Zelada upsets Acuña at 2022 IRT Capitol Classic

Mauricio Zelada caused the first big upset Friday at the Capitol Classic on the International Racquetball Tour (IRT) in Millersville, Maryland, as he defeated 11th seed Andrés Acuña, 15-13, 15-12, in the Round of 32. Acuña had an excellent summer, winning gold at The World Games in Birmingham, Alabama in July, and bronze at the International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Championships in San Luis Potosi, Mexico in August.

But Zelada has cast a shadow over Acuña’s autumn.

Andree Parrilla is the top seed in Maryland this weekend, as IRT #1 Daniel De La Rosa is not in the draw. Second seed is Kane Waselenchuk with Alejandro Landa 3rd seed and Samuel Murray 4th.

Parrilla will play Javier Mar in the 16s, as Mar defeated Eduardo Garay, 15-5, 15-5, in the Round of 32 Friday. Waselenchuk will play fellow left-hander Thomas Carter, who beat Kyle Ulliman, 15-9, 15-11.

Also, in a battle of two former IRF Men’s Singles World Champions, Landa will play Rodrigo Montoya in the 16s, and Murray will play veteran Alvaro Beltran. Montoya beat Robert Collins, 15-7, 15-1, in the 32s, and Beltran eked out a win over Kadim Carrasco, 15-12, 15-14.

They are also playing doubles in Maryland, and the top seeds are Beltran and Landa with Mar and Montoya as the 2nd seeds. Beltran usually partners with De La Rosa, and they won Worlds for the 2nd time last month. We’re not sure if Beltran and Landa have played together before. Mar and Montoya is a long time partnership, and won Worlds together last year.

The 4th seeds in doubles were the runners up at Worlds this year: Roland Keller and Moscoso, but the 3rd seeded team of Samuel Murray and Andree Parrilla is a new one. Murray and Parrilla are entered in the US Open together, so this weekend will be a tune up for them.

With such high quality teams - not to mention Acuña and Portillo, and Jake Bredenbeck and Adam Manilla - the doubles competition will be excellent.

You can see the 2022 IRT Capitol Classic matches via the usual IRT media outlets: The IRT YouTube channel or the IRT Facebook page. Play continues Thursday afternoon with the Round of 16 from 4 PM on. They’ll play the quarterfinals from 10 AM Saturday morning with the semi-finals at 6 and 7 Saturday night. The final will be at noon Sunday. All times Eastern.

2022 IRT Capital Classic, September 15-18, 2022
Millersville, Maryland

Round of 128 - Thursday

Javier Mar - BYE
Roland Keller d. David Austin, forfeit

Jim Douglas d. Stacey Young, 14-15, 15-12, 11-9
Joe Kelley - BYE

Alan Natera - BYE
Victor Migliore d. Eridson Lopez, 15-3, 15-4

Cole Sendrey d. Troy Moore, 15-1, 15-5
Kadim Carrasco - BYE

Robert Collines - BYE
John Behm d. Samuel Kelley, 2-15, 15-7, 11-4

Juan Pablo Rodriguez d. Josue Perdomo, 15-8, 15-7
Mauricio Zelada - BYE

Jaime Martell - BYE
Dylan Pruitt d. Abraham Mercado, 15-8, 15-7

Kyle Ulliman d. Ben Bleyer, 12-15, 15-5, 11-10
Absent

Round of 64 - Thursday

Q1 - Javier Mar d. Roland Keller, 15-7, 15-8
Q8 - Joe Kelley d. Jim Douglas, 15-2, 15-3

Q5 - Alan Natera d. Victor Migliore, 15-12, 15-6
Q4 - Kadim Carrasco d. Cole Sendrey, 15-5, 15-6

Q3 - Robert Collins d. John Behm, 15-5, 15-12
Q6 - Mauricio Zelada d. Juan Pablo Rodriguez, forfeit

Q7 - Jaime Martell d. Dylan Pruitt, 15-5, 15-5 =
Q2 - Kyle Ulliman - BYE

Round of 32 - Friday

1) Andree Parrilla - BYE
Javier Mar d. 16) Eduardo Garay, 15-5, 15-5

9) Sebastian Franco d. Joe Kelley, 15-8, 15-6
8) Jake Bredenbeck - BYE

5) Conrrado Moscoso - BYE
12) Carlos Keller d. Alan Natera, 15-7, 15-5

13) Alvaro Beltran d. Kadim Carrasco, 15-12, 15-14
4) Samuel Murray - BYE

3) Alejandro Landa - BYE
14) Rodrigo Montoya d. Robert Collins, 15-7, 15-1

Mauricio Zelada d. 11) Andres Acuña, 15-13, 15-12
6) Eduardo Portillo - BYE

7) Mario Mercado - BYE
10) Adam Manilla d. Jaime Martell, 15-6, 15-8

15) Thomas Carter d. Kyle Ulliman, 15-9, 15-11
2) Kane Waselenchuk - BYE

Round of 16 - Friday

1) Andree Parrilla v. Javier Mar - 6 PM
8) Jake Bredenbeck v. 9) Sebastian Franco - 6 PM

5) Conrrado Moscoso v. 12) Carlos Keller - 6 PM
4) Samuel Murray v. 13) Alvaro Beltran - 5 PM

3) Alejandro Landa v. 14) Rodrigo Montoya - 5 PM
6) Eduardo Portillo v. Mauricio Zelada - 4 PM

7) Mario Mercado v. 10) Adam Manilla - 4 PM
2) Kane Waselenchuk v. 15) Thomas Carter - 4 PM

Doubles - Round of 16 - Friday

1) Alvaro Beltran & Alejandro Landa - BYE
Mario Mercado & Mauricio Zelada d. 8) Kadim Carrasco & Carlos Keller, 10-15, 15-13, 11-3

5) Andres Acuña & Eduardo Portillo d. 12) Victor Migliore & Kyle Ulliman, 15-5, 15-11
4) Roland Keller & Conrrado Moscoso v. 13) Joe Kelley & Samuel Kelley - 1 PM

3) Samuel Murray & Andree Parrilla - BYE
6) Sebastian Franco & Eduardo Garay d. 11) Ben Bleyer & Dylan Pruitt, 15-2, 15-8

8) Jake Bredenbeck & Adam Manilla d. 10) Maurice Miller & Troy Warigon, 15-6, 15-4
2) Javier Mar & Rodrigo Montoya - BYE

Doubles - Quarterfinals - Friday

1) Alvaro Beltran & Alejandro Landa v. Mario Mercado & Mauricio Zelada - 9 PM
4) Roland Keller & Conrrado Moscoso or 13) Joe Kelley & Samuel Kelley v. 5) Andres Acuña & Eduardo Portillo - 9 PM

3) Samuel Murray & Andree Parrilla v. 6) Sebastian Franco & Eduardo Garay - 8 PM
2) Javier Mar & Rodrigo Montoya v. 8) Jake Bredenbeck & Adam Manilla - 8 PM

Follow the bouncing ball….