Parrilla wins 2023 IRT Rally for our Warriors

Andree Parrilla defeated Jake Bredenbeck, 11-15, 15-11, 11-10, in the final of the International Racquetball Tour (IRT) Rally for our Warriors tournament Saturday in Marlborough, Massachusetts. Parrilla hadn’t been past the quarterfinals since February, so this ended a drought for him, as he reached his first final since May of last year, and got his first win since January of 2022, which was over Kane Waselenchuk, and also went to 11-10 in the tie-breaker.

To be clear, Parrilla has plenty of power and Bredenbeck can shoot the ball. But like most players, their play is geared toward one thing more than the other (we wrote about player types a few years ago).

Game one was all Bredenbeck, as he led from 2-1 on, including at 14-6. Parrilla scored five straight points to get within four at 14-11, so Bredenbeck called a timeout.

On the ensuing rally, Bredenbeck hit a forehand reverse pinch winner to get back in the service box. On the next rally he hit a winning forehand down the left side to close out the game, 15-11.

The story was reversed in game two, as Parrilla led early, at 6-3, 8-4, and 9-6. But Bredenbeck came back and tied it at 9-9, and then went ahead to lead 11-9.

However, Parrilla tied it and then went ahead with two almost identical shots to the front right corner, which is Parrilla’s favourite place to hit the ball. He made an unforced error on the following rally, skipping a forehand shot that put Bredenbeck back in the service box.

Parrilla got the service right back, as Bredenbeck drove serve to the left side with Parrilla returning it with a backhand cross court winner. Bredenbeck put Parrilla on 13 when he skipped a forehand reverse pinch, which seems to be a shot Bredenbeck likes a lot, as he hit several of them in this match.

A great Parrilla backhand pinch shot got him to game point at 14-11. Bredenbeck fought off that first game point by jumping Parrilla’s Z serve to the left, positioning himself with his back close to the left side wall, so he could drive a forehand down the line for a winner.

Bredenbeck didn’t score any points, however, as Parrilla forced him into a backhand skip on the next rally. On his second game point, Parrilla hit a backhand pinch winner to end the game at 15-11.

Often when players split close games, the tie-breaker is not close. But not so in this match, as they were tied four times, and the largest lead was 3 points, which happened late, when Parrilla was up 10-7.

At 10-7, Parrilla had a chance at his favorite shot: a forehand to the right corner, but skipped it. He got the serve right back by hitting a forehand serve return winner off a Bredenbeck drive serve to the right side.

On Parrilla’s second match point, Bredenbeck hit the shot of the match. They’d exchanged five ceiling balls, but then Bredenbeck hit a forehand pinch shot from head high that flat rolled out of the front right corner. The crowd was amazed.

He followed that up with two more forehand winners, so Parrilla called timeout, leading 10-9. However, on the next rally Parrilla skipped a backhand shot, and that unforced error tied the game at 10-10. Parrilla stopped Bredenbeck’s first match point by hitting a forehand reverse pinch from his knees to the left corner.

This great match came to an end with a whimper, as Parrilla hit a lob serve to the left that nicked off the side wall, so Bredenbeck turned to take it with his forehand, and looked to be hitting a forehand pinch shot. But it skipped, giving Parrilla the game, 11-10, and the match, 2-1.

The win is Parrilla’s 3rd career IRT victory, and ties him with Alvaro Beltran. He’s the fourth different player to win this season, joining Daniel De La Rosa (3 wins), Conrrado Moscoso (3), Rodrigo Montoya (1) and Bredenbeck (1).

The IRT will next be in action at the end of the month when the Tournament of Champions happens in Portland, Oregon, November 30-December 2, and they’ll follow that up with the Golden State Open in Pleasanton, California, December 7-10, which will bring the 2023 season to an end.

If you missed any of the action from Marlborough or want to see it again, and it is worth another look, go to the IRT YouTube channel.

2023 IRT Rally for our Warriors
Marlborough, Massachusetts, November 9-11, 2023

IRT Singles - Final - Saturday

5) Andree Parrilla d. 2) Jake Bredenbeck, 11-15, 15-11, 11-10

Follow the bouncing ball….

