Alvaro Beltran ended Nick Montalbano's Cinderella-like run at the International Racquetball Tour's (IRT's) New Jersey Open in Warren, N.J. in the semi-finals on Saturday in three straight games, 11-8, 11-2, 11-4. It was Montalbano's first semi-final appearance in an IRT Tier 1 event.
Montalbano held his own in game one as they went back and forth. Montalbano did get a lead at 7-6, but Beltran took it back and held Montalbano pointless until it was 10-7. Montalbano got one more point before the Beltran finished it at 11-8.
The fight seemed to out of the young American in game two, as Beltran went out to a 7-0 lead and won it easily at 11-2.
But Montalbano got some fight back in game three, and even led 3-2. But again Beltran put the pressure on and held his opponent at bay going on to another comfortable win, 11-4.
In the second semi-final, top seed Rocky Carson defeated fourth seed Chris Crowther in four games, 11-3, 9-11, 11-6, 11-4. Carson generally controlled the match, although credit to Crowther for pulling out game two after being down 9-6. However, game two was the only one Crowther ever had a lead in.
Crowther might have done better if his first serve percentage was higher. His drive serve seemed to be short more often than not on first serve, and drive serving is a big aspect of Crowther's game style.
So, it will be the #1 seed Carson versus the #2 seed Beltran in the New Jersey Open final on Saturday evening at 7 PM, and it can be seen live on-line at the IRT Network.
New Jersey Open - December 13-15, 2012
Warren, New Jersey
Semi-finals
Rocky Carson d. Chris Crowther, 11-3, 9-11, 11-6, 11-4
Alvaro Beltran d. Nick Montalbano, 11-8, 11-2, 11-4
Final
Rocky Carson v. Alvaro Beltran
Follow the bouncing ball….
Saturday, December 15, 2012
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