Andree Parrilla, the 3rd seed, upset 2nd seed Rodrigo Montoya, 15-9, 15-6, in the semi-finals of the International Racquetball Tour (IRT) Inland Empire Pro-Am in Spokane, Washington, Saturday. Parrilla will face top seed Kane Waselenchuk in the final on Sunday, as Waselenchuk beat 5th seed Andrés Acuña, 15-10, 15-7, in the semis.
Parrilla is one of the few players to have beaten Waselenchuk in a competed match. That is, a match that did not end in an injury forfeit.
Since the beginning of the 2003-04 season, when Waselenchuk first became the #1 IRT player, only 12 players have beaten him on court. Only 7 of those players did so in matches that did not end in injury forfeits. Parrilla is one of those players.
The other six are Jack Huczek, who defeated Waselenchuk five times, Alvaro Beltran (twice), Derek Robinson, Sudsy Monchik, Jose Rojas, and Jordy Alonso. The players who’ve won matches versus Waselenchuk that started on court, but ended in injury forfeits are Mitch Williams, Cliff Swain, Rocky Carson (twice), Jake Bredenbeck, Eduardo Portillo and Beltran.
Having that few losses over more than two decades speaks to the dominance Waselenchuk has had over men’s racquetball in this period. Waselenchuk’s rise back to #2 on tour after his achilles injury in 2022, when he was almost 41, speaks to his determination and dedication to excellence.
The final will be played Sunday at 11:20 AM Pacific time. You can see them via the usual IRT media outlets: The IRT YouTube channel or the IRT Facebook page.
Inland Empire Pro/Am
Spokane, Washington - October 10-13, 2024
IRT Singles - Semi-finals - Saturday
1) Kane Waselenchuk d. 5) Andrés Acuña, 15-10, 15-7
3) Andree Parrilla d. 2) Rodrigo Montoya, 15-9, 15-6
IRT Singles - Final - Sunday
1) Kane Waselenchuk v. 3) Andree Parrilla - 11:20 AM
Follow the bouncing ball….
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