San Gabriel, CA, WPH Press, 7/30/23
A star-studded field entered the 2023 JR Vazquez 3-Wall Doubles tournament at Smith Park in San Gabriel, CA, as former R48 #1 Mando Ortiz teamed with Eli Barajas, former SR48 #1 and R48 Elite 8 member Marcos Chavez teamed with 2023 WPH Clarkbreaker MVP Jab Bike, R48 pro Dylan Hernandez teamed with Ricardo Palma and former R48 Elite 8 member Vic Perez teamed with Carlos Chavez in the 12-team small ball open doubles field.
Team Hernandez/Palma upet JR Vazquez top seeds Vic Perez and Carlos Chavez in two games in the upper bracket semifinals to advance to the final.
Ortiz and Barajas rallied from a one-game deficit in the bottom bracket semifinals to defeat Marcos and Jab, advancing to the final in an 11-10 thriller. “Mando played really good early,” stated a disappointed Bike. “He missed some shots in the middle of the match but he finished strong.”
After taking a riveting first game that saw Team Hernandez/Palma win 21-15, Ricardo Palma was forced to take a timeout due to cramps. With Team Hernandez/Palma leading 12-8 in game two, Mando suffered from debilitating cramps that promptly brought an end to the match.
“The final was unreal,” stated Ryan “Waddy Pup” Watkins. “Everyone was in full form. Mando was vintage and Dylan/Ricardo played brilliant.”
Semifinals
Hernandez/Palma def V. Perez/C. Chavez 21-14, 21-20
Ortiz/Barajas def Chavez/Bike 218, 11-21, 11-10
Final: D. Hernandez/Palma def M. Ortiz/Barajas 21-15, 12-8, inj. fft.
Thank you to tournament directors Tom Martinez and Mark Zamora for hosting the tournament and tirelessly promoting the game for decades.
David Fink
WPH Senior Writer