2023 R48 + WR48 LTE New Orleans Mardi Gras: Sunday

Day 3

New Orleans, LA, WPH Press, 1/15/23-

Finals Sunday featured the conclusion of the first Race 4 Eight event of 2023, with the R48 and WR48 champions being showered with Mardi Gras throws of beads, doubloons, cups, and other trinkets.

R48 Final: Lucho vs. Martin

Lucho and Mulkerrins entered Sunday’s Mardi Gras final as the combined winners of the last four Race 4 Eight stops. Mulkerrins defeated Lucho in the semifinals of the 2022 R48 Player’s Championship (April) and again in the finals of the 2022 R48 Portland Classic (October), while Lucho defeated Mulkerrins in the finals of the 2022 R48 Tucson Memorial (November).

Lucho rode a twelve match R48 winning streak into Sunday’s final, in addition to an eleven-match R48 Mardi Gras winning streak, having won the R48 New Orleans in 2019 and 2020. Martin would be seeking his fourth R48 title in his first trip to New Orleans.

Mulkerrins was a man on a mission from the start of the final, crushing every ball with perfect footwork and power enroute to an 11-0 lead in game one. Mulkerrins continued his incredible play, taking the first game and leading 7-0 in game two.

“Lucho needs to match Martin’s intensity,” Danos stated during a second game timeout. “Martin is moving really fast and Lucho is just a little slow. Martin is taking full swings, while Lucho is stiff-arming a lot.”

Martin stood just two points from the title on his thirtieth birthday at 13-5, but Lucho earned a side out and started a comeback. Lucho closed the gap to 11-13 but an unforced error and two Mulkerrins ace serves ended the match.

“Another decade gone by the 20’s and it’s a great way to start the decade,” stated Mulkerrins. “I’ve trained well and I’ve always liked the Christmas period and I find it’s a great two or three weeks of conditioning and training. I trained the week after the (Ireland tournament) and felt like the body would be in good shape to deal with a pro tournament this weekend. Luis did to me in Tucson what I did to him in parts today. It was in the melting pot there for a few minutes (at 13-11).

Final: Mulkerrins def Lucho 15-2, 15-11

R48 Playoffs

Fifth Place: Danos def Esser 25-17

Ninth Place: Langmack def Burgos 25-21

Danos Cordova built a 12-3 lead in the fifth place final against Sam Esser and never allowed Esser within four points for the rest of the one game match, ending the final with four straight points in one inning.

“I did not really have expectations coming in so I just wanted to play as hard as I could and place as well as I could,” stated Danos. “I just had to sit on the couch and let my foot rest (referring to his broken foot). Sam is a tough opponent so I came in here today thinking it was a finals day.”

Max Langmack defeated rising R48 star Ivan Burgos for ninth.

R48 Finishes

1^st: Mulkerrins

2^nd: Lucho

3^rd: Canales Jr./Nash

5^th: Danos

6^th: Esser

7^th: Ruiz/Doyle

9^th: Langmack

10^th: Burgos

11^th: Cooney/Collado

13^th: Schiller/O’Connor/Fink/Streibig

17^th: J. Bike

WR48 Final: Tuohey vs. Munroe

Clodagh Munroe was appearing in her first WR48 final in her first WR48 start, while Aimee Tuohey was making her second appearance in a WR48 final and seeking her first WR48 title. “This tournament is just class and seeing all of the professional players and the city,” stated Munroe.

Tuohey completely dominated the women’s final, allowing Munroe to serve just once in game one enroute to a 15-0 romp. Munroe was more competitive in game two, but never seriously threatened Tuohey, scoring just seven points.

“It was awesome because I have not played her before,” stated Tuohey. I played pretty well today. Serve it down the left, keep it to the left and run her around, that was my strategy. I have been doing cardio to help with my handball game.”

WR48 Playoffs

Third Place Final: Esser def Ruiz 25-13

WR48 Finishes

1^st: Tuohey

2^nd: Munroe

3^rd: M. Esser

4^th: A. Ruiz

Thank you to Eddie Schot, Bob Caluda, Joe Drolla, Jerry Tauzier, the WPH broadcast crew, and all of the players and volunteers who made the 2023 Mardi Gras such a great event.

Follow the brackets the 2023 R48LTE/SR48 New Orleans Mardi Gras HERE

David Fink

WPH Senior Writer