History is made every day, but some days are more historic than others, and such is the case today as for the first time in International Racquetball Tour (IRT) history two Mexicans will face off in the final of a Tier 1 event, when Alvaro Beltran and Daniel De La Rosa play for the Red Swain Shootout title in Davison, Michigan.
Both Mexicans won their semi-final matches earlier on Saturday in three straight games. Beltran, the IRT #3 and second seed in this event, ended the fine run of former IRT #1 Cliff Swain, 11-7, 11-0, 13-11. Swain was playing in his first semi since 2006.
De La Rosa is a surprise finalist, as it's the first of his career and he upset Rocky Carson, the IRT #2 and top seed this weekend, but he did so in emphatic fashion winning 11-1, 11-5, 11-2.
Beltran has played in 26 finals with one win, but that was in a tournament was played as an exhibition rather than a real competition due to the court conditions. Thus, he's still looking for his first IRT title.
Beltran has won on the international stage, as he has three Pan American Championships and one International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Championship to his name. For his part, De La Rosa has also been an international champion, as he won the 2011 Pan American Championship.
But they will be looking to make a different kind of history Saturday night.
The final can be viewed over the web via the IRT Network at 7 PM Saturday night.
2013 Red Swain Shootout
Davison, Michigan
Semi-finals
Daniel De La Rosa d. Rocky Carson, 11-1, 11-5, 11-2
Alvaro Beltran d. Cliff Swain, 11-7, 11-0, 13-11
Final - Saturday
Alvaro Beltran v. Daniel De La Rosa - 7 PM
Follow the bouncing ball…
Saturday, November 9, 2013
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