The IRT kicks off its 2018-19 season in Maryland

They’re coming back! That’s right, boys and girls, the International Racquetball Tour (IRT) will be back with a new season starting this weekend in Laurel, Maryland, site of the 2018 MWRA IRT Pro-Am. Rocky Carson, the IRT’s #1 player, heads the draw, and after much ado about a possible retirement at the end of last season and during the summer, former #1 Kane Waselenchuk is in the draw. However, sadly there's late word that Waselenchuk will miss the event due to a car accident. Hopefully, Waselenchuk wasn’t injured in the accident, and will be in form at the US Open in Minneapolis next month.

Also absent from Laurel are the #4 and #5 IRT players Daniel De La Rosa and Alvaro Beltran, respectively, so the event is wide open after Carson. This may be the opportunity for Alejandro Landa, IRT #2, to win his 3rd IRT event. Landa was the only player to win more than once on tour last season, when he won his first two IRT Tier 1 events.

Alternatively, maybe another player will get his first IRT win. There were four first time winners last season: Sebastian Franco, Andree Parrilla, Charlie Pratt and Landa. Franco and Parrilla will be in Laurel, but Pratt won’t be due to Hurricane Florence, and we wish him the best with dealing with that situation.

If a first time winner is going to happen this weekend, it would most likely come from one of the top eight seeds, so David Horn, Mario Mercado, Samuel Murray or Jansen Allen. Horn and Mercado were finalists for the first time last season, but neither Murray or Allen have been in a final. This could be their chance.

To see the action from Maryland, go to the IRT Network, or the IRT Facebook page, for this weekend’s action. The Round of 16 will be Friday morning at 10 and 11 AM with the quarter finals Friday evening from 5 PM on. The semi-finals will be Saturday morning at 11 AM and noon with the singles final Saturday at 7 PM. All times Eastern.

2018 IRT MWRA Pro-Am, September 13-15, 2018
Laurel, Maryland

Qualifying Round 1 - Thursday

Gerardo Franco v. Jordy Alonso
Nicholas Riffel v. David Austin

Andree Parrilla v. Jamal Harris
Set Cubillos v. Maurice Miller

John Wolfe v. Erick Fernandez
Adam Manilla v. Diego Garcia

Felipe Camacho v. Dan Fowler
Andres Acuña v. Mitch Posner

Justus Benson v. Tommy Murray
Thomas Carter v. Geoff Heskett

Jake Bredenbeck v. Troy Moore
Mauro Rojas v. Kule Ulliman

Troy Warigon v. Sergio Acuña
Jose Diaz v. Pedro Meruvia

Robert Collins v. Brent Walters
Scott McClellan v. Nick Montalbano

Qualifying Round 2 - Thursday

Q8) Gerardo Franco or Jordy Alonso v. Nicholas Riffel or David Austin
Q1) Andree Parrilla or Jamal Harris v. Set Cubillos or Maurice Miller

Q4) John Wolfe or Erick Fernandez v. Adam Manilla or Diego Garcia
Q5) Felipe Camacho or Dan Fowler v. Andres Acuña or Mitch Posner

Q6) Justus Benson or Tommy Murray v. Thomas Carter or Geoff Heskett
Q3) Jake Bredenbeck or Troy Moore v. Mauro Rojas or Kule Ulliman

Q2) Troy Warigon or Sergio Acuña v. Jose Diaz or Pedro Meruvia
Q7) Robert Collins or Brent Walters v. Scott McClellan or Nick Montalbano

Round of 16 - Friday

1) Rocky Carson v. Q8 - 11 AM
8) David Horn v. Q1 - 11 AM

5) Mario Mercado v. Q4 - 11 AM
4) Sebastian Franco v. Q5 - 11 AM

3) Kane Waselenchuk v. Q6 - 10 AM
6) Samuel Murray v. Q3 - 10 AM

7) Jansen Allen v. Q2 - 10 AM
2) Alejandro Landa v. Q7 - 10 AM

Follow the bouncing ball….