San Francisco, CA, WPH Press, 3/31/19
Sunday: Day 4
Finals Sunday featured an electric atmosphere at the Olympic Club, as the R48 and WR48 stars aimed to add their names to the WPH San Francisco crystal.
WR48 Final: Casey vs. Ni Churraoin
Catriona Casey and Ciana Ni Churraoin met for the third time in a WR48 final, with Casey appearing in her 19th consecutive WR48 final (in 19 WR48 events) and CNC booking her third finals trip in her last four WR48 starts.
Casey and CNC played to a standstill through the first half of the first game, with two of the greatest women’s athletes in the world tied at 11. “Ciana can hop the serve and she plays a lot of offense with her left,” Casey would later say.
CNC had three opportunities to win the 12th point but was unable to put the ball away. Casey capitalized on two CNC errors to serve for the game at 14-11 and an inexplicable right hand back wall error from the short line gave Casey the first game. “Just too many mistakes from Ciana to beat Catriona,” stated Marcos Chavez.
Casey seized control in game two after falling behind 2-5, scoring 13 of the final 14 points of the match to win her 17th WR48 in 19 WR48 starts.
“Ciana is really improving and she has so much power,” stated Casey. “I definitely had to be at my best. I want to wish my mom a Happy Mother’s Day (in Ireland) and I want to thank the hosts here for an incredible tournament, the WPH for the WR48 tour, and my sponsor Owen Gloves and the New York Athletic Club.”
Final: Casey def Ni Churraoin 15-11, 15-5
WR48 Playoffs
Tracy Davis overcame good friend Danielle Daskalakis to advance to the 5th place WR48 final to meet NorCal rival and sparring partner Courtney Peixoto de Melo. CPM bounced back from a quarterfinal loss to Ciana Ni Churraoin to defeat Ashley Moler en route to the 5th place final. Davis and CPM traded the lead seven times in their 65-minute one game to 25 point 5th place final, with the pair arriving at 22-all following a 28-foot left handed fly kill from Peixoto.
5th Place Playoff: Davis def Peixoto de Melo 25-23
San Francisco WR48 Finishes:
1st: Casey
2nd: Ni Churraoin
3rd: Reilly/Tully
5th: Davis
6th: Peixoto de Melo
7th: Moler/Daskalakis
R48 Final: Carroll vs. Lenning
Killian Carroll and Sean Lenning met for the third time in a R48 final this season, with the R48 #1 and R48 #2 splitting thrilling encounters in Tucson (November ’18) and Montana (January ’19). The rubber match would give the winner two R48 titles on the season, tying him with Lucho (2) and Danos (2) Cordova.
Both Carroll and Lenning started slowly in the first game of the final, as both were exhausted from a difficult road to Sunday. Carroll led 4-0 in game one before Lenning served, but an early timeout from Lenning switched the momentum, as Lenning scored 10 of the next 11 points by taking advantage of Carroll’s heavy legs. Carroll closed the gap to 9-10, but Lenning surged again, scoring the final five points to take the first game.
Carroll played with greater intensity from the first point of the second game, bouncing on his toes and diving and scrambling to keep rallies alive. Carroll also found his kill shot stroke with both hands, routinely finding the bottom board with his left and right. Carroll took control of the match midway through the second and never looked back, overwhelming Lenning with offense and defending the vaunted Lenning serve with an automatic fist to the ceiling.
With the win, Carroll now ties the “Flying Cordovas” with two titles on the season, 12 wins overall (2nd most all-time), and a substantial lead at the top of the rankings.
“I expected more from myself in the first game and I started to play better in game two,” expressed Carroll. “I hope to be able to catch Paul’s (Brady) record of 14 R48 titles (Carroll now has 11).”
Final: Carroll def Lenning 9-15, 15-6, 15-9
R48 Playoffs
Top 16 R48 pros Leo Canales, Jr. and Max Langmack battled through a loaded 22-man 17th place playoff draw, culminating at San Francisco’s South End Rowing Club. Tied at 22 in the one game to 25 point final, Langmack dove towards the back wall in a desperate attempt to return a Canales power reverse serve, dislocating and splitting open his finger and immediately putting an end to a sensational 17th place final. “Luckily my finger didn’t break or I’d be out for the rest of the year,” remarked Langmack. “I should be ok in 3-4 weeks.”
