Day 2 at the 2023 Aces Player’s Championship
Salt Lake City, UT, WPH Press, 5/6/23
Moving day at the 2023 Aces Player’s Championship reduced the R48, WR48, and SR48 two players by day’s end, as only six players headed to the Aces Saturday Night Party with a chance to win Player’s Championships on Sunday.
R48
Lucho Cordova kicked off the day with a two-game sweep against Sam Esser, taking the first game relatively comfortably but trailing 4-10 in the second. Never appearing to be worried, Lucho increased his power and played more aggressively to erase the deficit and score eleven of the final twelve points of the match.
“I’ve always been super chill, even when I was younger, so I don’t get nervous if I’m down or even if it’s a tiebreaker,” stated Lucho after the match.
Leo Canales, Jr. and Daniel Cordova played one of the best matches of the season in the second quarterfinal, with Leo showcasing his improved consistency and conditioning against Daniel’s return to form after several injuries early in the season. The pair had split four head-to-head meetings this season but Leo seemed determined to take the fifth encounter, steamrolling Danos en route to a 10-1 first game lead. Danos battled back, ultimately losing the game after a furious rally. Leo stood two points from the match in game two but skipped three setups, ultimately dropping the second game. Leo was still fresh in the tiebreaker, while Danos could not end rallies. Leo pulled away, advancing to the afternoon’s first semifinal.
“Super elated and super happy to be able to pull that one out,” stated Canales. “Even in the first game he came back. Daniel always keeps pushing and he’s a warrior. I just kept telling myself to just shoot and play aggressive and take any chance I can. This means so much. I had been bounced in the first round in both of my trips here so I’m really excited to be in the semifinals.”
Sean Lenning ousted Martin Mulkerrins for the second consecutive match in a seemingly highlight reel from the first point to the last. Lenning dominated the first game with shots that most handball lifers had never seen, ending rallies from shoulder height from 35 feet. Mulkerrins found his footing in game two, showcasing his tremendous power and shot making to serve for the game at 14-13. Mulkerrins appeared to have a setup to force a tiebreaker but lost the ball in the side wall glass. Mulkerrins would lose his fourth game of the season after scoring the fourteenth point first, finishing the season at number two when a couple of shots in any of those games could have altered the landscape of the entire season.
“He’s (Martin) a beast,” stated Lenning. “I don’t think you can be thinking if you’re playing good. I know it’s possible to beat Martin but it’s very hard to predict these things emotionally and mentally.”
Killian Carroll had his hands full with first-time R48 quarterfinalist David Walsh, as the power-hitting former collegiate national champion held his own with one of the greatest players in the history of the sport. Walsh led 13-12 in game one, but seemingly a lack of experience cost him several critical rallies. After clinching a tight first game, Carroll cruised in game two.
“His court positioning was a lot better than mine and he controlled the first game,” stated Carroll. “It was a hell of a match. David was a bit more tired in the second game, so he came down a small bit.”
Round of 8
Lucho def Esser 15-8, 15-11
Canales def Danos 15-12, 13-15, 15-7
Carroll def Walsh 15-13, 15-5
Lenning def Mulkerrins 15-6, 16-14
Amazing Sean Lenning “Get” Here:
Semifinals
Leo Canales overcame his greatest nemesis in the semifinals, defeating Lucho Cordova for the first time and becoming just the nineteenth different player to make a R48 final. Leo held his nerve late in game one, utilizing perfect shot selection and execution to take a one-game lead in overtime. After seizing the momentum, Canales was a runaway train in the second, controlling the front court and finding the bottom board with back wall and paddle kills.
“I thought if I played well I could win it,” stated Canales on his pre-match thoughts. “The first game was a toss-up. I just said to not let him come back on game two. I took the pressure off myself and told myself to play hard. My shots have been working for me this tournament. I just want to play hard and be consistent. I’ve cut down on hand errors. The top guys are there for a reason and they’re really hard to beat. Thank you to my fans and shout out to Kyra.”
