Weekend Round Up - Wins for Manzuri, Davis, Metcalf, Lavely & Maldonado

This past weekend was a big weekend for racquetball. We've told you about the Tier 1 International Racquetball Tour (IRT) Temperature Controls New York City Pro-Am and the World Racquetball Tour (WRT) Sonora Open, but there were other events going on across the USA.

In Austin, Texas, Shai Manzuri won the IRT Tier 5 Longhorn Open, defeating Patric Mascorro, 11-6, 11-4, 10-12, 11-3, in the final. In the semi-finals, Manzuri beat Chase Robison, 6-11, 11-5, 2-11, 11-2, 12-10, and Mascorro defeated Kenny Green Jr., 11-0, 4-11, 11-7, 11-6.

Da'monique Davis won the Women's Open division of the Longhorn Open by beating Adrienne Haynes, 7-15, 15-9, 11-3, in the final. Davis defeated Bernadette Zimmerman, 15-6, 15-5, in one semi-final, and Haynes beat Vianney Lynn, 15-3, 15-2, in the other.

Aaron Metcalf won the IRT Tier 5 Orange and Blue Shootout in Gainesville, Florida. He defeated Matt Fontana, 8-11, 13-11, 12-10 11-3, in the final. In the semis, Aaron Metcalf beat Austin Cunningham, 11-9, 7-11, 11-6, 0-8 [sic], 11-0, and Fontana defeated Nick Hand.

In Syosset, New York, Danny Lavely won the Men's Open division of the Temperature Controls NYC Pro-Am, with a win over Alejandro Romo Garcia in the final, 15-9, 14-15, 11-0. In the semis, Lavely beat Troy Warigon, 15-6, 15-3, and Garcia defeated Ryan Hunter.

Anita Maldonado defeated Kimberly Ferina, 15-9, 10-15, 11-3, to win the Women's Open final in Syosset. Maldonado beat Beth Shea, 15-11, 15-12, in the semi-finals, and Ferina defeated Michèle Morissette.

Too many?

Were there too many tournaments this past weekend? With both the IRT and WRT in action, there were fewer players in either draw than usually seen. The New York City IRT event has had at least 40 players in each of the last six years and four of those years there were 50 or more players. Yet this year, only 24 players were in Syosset.

Also, the WRT event had only 20 players, when they have often had over 30.

The Longhorn Open is a big event, and there were several players in that draw that have played in WRT or IRT events. Also, there was another non-pro tour event in Lewiston, Idaho that had notable players - Taylor Knoth, Jimmy Lowe, Joshua Hungerford, Coby Arff - in the draw.

One measure of competitiveness is how many competitors there are. Having more tournament naturally decreases the competitiveness of any one tournament, because the number of competitors decreases across the events. Having some co-ordination would be helpful to players and fans alike.

Whether that will happen is uncertain, but it's certainly not happening this weekend, as both the IRT and WRT are in action again, as is the Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT).

2015 Temperature Controls New York City Pro-Am
Syosset, New York

Men's Open - Final

Danny Lavely d. Alejandro Romo Garcia, 15-9, 14-15, 11-0

Semi-finals

Danny Lavely d. Troy Warigon, 15-6, 15-3
Alejandro Romo Garcia d. Ryan Hunter

Men's Open Doubles - Final

Sanjay Laforest & Nick Montalbano d. Charlie Pratt & Brian Pineda, 15-9, 14-15, 11-5

Semi-finals

Charlie Pratt & Brian Pineda d. Jonathan Clay & Sean Klingaman, 10-15, 15-10, 11-0
Sanjay Laforest & Nick Montalbano d. Jose Flores Jr. & Joseph Palazzo, 15-6, 15-6

Women's Open - Final

Anita Maldonado d. Kimberly Ferina, 15-9, 10-15, 11-3

Semi-finals

Kimberly Ferina d. Michèle Morissette
Anita Maldonado d. Beth Shea, 15-11, 15-12

2015 Longhorn Open, Austin, Texas

Men's Open - Final

Shai Manzuri d. Patric Mascorro, 11-6, 11-4, 10-12, 11-3

Semi-finals

Patric Mascorro d. Kenny Green Jr., 11-0, 4-11, 11-7, 11-6
Shai Manzuri d. Chase Robison, 6-11, 11-5, 2-11, 11-2, 12-10

Quarterfinals

Kenny Green Jr. d. Scott McClellan, 5-11, 11-4, 7-11, 11-6, 12-10
Patric Mascorro d. Brent Walters, 8-11, 12-10, 11-8, 13-11
Shai Manzuri d. Richard Eisemann, 11-1, 7-11, 5-11, 11-1, 11-3
Chase Robison d. George Bustos, 11-8, 11-6, 11-7

Women's Open - Final

Da'monique Davis d. Adrienne Haynes, 7-15, 15-9, 11-3

Semi-finals

Da'monique Davis d. Bernadette Zimmerman, 15-6, 15-5
Adrienne Haynes d. Vianney Lynn, 15-3, 15-2

Orange & Blue Shootout
Gainesville, Florida

Men's Open - Final

Aaron Metcalf d. Matt Fontana, 8-11, 13-11, 12-10 11-3

Semi-finals

Matt Fontana d. Nick Hand
Aaron Metcalf d. Austin Cunningham, 11-9, 7-11, 11-6, 0-8 [sic], 11-0

Adcope 2015 Winter Classic
Lewiston, Idaho

Men's Open - Final

Taylor Knoth d. Jimmy Lowe, 15-13, 15-11

Third place

Coby Arff d. Joshua Hungerford, 15-5, 11-15, 11-6

Semi-finals

Jimmy Lowe d. Coby Arff, 15-7, 15-4
Taylor Knoth d. Joshua Hungerford, 15-6, 15-5

Follow the bouncing ball….