Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Which serve should you hit? A or B?

Recently The Racquetball Blog presented the following scenario to several racquetball coaches:

Your player is in a tough match that's gone to a tie-breaker. Your player has been using serve A and serve B effectively, and your player's doing those serves from the same place in the service box (that is, both A & B are drive serves or lob serves, so your player's not giving anything away by how they set up in the service box). Now, it's late in the tie-breaker, and your player's won four consecutive points using serve A to get to match point.

Question: Do you want your player to hit serve A or serve B?

The relevance of this scenario could be seen this past weekend when Alvaro Beltran played Rocky Carson. In the match, Beltran had been using his typical serving strategy of drive serving to the left (Carson's backhand) on first serve and then lob serving to the right on second serve.

But on his first match point opportunity, Beltran drove serve to the right. That is, Beltran essentially chose serve B in the above scenario. And he lost the rally.

The coaches we surveyed were unanimous in their opinion that they'd want their player to hit serve A, not serve B. General coaching strategy holds that if you've found something that's working, you should keep doing it and continue to do it until it's not working. That is, don't fix what's not broken.

That said, there's also the coaching belief that you should have some variety in your serving strategy. But our coaching survey suggested that effectiveness trumps variety in this scenario.

Yet those of us who have been in this situation know that there can be a feeling when you get to match point having hit the same serve several times in a row that maybe your opponent will have finally figured it out. That this serve couldn't still be working, could it?

Our survey says most coaches would answer, yes, it could.

So when you find yourself in this type of situation, you should stay the course. Keep doing what's working, until your opponent proves he or she has found the solution (and for a serve, your opponent hitting one good return of serve is NOT proving it; proof should be at least two good returns of serve).

What did Beltran do? The next time he got to serve he hit a lob to the left, which would be serve C, and he won the rally.

Follow the bouncing ball....

Monday, February 27, 2012

Q Dub record set in San Diego

There was a record setting number of wins by players coming through qualifying at this past weekend's International Racquetball Tour (IRT) San Diego Open. This is the stat we here at The Racquetball Blog call QWs, or Q Dubs.

There were 7 such wins in San Diego, which is more than any other tournament we've been keeping records for. That's admittedly not a long period, but the previous high was 5 at the first two tournaments in the 2008-09 season, as Kane Waselenchuk was coming back from his suspension and had to go through qualifying, winning four matches in each to win those tournaments (Jason Thoerner won one match in both tournaments as well).

Since then, there hasn't been more than three Q Dubs at any event, so the seven in San Diego is a huge increase. Of course, that was partially helped by Waselenchuk's forfeit in the Round of 16, but that was only one of the seven Q Dubs.

Alex Landa got that forfeit win over Waselenchuk, but he then lost to Tony Carson, who was also a qualifier. Indeed, that's the first time two qualifiers have played in the quarter finals since October 2008, when Waselenchuk defeated Thoerner in the quarters of the Kansas City Open.

The other qualifier wins in San Diego went to Javier Moreno, who defeated Chris Crowther, and Alvaro Beltran, who won three times to get to the final, defeating Andy Hawthorne, Ben Croft and Rocky Carson along the way. These wins may put Beltran into top 8, which would allow him to avoid qualifying. Beltran was a top 4 player, but hasn't been in the top 10 since injuring his knee prior to the 2009-10 season.

Follow the bouncing ball....

Sunday, February 26, 2012

IRT - Rojas wins 2012 San Diego Open

Jose Rojas won his first career International Racquetball Tour (IRT) event by defeating veteran Alvaro Beltran on Sunday in the final of the 2012 San Diego Open, 6-11, 11-7, 4-11, 11-5, 12-10. Rojas, a two time World Junior U18 champion, joins a select group of players to win an IRT Tier 1 or Grand Slam event.

The next IRT Tier 1 event will be the Florida Spring Break Pro/Am from March 7-11.

2012 San Diego Open - San Diego, California

Final

Jose Rojas d. Alvaro Beltran, 6-11, 11-7, 4-11, 11-5, 12-10

Follow the bouncing ball....

IRT - 2012 San Diego Open Final, Rojas versus Beltran

Jose Rojas will be in his first career International Racquetball Tour (IRT) final, as he'll play in the final of the 2012 San Diego Open on Sunday. Rojas got there with a victory over Tony Carson in the semi-finals on Saturday, 11-3, 11-7, 1-11, 11-6.

Rojas's opponent will be Alvaro Beltran, who defeated Rocky Carson (no relation to Tony), 10-12, 11-3, 11-5, 11-4. It's Beltran's first final appearance since November 2010, when he lost to Rocky Carson in the Corona Open in Chihuahua, Mexico.

The IRT Network will be web-cast the San Diego Open final Sunday at noon PST.

2012 San Diego Open - San Diego, California
Semi-finals

Jose Rojas d. Tony Carson, 11-3, 11-7, 1-11, 11-6
Alvaro Beltran d. Rocky Carson, 10-12, 11-3, 11-5, 11-4

Final

Jose Rojas v. Alvaro Beltran - Noon PST

Follow the bouncing ball....

Saturday, February 25, 2012

IRT - 2012 San Diego Open QFs

Two of the players who made it through the qualifying rounds of the International Racquetball Tour's (IRT's) 2012 San Diego Open have made it to the semi-finals. For one of those players, Tony Carson, it's his first career semi-final, while for the other, Alvaro Beltran, it's his second consecutive semi-final, as he also got to the semis earlier this month in Salt Lake City.

Carson reached the semis with wins over Charlie Pratt, 11-8, 11-8, 11-8, in the Round of 16 and Alex Landa, 5-11, 11-4, 11-8, 12-10, in the quarter finals, while Beltran defeated Andy Hawthorne in the 16s, 10-12, 11-5, 11-0, 5-11, 11-9, before ending Ben Croft's winning streak at 5 matches, with a four game victory in the quarter finals, 9-11, 11-7, 11-6, 11-8.

Tony Carson will face 4th seed Jose Rojas, who had a relatively easy path to the semis with two straight game victories over Juan Herrera in the 16s, 11-9, 11-2, 11-1, and Javier Moreno in the quarters, 11-6, 11-5, 11-4.

Beltran is up against IRT #2 Rocky Carson (no relation to Tony Carson), who advanced to the semis with wins over Colin Mohr, 11-0, 11-4, 11-2, in the Round of 16 and Shane Vanderson in the quarter finals, 11-5, 11-2, fft.

The IRT Network will be web-cast the San Diego Open semi-finals on Saturday beginning at 4:00 PM PST.