Killian Carroll and Sean Lenning staged a match for the ages, with the two contrasting styles playing handball at an outrageous level throughout their three-game thriller. Lenning took the first game, sticking to the aggressive gameplan that has seen him make his last two R48 finals. Carroll upped his intensity in the second, evening the match by sacrificing his body for virtually every shot. Carroll seemed to will himself even more in the tiebreaker, crashing into the walls and floor multiple times in each rally to retrieve Lenning’s rockets. Carroll led 14-7 but Lenning was far from done. A four-point Lenning rally brought shades of the 2018 Vegas comeback to mind, but Lenning stalled at eleven, sending Carroll to his third final of the season.
“I can tell you I’m going to be in a lot of pain tomorrow,” stated Carroll. “I really wanted it. Sean is an unbelievable player and he can do things on the court that no one else can. Sean had a great game against Martin so I had to make sure I got every ball I could. It could have gone either way. I grew up playing like this and it brought me a lot of joy, a bit of hustle and gusto. We gave it everything and I hope the crowd enjoyed it.”
WR48
24-time WR48 champion Catriona Casey continued her mastery against her peers in Saturday’s WR48 quarterfinals and semifinals, outscoring Danielle Daskalakis and Eilise McCrory by a combined score of 60-10. Casey ousted her 1-Wall and 4-Wall rival Daskalakis in the early morning quarterfinal and was too strong for the WR48 Breakout Player of the Year McCrory in the semifinals.
“Eilisha did not do herself justice in our semifinal match,” stated Catriona. “She got a bit frustrated in there and I played well.”
Fiona Tully was nearly as dominant as Casey in her quarterfinal and semifinal wins against Clodagh Munroe and Ashley Ruiz, holding her rivals to a combined sixteen points in four games. Tully’s smooth swings and effortless power were too much for two of the top players on the WR48 tour, setting up a final against the undisputed WR48 #1.
“Great feeling,” stated Tully after winning her semifinal against Ruiz. “Ashley is always so tough. Even though I got the first game I knew it would be tough. My goal is always to make the final. I’ll just try to play my own game against Catriona. Hopefully I can do a bit better (than I have) against Catriona. I’m just trying to get better all the time (playing at home in Ireland).”
WR48
Round of 8
Casey vs. Daskalakis 15-3, 15-3
McCrory def Tuohey 15-5, 15-6
Tully def Munroe 15-4, 15-1
Semifinals
Casey def McCrory 15-3, 15-1
Tully def Ruiz 15-4, 15-7
SR48
Ten-time SR48 champion faced Kyle English for the first time in SR48 play in the upper bracket semifinals, dispatching the OR State champion in two games. “Kyle is tough to play because he covers the front court really well and likes to play the ball right off the bounce,” stated Fink.
SR48 #2 Bill Mehilos was denied his third SR48 final of the season, losing to 15-time R48 champion and SR48 rookie Paul Brady. “Paul is really good,” stated Mehilos. “His serve is very tough and when he’s set up he is hitting the ball really well.”
Round of 8
Fink def Henning fft
English def Watkins 19-17, 15-11
Brady def Karner 15-2, 15-4
Mehilos def Stalsberg 15-5, 15-1
Semifinals
Fink def English 15-6, 15-3
Brady def Mehilos 15-3, 15-6
Saturday Night Banquet at Ace
The Race 4 Eight pros and all of the players and fans at the 2023 Aces Player’s Championship were treated to an outstanding Saturday night banquet and 3-Wall big ball doubles, a much-anticipated and annual tradition in The Crossroads of the West.
The Ace Team spared no expense with the best spread of the season, as players refueled with the best dinner on the tour. Thank you to Matt, Lon, Ruben, Ashton, Keith, and all of the Aces team who made the banquet and the tournament such a huge success.
Sunday Finals (all times MST)
SR48: David Fink vs. Paul Brady 9:30 am
WR48: Catriona Casey vs. Fiona Tully 10:15 am
R48: Killian Carroll vs. Leo Canales 11 am
Bonus Playoff Coverage: Noon
Watch all of Sunday’s action live on ESPN+
For more info, including starting times and to follow all of the brackets HERE
David Fink
WPH Senior Writer