: Cesar Castro d. Teobaldo Fumero, 11-0, 11-1, 11-0 in the US Open and Kane Waselenchuk d. Ivan Villegas, 11-0, 11-0, 11-1 in the US Open

Note: not all match points were recorded, so this abstract is based on incomplete data.

Follow the bouncing ball....

Long Weekend Viewing

If you're looking for something to do during the coming long weekend, consider checking out the action from last weekend's Texas Open. The Women's Professional Racquetball Organization (WPRO) has put up videos of all the matches from the quarter finals through the finals, so you can see exactly how it all played out.

Follow the bouncing ball....