2012 San Diego Open - San Diego, California
Quarter finals

Tony Carson d. Alex Landa, 5-11, 11-4, 11-8, 12-10
Jose Rojas d. Javier Moreno, 11-6, 11-5, 11-4

Alvaro Beltran d. Ben Croft, 9-11, 11-7, 11-6, 11-8
Rocky Carson d. Shane Vanderson, 11-5, 11-2, fft

Semi-finals

Jose Rojas v. v. Tony Carson - 5:00 PM PST
Rocky Carson v. Alvaro Beltran - 4:00 PM PST

Round of 16

Alex Landa d. Kane Waselenchuk, fft
Tony Carson d. Charlie Pratt, 11-8, 11-8, 11-8

Javier Moreno d. Chris Crowther, 11-9, 11-6, 7-11, 6-11, 11-4
Jose Rojas d. Juan Herrera, 11-9, 11-2, 11-1

Ben Croft d. Daniel De La Rosa, 11-9, 11-7, 11-3
Alvaro Beltran d. Andy Hawthorne, 10-12, 11-5, 11-0, 5-11, 11-9

Shane Vanderson d. Jose Diaz, 9-11, 11-7, 11-5, 11-2
Rocky Carson d. Colin Mohr, 11-0, 11-4, 11-2

Follow the bouncing ball....

Thursday, February 23, 2012

IRT - 2012 San Diego Open Preliminary Results

The qualifying rounds are over at the 2012 San Diego Open, this weekend's Tier 1 event on the International Racquetball Tour (IRT), and although IRT #1 Kane Waselenchuk isn't in the draw due to injury, there is a Canadian in the Round of 16 as Colin Mohr - the lowest seed in his bracket - made it through qualifying and will play IRT #2 Rocky Carson in the Round of 16 on Friday.

To make the 16s, Mohr defeated fellow Canuck, James Landeryou, in the last qualifying round, 9-11, 13-11, 11-3, 4-11, 11-3, in the only third round qualifying match to go five games.

Tim Landeryou, James's older brother, had a chance to reach the 16s, but lost to Colombian Juan Herrera, 11-5, 3-11, 11-5, 12-10. Eearlier, Landeryou beat racquetball legend Ruben Gonzalez, 11-4, 11-9, 3-11, 11-7, in the second qualifying round.

The other big winner coming out of qualifying was Jose Diaz, who beat Anthony Herrera, 11-7, 12-10, 8-11, 11-9, in the last round of qualifying after defeating Lee Connell in the previous round, 11-2, 11-5, 11-6. Diaz will face Shane Vanderson in the 16s on Friday.

Former IRT #1 Sudsy Monchik's tournament ended with a loss to Alex Landa in the straight games, 12-10, 11-5, 11-6. Landa then beat Taylor Knoth, 3-11, 12-10, 11-6, 11-5, and that win will put him into the quarter finals, as Kane Waselenchuk's withdrawal from the tournament was after the draw was publicized, so he could not be removed from it.

The IRT Network will be web-casting the San Diego Open Round of 16 on Friday beginning at 11:30 AM PST.

2012 San Diego Open - San Diego, California
Round 3

Q8: Alex Landa d. Taylor Knoth, 3-11, 12-10, 11-6, 11-5
Q1: Tony Carson d. Felipe Munoz, 11-2, 11-2, 11-9

Q4: Javier Moreno d. Polo Gutierrez, 13-11, 5-11, 11-6, 11-9
Q5: Juan Herrera d. Tim Landeryou, 11-5, 3-11, 11-5, 12-10

Q6: Daniel De La Rosa d. Felipe Camacho, 11-6, 11-9, 11-1
Q3: Alvaro Beltran d. Ryan Meyer, 11-1, 11-5, 3-11, 11-4

Q2: Jose Diaz d. Anthony Herrera, 11-7, 12-10, 8-11, 11-9
Q7: Colin Mohr d. James Landeryou, 9-11, 13-11, 11-3, 4-11, 11-3

Main Draw - Round of 16

Kane Waselenchuk v. Alex Landa
Charlie Pratt v. Tony Carson

Chris Crowther v. Javier Moreno
Jose Rojas v. Juan Herrera

Ben Croft v. Daniel De La Rosa
Andy Hawthorne v. Alvaro Beltran

Shane Vanderson v. Jose Diaz
Rocky Carson v. Colin Mohr

Round 2

Alex Landa d. Sudsy Monchik, 12-10, 11-5, 11-6
Taylor Knoth d. Daniel Bautista, 11-2, 11-1, 11-3

Felipe Munoz d. Andres Herrera, 12-14, 11-0, 3-11, 13-11, 11-8
Polo Gutierrez d. John Scott, 11-2, 11-1, 11-0

Juan Herrera d. Richard Eisemann, 12-10, 11-4, 11-4
Tim Landeryou d. Ruben Gonzalez, 11-4, 11-9, 3-11, 11-7

Felipe Camacho d. Brian Pineda, 11-8, 8-11, 11-2, 11-4
Daniel De La Rosa d. Guillermo Leyva, 11-2, 11-5, 11-6

Hiroshi Shimizu d. Ryan Meyer, 11-9, 9-11, 11-6, 11-8
Jose Diaz d. Lee Connell, 11-2, 11-5, 11-6

James Landeryou d. Brad Schopieray, 11-6, 11-9, 11-9
Colin Mohr d. Arthur Schmeiser, 11-3, 1-11, 11-9, 11-8

Round 1

Sudsy Monchik d. Rafael Filippini, 11-2, 8-11, 11-8, 4-11, 11-4
Daniel Bautista d. Jeremy McGlothin, fft

Richard Eisemann d. Fabian Mendieta, 11-3, 7-11, 11-6, 11-9
Tim Landeryou d. Jacob Varela, 11-4, 11-6, 11-6

Brian Pineda d. Joe Paraiso, fft
Guillermo Leyva d. Hank Minardo, 11-0, 11-3, 11-3

James Landeryou d. Jorge Travino, 11-5, 11-5, 11-5
Colin Mohr d. Armondo Bermudez, 11-7, 11-7, 11-6

Follow the bouncing ball....

IRT - 2012 San Diego Open Preliminary Draws

The International Racquetball Tour (IRT) swings back into action this weekend with the 2012 San Diego Open. But IRT #1 Kane Waselenchuk is again absent from the event due to the back injury that he picked up at the California Open and prevented him from finishing the New York City Pro-Am. This will be the second consecutive IRT event that Waselenchuk has missed, as he also missed the Salt Lake City event earlier this month.

Although Waselenchuk isn't there, his withdrawal came after the draw was made public, and by IRT rule he must remain in the draw. Thus, some lucky qualifier is going to get a walkover win against him in the Round of 16.

The highest seeds in the top of the draw are Jose Rojas (#4) and Chris Crowther (#5), but they'll likely meet in the quarter finals, with the winner going to the semi-finals against - at best - the 8th seed.

Charlie Pratt is the 8th seed, and he'll have a good chance to make his first semi-final, as he'll only have face qualifiers to get to the semis. Those toughest of those will likely be 9th seed Tony Carson, who could also be set up for the semis if he can beat Pratt.

All the big matches prior to the final will be on the bottom of the draw, as the Salt Lake City finalists - Ben Croft and Rocky Carson - and semi finalist - Shane Vanderson - as well as Alvaro Beltran, will all be slugging it out to get to the final.

The most interesting potential qualifying matches will be the all Mexico battle of Javier Moreno and Polo Gutierrez, and the Alex Landa and Taylor Knoth match, which will grant the winner a pass to the quarter finals. Both Landa and Knoth do have to beat someone to set that up, and for Landa that might be former IRT #1 Sudsy Monchik.

What a difference a week can make

Last week, we wrote about how Jeremy Lin reminded us of Waselenchuk, but now that an injury is keeping Waselenchuk out of yet another tournament, we're not thinking of Lin but rather Peyton Manning, the NFL quarter back who sat out all of last season due to a neck injury.

One injury can end an athletic career, and while we trust that is not the case with Waselenchuk, his injury does remind us that the difference between greatness and mediocrity can be very small.

The IRT Network will be web-casting the San Diego Open matches beginning Thursday February 23 at 8 PM PST.

2012 San Diego Open - San Diego, California
Round 1

Rafael Filippini v. Sudsy Monchik
Jeremy McGlothin v. Daniel Bautista

Fabian Mendieta v. Richard Eisemann
Tim Landeryou v. Jacob Varela

Brian Pineda v. Joe Paraiso
Hank Minardo v. Guillermo Leyva

James Landeryou v. Jorge Travino
Armondo Bermudez v. Colin Mohr

Round 2

Alex Landa v. Rafael Filippini or Sudsy Monchik
Taylor Knoth v. Jeremy McGlothin v. Daniel Bautista

Felipe Munoz v. Andres Herrera

Polo Gutierrez v. John Scott

Juan Herrera v. Fabian Mendieta or Richard Eisemann
Ruben Gonzalez v. Tim Landeryou or Jacob Varela

Felipe Camacho v. Brian Pineda or Joe Paraiso
Daniel De La Rosa v. Hank Minardo or Guillermo Leyva

Hiroshi Shimizu v. Ryan Meyer

Lee Connell v. Jose Diaz

Brad Schopieray v. James Landeryou or Jorge Travino
Arthur Schmeiser v. Armondo Bermudez or Colin Mohr

Round 3

Q8: Alex Landa / Rafael Filippini / Sudsy Monchik v. Taylor Knoth / Jeremy McGlothin / Daniel Bautista
Q1: Tony Carson v. Felipe Munoz or Andres Herrera

Q4: Javier Moreno v. Polo Gutierrez or John Scott
Q5: Juan Herrera / Fabian Mendieta / Richard Eisemann v. Ruben Gonzalez / Tim Landeryou / Jacob Varela

Q6: Felipe Camacho / Brian Pineda / Joe Paraiso v. Daniel De La Rosa / Hank Minardo / Guillermo Leyva
Q3: Alvaro Beltran v. Hiroshi Shimizu or Ryan Meyer

Q2: Anthony Herrera v. Lee Connell or Jose Diaz
Q7: Brad Schopieray / James Landeryou / Jorge Travino v. Arthur Schmeiser / Armondo Bermudez / Colin Mohr

Main Draw - Round of 16

Kane Waselenchuk v. Q8
Charlie Pratt v. Q1

Chris Crowther v. Q4
Jose Rojas v. Q5

Ben Croft v. Q6
Andy Hawthorne v. Q3

Shane Vanderson v. Q2
Rocky Carson v. Q7

Follow the bouncing ball....

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Lin-sane like Kane

If you're in North America, and you're a sports fan, then you have heard of Jeremy Lin, because the hype about Lin following his performances since becoming the starting point guard for the New York Knicks has been inescapable. Lin has come from out of the blue and made an immediate impact on the Knicks and the NBA.

It's a great case of an athlete finding his niche in sport and making the most of it. Some have spoken of Lin and Steve Nash in the same breath, as Nash also had a huge impact in the NBA when he moved from Dallas to Phoenix, where Mike D'Antoni was the head coach, and it's D'Antoni, who's Lin's head coach now in New York.

But we here at The Racquetball Blog have been thinking of Lin as akin to Kane Waselenchuk. Waseelenchuk, who was spotlighted in a New York Times article this week, is another athlete who has found his niche in sport.

Waselenchuk could probably play any sport well, but he might not excel at them as he does at racquetball for a few reasons. One is that Waselenchuk's not a big guy, so hockey, football, and especially basketball wouldn't be great options, as those sports generally looks for players well over 6' tall.

Baseball and soccer would have been interesting options for Waselenchuk, but in any team sport Waselenchuk would just be one of the players, and you might not really appreciate how much talent he has. Thus, we think an individual sport suits Waselenchuk more than a team sport.

Though Waselenchuk has great body control that would be the envy of athletes in sports like wrestling, diving, or skiing, his eye-hand coordination is also outstanding, so a sport with a fancy stick and ball is called for.

Tennis is the most popular stick and ball sport world wide. But again, tennis usually demands a big guy. Most of the great tennis players are over 6', though a couple were 5'11" (Andre Agassi & John McEnroe), which what Waselenchuk's listed as in the US Open media guide but he might not be even that tall.

However, one of Waselenchuk's great attributes - perhaps the thing that separates him more than anything else from other racquetball players, even the great players like Cliff Swain and Sudsy Monchik - is his creativity in making shots. That creativity can be better expressed on a racquetball court - where there is no barrier to hit the ball over - than in other racquet sports, because you can - in theory - hit a winning shot from anywhere. Waselenchuk puts that theory into practice in just about every match he plays.

Sporting events are occasions where incredible things can happen. Things that make for the stuff of clichés like "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?" Those incredible things can happen to anyone at almost any time.

But when an athlete finds their proper place in sport, the place where they truly fit, then real magic can happen. Indeed, it can almost be expected to happen. That's what Jeremy Lin has found in New York.

And that's what Kane Waselenchuk found on a racquetball court long ago.

Follow the bouncing ball....

