Day 1
Tucson, AZ, WPH Press, 11/4/22
The seventh annual 2022 Tucson Memorial marks the 72nd event in the history of the Race 4 Eight tour, with Tucson Memorial featuring the sport’s best R48, WR48, and SR48 stars in the game competing for the largest prize purse of the 2022/23 Race 4 Eight XI handball season.
The Tucson Memorial was created in 2015 to honor handball friends and family who were sadly lost, a tradition that has evoked wonderful memories of handball players and fans who spent their lifetimes playing and supporting in the sport.
R48 Men’s Pro Singles: Upset Friday!
36 players entered the R48 Men’s Pro Singles, including defending champion and 20-time R48 champion Killian Carroll, three-time R48 champion and 2019 R48 Memorial champion Martin Mulkerrins, the three Flying Cordova brothers, and a mix of future stars and accomplished veterans.
The field of 36 was reduced to eight on a grueling Friday that saw Saturday’s quarterfinalists playing two matches in five hours.
Defending champion and #1 seed Killian Carroll relied on his left-handed serve to advance to Saturday’s quarterfinals, sweeping David Munoz (AZ) and Dylan Hernandez (CA), while second-seeded Lucho Cordova was dominant in dispatching Daniel Badillo (CA) and current collegiate national champion David Walsh (IRE).
Third-seeded Danos Cordova was the day’s biggest upset victim, dropping game one in overtime and falling in game to North America’s future star Ivan Burgos. “This kid really has it all and now that he’s living in Tucson playing the pros here he is only going to get better,” stated Memorial volunteer and TRC roundtable member Dr. Matt Goode.
Fourth seeded David Fink cruised past former Memorial quarterfinalist Niall O’Connor in two games in the third lefty vs. lefty matchup in R48 history (Fink vs. Bike, Jr. 2011 Plummer Bash, O’Connor vs. Jab Bike, 2022 Memorial). Fifth-seed Martin Mulkerrins extended the Race’s longest winning streak to ten with two dominating wins on Friday and will face Fink in Saturday’s quarterfinals for the first time since 2014.
Sixth-seeded Leo Canales, Jr. ended Loren Collado’s streak of two consecutive top seven R48 finishes, winning a close first game and running away with the match in game two.
TRC glass-banger favorite Shorty Ruiz faced Irish teenager Mark Doyle in the match of the day on Ruiz’s home court. Doyle ousted Tucson’s tenth-seeded Abraham Montijo in the round of 32 in his first Race start and appeared poised for a deep Memorial run after taking game one against Ruiz, 15-8. Ruiz gave the TRC glass-bangers a reason to come alive in game two, finding his groove with power hop serves and paddle kills to dominate 15-2. Ruiz would need raucous glass-bangers in the tiebreaker, as Doyle and Ruiz traded the lead four times. Ruiz surged ahead 12-8 and was able to maintain the cushion, ending the match with an overhand drive with a natural that fooled Doyle. “I think the difference was my power and hopping the ball,” stated an out of breath Ruiz.
“I’ll tell you what, that’s the best handball I’ve ever seen,” stated glass-banger captain and Clark Park namesake Doug Clark.
Round of 16
Carroll def D. Hernandez 15-5, 15-11
Langmack def Cortez 15-13, 15-11
Mulkerrins def J. Chapman 15-6, 15-2
Fink def O’Connor 15-9, 15-4
Burgos def Danos 17-15, 15-6
Canales, Jr. def Collado 15-10, 15-6
Ruiz def Doyle 8-15, 15-2, 15-11
Lucho def D. Walsh 15-6, 15-1
WR48
Catriona Casey’s quest for her twenty-third WR48 title in twenty-five WR48 starts in intact after crushing Rebecca Mulholland, while Elise McCrory (IRE) made a huge WR48 splash, upsetting 2021 Icebreaker #1 and top six WR48 pro Mikaila Esser. Ashely Ruiz defeated Tracy Davis to set up a Saturday semifinal clash with WR48 #2 Fiona Tully.
Round of 8
Casey def Mulholland 15-0, 15-0
E McCrory def Esser 15-1, 15-4
Ruiz def Davis 15-0, 15-8
Tully def Camacho 15-0, 15-2
SR48
#1 and #2 seeded David Fink and Bill Mehilos advanced to the semifinals with dominating performances in the men’s senior 40+ small ball pro division; meanwhile, Alex Garcia and Leo Canales Sr battled in their opening rounds to also advance. You will be able to watch ‘the old guys’ on ESPN+ Saturday at 1pm (local Tucson time).
Round of 8
Fink def A. Herrera 15-1, 15-0
Garcia def P. Svennungsen 8-15, 15-7, 15-9
Canales Sr def Lopez 15-10, 15-10
Mehilos def Aranda 15-7, 15-0
Saturday is going to be an incredible day of handball, with the Race 4 Eight pros being featured on ESPN+, big ball singles and doubles kicking off, and a 16-team men’s small ball doubles bracket.
Follow the draws and results from the R48 XI Tucson Memorial HERE
2022 Tucson Memorial Broadcast Schedule on ESPN3: Saturday, November 5, 9 am-7 pm PST, Sunday, November 6, 9 am-1:30 pm PST
Race 4 Eight Pro Player Bios HERE
Race 4 Eight XI Preview HERE
David Fink
WPH Senior Writer