Bredenbeck & Parrilla face off in final of 2023 IRT Rally for our Warriors

Jake Bredenbeck and Andree Parrilla will meet in the final of the International Racquetball Tour’s (IRT’s) Rally for our Warriors tournament Saturday evening in Marlborough, Massachusetts. Bredenbeck stopped Kane Waselenchuk’s march through the draw, as he defeated the former IRT #1 in three games, 12-15, 15-14, 11-4, in the semi-finals. In the other semi, Parrilla beat the current IRT #1 Daniel De La Rosa, 15-14, 15-13.

It looked like Waselenchuk would make the final on his return to IRT action after suffering an Achilles injury last fall, as he was up 12-5 in game two, after winning the first game. However, Bredenbeck came back to tie it at 12-12, and then went ahead 14-12.

That made it Waselenchuk’s turn to come back, as he fought off game points, and scored twice himself to tie the game at 14-14. Bredenbeck called a timeout. When play resumed, he hit a forehand winner down the line, and then got a service winner with a drive jam serve off the left wall that Waselenchuk turned to play as it came off the back wall. However, the ball hit Waselenchuk, giving Bredenbeck the game winning point.

After two close games, usually the tie-breaker is not close, and so it was in this match, as Bredenbeck jumped out to a 7-0 lead. During that run Waselenchuk picked up a knock to his right leg, so he called for an injury timeout at that point.

When play continued, Waselenchuk got the serve back after Bredenbeck committed an unforced error by skipping a forehand shot. He lob served, standing by the right wall, hitting over to the back left corner. Waselenchuk seemed to not want to drive serve given his injury, and he didn’t drive serve in the remainder of the match.

But Waselenchuk did score some points, especially with his backhand. However, his movement was clearly compromised. Despite that Bredenbeck didn’t seem to make any adjustments in his play, and it seemed like the game could have been ended sooner than it was if he had.

The end did come as Bredenbeck made a great overhead forehand pinch winner that put him on match point at 10-4. He drove serve to the left on the next rally. Waselenchuk hit a forehand return that Bredenbeck rekilled for the winning point, making it 11-4.

Word is that Waselenchuk hadn’t played until the last three weeks, so he’s undoubtedly not ‘match fit,’ which could have contributed to him coming up short against Bredenbeck. But this tournament suggests that he can still be a threat to win on the tour, and Waselenchuk isn't one to take defeats lightly. There are two more tournaments this year, and assuming the knock Waselenchuk picked up isn't serious, we're sure he'll be back in training to win those.

In Friday’s quarterfinals, Waselenchuk beat Conrrado Moscoso, who had won gold in Men’s Singles at the Pan American Games last month, 15-8, 15-6. The Pan Am Games was an intense competition with a lot of racquetball in a short period, and of the semi-finalists in Marlborough, only De La Rosa was at Pan Ams.

All four players who lost in the quarterfinals were at Pan Ams. In the other quarters, Daniel De La Rosa narrowly defeated Andrés Acuña, 15-14, 15-14. Parrilla held on to see off Rodrigo Montoya, 15-9, 11-15, 11-7, and Bredenbeck came back to defeat Samuel Murray, 12-15, 15-14, 11-4.

You can see the final at 6 PM EST Saturday via the usual IRT media outlets: The IRT YouTube channel or the IRT Facebook page.

2023 IRT Rally for our Warriors
Marlborough, Massachusetts, November 9-11, 2023

IRT Singles - Quarterfinals - Friday

1) Daniel De La Rosa d. 8) Andrés Acuña, 15-14, 15-14
5) Andree Parrilla d. 4) Rodrigo Montoya, 15-9, 11-15, 11-7

22) Kane Waselenchuk d. 3) Conrrado Moscoso, 15-8, 15-6
2) Jake Bredenbeck d. 7) Samuel Murray, 12-15, 15-14, 11-4

IRT Singles - Semi-finals - Saturday

5) Andree Parrilla d. 1) Daniel De La Rosa, 15-14, 15-13
2) Jake Bredenbeck d. 22) Kane Waselenchuk, 12-15, 15-14, 11-4

IRT Singles - Final - Saturday

2) Jake Bredenbeck v. 5) Andree Parrilla - 6 PM

Follow the bouncing ball….