Monday, February 13, 2012

IRT - Tim Landeryou wins 38th Annual Keystone Classic

Tim Landeryou won the 38th Annual Keystone Classic - the longest running racquetball tournament in the world, and a Tier 4 event on the International Racquetball Tour (IRT) - in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on the weekend by defeating his younger brother James Landeryou, 11-9, 11-7, 11-8. Tim Landeryou reach the final with a semi-final victory over Kurtis Cullen, 11-4, 11-2, 11-0, while James Landeryou needed a fifth game to defeat Eric Desrochers, 11-13, 11-5, 11-4, 4-11, 11-4.

But the brothers teamed up and won the doubles title with a straight game victory over Desrochers and Lee Connell, 15-7, 15-12.

The next IRT Tier 1 event will be the San Diego Open, February 22-26, but there is a Tier 4 event this weekend, as the Winter Classic begins Friday in Overland Park, Kansas.

38th Keystone Classic, Winnipeg

Singles Final
Tim Landeryou d. James Landeryou, 11-9, 11-7, 11-8

Semi-finals
Tim Landeryou d. Kurtis Cullen, 11-4, 11-2, 11-0
James Landeryou d. Eric Desrochers, 11-13, 11-5, 11-4, 4-11, 11-4

Doubles Final
Tim Landeryou & James Landeryou d. Eric Desrochers & Lee Connell, 15-7, 15-12

Follow the bouncing ball....

Sunday, February 12, 2012

USA National Doubles Championships - Final

The 45th USA Racquetball National Doubles Championship concluded Sunday in Tempe, Arizona, and there were some expected and some not so expected results. The expected results were on the men's side, as Rocky Carson and Ben Croft won the US Team Qualifying event by defeating Chris Crowther and Shane Vanderson in the final, 15-7, 15-4.

The win was Carson's sixth title and Croft's third, but it's their first title together. Carson won all his previous titles with Jack Huczek and Croft won both his with Mitch Williams.

Crowther and Vanderson were finalists last year also, when Carson and Huczek took the title.

The surprise result came on the women's side, as defending champs Jackie Paraiso and Aimee Ruiz lost in the semi-finals to Kim Russell-Waselenchuk and Rhonda Rajsich, 13-15, 15-6, 11-7.

Russell-Waselenchuk and Rajsich went on to win the title by defeating Krystal Csuk and Cheryl Gudinas, 15-11, 15-5, in the final. The final was a re-match of one of last year's semi-finals, which Csuk and Gudinas won, but they then lost the final to Paraiso and Ruiz.

The win is Russell-Waselenchuk's sixth, but first since 2004, when she won with Paraiso. It's Rajsich's first US National doubles title, and the first US National women's doubles title that has not been at least shared by either Ruiz or Paraiso since 2001, when Gudinas and Russell-Waselenchuk teamed up to win it.

Ruiz and Paraiso took the third place match by beating Marci Drexler and Laura Fenton, 15-6, 15-10.

The mixed open doubles title went to Ruiz and Andy Hawthorne, who were 13-15, 15-9, 11-3 winners over Charlie Pratt and Janel Tisinger.

2012 45th USA Racquetball National Doubles Championships
Tempe, Arizona
US National Team Divisions

Men's

Quarter finals
Rocky Carson & Ben Croft d. Brad Schopieray & John Scott, 15-4, 15-4
Charles Pratt & Tony Carson d. Alex Ackermann & Jansen Allen, 11-15, 15-10, 11-6
Andy Hawthorne & Jose Rojas d. Anthony Herrera & Rafael Filippini, 7-15, 15-12, 11-4
Chris Crowther & Shane Vanderson d. Blake Hansen & Travis Mettenbrink, 15-9, 15-6

Semi-finals
Rocky Carson & Ben Croft d. Charles Pratt & Tony Carson, 15-4, 10-15, 11-6
Chris Crowther & Shane Vanderson d. Andy Hawthorne & Jose Rojas, 15-8, 15-9

Final
Rocky Carson & Ben Croft d. Chris Crowther & Shane Vanderson, 15-7, 15-4

3rd place
Andy Hawthorne & Jose Rojas d. Charles Pratt & Tony Carson, 15-13, 15-8

Women's

Quarter finals
Jacqueline Paraiso & Aimee Ruiz d. Da'monique Davis & Sharon Jackson, 15-6, 15-3
Kim Russell-Waselenchuk & Rhonda Rajsich d. Janel Tisinger & Kristen Bellows, 15-9, 15-4

Laura Fenton & Marci Drexler d. Danielle Key & Michelle Key, 11-15, 15-8, 11-6
Krystal Csuk & Cheryl Gudinas d. Amy Foster & Elaine Albrecht, 15-8, 15-7

Semi-finals
Kim Russell-Waselenchuk & Rhonda Rajsich d. Jacqueline Paraiso & Aimee Ruiz, 13-15, 15-6, 11-7
Krystal Csuk & Cheryl Gudinas d. Laura Fenton & Marci Drexler, 15-14, 10-15, 11-7

Final
Kim Russell-Waselenchuk & Rhonda Rajsich d. Krystal Csuk & Cheryl Gudinas, 15-11, 15-5

Third
Aimee Ruiz & Jacqueline Paraiso d. Laura Fenton & Marci Drexler, 15-6, 15-10

Mixed Open

Semi-finals
Charles Pratt & Janel Tisinger d. Jacqueline Paraiso & Tony Carson, 6-15, 15-14, 11-4
Aimee Ruiz & Andy Hawthorne d. Rhonda Rajsich & Shawn Royster, 15-4, 15-11

Final
Aimee Ruiz & Andy Hawthorne d. Charles Pratt & Janel Tisinger, 13-15, 15-9, 11-3

Follow the bouncing ball....

Monday, February 6, 2012

Top seeds Gagnon & Saunders win Racquetball Canada National Team Selection Event

Men's and women's #1 seeds won their respective divisions at Racquetball Canada's National Team Selection Event at Golds Gym Regina West in Regina. But Vincent Gagnon had a more difficult time of it than Jennifer Saunders, as Gagnon needed a tie-breaker to defeat 2nd seed Kris Odegard, winning the final 15-11, 10-15, 11-8.

In the women's final, Saunders defeated 2nd seed Frédérique Lambert in two straight games, 15-6, 15-6.

in getting to the finals all four players earned valuable National Team Selection points that will help them earn spots on the team that will represent Canada at the International Racquetball Federation World Championships. Results from this weekend will be combined with results from the first National Team Selection Event of the season in Oakville last November as well as this year's Canadian National Championships in May in Brossard, Que. to select the players who will represent Canada at the 2012 World Racquetball Championships.

Racquetball Canada National Team Selection Event
Regina, Saskatchewan

Men's Open

Final: Vincent Gagnon d. Kris Odegard, 15-11, 10-15, 11-8

3rd Place: Tim Landeryou d. Nathaniel Husulak, 15-8, 15-9

5th Place: Eric Desrochers d. James Landeryou, 15-12, 15-6

7th Place: Francis Guillemette d. Corey Osborne, injury default

Women's Open

Final: Jennifer Saunders d. Frédérique Lambert, 15-6, 15-6

3rd Place: Josée Grand'Maître d. Brandi Jacobson Prentice, 13-15, 15-9, 11-8

5th Place: Christine Richardson d. Michelle Morissette, 15-6, 15-3

7th Place: Nadia Verilli d. Brigitte Richard, 15-10, 15-10

Follow the bouncing ball....

Saturday, February 4, 2012

Top seeds to clash in finals of Racquetball Canada National Team Selection Event

Jennifer Saunders, current Canadian champion and top women's seed, will face second seed Frédérique Lambert, the Canadian and World U18 Racquetball Champion, Sunday in the final of Racquetball Canada's second National Team Selection Event of the season in Regina. Saunders advanced to the final with a straight game victory over Brandi Jacobson Prentice, 15-10, 15-7, in the semi-finals on Saturday.

In the other women's semi-final, Lambert beat Josée Grand'Maître, 15-7, 15-4.

On the men's side, top seed Vincent Gagnon made it to the final after beating Nathanial Husulak, 15-8, 15-5.

Gagnon's opponent on Sunday will be second seed, Kris Odegard, as he defeated Tim Landeryou, 15-11, 15-7, in what was a battle of doubles team-mates from the Pan American Games last year in Guadalajara, where they came home with bronze medals.

Results from this weekend will be combined with results from Oakville as well as this year's Canadian National Championships in May in Brossard, Que. to select the players who will represent Canada at the 2012 World Racquetball Championships.

The tournament schedule and results are available on line through the Racquetball Canada website.

Racquetball Canada National Team Selection Event
Regina, Saskatchewan

Men's Open

Semi-finals

Vincent Gagnon d. Nathaniel Husulak, 15-8, 15-5
Kris Odegard d. Tim Landeryou, 15-11, 15-7

Final

Vincent Gagnon v. Kris Odegard

Quarter finals

Vincent Gagnon d. Francis Guillemette, 15-3, 15-3 

Nathaniel Husulak d. James Landeryou, 15-4, 14-16, 11-6
Tim Landeryou d. Eric Desrochers, 15-7, 15-6
Kris Odegard d. Corey Osborne, 15-3, 15-1

Women's Open

Semi-finals

Jennifer Saunders d. Brandi Jacobson Prentice, 15-10, 15-7
Frédérique Lambert d. Josée Grand'Maître, 15-7, 15-4

Final

Jennifer Saunders vs. Frédérique Lambert

Follow the bouncing ball....

Croft wins 1st career IRT event in Salt Lake City

Ben Croft won the first International Racquetball Tour (IRT) Tier 1 event of his career by defeating IRT #2 Rocky Carson, 4-11, 11-7, 11-5, 5-11, 11-5, in the final of the MonaVie Salt Lake City Pro-Am in Salt Lake City, Utah. Croft, the IRT's #3 ranked player, was playing in only his second IRT final, having lost the 2010 Mexico Open to Kane Waselenchuk.

But he was a winner in Salt Lake City.

Croft and Carson went back and forth all match, except perhaps for the first game, which Carson won 11-4. In game two, they were tied at 2, 3, and 5, before Croft put together a streak of points to go up 10-5, and win 11-7.

In game three, Croft built a big lead early at 6-1. But then Carson narrowed the lead to one at 6-5. But that was as much as he got, as Croft won 11-5.

Carson took the early lead in game four at 4-1. Croft then tied at 4-4 before Carson extended the lead to 7-4, and stayed ahead to win 11-5 and force a tie-breaker.

In the breaker, they again were neck and neck early with ties at 1, 2, 3, and 4. Then Croft got the next five points to put him two points away from his first tour win. Croft might have gotten a little tight as Carson clawed a point back, but that was all Carson could muster on this day, as Croft finished it off 11-5.

Upon winning Croft dropped onto the court, lying on his back in perhaps both joy and disbelief, as afterwards he said "it's surreal" and "I'm happy."

Croft's service strategy was to hit drive serves to the right side, Carson's forehand. Asked about that strategy afterwards, he said Carson's "backhand is so tough" and with the left side of the court a glass wall, Croft figured Carson's backhand server returns into that wall would be hard to pick up.

Thus, Croft served to the solid white right side wall, which also put the ball on his strong side: his forehand side. "I feel my forehand's better than my backhand," said Croft.

When he needed a second serve, Croft stood slightly left of center in the service box and drove the ball into the front left corner to produce Z serves that went to the right back corner, just as his straight drive serves were doing.

It's only Croft's third career win over Carson, and first in 10 meetings.

Croft got to the final by defeating Alvaro Beltran in the semi-finals earlier on Saturday, 6-11, 11-1, 11-7, 11-5, while Carson beat Shane Vanderson, 11-2, 11-0, 11-7, in the other semi.

The next IRT event is the San Diego Open, February 22-26 in Sorrento Valley, California.

2012 MonaVie Salt Lake City Pro/Am - Salt Lake City, Utah

Final

Ben Croft d. Rocky Carson, 4-11, 11-7, 11-5, 5-11, 11-5

Semi-finals

Rocky Carson d. Shane Vanderson, 11-2, 11-0, 11-7
Ben Croft d. Alvaro Beltran, 6-11, 11-1, 11-7, 11-5

Follow the bouncing ball....

IRT - MonaVie Salt Lake City Pro-Am QFs

Only two of the top four seeds have made it through to the semi-finals at the International Racquetball Tour (IRT) MonaVie Salt Lake City Pro-Am in Salt Lake City, Utah. Both first seed Rocky Carson and second seed Ben Croft have had a relatively paths to the semis, as they won both their two matches on Friday in three straight games.

Carson beat Ruben Gonzalez, 11-3, 11-5, 11-6, in the Round of 16 before seeing off Andy Hawthorne in the quarter finals, 11-3, 11-3, 11-6, while Croft took out Felipe Camacho, 11-6, 11-8, 11-5, in the 16s and veteran left hander Javier Moreno, 11-8, 11-9, 11-4, in the quarters in what was a battle of former University of Colorado - Pueblo players.

Joining Carson and Croft in the semi-finals are Alvaro Beltran and Shane Vanderson.

