Kane Waselenchuk - the #1 player on the International Racquetball Tour (IRT) - and IRT #3 Alvaro Beltran will face off Sunday in the final of Ektelon 209 Battle of the Ages in Stockton, California after they won their respective semi-finals on Saturday.
Waselenchuk put on a clinic in defeating IRT #4 Jose Rojas, 11-3, 11-1, 11-2, including at least five ace serves. It was a dominating performance that we've sometime seen from Waselenchuk, when he's healthy.
Thus, Beltran has his work cut out for him on Sunday, although it's often difficult to turn in back to back excellent performances. Beltran will be hoping that Waselenchuk can't play that well again on Sunday.
Beltran didn't have nearly as easy a path to the final, as he and Rocky Carson, IRT #2, fought through five tough games before Beltran emerged victorious, 8-11, 11-6, 11-13, 11-3, 11-6.
After going down two games to one, Beltran never trailed, winning game four and five relatively comfortably. And it was a case of Beltran winning, not Carson losing, as in game five, Beltran's 11 points came from 9 winners, one service return skip by Carson and an avoidable call.
Beltran will have to shoot well on Sunday and hope Waselenchuk isn't as efficient as he was Saturday if he hopes to win the final.
The IRT Network will broadcast the final live from Stockton Sunday at Noon PDT.
Ektelon 209 Battle of the Ages
Stockton, California - May 1-4, 2014
Semi-finals
1 Kane Waselenchuk d. 4 Jose Rojas, 11-3, 11-1, 11-2
3 Alvaro Beltran d. 2 Rocky Carson, 8-11, 11-6, 11-13, 11-3, 11-6
Final
1 Kane Waselenchuk v. 3 Alvaro Beltran - Noon PDT
Follow the bouncing ball…
Saturday, May 3, 2014
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