David Fink ousted Marcos Chavez en route to the 5th place final, while Vic Perez narrowly escaped Shorty Ruiz to setup Sunday’s 5th place final. Fink defeated Perez in their only encounter this season in the Tucson Hall of Fame R48LTE quarterfinals. Fink played aggressively in the 5th place final, pushing Perez side-to-side and hitting kills at a high percentage. “Fink just applies so much pressure and if you don’t put the ball down he will,” stated Marcos Chavez sitting courtside.
Both Abraham Montijo and Peter Funchion received forfeits into the 9th place final, meaning that after three matches on Friday, both had an off-day on Saturday. Funchion was too strong for Montijo in Sunday’s opening match on ESPN, overwhelming the Tucson pro to win 9th for the second time in his R48 career. “I was just too tired in there today,” stated Montijo.
5th Place Final: Fink def Perez 25-8
9th Place Final: Pet. Funchion def Montijo 25-12
17th Place Final: Canales, Jr. def Langmack 22-22 (inj. fft)
San Francisco R48 Finishes:
1st: Carroll
2nd: Lenning
3rd: D. Cordova/L. Cordova
5th: Fink
6th: Perez
7th: Chavez/Ruiz
9th: Pet. Funchion
10th: Montijo
11th: Bernhard/Pad. Funchion
13th: Cortez/Cooney/Kerr/Peixoto
17th: Canales, Jr.
Thanks!
Thank you to 2019 San Francisco R48/WR48 tournament directors Lou Barberini and Joey Mucha for working tirelessly for months leading up and during the event to make the 2019 San Francisco R48/WR48 an outstanding event!
Thank you to Joey Mucha for the Saturday night “Mucha” Bash, one of the best in R48 history!
Thank you to the WPH staff and broadcast team for another sensational event (55 awesome events and counting). Thank you to all of the donors for making the 2019 San Francisco R48/WR48 event possible and thank you to all of the players for showcasing handball at the absolute highest level.
2019 San Francisco Weekend Broadcast Replays on ESPN3 HERE
To follow all of the draws from the 2019 San Francisco R48/WR48 HERE
David Fink
WPH Senior Writer
San Francisco, CA, WPH Press, 3/30/19
Saturday: Day 3 – The R48 and WR48 draws were trimmed to two players by the end of Saturday’s play at the Olympic Club.
WR48
Catriona Casey continued to rule San Francisco, overpowering Fionna Tully in Tully’s first WR48 semifinal to book her ticket into her 19th WR48 final in 19 WR48 events. “Fionna is an excellent player with two very good hands so I needed to be at my best to beat her today,” stated Casey.
Two-time World Champion and 8-time WR48 finalist Aisling Reilly met current USHA collegiate national champion and 2-time WR48 finalist Ciana Ni Churraoin for the first time since 2016 for a spot in the final. Reilly started well, building a 5-0 lead in game one in her first inning. CNC worked her way back into the game with a medium-pace serve down the left followed by right-handed power drive or kill to tie the game at eight. CNC pulled away to win the first and appeared to be in complete control with an 8-1 lead in game two. Reilly demonstrated the skills that made her the 2012 and 2015 World Champion, hitting ace serves and back wall kills to take a 10-9 lead. CNC regrouped, scoring six of the final seven points of the match to earn the greatest match win of her career.
Casey def Tully 15-2, 15-3
Reilly def Ni Churraoin 15-11, 15-11
WR48 Final (Sunday): Casey vs. Ni Churraoin (10:45 am PST)
R48
Shorty Ruiz ran into Killian Carroll for the second time in his second R48 main draw quarterfinal, with Ruiz seeking his first R48 semifinal. Carroll built a 10-3 lead in game one, capitalizing on nine Ruiz errors and three ace serves. Ruiz called his second timeout and blitzed Carroll for eight straight points following the 60-second break, taking an 11-10 lead. Ruiz’s second serve at 11-10 came around the revolving door, leading to a Carroll kill and halting Ruiz’s momentum. Carroll scored five consecutive points and cruised in game two against an exhausted Ruiz. “I was just trying to maintain my front court positioning and not let him push me into the back corners where he could dump balls for kills,” stated Carroll to ESPN reporter Kara Mack.
