Clark Park Turns Into Field of Dreams
Tucson, AZ, WPH Press, 8/20/22
Saturday: Day 1
The second Icebreaker of the 2022 Icebreaker summer series kicked off at the WPH’s Clark Park, with the largest small ball pro singles draw in Icebreaker history, the strongest big ball draw in Icebreaker history, a decorated foursome of women’s stars, and sensational action in the men’s small ball doubles.
Tucson’s rainiest month in decades wreaked havoc on the Ice Bowl, as two extended rain delays forced WPH staffers and volunteers scrambling to dry the courts with brooms and air dryers. The event started at 7 am and did not finish until 10 pm, as the rented lights went on for the first time at Clark Park, making the Tucson handball mecca a Field of Dreams.
Men’s Small Ball Singles
Top-seeded Lucho Cordova continued his white hot play four weeks after his dominant first Icebreaker win in July, as Lucho served donuts to his first two opponents en route to Sunday’s semifinal. “I’m having a lot of fun in there,” stated Lucho, who has now won three of his last six Icebreaker games without dropping a point.
Four-time Icebreaker champion David Fink entered the men’s small ball singles as the #2 seed, having missed the season-opener in July with an injury. Fink defeated Andres Cordova in the round of 16, as Fink and Cordova set a record for the largest age gap in the WPH main draw pro match (28 years). Fink rallied from a 6-10 second game deficit to oust former Icebreaker champion Dylan Hernandez in the quarterfinals to advance to Sunday’s semifinals.
Fresh off his first Icebreaker final, third-seeded Sam Esser ran into the event’s Cinderella Man Brant Bidegain, and his perfectly groomed stache, in the round of 16. The firefighter from San Diego dropped game one against Esser but stormed back with power ceilings and flat rollouts to stun Esser. “He’s got no weaknesses and when he decides to shoot, he kills it flat,” stated Esser. Bidegain dropped Stephen Cooney in two games to advance to the semifinals.
Leo Canales, Jr. entered the Ice Bowl after a disappointing showing in July’s Icebreaker and quickly erased the disappointment of his quarterfinal loss in July. Canales blitzed John Wayne Cortez in the round of 16 and overwhelmed two-time Icebreaker finalist Shorty Ruiz in game one of their quarterfinal clash, dominating 15-1. Ruiz bounced back in the second, taking a 14-8 lead. “I just told myself that if I could score two after the sideout that I was going to go for it,” stated Canales. Canales caught fire, reeling off power serves and kills to take a 15-14 lead. Canales was unable to convert his first match point but served for the match for a second time at 15-14 an ended the match with a 42-foot corner kill, handing Ruiz his earliest Icebreaker exit.
Quarterfinals
Lucho def Bernhard 15-0, 15-5
Canales def Ruiz 15-1, 16-14
Bidegain def Cooney 15-11, 15-11
Fink def D. Hernandez 15-8, 15-11
Semifinals (Sunday)
Lucho vs. Canales
Fink vs. Bidegain
Women’s Pro Singles
Ashley Moler and Tracy Davis met for a spot in Sunday’s final, with the pair seemingly meeting in every event in which they both enter and every encounter going the distance. Saturday’s clash would be no different, as Moler took game one, Davis bounced back to win game two, and Moler regained control in game three to make the final.
Former Icebreaker champion and 2021 Icebreaker #1 Mikaila Esser started slowly in her 2022 Icebreaker campaign, dropping game one to first-time Ice-breakerer Aimee Tuohey. Esser rallied behind her overhand serve and overhand drives to turn the table in the second and third games to face Moler in Sunday’s final.
Semifinals
Moler def Davis 15-6, 8-15, 15-6
Esser def Tuohey 2-15, 15-12, 15-5
Final (Sunday): Moler vs. Esser
Men’s Big Ball Singles
Brian Medina entered the Ice Bowl undefeated in his two big ball Icebreaker starts and continued his Clark Park supremacy with a tiebreaker win against Nelson Guardado in the round of 16, a two-game sweep against Noe Arenas, and a decisive two-game sweep against Southern California’s Chava Cordova in the semifinal. “I just love playing here and I love the support,” stated Medina.
Samzon Hernandez returned to tournament play this year after a two-year hiatus due to a car accident. Hernandez defeated Phoenix’s Alberto Pizano in the quarterfinals and Oscar Sordia in a three-game thriller in the semifinal, clinching the match with two dives on the final point. “It was really hard being away from the sport for two years,” stated Samzon, who has won north of 400 tournaments in his illustrious career. “Oscar is the top guy right now so to beat him was really big for me.”
Quarterfinals
Medina def Arenas 15-11, 15-6
Chava def A. Chavez 15-4, 11-15, 15-7
Sordia def Tabares 15-6, 15-11
Samzon def Pizano 15-9, 15-10
Semifinals
Medina def Chava 15-11, 15-11
Samzon def Sordia 15-12, 10-15, 15-12
Men’s Small Ball Doubles
Quarterfinals
Flying Cordovas def Meholis/Crancich 25-9
Medina/Cooney def Langmack/Bernhard 25-23
Canales/Montijo def Bidegain/Munoz 25-6
Ruiz/Esser def Bike/Watkins 25-11
Semifinals (Sunday)
Flying Cordovas vs. Medina/Cooney
Ruiz/Esser vs. Canales/Montijo
Thank you to the WPH staff, BBQ grill masters Scott Cleveland and Con Man Jim, and all of the volunteers and players who made Saturday such a successful day, despite the rain.
2022 WPH Ice Bowl brackets and results HERE
Icebreaker pro player bios HERE
2021 Icebreaker Facts, Numbers, Finishes, and Rankings HERE
David Fink
WPH Senior Writer