Beltran came through qualifying on Thursday, and then beat Charlie Pratt in the 16 on Friday, 11-6, 11-5, 11-9. In the quarters, Beltran faced third seed Jose Rojas, and after dropping the first game won the next three games to win the match, 8-11, 11-8, 11-9, 12-10, and advance to the semi-finals, where he'll face Croft.

Vanderson's path to the semis was the most dramatic, as he was down 2-0 against fourth seed Chris Crowther, before staging a comeback in the last quarter final match on Friday, winning 4-11, 9-11, 11-7, 12-10, 11-5.

Vanderson will be face Carson in the semi-finals on Saturday.

The IRT Network will be web-casting the MonaVie Salt Lake Pro-Am semi-finals at at 11 AM MST and noon MST with the final to follow on Saturday night at 7 PM MST.

2012 MonaVie Salt Lake City Pro/Am - Salt Lake City, Utah

Quarter finals

Rocky Carson d. Andy Hawthorne, 11-3, 11-3, 11-6
Shane Vanderson d. Chris Crowther, 4-11, 9-11, 11-7, 12-10, 11-5

Alvaro Beltran d. Jose Rojas, 8-11, 11-8, 11-9, 12-10
Ben Croft d. Javier Moreno, 11-8, 11-9, 11-4

Semi-finals

Rocky Carson v. Shane Vanderson
Ben Croft v. Alvaro Beltran

Round of 16

Rocky Carson d. Ruben Gonzalez, 11-3, 11-5, 11-8
Andy Hawthorne d. Anthony Herrera, 11-9, 12-10, 10-12, 11-0

Shane Vanderson d. Juan Herrera, 11-5, 11-5, 11-7
Chris Crowther d. Arthur Schmeiser, 11-1, 11-7, 11-2

Jose Rojas d. Brad Schopieray, 12-10, 11-5, 11-9
Alvaro Beltran d. Charlie Pratt, 11-6, 11-5, 11-9

Javier Moreno d. Tony Carson, 11-7, 11-3, fft
Ben Croft d. Felipe Camacho, 11-6, 11-8, 11-5

Follow the bouncing ball....

Friday, February 3, 2012

Regina hosting Canada's best racquetball players this weekend

Also happening this weekend is Racquetball Canada's second National Team Selection Event of the season in Regina. This is players last chance to qualify for the Pan American Championships in Temuco, Chile and their second chance to qualify to be part of Team Canada at the 2012 World Championships. Their first chance was at the first Selection Event back last November in Oakville, Ont.

Jennifer Saunders is the top women's seed, and her biggest competition will be Canadian and World U18 Champion Frédérique Lambert. Saunders beat Lambert in the final of the Oakville event, but needed a tie-breaker to do it.

On the men's side, Vincent Gagnon is the top seed with Kris Odegard 2nd seed, as current Canadian champion and Canadian #1 Mike Green is not in Regina due to injury.

Results from this weekend will be combined with results from Oakville as well as this year's Canadian National Championships in May in Brossard, Que. to select the players who will represent Canada at the 2012 World Racquetball Championships.

Play begins in Regina on Friday and continues through Sunday.

The tournament schedule and results are available on line through the Racquetball Canada website.

Follow the bouncing ball....

IRT - MonaVie Salt Lake City Pro-Am Prelim Results UPDATED

We've now got complete results from preliminary rounds at the International Racquetball Tour (IRT) MonaVie Salt Lake City Pro-Am in Salt Lake City, Utah. Two of the players to make the Round of 16 are Alvaro Beltran and Ruben Gonzalez, but both needed tie-breakers to get past their Round of 32 opponents.

Beltran was ahead during his match against Andrew Gale, winning the first game 11-3, but Gale came back and squeaked out game two 12-10. The pattern repeated itself in games three and four, as Beltran won comfortably, 11-3, in the third and Gale took the fourth 11-9. The pattern held tn the fifth, as Beltran won 11-1. He'll face Charlie Pratt in the 16s on Friday.

Gonzalez had a different path to the 16s, as he lost the first game of his match versus Cole Burr, 11-5. Gonzaleez could have gone down two games as he faced a game point at 11-10, despite having led 10-5. But the legend pulled out the second game, 13-11, to even the match.

In game three, Gonzalez was ahead the whole way, although Burr did make it close before losing 11-8. One might have thought Burr would roll over at that point, but instead he took a 10-2 lead in game four en route to a 11-5 win.

Game five was similar to game two, as Gaonzalez led early at 3-1, 5-2 and then 10-5. However, Burr again dug deep, and came back to tie the game at 10-10. But the effort might have taken too much out of Burr as Gonzalez got the serve back and hit two cut drive aces to the right side that were just out of Burr's reach, giving Gonzalez the game, 12-10, and the match.

The IRT Network will be web-casting the MonaVie Salt Lake Pro-Am Round of 16 beginning at 11:30 AM MST on Friday. Remember, the semi-finals and final will both be played on Saturday. The semi-finals will go at 11 AM MST and noon MST with the final slated for 7 PM MST.

2012 MonaVie Salt Lake City Pro/Am - Salt Lake City, Utah

Round 1

Cole Burr d. John Scott, 11-6, 11-9, 11-9
Ruben Gonzalez d. Anthony Martin, 11-7, 11-5, 11-7
Joe Workman d. Jeremy McGlothin, 11-9, 11-7, 7-11, 0-11, 11-5

Matthew Majxner d. Steve Bohman, 11-6, 11-3, 11-0
Armando Bermudez d. Favian Elmore, 2-11, 1-11, 11-1, 11-5, 11-5

Scott Burr d. Brian Pineda, 11-2, 5-11, 12-10, 10-12, 12-10
Brad Schopieray d. Anthony Montanez, 11-4, 11-9, 9-11, 11-4
Andrew Gale d. Brandon Gould, 11-4, 11-5, 11-1

Rafael Filippini d. Tim Prigo, 11-5, 11-8, 11-9
Felipe Camacho d. Billy Ray Martinez, fft
Ernesto Ruiz d. Peter Wrigley, 11-2, 11-5, 11-0

Round 2

Q8: Ruben Gonzalez d. Cole Burr, 5-11, 13-11, 11-8, 5-11, 12-10
Q1: Anthony Herrera d. Joe Workman, 11-3, 11-2, 11-3

Q4: Juan Herrera d. Matthew Majxner, 11-3, 11-7, 11-9
Q5: Arthur Schmeiser d. Armando Bermudez, 11-1, 7-11, 11-5, 11-7

Q6: Brad Schopieray d. Scott Burr, 11-9, 11-4, 11-1
Q3: Alvaro Beltran d. Andrew Gale, 11-6, 10-12, 11-3, 11-9, 11-1

Q2: Javier Moreno d. Rafael Filippini, 11-7, 11-0, 11-4
Q7: Felipe Camacho d. Ernesto Ruiz, 11-9, 8-11, 11-1, 11-3

Main Draw - Round of 16

Rocky Carson v. Ruben Gonzalez
Andy Hawthorne v. Anthony Herrera

Shane Vanderson v. Juan Herrera
Chris Crowther v. Arthur Schmeiser

Jose Rojas v. Brad Schopieray
Charlie Pratt v. Alvaro Beltran

Tony Carson v. Javier Moreno
Ben Croft v. Felipe Camacho

Follow the bouncing ball....