Lucho Cordova faced the LAAC’s Vic Perez in a rematch of February’s New Orleans R48LTE, with Perez aiming to earn his second win against Lucho in eight R48 meetings. Lucho demonstrated his sensational anticipation against Perez, digging nearly all of Perez’s best shots and executing his patented right hand kills to continue his mastery against Perez. “I don’t know what it is but I just seem to be able to read Vic’s shots really well,” stated Lucho
Danos Cordova was aiming for his seventh R48 semifinal of the season, but would have to overcome R48 #8 Marcos Chavez. Chavez defeated Danos at the 2017 Player’s Championship. Cordova dominated game one, defending Chavez’s best shots and shooting the ball with both hands to route the greatest 45-year old athlete on the planet. “I only scored one point and that was on a Sapo (lucky shot),” yelled Chavez in between games.
Danos raced to an 8-1 lead in game two and his seventh R48 semifinal of the year appeared to be a certainty. Chavez caught fire, climbing back into the match with revolving door kills and punch-fist re kills. Chavez forced overtime after facing match point but could not force a third game. “I really could have won that in overtime but I didn’t convert a couple of back shots,” lamented Chavez.
Sean Lenning and David Fink met for the second time in three weeks, with Fink defeating Lenning in the semifinals of the Tucson USHA/WPH Hall of Fame R48LTE in mid March. Lenning was out for blood in the final quarterfinal of the morning, dominating Fink from the beginning to end to secure a two-game sweep.
R48 Quarterfinals
Cordova def Perez 15-7, 15-10
Cordova def Chavez 15-1, 16-14
Lenning def Fink 15-3, 15-4
R48 Semifinals
Killian Carroll found himself down 1-13 in game one of the first semifinal, as Lucho Cordova pushed Carroll all over the court and dominated the action during the first 14 points. The game appeared to be just a formality, with Cordova needing just two points to clinch the one-game lead. Carroll, however, had other ideas. Carroll dove multiple times in nearly every rally, including seven dives in one rally and found his serve to change the momentum of the match, reeling off 14 consecutive points to stun Lucho.
Lucho demonstrated his resilience in game two, finding a way to overcome his first game loss to take a 14-9 lead in game two. Carroll staged another comeback, this time scoring six consecutive points to serve for the match at 15-14. Lucho earned the side out and scored three consecutive points to force a third game.
The tiebreaker was all Killian Carroll, as the R48 #1 was in control from start to finish to make his third consecutive R48 final. “That should have been the final,” exclaimed Carroll following the match. “Luis is playing outstanding ball. When I got down I was telling myself that I was fit enough to win a third game.”
Danos Cordova led throughout a laid back first game against Lenning, with both guys appearing content to hit half speed shots and paddle kills. “This definitely has a different intensity than the first semifinal, almost lackadaisical,” stated ESP play-by-play announcer Dave Vincent. Lenning continued to play laid back ball in game two, but unlike in game one, converted a high percentage of his kill shot attempts to force a third.
Lenning stayed in the groove in game three, finding the right balance between being relaxed and intense. Lenning held Danos to just one kill on the 17-point third game, while killing 19 balls, including five flat roll outs. Lenning ended the match on a 30-8 run, winning his four Saturday games by allowing six points or less.
“I felt relaxed in there and I was impressing myself with a lot of the shots I was making,” stated Lenning while patting himself on the back. “Sometimes you have to give yourself credit and today I deserve some.”
