Day 2
Los Angeles, CA WPH Press, 3/22/25
Saturday at the 2025 LAAC Race 4 Eight featured tiebreakers in all four R48 Men’s Pro quarterfinals and both semifinals, a new star and a world championship rematch on the WR48, and a first-time finalist on the SR48.
R48 Men’s Pro Saturday
Upper bracket
Martin Mulkerrins and Sam Esser kicked off Saturday with a thriller, as Esser seemed destined to score his first career victory over the R48 #1. After trailing 1-6 to start the match, Esser caught fire, winning eleven of twelve points to take a commanding 12-7 first-game lead. Esser closed out the first game but dropped game two and trailed 3-11 in the tiebreaker. With the writing seemingly on the wall, Esser surged, catching Mulkerrins at twelve and eventually holding match point at 15-14. Esser played the rally with match point too conservatively, opting for a pass with his left on his of the shots he normally kills. Mulkerrins pulled his third Houdini act of the season, avoiding the upset to move into the semifinals.
Diarmaid Nash and Leo Canales met for the second consecutive event and third time in ten months in Saturday’s second quarterfinal. Nash started slowly, unable to match Leo’s aggression and dropped the first game. Canales stood just two points from the match at 13-12 in game two but could not finish the match, allowing Nash to steal the game and force a third. Nash was in control in the third, surviving a late Canales push to advance to face Mulkerrins.
Junior rivals Mulkerrins and Nash met for a spot in Sunday’s final, with Mulkerrins bidding for his thirteenth Race 4 Eight title and Nash his first. The pair split lopsided games to set up a tiebreaker, with Mulkerrins overwhelming Nash in the first and Nash keeping Mulkerrins off-balance in the second. Mulkerrins took control of the third game from the outset and the wheels came off for Nash late in the game, sending Mulkerrins to his fifth final of the season.
Bottom bracket
Ray Ure faced Sean Lenning for the second time on tour, with Ure taking their first encounter in the fifth place playoffs in Juarez last season. Ure quickly realized that this encounter would be very different, trailing 0-13 in the first game before earning his first side out. After the first game blowout, Ure remained composed, working his way into the match by matching Lenning’s power and aggressive play. Lenning was two points from the semifinals at 13-12 in the second, but Ray showed his tremendous composure, earning a side out and ending the game with three consecutive unreturnable serves. The third game resembled the first but in Ure’s favor, as Ure rode the momentum from his game two escape to a dominant win in the tiebreaker.
Lucho Cordova found himself in his seventh tiebreaker of the season in his quarterfinal matchup with Mark Doyle, dropping the first game against the versatile Doyle before bouncing back to force a tiebreaker. Lucho led 12-6 in the third but Doyle continued to battle, matching Lucho shot for shot. Doyle’s rally would end at eleven, as Lucho stayed undefeated in deciders on the season.
Lucho and Ure met for the fourth time this season in the bottom bracket semifinals, with Lucho winning two of their three matches in tiebreakers and Ure winning their other match in two games. Ure was in control in game one, leading 14-12 and on the cusp of a one-game lead. Lucho’s pressure and error-free handball allowed him to stay in the game, eventually winning in overtime. Ure would not allow a Lucho comeback in game two, building a big lead and closing out the game with no theatrics. In as nearly identical scenario to Montana six weeks ago, Ure was in control of the third game, leading 11-7 and seemingly on the verge of his second career final. Lucho summoned the shot making and will he seems to always find late in tiebreakers, holding Ure on eleven and scoring the final eight points of the match.
Round of 8
Mulkerrins def Esser 12-15, 15-9, 17-15
Nash def Canales 10-15, 15-13, 15-10
Lucho def Doyle 8-15, 15-4, 15-11
Ure def Lenning 2-15, 15-13, 15-3
Semifinals
Mulkerrins def Nash 15-3, 9-15, 15-4
Lucho def Ure 16-14, 7-15, 15-11
Final: (Sunday on ESPN+, 11:15 am PST): Mulkerrins vs. Lucho
W48 Saturday
Upper bracket
Mollie Dagg announced herself as a top star on the WR48, defeating current WR48 #1 Mikaila Esser in two games in their quarterfinal. Current world champion WR48 Memorial champion Ciana Ni Churraoin met Dagg in the upper bracket semifinal after defeating Aoife Holden in two close games.
Ni Churraoin has too much big match experience for Dagg in their first WR48 matchup in the upper bracket semifinals, as her precision and power stifled Dagg’s offensive designs. Despite the loss, Dagg will be a force on the WR48.
Bottom bracket
Clodagh Munroe joined Mikaila Esser in Saturday morning’s WR48 bracket buster, as the number two seed and former WR48 finalist was eliminated by 2023 WR48 Rookie of the Year Eilise McCrory in McCrory’s first WR48 start of the season.
