DF’s WPH Outdoor: By the Numbers: 2012-Present
The WPH Outdoor Player’s Cup Tour started in 2012, hosting 38 handball events in California, Mexico, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Utah, and Florida. WPH Outdoor has provided a platform for the greatest big ball handball stars in the world to showcase their talents on an international stage, with WPH Outdoor elite stars featured live on ESPN3 several times a year. WPH Outdoor elite stars also serve as role models and coaches to junior handball players at WPH Outdoor stops.
Let’s break down some of the WPH Outdoor stats and trends in the WPH Outdoor By the Numbers
The first WPH Outdoor event was held in May of 2012 in Huntington Beach
WPH Outdoor has hosted 38 official ranking events since May of 2012
The youngest singles champion in WPH Outdoor history was Juan Santos, 17 years and 11 months
Tracy Davis became the oldest WPH Outdoor singles champion in history at 40 years 3 months at the WPH Outdoor RFC in July of 2017. Tracy was also the second oldest champion in WPH Outdoor history at the 2016 WPH Outdoor Xrossover
The largest junior clinics in WPH Outdoor history were the Venice Mega Clinic and 1-Wall Junior Shootout ’15 (85 junior players), the Back to School Bash Junior Clinics and 3-Wall Showdown (120 junior players), and the Vegas 3WallBall Outdoor Championships Junior Clinic and Tournament ’15 (75 junior players)
Samzon Hernandez and Juan Santos are tied for the most WPH Outdoor singles titles in the history of the WPH Outdoor tour (13).
The only players to win a WPH Outdoor Big Ball Men’s Pro Singles titles besides Santos and Hernandez are Alfredo Morales (2), R. Ruiz (1), B. Medina (1), L. Valencia (1), Manny Suarez (1), T. Gonzalez (5), and H. Velez (1)
Juan Santos, Samzon Hernandez, Manny Suarez, and Carlin Rosa are the only players to be ranked #1 on the WPH Outdoor tour
The oldest WPH Outdoor men’s pro singles champions were Lobo Valencia at the 2015 Venice Xrossover and Carlin Rosa at the 2018 Florida Cup (both 34)
The WPH Outdoor has hosted 21 women’s pro singles events since May of 2012
Tanisha Groomes has won the most WPH Outdoor singles titles (13)
The only players to have won a WPH Outdoor women’s singles title besides Groomes are A. Moler (2), T. Davis (2), C. Casey (2), Ciana Ni Churraoin (1), Danielle Daskalakis (3), Sandy Ng (1)
The youngest WPH Outdoor women’s pro singles champion in history was Ciana Ni Churraoin at the 2016 Vegas Lte (19)
Timothy Gonzalez won the first 1-Wall pro singles WPH Outdoor ranking event in history (Downey ’16). Gonzalez added 1-Wall ranking event titles at the Las Vegas 3WallBall Outdoor World Championships ’16 and the Simple Green U.S. Open ‘16
Marcos Chavez is the oldest WPH Outdoor singles finalist in history (42 at the Salt Lake City Aces ’16)
The only players to hold simultaneous Big Ball and Small Ball rankings on the Race 4 Eight tour and the WPH Outdoor Tour are Marcos Chavez, Mando Ortiz, Catriona Casey, Ciana Ni Churraoin, Shorty Ruiz, Dr. Ashley Moler, David Fink, and Luis Cordova
David Fink and Luis Cordova are the only current pros to be ranked on both the Race 4 Eight and WPH Outdoor tours
WPH Outdoor Men’s and Women’s Big Ball Pro (A) Singles and Doubles entries by the season:
Men’s singles players: 159
Men’s doubles teams: 113 (226 players)
Women’s singles players: 28
Women’s doubles teams: 5 (10 players)
Total men’s players: 385
Total women’s players: 38
Total players: 423
Men’s singles players: 155
Men’s doubles teams: 79 (158 players)
Women’s singles players: 35
Women’s doubles teams: 15 (30 players)
Total men’s players: 313
Total women’s players: 65
Total players: 378
Men’s singles players: 148
Men’s doubles teams: 131 (262 players)
Women’s singles players: 31
Women’s doubles teams: 6 (12 players)
Total men’s players: 410
Total women’s players: 43
Total players: 453
Men’s singles players: 175
Men’s doubles teams: 112 (224 players)
Women’s singles players: 27
Women’s doubles teams: 6 (12 players)
Total men’s players: 399
Total women’s players: 39
Total players: 438
Men’s singles players: 251
Men’s doubles teams: 135 (270 players)
Women’s singles players: 49
Women’s doubles teams: 31 (62 players)
Total men’s players: 521
Total women’s players: 80
Total players: 601