Carroll def L. Cordova 15-13, 15-17, 15-1
Cordova Lenning
R48 Final (Sunday): Carroll vs. Lenning (11:45 PST)
2019 San Francisco Broadcast Schedule on ESPN3: Sunday, March 31, 10 am-1:30 pm PST. Watch ESPN3 HERE
To follow all of the draws from the 2019 San Francisco R48/WR48 HERE
10:00AM VIC PEREZ VS DAVID FINK (5TH FINAL) OR PETER FUNCHION VS ABE MONTIJO (9TH FINAL)
10:45AM CIANA NI CHURRAOIN VS CATRIONA CASEY
11:45AM KILLIAN CARROLL VS SEAN LENNING
David Fink
WPH Senior Writer
San Francisco, CA, WPH Press, 3/29/19
Friday: Day 2
The R48 and WR48 top stars were in action in the Golden Gate City on Friday, with the action starting at 8 am and continuing late into the evening. Players and fans were treated to outstanding facilities and hospitality, equaled only by the outstanding play by the R48 and WR48 elite stars.
WR48
The 2018/19 WR48 kicked off its second event of the season, as the top women’s stars took to the Olympic Club’s famed courts in pursuit of WR48 ranking points and the coveted WR48 San Francisco title.
Catriona Casey continued her mastery at the Olympic Club, picking up where she left off in her 2015 90-7 romp by crushing Irish counterpart Megan McCann in two games to advance to her 19th WR48 semifinal in 19 WR48 starts.
Fiona Tully overcame New York’s Danielle Daskalakis in a thrilling three-game battle in the round of 16 and defeated current USHA Women’s Classic champion and WR48 #3 Ashley Moler in the quarterfinals to advance to her first WR48 semifinal.
Cianna Ni Churraoin was too strong for NorCal’s Courtney Peixoto de Melo, taking down the 2004 USHA national women’s finalist and 2018 WR48 Las Vegas finalist in two games. CNC will be seeking her third WR48 final in her last four WR48 starts on Saturday.
Aisling Reilly made her first WR48 start in nearly three years, looking as sharp as ever in defeating WR48 #2 Tracy Davis in two games.
WR48 Quarterfinal Finals
Tully def Moler 15-9, 15-13
Ni Churraoin def Peixoto de Melo 15-6, 15-5
Reilly def Davis 15-4, 15-7
WR48 Semifinals (Saturday)
Reilly vs. Ni Churraoin (2:45 pm PST)
R48 Qualifier
The R48 San Francisco qualifier concluded on Friday morning, as the top eight players advanced through one of the deepest and largest qualifier draws of the season.
Texas legend Adam Bernhard survived a razor close match with Danny Bell in his opening round qualifier match and did the same against the Olympic Club’s Erik Torres to qualify for the first time this season. Bernhard maintained his composure against a pro-Torres crowd and the 2017 Olympic Club champion, going down to one knee to execute a one-inch high kill to earn the 22nd point and ending the match with three back wall kills.
The NYAC’s Stephen Cooney avenged an earlier season loss to Max Langmack to qualify for the second time this season, chopping down handball’s tallest pro with precision fist kills and passes.
Sean Kerr staged the second largest qualifier comeback of the season (Canales Atlanta ’18), trailing the Olympic Club’s Loren Collado 6-19 before embarking on a 19-3 run to end the match and qualify for the second time this season (Montana ’19).
2019 All Ireland 40×20 semifinalist Paddy Funchion overcome the tour’s 2019 breakout star Leo Canales, Jr., making clutch shots to pull away from the “Juarez Kid” at 21-all to qualify for the first time in 11 months.
Abraham Montijo was too strong and too experienced for the SERC’s Coleman McGrath, creating openings with percentage play to dominate the future R48 star. “I mentally prepared for a very close match and when I got a lead and I just kept pushing,” stated Montijo.
Peter Funchion and Shorty Ruiz cruised in their qualifier finals, dominating the two highest ranked stars in Canada. Funchion ousted Michael Gaulton, while Ruiz outscored Ryan Bowler 10-2 in the second half to qualify for a record-breaking 13th consecutive time.
R48 Qualifier Finals
Bernhard def Torres 25-22
Cooney def Langmack 25-14
Pad. Funchion def Canales, Jr. 25-21
Montijo def McGrath 25-10
Pet. Funchion def Gaulton 25-13
Ruiz def Bowler 25-12
R48 Main Draw
The R48 Elite 8 picked numbers out of a hat and chose their round of 16 qualifier opponents based on the number they chose.
