Kane Waselenchuk won the International Racquetball Tour (IRT) Lewis Drug 37th Annual Pro-Am in Sioux Falls, South Dakota Sunday by defeating Rocky Carson in the final, 11-5, 11-5, 11-1. With the win, Waselenchuk should regain the #1 IRT ranking from Carson. Sunday's win was Waselenchuk's fifth this season.
In four tournament matches in Sioux Falls, Waselenchuk didn't lose a single game, and his opponents only scored 27 points total (2.25 points per game).
The final, which unofficially took 48 minutes, was unusual in that Waselenchuk lob served far more than he drove serve. We counted 40 lob serves to 12 drive serves over the course of the match, although at the end of game three Waselenchuk hit three consecutive drive serves to end it.
Waselenchuk generally controlled the match right from the start, as he took a 6-1 lead in game one. Carson called a timeout, and scored two points to cut Waselenchuk's lead to 6-3.
But that was as close as Carson could get, as Waselenchuk won game one 11-5. Game two was similar, as Waselenchuk led 6-1, and 7-3 before winning 11-5 again. Game three wasn't close at all, as Waselenchuk completed the sweep, 11-1.
In the doubles final, Carson and Alvaro Beltran defeated Waselenchuk and Ben Croft, 15-13, 15-14, although it looked like it would be the other way, as Waselenchuk and Croft jumped out to a 7-1 lead in game one. However, Carson and Alvaro Beltran came back and won it 15-13.
Then in game two, Carson and Beltran took 5-1 and 8-4 leads only to see Waselenchuk and Croft come back and tie it at 8-8. But Carson and Beltran responded by regaining the lead and running the score to 14-11.
However, Waselenchuk and Croft got the serve back, and scored three points off two forehand pinch shots by Croft and a Waselenchuk drive serve to the right - Alvaro Beltran's side - that was an ace.
At 14-14, Waselenchuk again drove the ball to Beltran, but that led to a ceiling ball error by Croft, which was forced by a strong Beltran shot.
Back in the service box, Beltran hit a straight lob to Croft, who returned it cross court to Carson. Carson hit a backhand pinch shot - the last of many he hit in the match - for the winning point.
The IRT event will be in Sarasota, Florida next for the IRT Florida Pro-Am February 25 to March 1.
2015 Lewis 37th Annual Pro-Am - Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Final
2 Kane Waselenchuk d. 1 Rocky Carson, 11-5, 11-5, 11-1
Pro Doubles - Final
2 Alvaro Beltran & Rocky Carson d. 1 Ben Croft & Kane Waselenchuk, 15-13, 15-14
Follow the bouncing ball….
Sunday, January 25, 2015
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