Alejandro Landa and Daniel De La Rosa - the #1 and #2 seeds, respectively at the 2021 International Racquetball Tour (IRT) KWM Gutterman Shamrock Shootout in Lombard, Illinois - are through to the quarterfinals, but they were both pushed to all the way in their Round of 16 matches. Landa defeated Andres Acuña, 15-10, 15-14, and De La Rosa beat Erick Trujillo, 15-5, 15-14. Both second games were testaments to the adage “it’s not how you start; it’s how you finish.”
After winning game one versus Acuña, Landa found himself down 11-3 and then 14-8 to the Costa Rican. But Landa is the top seed for a reason, and the veteran found a way, helped by a high lob serve to the right side (à la Alvaro Beltran) that Acuña had difficulty returning with his forehand.
But Acuña was able to fight off two match points that began with Landa hitting that lob serve to the right side. However, he couldn’t convert any of his four game points. Landa won it with a forehand pinch shot on his third match point.
De La Rosa’s match versus Trujillo had the same story line, as he won game one, but was down big in game two, as the young Mexican led 11-4 and 14-12. Their rally at 14-13, De La Rosa serving, was one of the best you’ll ever see, as both players dove in making 17 shots (combined) with De La Rosa skipping a backhand down the line to end it.
Trujillo had three game points, but when De La Rosa got to match point at 14-14 - doing so with a great forehand boast shot - he made no mistake, winning it with a backhand into the left corner.
There was just one upset in the 16s, as 11th seed Carlos Keller beat 6th seeded veteran Alvaro Beltran, 15-12, 15-3, to get to the quarterfinals where he’ll play 3rd seed Samuel Murray, who defeated Alan Natera, 15-11, 15-11.
Doubles action
The doubles match between Alvaro Beltran and Daniel De La Rosa and Sudsy Monchik and Kane Waselenchuk lived up to the billing of a must see match, as both games finished 15-14 with the Mexicans Beltran and De La Rosa coming out on top. The games were back and forth with all four players making great shots.
In game one, Monchik and Waslenchuk got to 14 first, as Beltran skipped a backhand shot covering the left side for his partner, who generally played that side. On the next rally, Waselenchuk hit a jam serve to the right side that came around to De La Rosa on the left, and he hit a forehand rollout to the front right corner, which got his side the serve back.
After an avoidable on Beltran, De La Rosa hit a kiss lob serve to Waselechuk, who skipped the return making it 14-14. Oops. The Mexicans won it on the next rally, as Monchik hit a cross court that came into the middle and Waselenchuk was in front of De La Rosa who was set to shoot it. The referee called an avoidable hinder (or penalty hinder) on Waselenchuk, which seemed like the correct call.
As close as game one was, game two was closer. The Mexicans got to 14 first with a two point lead at 14-12. But a Waselenchuk wide angle pass denied them their first match point, and got his side the serve back.
But two Beltran winners, put the Mexicans back in the service box without surrendering a point. Yet they couldn’t score either.
With the serve back, Monchik and Waselenchuk got two points on consecutive rallies, as Monchik hit a backhand from right to left for a winner and then Beltran skipped a return of a drive Z to the right side. That made the score 14-14. Beltran redeemed himself on the next rally with a return winner off a lob to the right side. De La Rosa made a great return off a Waselenchuk drive serve to the left that came off the back wall.
There were five more half down or sideout plays after that. Overall, Monchik and Waselenchuk served for the game four times, and the Mexicans served for the match six times before they finally won it on their 7th match point.
De La Rosa drove serve to the left side that came off the side wall early, and Waselenchuk let it go over to Monchik on the right side. But the ball came into Monchik at a difficult angle, and he couldn’t successfully return it.
It was a disappointing end to a great match.
In other play, 2nd seeds Alejandro Landa and Samuel Murray beat Jake Bredenbeck and Charlie Pratt, 15-13, 15-10, in what was also a close match. Bredenbeck and Pratt actually led for much of game one, including at 10-6 and 13-12.
But Landa and Murray, who have played many times together on the IRT, came back to win game one, 15-13. Although game two was also close, they led for most of it, but Bredenbeck and Pratt did get within one at 11-10. However, Landa and Murray held them at 10, as they went on to win game two, 15-10.
Curiously, both games ended as Bredenbeck skipped forehand reverse pinch shots. Neither were easy, nor unforced errors. In game one, he was in the front court and rushing to the ball from the right, so tried to place it into the front left corner. In game two, Bredenbeck was again in the front court, standing around the front of the service box in the center of the court, and the ball came to him from the right side, and again he tried to hit into the front left corner.
The Shamrock Shootout action can be seen via the usual IRT media outlets: The IRT YouTube channel or the IRT Facebook page. The quarterfinals will be Saturday from 10 and 11 AM with the semi-finals at 5:30 and 6:30 PM. The singles final will be 1 PM Sunday. The doubles semi-finals are Saturday afternoon at 1 and 2 PM and the final Saturday night at 8:30 PM. All times Central.
2021 KWM Gutterman Shamrock Shootout
September 23-26, 2021 - Lombard, Illinois
Round of 16 - Friday
1) Alejandro Landa d. Andres Acuña, 15-10, 15-14
8) Jake Bredenbeck d. 9) Mario Mercado, 15-9, 12-15, 11-8
5) Andree Parrilla d. 12) Rodrigo Montoya, 15-13, 15-10
4) Rocky Carson d. 13) Thomas Carter, 15-6, 15-10
3) Samuel Murray d. Alan Natera, 15-11, 15-11
11) Carlos Keller d. 6) Alvaro Beltran, 15-12, 15-3
7) Eduardo Portillo d. 10) Sebastian Franco, 15-13, 15-1
2) Daniel De La Rosa d. Erick Trujillo, 15-5, 15-14
Quarterfinals - Saturday
1) Alejandro Landa v. 8) Jake Bredenbeck - 10 AM
4) Rocky Carson v. 5) Andree Parrilla - 10 AM
3) Samuel Murray v. 11) Carlos Keller - 11 AM
2) Daniel De La Rosa v. 7) Eduardo Portillo - 11 AM
IRT Doubles - Quarterfinals - Friday
1) Alvaro Beltran & Daniel De La Rosa d. 9) Sudsy Monchik & Kane Waselenchuk, 15-14, 15-14
4) Javier Mar & Rodrigo Montoya d. 5) Eduardo Garay & Sebastian Franco, 15-14, 15-10
3) Andree Parrilla & Eduardo Portillo d. 6) Kadim Carrasco & Carlos Keller, 15-3, 15-5
2) Alejandro Landa & Samuel Murray d. 7) Jake Bredenbeck & Charlie Pratt, 15-13, 15-10
IRT Doubles - Semi-finals - Saturday
1) Alvaro Beltran & Daniel De La Rosa v. 4) Javier Mar & Rodrigo Montoya - 1 PM
2) Alejandro Landa & Samuel Murray v. 3) Andree Parrilla & Eduardo Portillo - 2 PM
Follow the bouncing ball….
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment