Hello Racquetball fans.
I’m a little late pushing out a “preview” thanks to a busy travel week of sports coverage … and of course the tournament started yesterday, so here’s a quick one to serve as a placeholder for the preview/recap links that I embed into each event.
I’ll use the notes that I created to drive the new preview video that i recorded that will be played at the beginning of some of the matches. You may have seen it: it’s just me chatting into the camera for a few minutes, introducing the event, the sponsors, recapping where we area in the season, calling out some fun early matches, and then giving some predictions.
Here we go:
IRT Preview
1. First off, Thanks to tourney director Jerry Hall and tourney host Rocky Carson. They’ve brought the IRT back to Los Cab after many, many years away.
2. Sponsors: thanks as always to the event and tour sponsors:
Event Sponsors
Los Cab
Carson Fitness
Gold Sponsors: KRP Rentals & Trucks, Sunny Cali Ranch, Bristol Warner marketplace, LA Legal Services
SI Events
Tour sponsors:
KWM Gutterman
Reignstorm Group
Papa Nicholas coffee
Black & White Roofing
Frank Hotels
3. Quick Recap of the most previews event in Chicago: Flores wins becomes 47th ever winner in history of tour. Wins in just his 11th career pro event. He immediately becomes a force to be reckoned with on tour going forward, having shown that he’s going to be favored now against every opponent not named Kane or Conrrado.
4. Set the stage: This week we’re missing Jake Bredenbeck #3, Andree Parrilla #5 which elevates Flores to #6 seed. That eases his pathway into the semis, since he plays into #3 Acuna who he just beat handily in Chicago.
5. Tour race update: Moscoso was upset early in Chicago, but so was Kane, so the race is still on. We lost a planned tier 1 in KC, but the tour has now added an IRT-800 event in StL the weekend the US Open was set to play, so there’s still time.
While an 800 complicates the points calculations a bit, Here’s where things stand. Basically if Moscoso wins 2 of the 3 remaining events and makes the final of the third, he can sew up the title. If Kane wins twice he’ll easily sew things up. Any other combination of events (if either loses early again), then we’re back to the drawing board. Suffice it to say, neither player has it in the bag and there’s a lot to play for at each of the remaining 3 events.
6. Projected matches to watch for this weekend
32s: Manilla/Pratt, Carter-Salvatierra, Bredenbeck-Sendrey
16s: Acuna-Gastelum, Natera-Alonso, Mar-Martell, Portillo-Manilla
7. Predictions: with a Saturday finish, the players have to play twice on both fri and sat, which could make the difference here.
Just looking at the worst case scenario for the two top seeds:
– Kane: Trujillo and Portillo/Manilla on Friday, Montoya/Moscoso Sat
– Moscoso: Bredenbeck and Natera/Alonso Friday, Flores/Kane sat.
Both those are super tough pathways to the title. So, it’s anyone’s game. On the Fantasy Fastbreak podcast I predicted that the Saturday finish would conspire against the 44-yr old Kane a bit, as would the concrete courts and the opponents he has to face down, and gave the edge to Moscoso here. But, Moscoso has to play Flores in the semis, which is going to be a very tough out.
Tune in this weekend as Carrie Reitmeier, Favio Soto, Brian Pineda and perhaps some guest stars will be broadcasting all weekend in this Singles-only event.