Montoya & Bredenbeck to face off for 2018 WRT Longhorn Open title

Rodrigo Montoya and Jake Bredenbeck survived two close semi-final matches at the World Racquetball Tour (WRT) Longhorn Open in Austin, Texas Saturday, and they will meet in Sunday’s final. Second seed Montoya needed a tie-breaker to defeat 22nd seed Eduardo Garay, 14-15, 15-3, 11-9, while Bredenbeck beat WRT #1 David Horn in two close games, 15-14, 15-12.

Horn had a 7-1 lead in game one of his semi versus Bredenbeck, but then gave up nine straight points to trail trail 10-7. Horn did retake the lead at 11-10, but Bredenbeck got to 14 first at 14-11. However, Bredenbeck couldn’t convert his first few game points, and Horn tied the game at 14-14. But his comeback fell short, as Bredenbeck converted his 4th game point to take a 1-0 lead.

Game two was also back and forth early. But then Horn took a 11-5 lead, and it looked like a tie-breaker would be necessary. But Bredenbeck scored ten of the next eleven points to finish off the game, 15-12, and the match in two straight games,

Montoya had a chance to win game one, when he led 14-12, but the impressive Garay won three straight points to deny him. After a second game that was all Montoya, it was Garay who held the advantage in the tie-breaker, as he went up 6-2. But Montoya slowly worked his way back, and caught up at 9-9.

Montoya’s 10th point came when Garay skipped a backhand serve return, and his 11th was also off a skip, as Garay tried to hit a backhand pinch. It was a sad end to a great match performance by Garay, who made some great diving gets including rallies when he dove more than once to keep the ball in play.

Montoya wasn’t as successful in doubles, as he and Andree Parrilla lost to Jaime Martell and Edson Martinez, 15-14, 15-14. Martell and Martinez will play Fernando Kurzbard and Shai Manzuri in the semi-finals Sunday morning, as they got an injury default win over Garay and Javier Mar, who was injured during his quarterfinal match with Montoya.

The finals will be live on Sunday via WRT website or its Facebook page with the singles final at 11:40 AM followed by the doubles final at 12:35 PM.

2018 WRT Longhorn Open, January 12-14
Austin, Texas

Singles - Semi-finals - Saturday

4) Jake Bredenbeck d. 1) David Horn, 15-14, 15-12
2) Rodrigo Montoya d. 22) Eduardo Garay, 14-15, 15-3, 11-9

Singles - Final - Sunday

2) Rodrigo Montoya v. 4) Jake Bredenbeck - 11:40 AM

Doubles - Quarterfinals - Saturday

9) Jaime Martell & Edson Martinez d. 1) Rodrigo Montoya & Andree Parrilla, 15-14, 15-14
5) Fernando Kurzbard & Shai Manzuri d. 4) Eduardo Garay & Javier Mar, injury forfeit

3) Sebastian Fernandez & Christian Longoria d. 6) Patric Mascorro & Ernesto Ochoa, 13-15, 15-11, 11-2
2) Alejandro Cardona & Gerardo Franco d. 7) Rogelio Castillo & Daniel Maldonado, 15-6, 15-4

Doubles - Semi-finals - Sunday

5) Fernando Kurzbard & Shai Manzuri v. 9) Jaime Martell & Edson Martinez - 9:30 AM
2) Alejandro Cardona & Gerardo Franco v. 3) Sebastian Fernandez & Christian Longoria - 9:30 AM

Follow the bouncing ball….