Saturday at the TEDI
Tucson, AZ, WPH Press, 10/24/26
Ray Ure and Ivan Burgos entered the TEDI II on the heels of winning the USHA Four Wall National Doubles Championship at the Tucson Racquet Club in June and were determined the add the TEDI to their CV.
Ure has been the hottest player in handball since April, winning the Race 4 Eight Player’s Championship in May, the USHA Four Wall Nationals in June, and the 2026 R48 Red in September. Ure’s last 4-Wall singles loss was to his TEDI partner, Ivan Burgos, at the Race 4 Eight LAAC in March.
After a slow start in their opening match on Friday against Team Paddle, Team Bure obliterated Team Bike/Hernandez in the bottom bracket semifinal on Saturday morning, allowing Team Digi Flex just seven points in two games. “There is nothing you can do when Ray gets going like that,” Hernandez would later say. “Ray was just stepping back and killing everything, even with his left, and if we went to Ivan, he killed everything too.
Team Bure faced Team Cordova in the final, after Team Cordova cooled off Team Lenning/Chapman in the upper bracket semifinals in two games.
Team Cordova entered the 2026 TEDI final a perfect 5-0 in five matches at the TEDI and looked to be in good position to extend their unbeaten streak, seizing an 8-5 lead in the first game of the final. Team Bure dominated the match from there, ending the first game on a 10-4 streak and taking a huge lead in the second and clinching the title.
“When they went on a run in the first game, we were still getting our opportunities, we were just missing,” Ure would later tell the WPH. “We took a timeout and recollected ourselves.”
“We stopped forcing shots that we didn’t have to,” added Burgos. “We were taking shots when both of them were in the front. We knew we had to get at least one of them out of there. From playing each other over the years, we know each other’s games so well. It shows when we play against each other, it always ends up being a great game. It gives us an understanding of our roles in doubles.”
“It’s nice to work together (in winning doubles) and have a level of teamwork and cooperation,” stated Ure.
“In handball, most of the time we are playing singles and it’s nice to win something as part of a team,” stated Burgos.
Semifinals
Team Cordova def Team Lenning/Chapman 15-7, 15-13
Team Ure/Burgos def Team Bike/Hernandez 15-1, 15-6
Final: Team Ure/Burgos def Team Cordova 15-12, 15-6
Fifth Place Final: Team Canales/Montijo def Team Mulkerrins/Munson 15-11, 9-15, 15-8
Thank you to tournament visionaries and directors Ashley Ruiz, Jeff Healam, and Doug Clark for an outstanding event.
Watch all of the action on Dave Vincent’s Facebook page HERE
Follow the brackets from the 2026 TEDI HERE
David Fink
WPH Senior Writer