Gastelum wins Men's Open at 39th Annual Papa Nicholas Shamrock Shootout

Diego Gastelum won Men’s Open at the 39th Annual Papa Nicholas Shamrock Shootout in Lombard, Illinois, on Sunday. He defeated Jhonatan Flores, 15-10, 10-15, 11-7, in a final featuring two young Bolivians. In the semi-finals, Gastelum defeated veteran Mauricio Zelada, 15-13, 15-12, and Flores beat Carlos Ramirez, 15-5, 15-6.

Flores impressed in the International Racquetball Tour (IRT) draw in Illinois, as he came within four points of defeating Kane Waselenchuk in the quarterfinals. Thus, it was no surprise to see him in the Men’s Open final.

However, Gastelum’s win suggests we should also be paying attention to him as well.

Upcoming events

The 2024 Pan American Championships will begin this Saturday, March 23, in Guatemala City, Guatemala, and will run until the following Saturday, March 30. We’ll have a preview for you later this week. But you can be certain that there will be some great racquetball matches coming up in Guatemala.

The Pan Am Championships mean an “international break” in the pro tour schedules. The IRT’s next confirmed main event is the Costa Rica Open, June 12-15, although there was a hint that they will play in California in late May, and there is a “TBD” event listed on the IRT site for May 23-26.

The Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour’s (LPRT’s) next event is the Battle at the Alamo, April 25-28, in San Antonio, Texas. That could be very well attended, as San Antonio will host the 2024 International Racquetball Federation World Championships in August, so some players may want to get a chance to play on the courts that will host Worlds.

39th Annual Papa Nicholas Shamrock Shootout
Lombard, Illinois - March 14-17, 2024

Men’s Open Singles - Final

4) Diego Gastelum d. 10) Jhonatan Flores, 15-10, 10-15, 11-7

Semi-finals

4) Diego Gastelum d. 1) Mauricio Zelada, 15-13, 15-12
10) Jhonatan Flores d. 14) Carlos Ramirez, 15-5, 15-6

Quarterfinals

1) Mauricio Zelada d. 8) Victor Migliore, 10-15 15-6, 11-2
4) Diego Gastelum d. 12) Luis Aguilar, 15-13, 15-4

14) Carlos Ramirez d. 11) Jeremy Dixon, 15-5, 8-15, 11-3
10) Jhonatan Flores d. 2) Jordy Alonso, 15-14, 15-10

Follow the bouncing ball….