IRT - MonaVie Salt Lake City Pro-Am Prelim Results

There are partial results from the International Racquetball Tour (IRT) MonaVie Salt Lake City Pro-Am in Salt Lake City, Utah, so we can only tell you two of the players who have got through to the 16s. Those two, Alvaro Beltran and Ruben Gonzalez, both needed tie-breakers to get past their Round of 32 opponents.

Beltran was ahead during his match against Andrew Gale, winning the first game 11-3, but Gale came back and squeaked out game two 12-10. The pattern repeated itself in games three and four, as Beltran won comfortably, 11-3, in the third and Gale took the fourth 12-10. The pattern held tn the fifth, as Beltran won 11-1. He'll face Charlie Pratt in the 16s on Friday.

Gonzalez had a different path to the 16s, as he lost the first game of his match versus Cole Burr, 11-5. Gonzaleez could have gone down two games as he faced a game point at 11-10, despite having led 10-5. But the legend pulled out the second game, 13-11, to even the match.

In game three, Gonzalez was ahead the whole way, although Burr did make it close before losing 11-8. One might have thought Burr would roll over at that point, but instead he took a 10-2 lead in game four en route to a 11-5 win.

Game five was similar to game two, as Gaonzalez led early at 3-1, 5-2 and then 10-5. However, Burr again dug deep, and came back to tie the game at 10-10. But the effort might have taken too much out of Burr as Gonzalez got the serve back and hit two cut drive aces to the right side that were just out of Burr's reach, giving Gonzalez the game, 12-10, and the match.

The IRT Network will be web-casting the MonaVie Salt Lake Pro-Am Round of 16 beginning at 11:30 AM MST on Friday. Remember, the semi-finals and final will both be played on Saturday. The semi-finals will go at 11 AM MST and noon MST with the final slated for 7 PM MST.

2012 MonaVie Salt Lake City Pro/Am - Salt Lake City, Utah

Round 1

Cole Burr d. John Scott, 11-6, 11-9, 11-9
Ruben Gonzalez d. Anthony Martin, 11-7, 11-5, 11-7
Joe Workman d. Jeremy McGlothin, 11-9, 11-7, 7-11, 0-11, 11-5

Matthew Majxner d. Steve Bohman, 11-6, 11-3, 11-0
Favian Elmore v. Armando Bermudez

Brian Pineda v. Scott Burr
Brad Schopieray d. Anthony Montanez, 11-4, 11-9, 9-11, 11-4
Andrew Gale d. Brandon Gould, 11-4, 11-5, 11-1

Rafael Filippini d. Tim Prigo, 11-5, 11-8, 11-9
Felipe Camacho d. Billy Ray Martinez, fft
Ernesto Ruiz d. Peter Wrigley, 11-2, 11-5, 11-0

Round 2

Q8: Ruben Gonzalez d. Cole Burr, 5-11, 13-11, 11-8, 5-11, 12-10
Q1: Anthony Herrera v. Joe Workman

Q4: Juan Herrera v. Matthew Majxner
Q5: Arthur Schmeiser v. Favian Elmore or Armando Bermudez

Q6: Brian Pineda or Scott Burr v. Brad Schopieray
Q3: Alvaro Beltran d. Andrew Gale, 11-6, 10-12, 11-3, 10-12, 11-1

Q2: Javier Moreno v. Rafael Filippini
Q7: Felipe Camacho v. Ernesto Ruiz

Main Draw - Round of 16

Rocky Carson v. Ruben Gonzalez
Andy Hawthorne v. Q1

Shane Vanderson v. Q4
Chris Crowther v. Q5

Jose Rojas v. Q6
Charlie Pratt v. Alvaro Beltran

Tony Carson v. Q2
Ben Croft v. Q7

Follow the bouncing ball....

Thursday, February 2, 2012

IRT - 2012 MonaVie Salt Lake City Pro-Am Preview

The International Racquetball Tour (IRT) is back in action this weekend with the MonaVie Salt Lake City Pro-Am in Salt Lake City, Utah. But IRT #1 Kane Waselenchuk will not be in action, as his back injury that first occurred at the California Open and recurred at the Cactus Salon NYC Pro/Am continues to keep Waselenchuk from playing.

In an IRT release, Waselenchuk indicated that if this was the last event of the season and the #1 title was on the line, then he'd likely be playing. But neither of those conditions hold, and Waselenchuk wants to get back to 100% before resuming play, as there's a lot of season left, and as The Racquetball Blog has noted that includes two back to back to back tournament periods.

Thus, IRT #2 Rocky Carson is the top seed in Utah with Ben Croft 2nd seed. And for the first time, Tony Carson is granted a spot in the Round of 16 as one of the top 8 seeds.

The big names in the preliminary rounds, are the Mexican veterans Alvaro Beltran and Javier Moreno, as well as Ruben Gonzalez. If they make it through qualifying, Beltran will play Charlie Pratt, Moreno will slot in against Tony Carson and Gonzalez will face Rocky Carson (the Carsons are not related).

Of note, the semi-finals and final will both be played on Saturday. The semi-finals will go at 11 AM MST and noon MST with the final slated for 7 PM MST.

The IRT Network will be web-casting the MonaVie Salt Lake Pro-Am.

2012 MonaVie Salt Lake City Pro/Am - Salt Lake City, Utah

Round 1

John Scott v. Cole Burr
Ruben Gonzalez v. Anthony Martin
Jeremy McGlothin v. Joe Workman

Matthew Majxner v. Steve Bohman
Favian Elmore v. Armando Bermudez

Brian Pineda v. Scott Burr
Anthony Montanez v. Brad Schopieray
Brandon Gould v. Andrew Gale

Rafael Filippini v. Tim Prigo
Felipe Camacho v. Billy Ray Martinez
Ernesto Ruiz v. Peter Wrigley

Round 2

Q8: John Scott or Cole Burr v. Ruben Gonzalez or Anthony Martin
Q1: Anthony Herrera v. Jeremy McGlothin or Joe Workman

Q4: Juan Herrera v. Matthew Majxner or Steve Bohman
Q5: Arthur Schmeiser v. Favian Elmore or Armando Bermudez

Q6: Brian Pineda or Scott Burr v. Anthony Montanez or Brad Schopieray
Q3: Alvaro Beltran v. Brandon Gould or Andrew Gale

Q2: Javier Moreno v. Rafael Filippini or Tim Prigo
Q7: Felipe Camacho or Billy Ray Martinez v. Ernesto Ruiz or Peter Wrigley

Main Draw - Round of 16

Rocky Carson v. Q8
Andy Hawthorne v. Q1

Shane Vanderson v. Q4
Chris Crowther v. Q5

Jose Rojas v. Q6
Charlie Pratt v. Q3

Tony Carson v. Q2
Ben Croft v. Q7

Follow the bouncing ball....

