Day 2
Chicago, IL, WPH Press, 7/12/25
More mild temperatures greeted the Icebreaker pros on quarterfinal and semifinal Saturday at La Grange, as the temperatures and humidity were down from a stifling Friday.
Quarterfinals
Jab Bike and Shorty Ruiz kicked off the quarterfinals, with Jab taking a one-game lead on the strength of his left-handed power serve and drives. Ruiz, who has been playing some of the best ball of his life leading up to La Grange, bounced back to win the second and force a tiebreaker. Bike took control from the outset of the tiebreaker, surging to a 7-0 lead and booking a spot in his first Icebreaker semifinal.
Lucho battled with Erik Torres throughout their first game, with Torres pushing Lucho back with drives and Lucho playing solid handball from the back of the court to stay in rallies. Lucho took a close first game but fell behind 2-10 in game two. Lucho closed out the match with a 19-1 run, setting up a semifinal with Icebreaker rival Bike.
David Fink dominated the first game against tournament host and R48/SR48 pro Dave Munson in his second consecutive match against a David. (Elkin – four Dave’s appeared in the bottom portion of the draw). Munson started hitting the ball with much more power and precision in the second, building a lead with a hop serve to the left and right and a strong overhand game. Munson led 20-12 but Fink struck a fly kill from 32 feet to earn a side out and promptly scored seven consecutive points to cut the deficit to one. Fink had a good look at the twentieth point but left a first-strike fly kill up in the right corner and lost the rally on the twelfth shot with as 45-foot Munson kill. Munson ended the game with another Steph Curry logo bomb, forcing a tiebreaker to the delight of his delirious fans. Fink regained control in the tiebreaker, racing to a 5-0 lead in the first inning and never allowing Munson into the game.
Ray Ure and Danos Cordova played the third tiebreaker in the quarterfinals, with the two pushing one another to the limit in the grueling three-game marathon. Ure took the first game, while Danos took the second with an impressive serve-and-drive game. Seeking his first Icebreaker semifinal, Ure built a lead in the tiebreaker with strong serve returns and bottom board right-handed kills. Ure would close out the match on his third match point, setting up an Icebreaker rematch with Fink from the 2024 December Race 4 Eight Icebreaker.
Semifinals
Jab Bike appeared to be on the verge of his first final and first win against Lucho, leading 17-13 in the first. A left-hand error led to the wheels falling off, as Lucho completely took control of the match with his unmatched anticipation and denying Bike offensive opportunities. Lucho scored the final 29 points of the match and will play for a chance to win his seventh Icebreaker crown on Sunday.
Ray Ure was seeking revenge against seven-time Icebreaker champion David Fink in the bottom bracket semifinal after losing to Fink in the 2024 December Icebreaker quarterfinals. Ure started hot, punishing serves into the deep court and blasting winners and drives from well behind the back line. Ure led 16-5 and withstood a late Fink rally to take a one-game lead.
The second game was close throughout, as Fink worked his way into rallies and scored points off his short serve to the left. Ure led 17-15, but Fink quickly streaked to a 19-17 lead. A side out after a poor Fink serve and error was the opening Ure needed, as the young phenom scored four consecutive points to make his first Icebreaker final. “Ray played really well today,” Fink would later say. “Great serves and he played awesome from the deep court. I thought I played well but it was not enough today.”
Round of 16
Lucho def D. Schmitt 21-17, 21-7
Fink def Elkin 21-9, 21-5
Danos def Mehilos 21-11, 14-21, 11-3
Jab Bike def Szatkowski 21-4, 21-15
Ruiz def Collado 21-1, 21-0
Ure def Schmitt 21-1, 21-9
Munson def Streibig 21-11, 21-19
Torres def Chapman 21-11, 21-15
Round of 8
Lucho def Torres 21-18, 21-12
Fink def Munson 21-4, 19-21, 11-2
Ure def Danos 21-15, 14-21, 11-7
Bike def Ruiz 21-15, 11-21, 11-1
Semifinals
Lucho def Bike 21-17, 21-0
Ure def Fink 21-12, 21-19
Final (9 am CST): Lucho vs. Ure
Watch the matches on Shorty Ruiz’s Facebook page HERE
Follow all of the results from the 2025 La Grange Icebreaker HERE
David Fink
WPH Senior Writer