Seattle, WA, WPH Press, 1/18/23
The famed Washington Athletic Club in downtown Seattle played host to the 2023 WAC Classic on the second weekend of January, one of the sport’s most storied tournaments. More than sixty players entered the thirty-eighth WAC Classic, with seventeen vying for the Men’s Open Singles title.
Maxx Bennett (WA) entered the event as the fifth-seed and advanced to the semifinals with a two-game sweep of Andy Romanchock (WA), fighting off game point in the second game. Bennett’s semifinal against San Francisco’s top-seed Rene Lopez would be even closer, as the pair split the first two games and both earned a match point in the tiebreaker. Bennett prevailed, advancing to the final in the upper bracket.
SR48 and Pacific Northwest star Pete Svennungsen (WA) entered the 2023 WAC Classic as the second seed and would need two tiebreakers to advance to the final. After winning a tiebreaker in the quarterfinals, Svenny found himself in another decider in the semifinals against Pacific Northwest rival Matt Steele (OR). Svenny rallied from a one-game deficit to clip Steele in the second and third to meet Bennett in the final.
Bennett and Svennungsen met for the first time in the final. “I knew Maxx was dangerous but he doesn’t travel much so I didn’t know exactly what to expect other than no lead is safe,” stated Svennungsen.
Bennett and Svennungsen split the first two games of the final, as Bennett entered his second tiebreaker of the event and Svenny’s third. Svennungsen led throughout the tiebreaker, eventually seizing a 9-5 lead. No lead is safe Bennett came roaring back, scoring the final six points of the match to take the title.
“The WAC was a great tourney overall; great venue and deep open draw,” stated Svennungsen. “I wasn’t necessarily happy with my performance as I struggled to make shots consistently and put two good games together in a match. Maxx did play tough throughout; he beat two solid (open) players in Romanchok and Lopez before beating me. Good speed and power and determination. This loss for me will force me to make some changes. Looking forward to the R48 Red Death (February 3-5 in Missoula, MT).”
“The WAC Handball Classic was a really great tournament this year,” stated WAC handball member and ambassador Randy Multack. “This year’s open division was probably the best one we’ve ever had as far as the level of talent and the level of competition. And there were some really tremendous matches with really great performances by so many of these guys, but maybe none more so than Maxx Bennett from Seattle, Rene Lopez from San Francisco and Pete Svennungsen from Spokane. Some very impressive handball. The tournament ran really well, about as smoothly as possible. Darin Barr of the Washington Athletic Club does a great job of keeping it all moving so well and he makes sure that beer is poured “from first serve to final point”. And then some.
The players all had a great time and the new players who had not previously played in the WAC Classic were blown away by the club, the competition and the hospitality – the whole event. Without question these guys will be back next year.”
Semifinals
Bennett def Lopez 21-17, 13-21, 11-10
Svennungsen def M. Steele 17-21, 21-9, 11-6
Final: Bennett def Svennungsen 21-12, 11-21, 11-9
Ryan Grossenbacher and Andy Romanchock won the Men’s Open Doubles, defeating Maxx Bennett and Sam Sottosanti III in the final, denying Bennett the slam.
Final: Grossenbacher/Romanchock def Bennett/Sottosanti III 20-21, 21-15, 11-4
Thank you to WAC Classic tournament director Darin Barr and the Washington Athletic Club for an outstanding event. Thank you for the info from Pete Svennungsen and Randy Multack.
Follow all of the draws from the 2023 WAC Classic HERE
Enter the 2022/23 WPH Race 4 Eight Stop #5 Red Death in Missoula, MT HERE
David Fink
WPH Senior Writer