Sunday at the 2022 Race 4 Eight Player’s Championship: One Streak Ends, Another Continues
Day 3, Sunday, 4/10/22
Sunday featured the game’s best battling for Race 4 Eight Player’s Championships and Playoff points in one of the most exciting days in Race 4 Eight history.
R48 Final: Carroll vs. Mulkerrins
Killian was seeking his fifth consecutive R48 Player’s Championship, in addition to a perfect R48 season that saw him win all five events he entered coming into Salt Lake City. Martin Mulkerrins would be seeking his second R48 title and first Player’s Championship against his great rival.
Mulkerrins set the pace early in the first game, attacking Carroll en route to a 7-0 lead. Carroll has erased deficits on many occasions and appeared poised to climb back into the first game. Mulkerrins would not concede his advantage, maintaining his lead and thwarting Carroll’s surges. Mulkerrins mixed offense and defense, as well as using the left side/back wall glass to take a one game lead. “Martin is really keeping Killian off-balance by going for kills and passes and using a lot of variety,” stated R48 top 12 pro Max Langmack.
Martin continued to apply pressure in game two, striking running kills, fisting Killian’s serve to the ceiling, and never allowing Carroll into a rhythm. Martin stood four points from the championship, serving at 11-8 in game two, but a missed right-hand kill stalled his momentum. Mulkerrins would serve eight more times in game two but could not score the twelfth point, as Carroll scored eight unanswered points to tie the match a one game apiece.
Mulkerrins did not allow the second game letdown deter him, as he caught fire from the opening serve of the third. Mulkerrins was finding the bottom board from all corners of the court, with even Carroll unable to track down the crisp passes and kills. “These guys are amazing, so much power and very inspiring,” stated 7-time R48 champion Sean Lenning sitting court side.
There would be no miraculous comeback from Carroll, as Martin controlled the tiebreak from start to finish, ending Carroll’s 29-match, seven tournament R48 win streak and collecting the WPH’s biggest prize.
“I suppose beating Killian in the 2019 U.S. Nationals was a big monkey off my back since I had not beaten him in a few years,” stated Mulkerrins. “I was drawing off that match. This really is a team effort for me and I have a great team that helps me (prepare) in Ireland, including my family. I want to thank the Aces team and the WPH for a great event.”
Final: Mulkerrins def Carroll 15-8, 11-15, 15-3
Playoffs
Danos Cordova bounced back from his quarterfinal loss to Sean Lenning to defeat Max Langmack and Shorty Ruiz to win fifth, while David Fink took ninth by defeating Sam Esser, Erik Torres, and Dylan Hernandez.
5th place final: Danos def Shorty 25-12
9th place final: Fink def Hernandez 25-17
R48 Finishes
1st: Mulkerrins
2nd: Carroll
3rd: Lucho/Lenning
5th: Danos
6th: Ruiz
7th: Collado/Langmack
9th: Fink
10th: Hernandez
11th: Cooney/Torres
*Top 12 earned R48 ranking points
WR48
WR48 Final: Casey vs. McMahon
Handball’s greatest rivalry added another chapter on Sunday, as the two giants in the sport collided in an instant classic.
Martina McMahon made the perfect start in her quest for her first WR48 Player’s Championship, scorching six-time WR48 Player’s Champion Catriona Casey with a seven-point run to start the match. Composed and poised, Casey worked her way into the game, eventually tying her rival at 10 and taking her first lead at 11-10. Trailing 10-12 and having been outscored 12-3 in the last fifteen points, McMahon rattled off four straight points to serve for the game at 14-12. Martina was unable to close the door, as Casey earned a side out and scored four consecutive points to steal the first game.
Martina was far from demoralized, decimating Casey with ruthless precision and handing Casey the most lopsided loss in her 75-match WR48 career, 15-1.
“That was truly a blowout, I was lucky to score a point,” Casey would later say.
“Martina is really swinging smooth and looks as good as ever,” stated 3-time R48 champion Danos Cordova.
The rallies became more intense in the third game, with the average rally extending beyond ten shots, as both superstars hit, dove, digged, killed, and re killed.
“Martina needs Catriona and Catriona needs Martina,” Martina’s mom Rose said to ESPN sideline reporter Kara Mack.
Catriona changed her game in the middle of the third, as well as playing with more urgency. “I knew I had to make some changes to my serve because Martina was either hitting the return to the ceiling or killing it, so I moved closer to the left side wall to change the angle,” Catriona would later say. “I also started moving my feet more – I would not say I was lazy in the first two games, but I was not in a good position to pick up Martina’s kills.”
Casey’s conditioning and tactical changes earned the WR48 #1 her seventh consecutive WR48 Player’s Championship and twenty-second WR48 title. “I was definitely very nervous for this match because I know what Martina can do and I also have not lost at the Player’s Championship. I’m delighted to win this one.”
“This was the best match I have ever seen,” barked ESPN play-by-play announcer Dave Vincent.
Final: Casey def McMahon 16-14, 1-15, 15-7
Playoffs
Fiona Tully outlasted Aimee Tuohey for third place in their first matchup, while Danielle Daskalakis capped off her best WR48 season with a close win against Ashley Moler to win fifth and Suz Entzeroth overcame Megan Dorneker to win ninth.
3rd place final: Tully def Tuohey 25-21
5th place final: Daskalakis def Moler 25-19
9th place final: Entzeroth def Dorneker 25-15
WR48 Finishes
1st: Casey
2nd: McMahon
3rd: Tully
4th: Tuohey
5th: Daskalakis
6th: Moler
*Top six earned ranking points
SR48
David Fink was seeking his third consecutive SR48 Player’s Championship and eighth SR48 title, while Bill Mehilos was aiming for his first SR48 title in his second SR48 start.
Fink and Mehilos played a close match in the round of 16 of the 2022 R48 Houston and this match appeared to be following that script. Mehilos jumped out to a 2-0 lead, before Fink caught him at four and eventually led 6-4. The combination of Fink kills and Mehilos errors allowed Fink to pull away in game one, 15-6.
Mehilos never found his flow in game two, making a number of uncharacteristic errors and not applying scoreboard pressure. “I was never settled in the match, even with leads,” Fink would later say. “I mishit a second serve at 10-4 in the second that clipped the right side wall and died to give me the eleventh point and that allowed me to play more freely.”
Fink cruised from there, retaining his SR48 Player’s Championship with three consecutive kills to end the match.
“I was excited when the SR48 was added to this event,” stated Fink. “I think Bill and I would have both liked to have played better today, but it still feels really nice to win.”
Final: Fink def Mehilos 15-6, 15-4
Thank You!
Thank you to the Aces Team for another outstanding event. “If you ask any pro, they will all tell you this is their favorite event,” stated David Fink at the Aces Saturday night banquet. “We are welcomed with so much love, hospitality, and appreciation – it truly is an experience unlike any other in our sport.”
Thank you to the WPH staff and broadcast team for an outstanding season and the best handball coverage in the history of the sport.
We cannot possibly list all of the names that make this tour so successful and special, but we have to thank Dave Vincent, David Fink, Linda Manning, Fred Banfield, Kris Gurrad, Che Lowenstein, Kara Mack, Ashley Moler, Shorty Ruiz, Tricia Fink, Nick Flores, Lolita de Vincent, Kyra “K3” Vidas, Leo Canales, Jr., and all of our donors, sponsors, and tournament hosts. We cannot wait for the 2022/23 Race 4 Eight XI season….stay tuned!
Watch replays on the Watch ESPN App HERE
Follow all of the brackets HERE
David Fink
WPH Senior Writer