Day 2: Cardiac Lucho Comes from the Brink Twice
Missoula, MT, WPH Press, 2/1/25-
R48
Top two seeds Mulkerrins Mulkerrins and Lucho Cordova appeared to be on the verge on elimination in the quarterfinals. Mulkerrins trailed Ivan Burgos 1-6 and 6-12 in the third game before staging an incredible rally, scoring the final nine points of the match. Mulkerrins was no stranger to comebacks at the 2025 Red, rallying from a 3-9 tiebreaker deficit in his opening round match against John Chapman and somehow doing it again in the quarterfinals.
Mulkerrins was dominant in his semifinal win against surprise semifinalist Max Langmack, handing the 6”8 star a two-game loss after Langmack earned his spot in the semifinals with a sensational three-game win against David Fink.
“I am dealing with a lot of blisters on my feet,” Mulkerrins would later say. “I don’t think I’ve ever been this taped up. It made me a little cautious but also wanting to go for kills.”
Lucho Cordova appeared to be out of the tournament late in the second game against seventh-seeded Sam Esser, trailing 12-15, 6-12. In a match reminiscent of Esser’s loss to Mulkerrins at the 2024 Juarez where Esser was unable to close with a one-game and 12-2 lead, Esser once against found himself on the wrong end of another miraculous comeback. Lucho scored nine of the final ten points of the second game and dominated the third, ending the match on a 24-4 run.
“Sam was playing really good in the first and second game,” stated Lucho. “He was getting everything and hitting great shots. I think he got a little tired in the tiebreaker.
Ray Ure conquered Leo Canales in their second career matchup to meet Lucho in the semifinals. “I have been thinking about getting revenge for that Juarez match for a year, so it feels really good,” stated Ure, who bounced Canales in two games with an incredible power serve and first-strike offense.
After splitting the first two games of the bottom bracket semifinal, Lucho appeared to be spent, trailing throughout the tiebreaker but somehow managing to dig Ure’s kills. With Ure leading 12-8, Lucho summoned his champion’s will, methodically chipping away at the lead.
After scoring four consecutive points, Lucho hit a power serve to Ure’s left at 12-all, which Ure killed, but instant replay ultimately ruled the serve a short. Ure would not serve again, as Lucho survived his second match of the day where he stood three points from defeat.
“Ray really pissed me off,” stated the normally mild-mannered Lucho to ESPN’s Kara Mack. “He was talking during the rallies and calling two bounces on me and that really lit a fire. I started going for the serve down the left when I was down 8-12 and got one ace and one setup and that’s what changed. Physically I felt like my legs were super tired against Sam earlier. I didn’t really feel bad in the match against Ray. I’m excited for tomorrow.”
R48
Round of 8
Mulkerrins def Burgos 9-15, 15-5, 15-12
Langmack def Fink 12-15, 15-7, 15-9
Ure def Canales 15-10, 15-7
Lucho def Esser 12-15, 15-13, 15-3
Semifinals
Mulkerrins def Langmack 15-6, 15-6
Lucho def Ure 15-7, 5-15, 15-12
R48 Final (Sunday, 11:30 am MST): Mulkerrins vs. Lucho
WR48
Clodagh Munroe entered the 2025 Red as the top seed in a WR48 stop for the first time and cruised past first-time WR48 pro Jodie Keeling in two games. Fourth-seeded and 2024 WR48 Rookie of the Year Niamh Heffernan met Munroe in the upper bracket semifinals, defeating the scrappy Aoife Holden in two games.
Munroe and Heffernan met for the second time on the WR48, with Heffernan defeating Munroe in the quarterfinals of the 2024 Player’s Championship on her way to her first final. Heffernan was clinical in winning her second consecutive WR48 semifinal, keeping Munroe’s back pinned to the back glass while dominating the front court with power drives and fist shots to the roof.
2018 world champion and 2024 world finalist Martina McMahon was making her first start on the WR48 in more than five years and looked every bit as formidable as ever, dominating Ashley Ruiz in the quarterfinals and doing the same to the Wicebreaker queen Mikaila Esser in the semifinals. McMahon started the semifinal against Esser with fourteen consecutive points in the first inning, mostly on ace serves to the left and right. Esser was more competitive in game two, extending rallies but ultimately falling short.
“When I first came back (from back surgery) I could only throw the ball for two minutes before I would have to stop,” McMahon would tell ESPN’s Kara Mack. “Ashely and Mikaila are very tough and they never give up. Niamh and I played in the final of the Golden Gloves a few months back (read about November 2024’s Golden Gloves final HERE) and it was a good match so I’m looking forward to tomorrow.
Round of 8
Munroe def Keeling 15-9, 15-2
Heffernan def Holden 15-7, 15-7
Esser def Marble 15-2, 15-1
McMahon def Ruiz 15-2, 15-1
Semifinals
Heffernan def Munroe 15-2, 15-6
McMahon def Esser 15-1, 15-5
WR48 Final (Sunday, 10:45 am MST): Heffernan vs. McMahon
Thank you
Thank you to tournament director Don Schmidt and tournament manager Ashley Ruiz for an outstanding Saturday at the Red. Thank you to the WPH broadcast team of Dave Vincent, Linda Manning, Che Lowenstein, and Kris Gurrad for streaming Saturday’s matches on ESPN+.
Follow all of the brackets from the 2025 Montana Red HERE
David Fink
WPH Senior Writer
2025 WPH R48Pro Stop #4 ‘The Red’ – ESPN+ Broadcast Schedule
Missoula Montana – February 2, 2025
Sunday, February 2nd, 2025 (Mountain Standard Time)
10:00 Men’s 5th Final Canales (AZ) vs Burgos (AZ)
10:45 Women’s Final Heffernan (IRE) vs McMahon (IRE)
11:30 Men’s Pro Final L. Cordova (MEX) vs Mulkerrins (IRE)
Watch all the action LIVE on ESPN+. Get interviews, some live coverage and extras at Patreon.com/wphlive