2019 IRT California Open - Preview

A new year has begun, and the International Racquetball Tour (IRT) will resume its 2018-19 season this weekend in Canoga Park, California, where the 2019 California Open will start on Thursday. Once again, the field is led by IRT #1 Alejandro Landa with Rocky Carson #2, Daniel De La Rosa #3 and Kane Waselenchuk #4.

Waselenchuk won the last IRT event of 2018: the Pelham Memorial Tournament of Champions in Portland, Oregon, when he defeated Alvaro Beltran in the final. Beltran is seeded 7th this weekend, so will likely face Carson in the quarterfinals. Beltran beat Carson in the semi-finals in Portland.

Highlights from the Thursday matches include Rodrigo Montoya - the current International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Champion - likely facing Gerardo Franco with the winner to play Landa in the Round of 16 on Friday. Also, David Horn will play one of two good junior players in Mexican Eduardo Portillo and Bolivian Diego Garcia. The Portillo-Garcia match should be a good one.

Portillo and Garcia will also face off in doubles, as Portillo and Montoya will play Garcia and Sebastian Fernandez in the first round of doubles with the winners to take on top seeds Beltran and De La Rosa. Landa and Samuel Murray are seeded 2nd.

The IRT Round of 16 will be streamed live Friday from 10 AM via one of the IRT media outlets: the IRT Network, the IRT YouTube channel or the IRT Facebook page. The quarterfinals will be Friday afternoon from 4 PM on. Also, the semi-finals will be 11 AM and noon Saturday with the final Sunday at noon. The first round of doubles will be Friday at 9 AM with the quarterfinals Friday at 1 and 2 PM. The doubles semis will be 2 and 3 PM on Saturday and the final will be 1 PM Sunday. All times Pacific.

2019 IRT California Open
January 3-6 - Canoga Park, California

Qualifying Round 1 - Thursday

Rodrigo Montoya v. Edgar Gomez - 4 PM
Gerardo Franco v. Bradley Levine - 4 PM

David Horn - BYE
Eduardo Portillo v. Diego Garcia - 4 PM

Sebastian Fernandez v. Daniel Neri - 5 PM
Adam Manilla v. Erik Solter - 5 PM

Jake Bredenbeck v. Guillermo Jesus Ortega Jr - 6 PM
Scott McClellan v. Oscar Nieto Valadez - 6 PM

Mauro Rojas v. Dane Elkins - 5 PM
Felipe Camacho v. Felipe Mercado - 5 PM

Jose Diaz - BYE
Justus Benson v. Michael Arterburn - 5 PM

John Wolfe v. Erick Cuevas Fernandez - 6 PM
Jansen Allen - BYE

Robert Collins v. Sebastian Longoria - 6 PM
Nicholas Riffel v. Luis Avila - 6 PM

Qualifying Round 2 - Thursday

Q8) Rodrigo Montoya or Edgar Gomez v. Gerardo Franco or Bradley Levine - 8 PM
Q1) David Horn v. Eduardo Portillo or Diego Garcia - 8 PM

Q4) Sebastian Fernandez or Daniel Neri v. Adam Manilla or Erik Solter - 8 PM
Q5) Jake Bredenbeck or Guillermo Jesus Ortega Jr v. Scott McClellan or Oscar Nieto Valadez - 9 PM

Q6) Mauro Rojas or Dane Elkins v. Felipe Camacho or Felipe Mercado - 8 PM
Q3) Jose Diaz v. Justus Benson v. Michael Arterburn - 9 PM

Q2) Jansen Allen v. John Wolfe or Erick Cuevas Fernandez - 9 PM
Q7) Robert Collins or Sebastian Longoria v. Nicholas Riffel or Luis Avila - 9 PM

Round of 16 - Friday

1) Alejandro Landa v. Q8 - 11 AM
8) Samuel Murray v. Q1 - 11 AM

5) Andree Parrilla v. Q4 - 11 AM
4) Kane Waselenchuk v. Q5 - 11 AM

3) Daniel De La Rosa v. Q6 - 10 AM
6) Sebastian Franco v. Q3 - 10 AM

7) Alvaro Beltran v. Q2 - 10 AM
2) Rocky Carson v. Q7 - 10 AM

IRT Doubles - Round of 16 - Friday

1) Alvaro Beltran & 3) Daniel De La Rosa - BYE
8) Rodrigo Montoya & Eduardo Portillo v. 9) Sebastian Fernandez & Diego Garcia - 9 AM

5) Sebastian Franco & Andree Parrilla - BYE
4) Jake Bredenbeck & Jose Diaz - BYE

3) Jansen Allen & Felipe Camacho - BYE
6) Adam Manilla & Nicholas Riffel - BYE

7) David Horn & Mauro Rojas v. Tim Herman & Michael Myers - 9 PM
2) Alejandro Landa & Samuel Murray - BYE

Follow the bouncing ball….