Martina McMahon was aiming for her second consecutive WR48 final and third overall and kept her goals intact with a two-game sweep against the LAAC’s Danielle Daskalakis.
McMahon was too strong for McCrory in the bottom bracket semifinal between the two lefties, overwhelming McCrory in the first game with double-bounce serves to the left and right that McCrory could only watch. McCrory was more competitive in game two but never threatened, setting up a world championship final rematch between McMahon and Ni Churraoin on Sunday.
WR48
Round of 8
Dagg def Esser 15-12, 15-5
McCrory def Munroe 15-9, 15-2
McMahon def Daskalakis 15-11, 15-0
Ni Churraoin def Holden 15-10, 15-9
Semifinals
Ni Churraoin def Dagg 15-6, 15-6
McMahon def McCrory 15-5, 15-9
Final (Sunday on ESPN+, 9:45 am PST): Ni Churraoin vs. McMahon
S48 Saturday
Upper bracket
David Fink faced a difficult road on his quest for his sixteenth SR48 title, facing multiple-time national champion George Garcia in the quarterfinals and tournament host Rafa Martinez in the semifinals, who authored an impressive upset against multiple-time SR48 finalist Bill Mehilos in their quarterfinal encounter. Fink cruised past Garcia in two games in the quarterfinals but found himself receiving serve at 13-12 in game one against Martinez. Fink avoided the scare and assumed control of the match in game two to advance to his seventeenth SR48 final.
Bottom bracket
After being awarded a forfeit in his quarterfinal match, Sean Lenning faced Marcos Chavez in the bottom bracket semifinal after Chavez had defeated Chris Watkins earlier in the day. Lenning was too strong for the SR48 legend, picking up Chavez’s best shots and earning quick points off his serve and first-strike to advance to his first SR48 final in his first SR48 start.
Round of 8
Fink def Garcia Jr. 15-8, 15-5
Lenning def Ojeda (fft)
Chavez def Watkins 15-8, 15-8
Martinez def Mehilos 15-4, 15-13
Semifinals
Fink def Martinez 15-13, 15-2
Lenning def Chavez 15-8, 15-3
Final (Sunday on ESPN+, 9 am PST): Fink vs. Lenning
Follow all of the brackets from the 2025 LAAC HERE
Armando Ortiz Awarded
On Saturday afternoon, all play at the facility was halted as Armando Ortiz Jr was added to the Los Angeles Athletic Club’s historic Hall of Fame. An emotional Ortiz thanked fans, the LAAC handball board of directors and members, plus his family for giving him the opportunity to represent the sport of handball and the LAAC membership over a career that started when he was in his teens and most recently during his mid-30’s comeback.
“I just cannot explain what I’m feeling at this moment,” said the teary-eyed Ortiz, as he addressed the LAAC gallery. “I couldn’t have done this without the support of my family.”
David Fink
WPH Senior Writer
2025 WPH R48Pro #6 LAAC Open
Los Angeles, CA – March 22 & 23, 2025
ESPN+ Broadcast Schedule
(Pacific Time)
Saturday, March 22nd – All Times Pacific Daylight Time (PDT)
0900 Men’s Pro Quarterfinal – Mulkerrins def Esser 2-15, 15-9, 17-15
0945 Men’s Pro Quarterfinal – Nash def Canales 10-15, 15-13, 15-10
1030 Men’s Pro Quarterfinal –L. Cordova def Doyle 8-15, 15-4, 15-11
1115 Men’s Pro Quarterfinal – Ure def Lenning 2-15, 15-13, 15-3
1200 Women’s Pro Semi – Ni Churraoin def Mollie Dagg 15-6, 15-6
1245 Women’s Pro Semi – McMahon def McCrory 15-6, 15-9
1500 Men’s Pro Semifinal – Mulkerrins def Nash 15-3, 9-15, 15-4
1600 Men’s Pro Semifinal – Luis Cordova def Ray Ure 16-14, 9-15, 15-13
Sunday, March 23rd – All Times Pacific Daylight Time (PDT)
0900 Senior 40+ Final – David Fink vs Sean Lenning
0945 Women’s Pro Final – Ciana Ni Churraoin vs Martina McMahon
1030 Men’s Pro 9th – Ruiz vs Bike (TBD)
1115 Men’s Pro Final – Martin Mulkerrins vs Luis Cordova Jr
Watch LIVE on ESPN+ beginning Saturday morning, March 22nd, 2025. All times Pacific. Gather rare player interviews, video clips, backcourt games and some streaming action LIVE via Patreon at: patreon.com/wphlive. WPH active members that CANNOT receive the feed, please contact the WPH Saturday morning before the first match at info@wphlive.tv. Follow the draws once they are activated (Friday morning) on R2sports: HERE.