IRT Round of 64 at 2018 UnitedHealthcare US Open

The first matches are done in the second round of qualifying in the International Racquetball Tour (IRT) division of the 2018 UnitedHeathcare US Open Racquetball Championships in Minneapolis, and already there are upsets. Diego Garcia defeated Nicholas Riffel, the 20th ranked IRT player, 15-9, 15-13. Garcia is still a junior player, who was a semi-finalist in Boy's U16 at last year's World Junior Championships. Garcia will play Charlie Pratt in the Round of 32, and Pratt may be familiar with Garcia's game from his role as head coach of the Team USA at last year's World Juniors.

Also an upset, Rodrigo Rodriguez beat Christian Wer, 15-11, 15-11. Rodriguez, who hails from Mexico, will play the best Mexican player ever in the 32s, as he'll face Alvaro Beltran.

What are the odds of going breaker after losing the first game at 0? And the odds of winning a match when you failed to score in the first game? You'd have to think they would be pretty long, but regardless of what they are, Thomas Carter defied them Wednesday as he came back from being blanked in game one to defeat Daniel Maldonado, 0-15, 15-12, 11-7, and move on to the Round of 32, where he'll play Felipe Camacho.

Earlier today we said there would be a classic match up of a wily veteran and a good young player with Japanese veteran Hiroshi Shimizu playing current U18 Boy's World Junior Champion Mauro Rojas, and youthful exuberance came out on top, but needed a tie-breaker to do so, winning 11-15, 15-4, 11-7.

Never say never, or the last point is the hardest Dept.

Jake Bredenbeck and Jose Diaz, former US Open Doubles finalists, squeaked out a win over teenagers Sebastian Fernandez and Diego Garcia, 15-11, 12-15, 11-10. It was all the more remarkable, because Fernandez and Garcia were up 10-0 in the tie-breaker. They served for the match seven times, but weren't able to get that last point, as Bredenbeck and Diaz came all the way back to take by one.

Their reward is an 8 AM match with Andres Acuña and Felipe Camacho, who also needed a tie-breaker to get past Charles Pratt and Dylan Reid, 7-15, 15-11, 11-9. The sportsmanship award of the day could go to Pratt, who overturned a referee's call of a skip shot on a Camacho forehand, when he and Reid were leading 8-6 in game three. Camacho's shot did look good, and the referee was on Camacho's side, yet he still called it down before Pratt changed it.

Pratt and Reid won the next rally to lead 9-6. But Acuña and Camacho got a side out at that point, and served it out with five straight points. Pratt and Reid called a timeout at 9-9, but to no avail. Acuña scored the last three points with pinch shots to the front left corner, the last being a forehand reverse shot.

The IRT has been having some issues setting up their live streaming, as they had travel difficulties in getting to Minneapolis. They should have them all sorted out by the time we get to Thursday, so look for IRT action live from Minneapolis via their various outlets. Check out the IRT Network, IRT Facebook page and IRT YouTube channel.

2018 UnitedHealthcare US Open
Minneapolis, Minnesota - October 3-7, 2018

Round Two - Wednesday

Q1 - Thomas Carter d. Daniel Maldonado, 0-15, 15-12, 11-7
Q16 - Dylan Reid d. Edwin Galicia, 15-9, 8-15, 11-8

Q9 - Scott McClellan d. Sergio Acuña, 5-15, 15-12, 11-9
Q8 - Rodrigo Montoya d. Eric Garcia, 15-6, 15-7

Q5 - Gerardo Franco d. Christian Longoria, 15-8, 4-15, 11-0
Q12 - Rodrigo Rodriguez d. Christian Wer, 15-11, 15-11

Q13 - Ricardo Diaz d. Troy Warigon, 15-9, 15-9
Q4 - Diego Garcia d. Nicholas Riffel, 15-9, 15-13

Q3 - Javier Mar d. Kadim Carrasco, 15-1, 15-7
Q14 - Sebastian Fernandez d. Jay Munoz, 15-7, 15-6