WPRO - Wilson Tour of Hope: Longoria wins in Cincinnati

The Women's Professional Racquetball Organization (WPRO) had a satellite event last weekend in Cincinnati, and although it wasn't a Tier 1 event, the Wilson Tour for Hope tournament attracted the top two WPRO players: Paola Longoria (#1) and Rhonda Rajsich (#2), as well as WPRO #3 Kerri Wachtel, who's a Cincinnati resident and was one of the tournament directors.

Longoria, the WPRO #1 player, won the event, but it was Wachtel, not Rajsich that she beat in the final, as Wachtel upset Rajsich in the semi-finals.

Longoria defeated Wachtel, 11-2, 11-7, 11-7, in the final. Longoria reached the final by defeating Krystal Csuk in the semi-finals, 11-3, 11-2, 12-10, and Laura Fenton, 11-6, 11-1, 11-3, in the quarter-finals.

On the other side of the draw, Wachtel beat Rajsich, 11-5, 11-6, 11-4, in the semi-finals, and Sharon Jackson in the quarter finals, 8-11, 11-7, 11-9, 11-9.

In women's doubles, Longoria and Wachtel teamed up to defeat Csuk and Fenton in the final, 15-9, 15-9.

2012 Wilson Tour of Hope, Cincinnati, Ohio

First Round

Laura Fenton d. Mercedes Arias, 11-1, 7-11, 11-1, 11-3
Elaine Albrecht d. Da'monique Davis, 11-9, 11-7, 11-0

Sharon Jackson d. Cheyenne Hayes, 11-7, 11-6, 11-8
Lily Berry d. Sheryl Lotts, 6-11, 11-9, 4-11, 11-5, 11-3

Quarter finals

Paola Longoria d. Laura Fenton, 11-6, 11-1, 11-3
Krystal Csuk d. Elaine Albrecht, 11-3, 11-1, 11-2

Kerri Wachtel d. Sharon Jackson, 8-11, 11-7, 11-9, 11-9
Rhonda Rajsich d. Lily Berry, 11-6, 11-0, 11-2

Semi-finals

Paola Longoria d. Krystal Csuk, 11-3, 11-2, 12-10
Kerri Wachtel d. Rhonda Rajsich, 11-5, 11-6, 11-4

Final

Paola Longoria d. Kerri Wachtel, 11-2, 11-7, 11-7

Follow the bouncing ball....

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

IRT competitiveness

There were some great tennis matches on the weekend down under in Australia. Some of us in The Racquetball Blog office thought was "man, wouldn't it be cool if there were great rivalries like Nadal-Federer or Djokovic-Nadal in racquetball?"

The biggest rivalry on the International Racquetball Tour (IRT) now would be between IRT #1 Kane Waselenchuk and IRT #2 Rocky Carson, as they met in 17 of the last 23 IRT Tier 1 or Grand Slam finals (73.9%). But given the long winning streaks Waselenchuk has had the past four seasons, it's a lop-sided rivalry. Of course, even rivalries with lop-sided outcomes can be great to watch. The outcomes of the Nadal-Federer and Djokovic-Nadal rivalries are certainly one-sided, but who wouldn't want to see them play at every event? Waselenchuk and Carson have had some epic matches, so they are somewhat similar to those tennis rivalries.

But you needn't have any specific rivalries for great IRT matches. You simply need matches that could go either way. So let's take a bigger view of the state competitiveness on the IRT and look at how many matches go three, four and five games. Greater competitiveness should mean more matches going four or five games, rather than three straight games.

We've got that data for you from the last six IRT seasons, including the current season. Waselenchuk didn't play in the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons, so how much his dominance in the last four seasons can be compared to those two.

First, the quarter finals (note: these are proportions, as the number of matches changes across seasons due to the varying number of tournaments; data is from The IRT Historical Archive):

SeasonQF 3gQF 4gQF 5g
2011-120.460.380.17
2010-110.550.230.16
2009-100.390.360.17
2008-090.430.350.18
2007-080.540.270.18
2006-070.560.330.12

The proportion of four game matches has varied a bit across these seasons, but there isn't a clear trend (admittedly it's hard to get a trend out of only six data points). For five game matches, the proportion has been relatively constant across these seasons, and it was lowest in 2006-07, a season Waselenchuk wasn't playing.

Now the semi-final data:
SeasonSF 3gSF 4gSF 5g
2011-12 0.750.080.17
2010-11 0.410.300.30
2009-10 0.610.33 0.06
2008-09 0.540.27 0.19
2007-08 0.39 0.32 0.25
2006-07 0.38 0.35 0.23

So far this season only 1 of 12 semi-final matches has gone four games. It's only partial data for the season, of course, so we'd be surprised if this continued, given the relative stability of the proportion of four game matches over the previous five seasons.

The curious data point is that only 6% of the semi-finals in 2009-10 went five games. That was Waselenchuk's undefeated season, so he was in approximately half of the semi-finals that season (he missed one event) and all of those matches were three gamers. Another contributing factor is that season had only 9 events compared to at least 13 in the other seasons (except this season, which is only half done).

And lastly, the finals, and we've chosen to go with the raw data for this, as there are fewer data points (only one per event), so it's easier for the proportions to fluctuate.
SeasonF 3gF 4gF 5g
2011-12320
2010-11833
2009-10531
2008-09562
2007-08643
2006-07463

There were fewer four game finals the past two seasons than in the three seasons before that, which would be a Waselenchuk effect. The number of five game finals has been relatively constant with the exception of the 2009-10 season, when Waselenchuk won all his matches including every final none of which went five games (the one final that did go five games that season was Jason Mannino's victory over Jack Huczek).

There haven't been any five game matches so far this season, but again, we're only halfway through the season, so there's plenty of time to go tie-breaker.

Overall, it seems that competitiveness has been relatively constant in the last few IRT seasons, and that even with Waselenchuk's dominance.

Follow the bouncing ball....