Bredenbeck wins 2017 WRT Life Time Denver Open

Jake Bredenbeck knocked off the Rodrigo Montoya, the #1 player on the World Racquetball Tour (WRT), to win the 2017 WRT Life Time Denver Open in Centennial, Colorado. Bredenbeck won in two straight games, 15-12, 15-11, but it was not a straight forward victory, as he had to comeback from a 10 to -1 deficit in game one to win. It’s Bredenbeck’s fourth WRT title, but his first since November 2015.

In game one, Montoya took a large lead at 10-0, and a frustrated Bredenbeck threw his racquet, which resulted in a technical from the referee. Montoya got another point after that, which made the score 11-(-1). But the technical seemed to spur Bredenbeck on, as he started to turn the tide against Montoya, scoring eight unanswered points to make it 11-7.

Montoya then got a sideout and called a timeout. When play resumed, Montoya got another point to make it 12-7, but the momentum hadn’t really shifted away from Bredenbeck, who continued to pile up the points. He tied the game at 12-12 with a drive serve ace to the left side.

A forehand pinch shot then made it 13-12, which led to a Montoya timeout. When play resumed Bredenbeck hit another ace drive serve to the left to give himself game point at 14-12. But Bredenbeck lost serve after hitting a short drive serve to the right on second serve.

Yet he got the serve right back with a forehand serve return. Bredenbeck closed out the game by hitting a drive serve to the right side from left side of the service box, which was a different look for him, and may have put Montoya off balance.

In game two, Bredenbeck to a big lead early, going up 8-1. However, Montoya slowly came back in the game, eventually tying it at 11-11. But that was as many as he would get, as Bredenbeck got a side out, and then put together a run of four straight points to win it 15-11. Montoya took a timeout at 13-11, but to no avail. The winning point came as Montoya skipped a shot, and tried to indicate that he felt he was hindered, but the referee disagreed, so the skip ended the game and match.

Bredenbeck and Montoya have now played five times on the WRT, and Montoya still holds a 3-2 advantage.

Montoya did win the doubles title, as he and Andree Parrilla came back from a game down to defeat Alejandro Cardona and Gerardo Franco, 13-15, 15-10, 11-7. Cardona and Franco were up in the tie-breaker 7-3, but Montoya and Parrilla scored eight straight points - several of which were errors by Cardona - to pull out the win.

The WRT will be back in action next weekend with the La Loma Open in San Luis Potosi, Mexico.

2017 WRT Life Time Denver Open, Centennial, Colorado August 3-6, 2017

Singles - Final - Saturday

7) Jake Bredenbeck d. 1) Rodrigo Montoya, 15-12, 15-11

Doubles - Final - Saturday

1) Rodrigo Montoya & Andree Parrilla d. 2) Alejandro Cardona & Gerardo Franco, 13-15, 15-10, 11-7

Follow the bouncing ball….