Q11 - Mauro Rojas d. Hiroshi Shimizu, 11-15, 15-4, 11-7
Q6 - Andres Acuña d. Juan Jose Salvatierra, 15-0, 15-9

Q7 - Justus Benson d. Erik Mendoza, 15-12, 15-11
Q10 - Conrrado Moscoso d. Kyle Ulliman, 15-4, 15-10

Q15 - Maurice Miller d. Alexander Pirie, 15-8, 15-4
Q2 - Robert Collins d. Alejandro Herrera, 15-12, 15-14

Round of 32 - Thursday

1) Rocky Carson v. Dylan Reid - 1:30 PM
16) Felipe Camacho v. Thomas Carter - 1:30 PM

9) Jansen Allen v. Rodrigo Montoya - 1:30 PM
8) Mario Mercado v. Scott McClellan - 1:30 PM

5) Alvaro Beltran v. Rodrigo Rodriguez - 10 AM
12) Jose Diaz v. Gerardo Franco - 10 AM

13) Charles Pratt v. Diego Garcia - 10 AM
4) Daniel De La Rosa v. Ricardo Diaz - 10 AM

3) Kane Waselenchuk v. Sebastian Fernandez - 11:10 AM
14) Adam Manilla v. Javier Mar - 11:10 AM

11) David Horn v. Andres Acuña - 11:10 AM
6) Sebastian Franco v. Mauro Rojas - 11:10 AM

7) Samuel Murray v. Conrrado Moscoso - 12:20 PM
10) Andree Parrilla v. Justus Benson - 12:20 PM

15) Jake Bredenbeck v. Robert Collins - 12:20 PM
2) Alejandro Landa v. Maurice Miller - 12:20 PM

IRT - Doubles - Qualifying - Wednesday

Round One

Sebastian Fernandez & Diego Garcia d. Keith Minor & Jeff Stark, 15-9, 15-9
Joe Kelley & Samuel Kelley d. Michael Phillips & Tyler Thielen, 15-13, 15-1
Mike Harmon & Alejandro Herrera d. Gabriel Garcia & Alexander Pirie, 15-8, 9-15, 11-6

Round Two - Wednesday

Jake Bredenbeck & Jose Diaz d. Sebastian Fernandez & Diego Garcia, 15-11, 12-15, 11-10
Andres Acuña & Felipe Camacho d. Charles Pratt & Dylan Reid, 7-15, 15-11, 11-9

Maurice Miller & Troy Warigon d. Gerardo Franco & Andree Parrilla, 15-14, 5-15, 11-6
David Horn & Mauro Rojas d. Justus Benson & Eric Garcia, 10-15, 15-7, 11-6

Roland Keller & Conrrado Moscoso d. Joe Kelley & Samuel Kelley, 15-7, 15-8
Thomas Carter & Kyle Ulliman d. Jansen Allen & Nick Montalbano, 15-11, 7-15, 11-6

Adam Manilla & Nicholas Riffel d. Tim Herman & Michael Myers, 15-5, 15-0
Javier Mar & Rodrigo Montoya d. Mike Harmon & Alejandro Herrera, 15-6, 15-14

Round Three - Thursday

Q1 - Jake Bredenbeck & Jose Diaz v. Andres Acuña & Felipe Camacho - 8 AM
Q4 - Maurice Miller & Troy Warigon v. David Horn & Mauro Rojas - 9 AM

Q3 - Roland Keller & Conrrado Moscoso v. Thomas Carter & Kyle Ulliman - 8 AM
Q2 - Adam Manilla & Nicholas Riffel v. Javier Mar & Rodrigo Montoya - 9 AM

IRT - Doubles - Quarterfinals - Thursday

1) Ben Croft & Kane Waselenchuk v. Q4 - 8:30 PM
4) Sebastian Franco & Mario Mercado v. Q1 - 8:30 PM

3) Alejandro Landa & Samuel Murray v. Q2 - 7:20 PM
2) Alvaro Beltran & Daniel De La Rosa v. Q3 - 7:20 PM

Follow the bouncing ball….