Early results from 2023 IRT Rally for our Warriors

The International Racquetball Tour’s (IRT’s) Rally for our Warriors tournament began Thursday in Marlborough, Massachusetts, and Kane Waselenchuk, former IRT #1 is in the draw for just the second time since suffering an Achilles injury last fall. People have asked us more about Waselenchuk since then than anything else, and while we could speculate about how he’s doing, actions can speak louder than words.

That’s just Kane Waselenchuk doing Kane Waselenchuk things.

Waselenchuk defeated 11th seed Robert Collins, 15-5, 15-5, in a battle of lefties in the Round of 32, and then brushed aside another lefty in 6th seed Adam Manilla, 15-2, 15-4, in the Round of 16. He’ll face 3rd seed Conrrado Moscoso in the quarterfinals, who’ll surely score more than 10 points on Waselenchuk, right?

Right?

Moscoso defeated Carlos Ramirez in the 16s, 15-7, 15-12, to reach the quarterfinals.

In other matches, Andrés Acuña got through a close match with Alan Natera, winning 15-13, 15-13. He was down 7-0 to Natera in game one, but came back to pull that out. Natera was undeterred and put up another battle in game two, although that again fell just short.

In the quarterfinals, Acuña will play IRT #1 Daniel De La Rosa, who beat Rafael Gatica in the 16s, 15-8, 15-1.

Also in the quarters, 4th seed Rodrigo Montoya will play 5th seed Andree Parrilla. In the 16s, Rodrigo Montoya beat 13th seed Erick Trujillo, 15-5, 15-2, and Parrilla defeated 12th seed Erick Cuevas Fernandez, 15-1, 15-7.

It’s a Saturday final this week, so there will be the Round of 16 and quarterfinals on Friday from 4 PM on, and then the semi-finals at 11 AM and noon Saturday with the final at 6 PM. You can see some of the IRT action via the usual IRT media outlets: The IRT YouTube channel or the IRT Facebook page. All times Eastern.

2023 IRT Rally for our Warriors
Marlborough, Massachusetts, November 9-11, 2023

IRT Singles - Round of 32 - Thursday

1) Daniel De La Rosa - BYE
17) Rafael Gatica d. 16) Axel Barojas, 13-15, 15-4, 11-2

9) Alan Natera - BYE
8) Andrés Acuña - BYE

5) Andree Parrilla - BYE
12) Erick Cuevas Fernandez d. 21) Jack Goldberg, forfeit

13) Erick Trujillo d. 20) Alok Mehta, 15-4, 15-7
4) Rodrigo Montoya - BYE

3) Conrrado Moscoso - BYE
14) Carlos Ramirez d. 19) Abraham Cardenas, 15-2, 15-7

22) Kane Waselenchuk d. 11) Robert Collins, 15-5, 15-5
6) Adam Manilla - BYE

7) Samuel Murray - BYE
10) Thomas Carter - BYE

18) Jose Flores, Jr. d. 15) Jim Douglas, 15-8, 15-2
2) Jake Bredenbeck - BYE

IRT Singles - Round of 16 - Friday

1) Daniel De La Rosa d. 17) Rafael Gatica, 15-8, 15-1
8) Andrés Acuña d. 9) Alan Natera, 15-13, 15-13

5) Andree Parrilla d. 12) Erick Cuevas Fernandez, 15-1, 15-7
4) Rodrigo Montoya d. 13) Erick Trujillo, 15-5, 15-2

3) Conrrado Moscoso d. 14) Carlos Ramirez, 15-7, 15-12
22) Kane Waselenchuk d. 6) Adam Manilla, 15-2, 15-4

7) Samuel Murray d. 10) Thomas Carter, 8-15, 15-5, 11-4
2) Jake Bredenbeck d. 18) Jose Flores, Jr., 15-9, 15-2

IRT Singles - Quarterfinals - Friday

1) Daniel De La Rosa v. 8) Andrés Acuña - 4 PM
5) Andree Parrilla v. 4) Rodrigo Montoya - 5 PM

3) Conrrado Moscoso v. 22) Kane Waselenchuk - 6 PM
2) Jake Bredenbeck v. 7) Samuel Murray - 7 PM

Follow the bouncing ball….