Andree Parrilla defeated Coby Iwaasa, 15-11, 15-13, to win the World Racquetball Tour (WRT) Canadian Open in Calgary, Alberta Sunday, denying the Canadian Iwaasa a chance to win in his home province. Parrilla had to overcome a hand injury he sustained in game one after diving for a ball to get the win.
Early in game one, it looked like Iwaasa would carry the day, as he jumped out to a 4-0 lead, and was ahead 7-3 when Parrilla took the injury timeout. Iwaasa maintained the lead as the game resumed, going out to a 10-5 lead.
Parrilla took a normal timeout at that point, and staged a comeback, as he scored 10 of the next 11 points to win 15-11. Iwaasa called a timeout when Parrilla when ahead 12-11, but to no avail. Parrilla got to game point with a backhand overhead killshot that some thought skipped, but it was called good. He ended it on the next rally with a drive down the left side that Iwaasa wasn’t ready for.
Game two started slowly, but all the points went Parrilla’s way, as he took a 4-0 lead. Iwaasa cut the lead in half, trailing 4-2, but Parrilla jumped ahead to lead 10-2 despite a Iwaasa timeout at 8-2.
Parrilla got to match point at 14-4, but Iwaasa fought off two match points and then started his comeback. Iwaasa is a power player, but in his comeback he used lob and half lob serves to Parrilla, serving both to the right and left sides. He scored six points on consecutive rallies to make the score 14-10, and causing Parrilla to call a timeout.
When play resumed, Parrilla hit perhaps his worst shot of the match, as he skipped a forehand shot. That made the score 14-11. Iwaasa scored twice more to get within one at 14-13, but a Parrilla backhand got him back in the service box.
On his 3rd match point, Parrilla hit a drive serve to Iwaasa’s backhand that was returned cross court for a winner. Iwaasa served a lob to the left side that Parrilla hit early with his backhand for a down the line winner.
Parrilla’s 4th match point began with a lob serve that kissed off the left side wall. Iwaasa hit a ceiling ball return, so Parrilla scrambled up to the front court, and hit a backhand shot off the shot hop. That wasn’t an easy play, but Parrilla did it successfully, as a surprised Iwaasa was still standing in the backcourt. It was the play of a man desperate to end a match after giving up nine straight points.
Parrilla’s win is his 5th on the WRT, and first since last October, when he won in Mexicali.
In the doubles final, it was to be Alejandro Cardona and Gerardo Franco versus Jake Bredenbeck and Samuel Murray, but Sam Bredenbeck played instead of Murray, and we’re not sure why that was. And if Murray was unable to play, did Cardona and Franco win by default? Regardless, Cardona and Franco won the match that was played, coming back after dropping the first game to win the tie-breaker, 5-15, 15-8, 11-9.
There was a even a bit of uncertainly at the end of the match, as after the first match point seemed to be won by Cardona and Franco, it was determined that the ball was broken, so they had to replay the rally. Cardona finished off the next rally with a solid forehand kill shot to end the match for good.
The 2018 WRT season will end with the Alamo City Open November 30 to December 2 in San Antonio. If you missed any of the action from Calgary check out the WRT Facebook page or the WRT YouTube channel.
2018 WRT Canadian Open, October 19-21
Calgary, Alberta
Singles - Final - Sunday
4) Andree Parrilla d. 22) Coby Iwaasa, 15-11, 15-13
Doubles - Final - Sunday
2) Alejandro Cardona & Gerardo Franco d. 4) Jake Bredenbeck & Sam Bredenbeck, 5-15, 15-8, 11-9
Follow the bouncing ball….
Sunday, October 21, 2018
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