Los Angeles, CA, WPH Press, 12/9/23
The fourth Race 4 Eight Pre Qualifier of the 2023/24 season featured an outstanding draw with seven current Race 4 Eight pro players and five formerly ranked pro players, including two-time Race 4 Eight champion and former Race 4 Eight #1 Mando Ortiz making his first tournament start in more than five years. Team LAAC grabbed the top two seeds in the 2023 LAAC Race 4 Eight Pre Qualifier, with Race 4 Eight #11 Vic Perez earning the top seed on the heels of an outstanding start to the season highlighted by his first Race 4 Eight semifinal appearance in three years at November’s Tucson Memorial and Dylan Hernandez taking the second seed after tenth and ninth place finishes in Portland and Tucson, respectively, to kickoff his Race season.
Tournament host and R48 top 12 pro Vic Perez outclassed the field in the upper bracket, defeating formerly ranked Race 4 Eight pro John Wayne Cortez convincingly in the quarterfinals and sending a message against rising star Ray Ure in the semifinals. “Vic made no hand errors (against Ray),” reported SR48 pro and WPH correspondent Chris “Waddy Dog” Watkins. “Hard to believe but Vic wore him down and Ray was making hand errors as a result. Vic pushed Ray deep in the back court and Ray was forced to shoot from deep with Vic parked on the short line.” Perez allowed just nine points against Ure on his home court to advance to the final.
The bottom bracket was wide open, with former Race 4 Eight #1 Mando Ortiz (Where Are They Now Mando Ortiz HERE) making his first tournament start in six years, surging R48 #14 Dylan Hernandez, R48 #15 Stephen Cooney and left-handed powerhouse and R48 #27 Jab Bike. Ortiz survived a tiebreaker in his opening match against Ricardo Palma, as Palma pushed one of his heroes to the limit. “Ricardo played better than ever,” barked Waddy Dog.
Ortiz made surprisingly easy work of Hernandez in the quarterfinals, dropping the most recent Race 4 Eight ninth place winner in two games to meet Stephen Cooney in the bottom bracket semifinals. Cooney advanced to the semifinal with a stunning third game comeback against Bike, trailing 9-13 before scoring the final six points of the match. “Stephen just kept scoring (from 9-13) and I couldn’t convert when I got back into serve a few times,” lamented Bike. “I skipped a ball by like half an inch at 13-9. That’s usually how it goes.”
Ortiz and Cooney played at a high level with high intensity throughout their three-game battle. After Ortiz took the first game, Cooney bounced back to take the second. “Both were on and you could see the determination from both,” reported Waddy Dog. “There really were no easy points. Rallies were extended through grit with clean kills from both. When there were misses, they were skips by a small distance. In the end, Mando dialed up the serve and ended with power kills or power passes. Both were spot on with defensive ceiling shots exercising patience. It was a great match!”
The final was another clinical performance from Perez, as Perez was too steady and too strong for the come-backing Ortiz. “I served well in the first game,” stated Perez. “I had about five aces left and right. Long rallies in the second game. Mando had throwback moments, but I won most rallies.”
“Mando’s two handed power was there and he looked great,” reported Waddy Dog. “Mando pushed hard and was able to dig into the deep bank of tournament pressure point experience. With fitness he is still a top six threat. Just didn’t have any legs for the finals Head to head for a one off match he could bring it to anyone.”
With his steady game, fitness and experience, Perez has clearly announced himself as one of the world’s best after his three-year hiatus to train and work for the LAFD and will be on the short list of favorites to finish the season in the Race 4 Eight Elite 8.
“The LAAC was a very well ran tournament,” stated Stephen Cooney. “If it wasn’t for Vic Perez and the help of the LAAC it wouldn’t have happened. Appreciate making it a Pre Qual also.”
Semifinals
Perez def Ure 15-5, 15-6
Ortiz def Cooney 15-8, 9-15, 15-9
Final: Perez def Ortiz 15-2, 15-4
Watch the matches from the LAAC R48 Pre Qualifier on Chris Watkins Facebook page HERE
Thank you to Vic Perez for organizing and hosting the 2023 LAAC Race 4 Eight Pre Qualifier. Thank you to Chris “Waddy Dog” Watkins for updates from the LAAC. LAAC tournament pictures courtesy of Vic Perez.
WPH LAAC Destination Series HERE
WPH Race 4 Eight Legends Where Are They Now – Marcos Chavez HERE
2023 LAAC Race 4 Eight Pre Qualifier draw HERE
2023/24 Race 4 Eight Pre Qualifiers
- October 13-15, 2023 Texas A&M R48 Pre Qualifier – Champion Diarmuid Mulkerrins, RecapHERE
- October 21-22, 2023 Olympic Club R48 Pre Qualifier – Champion Stephen Cooney, RecapHERE
- November 10-12, 2023 University of Texas R48 & WR48 Pre Qualifiers – Champions Diarmuid Mulkerrins (R48), Aoife Holden (WR48), RecapHERE
- December 8-9, 2023 LAAC R48 Pre Qualifier – Champion Vic Perez
David Fink
WPH Senior Writer