Day 3
Juarez, MEX, WPH Press, 3/31/24
Sunday featured the conclusion of one of the tour’s most exciting events, as many of the game’s best were in action battling for the prestigious Juarez titles.
WR48 Final: Casey vs. McCrory
Catriona Casey faced Eilise McCrory for the first WR48 Juarez title, as Catriona aimed for her twenty-eighth WR48 title in her thirtieth final, while McCrory was aiming for her first WR48 title in her second WR48 final.
Casey was unable to separate herself from her Irish counterpart early in the first game, as McCrory stayed within striking distance at the midway point. “Eilise had really good serves, at least four that were aces,” Casey would later say. Casey used her supreme shot making and shot selection to keep McCrory off-balance and unable to play offense, while waiting for her opportunities. Although Casey was not as sharp as she was on Saturday, she closed out the match with a dominant second game. “I think a lot of that (not being as sharp) was down to Eilise,” stated Casey. “Eilise and I played in the All Ireland semifinal last weekend and she is a very tough player. We both struggled to get used to the ball here as well. The ball is heavier than the Irish ball. This tournament was really special and everyone was so welcoming.”
Final: Casey def McCrory 15-7, 15-3
WR48 Playoffs
Mikaila Esser defeated Danielle Daskalakis for third, scoring six of the final eight points of the match after being tied at nineteen and moving to number two on the WR48 rankings.
Clodagh Munroe ousted fourth-seeded Ashley Ruiz to win fifth, taking control of the match in the second half with deep passes and back wall kills.
Third place final: Esser def Daskalakis 25-21
Fifth place final: Munroe def Ruiz 25-12
WR48 Finishes
1st: Casey
2nd: McCrory
3rd: Esser
4th: Daskalakis
5th: Munroe
R48 Final: M. Mulkerrins vs. Canales
Martin Mulkerrins entered the 2024 R48 Juarez final aiming to win his seventh R48 title and second this season, while Leo Canales was playing in his second consecutive R48 final and third overall and seeking his first R48 title.
Mulkerrins set the tone early in the final, hitting with precision and power to thwart Canales’s strengths. Mulkerrins ripped left-handed kills, paddles and passes from the front and back court, in addition to laser serves and back wall kills to dominate game one.
Game two was more of the same, as Mulkerrins was on a mission. Content to wait for the perfect opportunity, Mulkerrins played the ceiling, two-wall pass shots and wrap-arounds, rarely allowing Canales into the front court.
From his 2-12 second game deficit against Sam Esser, Mulkerrins outscored his Esser and Canales by a combined score of 58-14 Mulkerrins slapped his hands together after scoring the final point against Canales, as he inched closer to the Race 4 Eight top ranking.
Final: M. Mulkerrins def Canales 15-4, 15-8
R48 Playoffs
After holding three match points in his quarterfinal classic with Leo Canales, Ray Ure bounced back to win fifth for the second time in his R48 career, defeating Sean Lenning in an exciting fifth place final. “I found my serve (against Lenning),” stated Ure. “I hit seven aces in the first half and served well in the second half.”
David Fink clinched ninth with wins against Taylor Schmitt, Vic Perez and Mark Doyle, while Ricardo Palma jumped back onto the Race 4 Eight rankings by winning seventeenth.
Fifth place final: Ure def Lenning 25-22
Ninth place final: Fink def Doyle 25-23
Seventeenth place final: Palma def Gutierrez
R48 Finishes
1st: M. Mulkerrins
2nd: Canales
3rd: Burgos/Esser
5th: Ure
6th: Lenning
7th: Lucho/Danos
9th: Fink
10th: Doyle
11th: Perez/D. Mulkerrins
13th: Cooney/Montijo/Ruiz/Schmitt
17th: Palma
Big Ball Open Singles
European handball star Mauricio Lopez won the big ball open singles against Noe Arenas in the final, showcasing the handball skills that made him one of Europe’s best players. “Mauricio has just started playing 4-Wall but he is fast and he has great hands,” stated coach and Juarez tournament director Luis Cordova, Sr.
JR WPH Clinic
WPH Master Instructor David Fink held a clinic for a number of Juarez’s junior players, playing big ball and small ball singles points and teaching the back wall fundamentals. “These kids spent the whole weekend watching the pros, getting autographs and jumping into the court whenever they could to hit the ball around,” stated Fink. “I was very happy to be able to work with them, rally and show them some back wall techniques to help them improve. A lot of what makes the Juarez event so special are the young players and their enthusiasm for our game. Many of the kids in the clinic are going to be the Race 4 Eight pros in the next decade.”
Juarez Champions
Big Ball Open singles: Mauricio Lopez
Open singles: John Henning
B singles: Fernando Zapata
70 Doubles: John Goranson/Doug Woods
Thank you!
Thank you to Luis Cordova, Sr., Lucho Cordova, Danos Cordova, Diaz Gas, Roberto Canales and all of the sponsors, organizers and volunteers for a tremendous event in Juarez.
Follow all of the Juarez brackets HERE
David Fink
WPH Senior Writer