2013 US Open - IRT Preview

The 2013 United Healthcare US Open International Racquetball Tour (IRT) draw is slightly different this year than in years past, as only the top 16 are seeded into the round of 32 rather than the top 24. This means that there will be two rounds of qualifying rather than three as has happened in previous years.

This means players who qualify for the main round of 32 won't be quite as fatigued, because they'll have played one fewer match. Nonetheless, they will have to play twice - and win twice - on Wednesday to get to the 32s.

There are 30 players vying for the last 16 spots in the 32s. Brad Schopieray and David Horn are the top two seeded qualifiers, so they have a bye in the first round of qualifying, and will only have to play once to advance to Thursday.

That makes Schopieray and Horn favoured to get to the 32s. Other players who should be joining them include Polo Gutierrez, Mike Green, Charlie Pratt, Cliff Swain, Fernando Rios and Vincent Gagnon.

There are several interesting qualifying matches potentially in the 2nd round of qualifying, including Japanese veteran Hiroshi Shimizu potentially facing young Costa Rican Andres Acuna and American veteran Mike Orr against young Canadian Samuel Murray.

There will be two rounds of IRT play on Thursday as well with the Round of 32 and the Round of 16. Then there will be quarter finals on Friday, semi-finals on Saturday and Sunday the 2013 IRT US Open champion will be crowned.

Will Kane Waselenchuk, the IRT's #1 player, win his 9th US Open title, continuing his streak of US Open dominance that goes back to 2003 or will someone dethrone the King? We're thinking the former is more likely than the latter.

US Open matches will be available via the IRT Network. Check out their website for the schedule.

2013 IRT US Open, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Qualifying Round 1

Brad Schopieray - BYE
Andrés Gómez v. Erik Mendoza

Mike Green v. Set Cubillos
Shai Manzuri v. Mike Harmon

Robert Collins v. Michael Desocio
Bill Harper v. Juan Martinez III

Andres Acuna v. Allen Hernandez
Yasutaka Mizuno v. Hiroshi Shimizu

Polo Gutierrez v. Alejandro Romo Garcia
Tyler Freeman v. Jose Daniel Ugalde

Armando Bermudez v. Samuel Murray
Dennis Myers v. Mike Orr

Francisco Troncoso v. Shawn Royster
John Scott v. Alejandro Herrera

Joshua Hungerford v. Coby Arff
Marcelo Vargas v. Mauricio Zelada

Charlie Pratt v. Ezequiel Paez
Jose Daniel Alvarez v. Joe Workman

Andree Parrilla v. Takahiro Yajima
Juan Rivas v. Roberto Santander

Felipe Camacho v. Eduardo Guillen
Maurice Miller v. John Goth

Francisco Gomez Reyes v. Coby Iwaasa
Seung Jun Jeon d. Sebastian Franco, fft

Cliff Swain v. Hirose Takaaki
James Scott v. Tyler Thielen

Jake Bredenbeck v. Daeyong Kwon
Benjamin Odom v. Fernando Rios

Vincent Gagnon v. Edgardo Perez
Jamis Palmer v. Cesar Castillo

Tanner Gross v. Aaron Granberg
David Horn - BYE

Qualifying Round 2

Q1: Brad Schopieray v. Andrés Gómez or Erik Mendoza
Q16: Mike Green or Set Cubillos v. Shai Manzuri or Mike Harmon - FL,

Q9: Robert Collins or Michael Desocio v. Bill Harper or Juan Martinez III
Q8: Andres Acuna or Allen Hernandez v. Yasutaka Mizuno or Hiroshi Shimizu

Q5: Polo Gutierrez or Alejandro Romo Garcia v. Tyler Freeman or Jose Daniel Ugalde
Q12: Armando Bermudez or Samuel Murray v. Dennis Myers or Mike Orr

Q13: Francisco Troncoso or Shawn Royster v. John Scott or Alejandro Herrera
Q4: Joshua Hungerford or Coby Arff v. Marcelo Vargas or Mauricio Zelada

Q3: Charlie Pratt or Ezequiel Paez v. Jose Daniel Alvarez or Joe Workman
Q14: Andree Parrilla or Takahiro Yajima v. Juan Rivas or Roberto Santander

Q11: Felipe Camacho or Eduardo Guillen v. Maurice Miller or John Goth
Q6: Francisco Gomez Reyes or Coby Iwaasa v. Seung Jun Jeon or Sebastian Franco

Q7: Cliff Swain or Hirose Takaaki v. James Scott or Tyler Thielen
Q10: Jake Bredenbeck or Daeyong Kwon v. Benjamin Odom or Fernando Rios

Q15: Vincent Gagnon or Edgardo Perez v. Jamis Palmer or Cesar Castillo
Q2: David Horn v. Tanner Gross or Aaron Granberg

Round of 32 - Thursday

1 Kane Waselenchuk v. Q16
16 Anthony Herrera v. Q1

9 Javier Moreno v. Q9
8 Daniel De La Rosa v. Q8

5 Ben Croft v. Q12
12 Andy Hawthorne v. Q5

13 Jose Diaz v. Q4
4 Jose Rojas v. Q13

3 Alvaro Beltran v. Q14
14 Jansen Allen v. Q3

11 Alex Ackermann v. Q6
6 Chris Crowther v. Q11

7 Tony Carson v. Q10
10 Marco Rojas v. Q7

15 Alejandro Landa v. Q2
2 Rocky Carson v. Q15

Follow the bouncing ball….