IRT - New York Temperature Controls Pro-Am Round of 16

Alejandro Landa defeated Andy Hawthorne, 4-11, 11-0, 11-6, 11-4, in the Round of 16 at the New York Temperature Controls Pro-Am in Syosset, New York, the sixth event of the 2012-13 International Racquetball Tour (IRT) season. Landa will play 2nd seed Alvaro Beltran in the quarter finals later today.

Beltran defeated Marco Rojas, 11-5, 10-12, 11-2, 11-5. It could have been three straight, as Beltran was up 9-4 in game two. However, Rojas went on a roll to get back in that game and eventually win it.

Rojas used drive Z serves to the left, Beltran's backhand side. That got him from 9-4 to 9-8 at which point Rojas hit a straight drive right, and lost the rally.

Beltran make it 10-8, and then Rojas got a side out. Rojas served another drive Z to the left, and won the rally, making it 10-9. But again Rojas went away from that serve to hit a straight drive to the left, and again Beltran won the rally.

Beltran failed to end the game, so Rojas got the serve back, hit another drive Z to the left and got a point to tie the game 10-10. Rojas went on to win it, 12-10, and it looked like he'd changed the momentum in the match, as he seemed to have found a serve that was working against Beltran.

However, Rojas didn't hit that serve very often in the next two games. To be fair, he didn't many serves at all in game three, which Beltran won 11-2. But it was surprising that Rojas didn't try to use that drive Z serve more in the match.

Top seed Rocky Carson defeated Mauricio Zelada in three straight games, 11-4, 11-4, 11-3. Zelada competed hard though, and he made several diving gets and put the ball on the get.

In fact, Zelada put in a early bid for shot of the tournament. Carson had hit a pinch to the front right corner that was up a bit, and Zelada went and got it by diving front right to left towards the front left corner and hit the ball with his backhand for a pinch roll out. Zelada ended up with his nose against the left wall almost in the corner. Carson acknowledged the good play with a racquet clap: his left hand against the face of his racquet.

In one of the matches we were eagerly anticipating, Jose Rojas pretty much had his way with Nick Montalbano, winning in three straight games, 11-5, 11-3, 11-6. They were tied at 6-6 in the third, but Rojas was just too strong on the day, and held Montalbano at six to finish off the game and match.

The main draw of 16 continues and the quarter finals will begin at 4 PM EST in Syosset, New York and can be viewed via the IRT Network.

New York Temperature Controls Pro-Am - January 10-13, 2013
Syosset, New York

Main Draw of 16

Rocky Carson d. Mauricio Zelada, 11-4, 11-4, 11-3
Javier Moreno d. Brad Schopieray, 11-2, 11-9, 11-3

Anthony Herrera d. Jose Diaz, 11-3, 11-7, 7-11, 11-6
Chris Crowther d. Agustin Tristan

Jose Rojas d. Nick Montalbano, 11-5, 11-3, 11-6
Ben Croft d. Joe Palazzo, 11-5, 7-11, 11-5, 11-9

Alejandro Landa d. Andy Hawthorne, 4-11, 11-0, 11-6, 11-4
Alvaro Beltran d. Marco Rojas, 11-5, 10-12, 11-2, 11-7

Quarter finals

Rocky Carson v. Javier Moreno
Chris Crowther v. Anthony Herrera

Jose Rojas v. Ben Croft
Alvaro Beltran v. Alejandro Landa

Follow the bouncing ball….