Pittsburgh, PA, WPH Press, 4/22/23-
The 2023 WPH RFC 13 R48LTE + SR48 concluded on Saturday with the R48LTE final, the SR48 final, and the conclusion of the R48LTE and SR48 playoffs.
Max Langmack authored one of the biggest upsets in the last two years on the Race 4 Eight tour, stunning R48 #1 and five-time 2022/23 Race 4 Eight Men’s Pro champion Lucho Cordova in two games in the upper bracket semifinal. Langmack led throughout game one, but was tied at 12. Just as it appeared that Lucho would take over the match, Langmack closed out the game with an ace and two kills. Langmack rode the momentum into the second game, stunning the nine-time Race 4 Eight champion en route to his first R48 final. “It feels great,” stated Langmack, who became just the eighteenth different Race 4 Eight finalist in the 78-event history of the tour.
“This is how I’ve been playing for the last three tournaments,” lamented Lucho. “I can usually get by with power and retrieves but not today.”
Martin Mulkerrins played flawlessly in the bottom bracket semifinal against David Fink, starting the match with ten straight points, most coming off ace serves and flat kills. Mulkerrins never allowed the tournament director into the match, steamrolling the R48 #3 in two games. “There just isn’t anything you can do when Martin plays like that,” stated Fink. “I played well but was never in it.”
Semifinals
Langmack def Lucho 15-12, 15-5
Mulkerrins def Fink 15-3, 15-8
R48LTE RFC Final
Mulkerrins def Langmack 15-3, 15-8
Watch the final on Amy Ure’s Facebook page HERE
Mulkerrins continued his white hot play in the final, cooling off Langmack with laser serves down the right and perfect kills and passes that rode the side walls. Langmack sacrificed his body on virtually every rally, crashing into walls and the floor, with bruised knees to show for his efforts. Mulkerrins continued to apply the pressure in the second, building a 14-5 lead. Langmack rallied with the best three point stretch of the match, but the lead was too much to overcome, as Langmack fell in his first final. With the win, Mulkerrins clinched his third title of the season and kept his hopes alive for the year-end #1 ranking in Salt Lake City.
“It’s always hard when you get your best win (of your career) then have to play later in the same day,” Mulkerrins would later say. “Some of his serves were irretrievable.”
“Martin just does not give many openings and when he gets even the slightest opening, he takes advantage,” stated Langmack.
R48 Playoffs
Ray Ure earned the best finish of his R48 career with a fifth-place final win against Bill Mehilos
Watch the fifth place final on Amy Ure’s Facebook page HERE
Pittsburgh’s Joe Delsardo clinched ninth after overcoming match point in the ninth place quarterfinal and defeating Joe Frankenfeld and Jay Cattron on Sunday (Pic above).
R48LTE RFC Finishes
1st: Mulkerrins
2nd: Langmack
3rd: Lucho/Fink
5th: Ure
6th: Mehilos
7th: Schiller/English
9th: Delsardo
SR48
David Fink overcame New York’s Alvaro Rebaza in the upper bracket semifinal, while Bill Mehilos and Kyle English slugged it out for nearly two hours in the bottom bracket semifinal. Mehilos defeated English for the second time in the event (R48 fifth place semifinals) to advance to his third SR48 final.
Semifinals
Fink def Rebaza 15-2, 15-0
Mehilos def English 14-16, 15-1, 15-5
SR48 RFC Final
Fink def Mehilos 15-7, 15-0
David Fink won his tenth SR48 title with his third straight SR48 finals win against Bill Mehilos, scoring the final twenty-two points of the match after Mehilos cut a 3-8 first-game deficit to 7-8. Fink now sits tied with Marcos Chavez with the most SR48 titles in history.
“Bill was definitely not at his best today after a two-hour semifinal earlier in the morning, but I played well,” stated Fink. “I was serving well and took advantage of Bill’s tired legs.”
SR48 Playoffs
Kirk Rys defeated Andrew Joseph in a Pittsburgh grudge match for fifth in the SR playoffs, earning his first SR48 ranking.
SR48 RFC Finishes
1st: Fink
2nd: Mehilos
3rd: English
4th: Rebaza
5th: Rys
Thank you
Thank you to tournament host and WPH mega donor Rodney Fink for graciously sponsoring the RFC and treating players to RFC parties and banquets. Thank you to Alexander’s for being incredible hosts to the pros. Thank you to the WPH for continuing to grow the game on the best tour in handball.
David Fink
WPH Senior Writer