Day 2: Saturday
Portland, OR, WPH Press, 10/5/24
Youth was served on Saturday in Portland, as the tour’s youngest stars achieved career-best Race 4 Eight finishes, while Martin Mulkerrins continued to dominate the tour.
Round of 8
Martin Mulkerrins played methodically and patiently against Killian Carroll, using the ceiling and fist pass shots to set up kill shot opportunities. Mulkerrins built a 13-7 lead in the first game but nearly collapsed from there, losing six consecutive points to surrender his lead. “I told myself I still just needed two more points and I was waiting for my opportunities,” Martin would later say.
Mulkerrins squashed Carroll’s first-game comeback and dominated the second, keeping his drive for five alive (five Race 4 Eight titles in five consecutive events.).
“I wouldn’t say it feels better (beating Killian),” Mulkerrins would tell ESPN’s Kara Mack. “I love when Killian is here. We have played four times this year and it’s 50/50. I’m delighted to see him back. Maybe a little ring rusty there. I play point by point, it’s just a process you have to have.”
Leo Canales was seeking his sixth Race semifinal in his last seven starts, while Mark Doyle was seeking his first Race semifinal. Canales started quickly in the first game, building a 4-0 lead in his first service inning. Doyle quickly erased the deficit to lead 5-4, but a flurry of ace serves and first-strike kills carried Canales to a one-game lead. Canales looked as though he would run away with the match, taking a 5-0 lead to start the second but promptly hit his next serve into the crowd, surrendering the momentum and his command in the match. Doyle scored fourteen of next fifteen points, evened the game at one-all, and completely dominated the tiebreaker, retrieving Canales’s best shots, controlling the front court, and playing aggressively at every opportunity.
“I felt like I was in control,” Leo would later say.
“Massive, probably one of the biggest wins of my life,” Doyle stated to ESPN’s Kara Mack. “That was my third quarterfinal in a row in the quarters. Feels brilliant, massively delighted now. I can’t believe I actually won. I told myself not to even think about winning in the tiebreaker, just keep going point by point. He served well in the first gamer and I struggled with a few skips. When I got a shot, I had to just go for it because Leo can run off points.”
Lucho Cordova started well against Sean Lenning in the first game of their quarterfinal clash, building a 12-2 first game lead. Lenning caught fire, scoring eight consecutive points to climb within striking distance, but Cordova calmly closed out the first game.
Lenning led 7-5 in game two with a front court opportunity to score his eighth point but could not convert. Cordova quickly took control of the match, reading Lenning’s shots and making the right decisions to score the final ten points of the match.
“I actually enjoy playing Sean because the rallies end quick and I like anticipating his shots,” Lucho told ESPN’s Kara Mack.
Ray Ure and Danos Cordova played match one another point for point during the first two games of their quarterfinal match, with both games decided by two points. Ray hit with more precision and power in the tiebreaker, while Danos was unable to capitalize on his opportunities. Ray pulled away, defeating Danos for the second time in two Race 4 Eight matchups.
“I just told myself to be patient and thankfully my shots started to fall,” Ure would tell Kara Mack. “Daniel always keeps you on your toes because every shot has hop it on. I’m ecstatic with the win. I just wanted to keep playing and see how far I can go up the rankings.”
Semifinals
Martin Mulkerrins was clinical on his march to his fifth straight Race final and third consecutive Portland Classic final, ousting first time Race semifinalist Mark Doyle in two games. Mulkerrins’s serve and experience overwhelmed Doyle, who was unable to settle into his groove at any point during the match.
“I know what it’s like to be in your first semifinal,” Martin told Kara Mack. “Mark wanted to win that game. Early in the second game he was stepping into it more. He has made the next step, it’s only a matter of time before we see him in finals. These guys are 20 and 21 and making semifinals because they are getting so much experience and they’re learning. I felt like I served well (against Mark) and that put a lot of pressure on him.”
Ray Ure fell behind 10-0 against Lucho Cordova in their second matchup in two weeks. Ure started his comeback with three aces down the right and never relented, catching Lucho at thirteen and taking the first game with a flat roll out. Ray continued to dominate in the second, keeping Lucho off-balance with drives and kills to become the youngest Race 4 Eight finalist in the history of the tour (22).
“I’m very happy, I just want to always want to make it as far as possible,” Ure would tell Kara Mack. “My junior coach Mike Quinlan taught me to let the ball drop and step into it and my current college coach Mike Wells has helped me fine tune some things. Staying mentally focused the whole match and betting on yourself to always come back (is important). It feels amazing and I’m excited for tomorrow.”
Round of 8
Mulkerrins def Carroll 15-13, 15-3
Doyle def Canales 10-15, 15-10, 15-2
Lucho def Lenning 15-10, 15-7
Ure def Danos 16-14, 13-15, 15-7
Semifinals
Mulkerrins def Doyle 15-6, 15-3
Ure def Lucho 15-13, 15-6
Sunday, October 6th, 2024, ESPN+ Broadcast Schedule (PDT)
10:00 Men’s 9th Place Final – Fink vs Perez
10:45 Men’s 5th Place Final – Carroll vs Lenning
11:30 Men’s Pro Final – Mulkerrins vs Ure
Tune in by watching ESPN+. If you cannot get ESPN, then consider Patreon.com/wphlive for extras (some live action, rare interviews, features and more).
JR WPH Clinic
Minutes after becoming the youngest Race 4 Eight finalist in history, Ray Ure coached a junior clinic for several enthusiastic youngsters, teaching the side arm swing and playing two-bounce with the youngsters. Thank you Ray!
David Fink
WPH Senior Writer