Kane Waselenchuk held on to defeat Andree Parrilla, 15-14, 3-15, 11-3, to win the International Racquetball Tour (IRT) Inland Empire Pro-Am in Spokane, Washington, Sunday. Waselenchuk, who’ll turn 43 next month, is ranked #2 and could finish #1, as current #1 Conrrado Moscoso is out for the rest of the year after suffering an arm injury during training. Moscoso’s already had surgery to repair the injury.
Early on, it seemed Waselenchuk would run away with the match, as he took a 9-0 lead in game one. He made it 11-1, and then Parrilla started his comeback.
Parrilla scored six points on as many rallies to get within three at 11-8. A few rallies later, and the score was tied 11-11.
A forehand winner got Waselenchuk back in the service box, and he hit two more winners to take a 13-11 lead. However, a Parrilla forehand winner got him back in the service box, and he scored three straight points to take his first lead of the game at 14-13.
It was a game point that seemed entirely unlikely a few minutes before. Parrilla had a chance to win it on the next rally, as he took a ball off the back wall with his forehand, but he skipped the shot. Clearly an unforced error.
Waselenchuk took advantage of Parrilla’s error with a drive serve ace to the left side - his 3rd ace of the game - that tied the game at 14-14. Parrilla fought off Waselenchuk’s first game point with a forehand winner.
But he couldn’t convert his 2nd game point, as Waselenchuk hit a forehand pinch winner. Waselenchuk followed that up with a drive serve to the left, and Parrilla skipped the return, giving the game to Waselenchuk 15-14.
But the momentum Parrilla generated in the second half of game one carried over into game two, as he took a 5-0 lead, and then a 10-1 lead. Waselenchuk got a couple more points before Parrilla closed it out at 15-3.
During game two, Waselenchuk seemed to be moving gingerly around the court at times, and we feared he’d tweaked something that might lead to an injury timeout and perhaps even a forfeit. Thankfully, that didn’t happen.
Parrilla got the first point of the breaker, but on the second rally he skipped a backhand pinch shot, which was an unforced error, and was an omen of what was to come.
Waselenchuk tied game three at 1-1 with another drive serve ace to the left side. He continued to score, jumping out to a 7-1 lead.
Parrilla got a couple points back to cut the lead to 7-3, but that would be as much he’d get. Waselenchuk got the serve back with a backhand return winner off a lob serve to the right side that kissed off the right side wall.
He pushed on to get the last four points, and win game three, 11-3, and the match, 2-1.
Afterwards, Waselenchuk said “I was a little streaky today,” but “you find a way to win.”
He got emotional when asked about the possibility of being #1 again at the end of season, saying “not many know how rough it’s been.” Waselenchuk suffered what some thought could be a career ending achilles injury two years ago, and that's a big injury to recover from, especially after 40. “I guess I can surprise myself,” adding it’s “not done yet” as there’s still some tournaments to play before the end of the year. Nonetheless, he’s “happy to still be able to do what I do.”
There seemed to be some chirping between the players in the match, and afterwards Waselenchuk said “he’s [Parrilla’s] in there beaking off. Saying whatever he wants to say. But you know what? In the end, I came out a winner and that good enough for me. I really ain’t gotta say sh*t. I got nothing to prove to nobody. And at 43, these guys should be kicking my ass, and they’re not. Get better.”
With 127 IRT wins, Waselenchuk certainly doesn’t have to prove anything to anyone. The Inland Empire title is his fourth win after turning 40, and that’s one more win than Parrilla, 28, has in his career.
The next IRT event will be the Golden State Open in Pleasanton, California, November 13-17. If you missed any of the action from Spokane, check out the IRT YouTube channel.
Inland Empire Pro/Am
Spokane, Washington - October 10-13, 2024
IRT Singles - Final - Sunday
1) Kane Waselenchuk d. 3) Andree Parrilla, 15-14, 3-15, 11-3
Follow the bouncing ball….
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