Top 4 IRT players into semi-finals at 2019 Syosset Open

The top four International Racquetball Tour (IRT) players have made it through to the semi-finals of the Syosset Open, which is the last event of the 2018-19 IRT season, in Syosset, New York. IRT #1 Kane Waselenchuk defeated Javier Mar in the quarterfinals, 15-6, 15-3. He’ll play IRT #4 Andree Parrilla in the semi-finals. Parrilla needed a tie-breaker to beat Jake Bredenbeck, 15-6, 14-15, 11-7.

After being down 7-1 in the breaker, Bredenbeck cut the lead to two at 9-7, getting his 7th point with a drive serve ace to the right side. But Parrilla got the serve back, and then scored his 10th point with a great backhand side wall to front wall shot from deep in the court.

Yet Bredenbeck wasn’t done, as he fought off two match points with backhand winners. But he couldn’t score, and Parrilla hit one of his characteristic forehand pinch shots to get a third match point. But before serving that point, he called a timeout.

On his third match point, Parrilla changed his serve. Standing on the left side of the service box, where he’d usually hit Z serves, but this time he hit a drive serve to the right side that jammed off the wall. Bredenbeck returned it, but his return came off the back wall, setting Parrilla up for a backhand winner that ended the match.

Rocky Carson, the #2 IRT player, defeated 7th seed Samuel Murray, 15-9, 15-5, in the quarters, and will play IRT #3 Alejandro Landa, who had a comfortable win over 6th seed Alvaro Beltran, 15-4, 15-4.

The semi-finals will be 1 and 2 PM Saturday, and look for them at the usual IRT media outlets: The IRT Network, the IRT YouTube channel or the IRT Facebook page. The final will be 1 PM Sunday. All times Eastern.

2019 IRT Syosset Open, May 2-5, 2019
Syosset, New York

Quarterfinals - Friday

1) Kane Waselenchuk d. Javier Mar, 15-6, 15-3
4) Andree Parrilla d. Jake Bredenbeck, 15-6, 14-15, 11-7

3) Alejandro Landa d. 6) Alvaro Beltran, 15-4, 15-4
2) Rocky Carson d. 7) Samuel Murray, 15-9, 15-5

Semi-finals - Saturday

1) Kane Waselenchuk v. 4) Andree Parrilla - 1 PM
2) Rocky Carson v. 3) Alejandro Landa - 2 PM

Follow the bouncing ball….