*Season V included 1-Wall Men’s and Women’s Singles and Doubles from the 2016 3WallBall Outdoor World Championships
Total men’s players through 29 events: 1,932
Total women’s players through 17 events: 257
Total combined players: 2,189
Men’s singles players: 185
Men’s doubles teams: 92
Women’s singles players: 30
Women’s doubles teams: 4
Season VII (2018)
Men’s singles players: 53
Men’s doubles teams: 34
Women’s singles players: 17
Women’s doubles teams: 13
Tanisha Groomes has won 13 of 17 WPH Outdoor (3-Wall) women’s pro singles events in which she has entered (76%)
The only players to defeat Tanisha Groomes in WPH Outdoor 3-Wall Big Ball women’s singles are Catriona Casey (Xrossover ’15), Danielle Daskalakis (3WallBall Outdoor World Championships ’14 and ‘16), Ciana Ni Churraoin (Vegas Lte, ’16)
Ashley Moler won the first WPH Outdoor women’s pro singles event at the Cinco de Mayo 3 Wall Big Ball Shootout ’12 (defeated Mel Sky). Moler won her second WPH Outdoor title at the 2017 WPH Outdoor Royal Flush in Las Vegas in February of 2017
Samzon Hernandez was ranked in the top two of the WPH Outdoor rankings from the start of the tour in May of 2012 until February of 2016. Hernandez returned to the top spot after slamming at the 2017 WPH 3WallBall Royal Flush
Juan Santos won the first WPH Outdoor men’s pro singles event at the Cinco de Mayo 3 Wall Big Ball Shootout ’12 (defeated R. Ruiz)
Tanisha Groomes has faced match point and won seven times in WPH Outdoor women’s singles matches (most in WPH Outdoor history)
Sal Duenas made the longest streak of consecutive WPH Outdoor starts with 36 until missing the ’18 Florida Cup in January of 2018
Alfredo Morales won his first WPH Outdoor Singles title at the X Fest II in his sixth appearance in a WPH Outdoor Singles final. Morales added his second WPH Outdoor singles title at the 2017 WPH Outdoor Salt Lake City (2-6 in finals)
Through five singles starts on the WPH Outdoor 6 tour, Samzon Hernandez owns a 14-4 record (78%). Timbo Gonzalez owns a 10-4 record (71%)
Ciana Ni Churraoin became the second Irish-born player to win a WPH Outdoor Big Ball Pro Singles Title at the 2016 Vegas Lte, 11 months after her compatriot Catriona Casey won the X Fest I in June of 2015
In seven WPH Outdoor V Women’s Pro Singles events, there were seven different winners:
Vegas Lte (May): Ciana Ni Churraoin
X-Fest Small Ball 3-Wall (June): Catriona Casey
X-Fest Big Ball 3-Wall (June): Tanisha Groomes
X-Fest Big Ball 1-Wall (June): Tracy Davis
3WallBall Big Ball 1-Wall (September): Jenny Qu
3WallBall Big Ball 3-Wall (September): Danielle Daskalakis
U.S. Open (October): Sandy Ng
The seven different women’s singles champions during the WPH Outdoor V season traveled from two states and two countries
Danielle Daskalakis, Jenny Qu, Tracy Davis, Sandy Ng (New York)
Tanisha Groomes (California)
Catriona Casey, Ciana Ni Churraoin (Ireland)
Samzon Hernandez has never lost a 3-Wall Big Ball singles match at the Simple Green U.S. Open (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016)
Manny Suarez was the only last player to have started a WPH Outdoor singles event and never lost a match (IceMan ’17). Suarez lost his first WPH Outdoor singles match at the 2017 WPH Outdoor Salt Lake City
Hector Velez became the first player to defeat Timbo Gonzalez in 1-Wall Big Ball pro singles on the WPH Outdoor tour in the 2018 WPH Outdoor Castle Hill Florida Cup 1-Wall Big Ball singles final
The “Super Team” of Juan Santos and Samzon Hernandez marked the first time that two former #1 WPH Outdoor Men’s pros teamed up in doubles (IceMan ’17: semifinal loss, Royal Flush ’17: win)
Catriona Casey has never lost a Small Ball 3-Wall Women’s singles match in WPH Outdoor history (or in her career). Casey did lose a small ball 1-Wall singles match at the WPH Outdoor RFC ’17 (Davis)
Timbo Gonzalez and Christina Aguilera became the first brother and sister to play against one another in the Mixed Doubles final at the 2018 WPH Outdoor Castle Hill Florida Cup (Aguilera teamed with Carlos Pena to defeat Gonzalez and Veronica Figueroa)
Philadelphia’s Sam Sanford was the only player in WPH Outdoor history to have never lost a doubles match (3WallBall ‘17, SGUSO ’17) until losing in the semifinals of the 2018 WPH Outdoor Castle Hill Florida Cup
To view the WPH History of Champions and Finalists, click here
David Fink
WPH Senior Writer