Killian Carroll faced a stern test from countryman Peter Funchion, as the R48 #1 found himself tied with Funchion at 10 in game one in his first R48 start in two months. Carroll found his groove, scoring 20 of the final 23 points of the match to advance.
Daniel Cordova faced longtime R48 rival Stephen Cooney, overcoming the “Coon Dogg” in two games. “I can’t hop the ball but Daniel sure can,” barked Cooney.
Sean Lenning trailed first-time qualifier (LAAC R48 Pre Qualifier ’18) John Wayne Cortez 3-12 in game one before a furious rally saw Lenning take game one in overtime and dominate game two.
Lucho Cordova ousted rising Irish and R48 star Sean Kerr, Vic Perez was steady and consistent in eliminating 2018 NYAC quarterfinalist Paddy Funchion, while David Fink weathered a second-game rally from Adam Bernhard to advance.
Shorty Ruiz was seeking his first main draw win of the season and second of his career, but would need to tackle 13-time Olympic Club champion Emmett Peixoto on his home court. The pair split the first two games, with Ruiz gaining the upper hand with a 10-6 third-game lead. Peixoto scored six consecutive points to serve at 12-10 when the controversies started. Peixoto hit a re kill that he was unsure he got on the first bounce, leading to a long discussion and a replay. In the same inning, Peixoto’s second serve rolled out on the back wall, but Peixoto argued that the tape on the back wall caused the roll out, leading to another replay. Peixoto would eventually serve for the match at 14-10 but a Ruiz return of serve kill and four straight points sent the match to overtime. Peixoto would serve again at 14-14 but a quick side out opened the door for Ruiz. An ace down the left and a first-strike kill ended the match for Ruiz. “I hit a perfect reverse down the left for the 15th point and a kill after a good serve for the match,” stated Ruiz. “I’m feeling really good this tournament.”
Marcos Chavez and Abraham Montijo split the first two games in a nearly 100-minute match. Chavez dictated play in the third game of the match with a soft serve and off-speed passes and back wall kills, taking control of the game from the outset to advance to his fifth quarterfinal of the season. “I just couldn’t play my game,” lamented Montijo. “He got me into this old man’s game with a good slow serve and I just couldn’t get into the service box enough to play my style.”
R48 Main Draw Round of 16 Finals
Carroll def Pet. Funchion 15-10, 15-3
Cordova def Cooney 15-7, 15-9
Lenning def Cortez 16-14, 15-1
Cordova def Kerr 15-11, 15-7
Perez def Pad. Funchion 15-11, 15-5
Fink def Bernhard 15-0, 15-9
Ruiz def Peixoto 6-15, 15-7, 16-14
Chavez def Montijo 15-8, 12-15, 15-5
Carroll vs. Ruiz (10 am PST)
Cordova vs. Perez (10:45 am PST)
Cordova vs. Chavez (11:45 PST)
Lenning vs. Fink (12:45 PST)
Thank you to Alex Tico for hosting a number of the world’s best players in a sensational tour around San Francisco in one of the best late-night dinners, desserts, and sight-seeing journeys in R48 history!
2019 San Francisco Broadcast Schedule on ESPN3: Saturday, March 30, 10 am-7 pm PST, Sunday, March 31, 10 am-1:30 pm PST. Watch ESPN3 HERE
To follow all of the draws from the 2019 San Francisco R48/WR48 HERE
David Fink
WPH Senior Writer
WPH R48PRO STOP #5 & OLYMPIC CLUB INVITATIONAL
BROADCAST SCHEDULE
OLYMPIC CLUB, SAN FRANCISCO, CA
MARCH 28-30, 2019
(All Times Pacific)
Follow the draws, HERE: https://goo.gl/yahS8w
Sunday, March 31st — LIVE on ESPN3 & WatchESPN App ~ 10am – 1:30pm
10:00AM VIC PEREZ VS DAVID FINK (5TH FINAL) OR PETER FUNCHION VS ABE MONTIJO (9TH FINAL)
10:45AM CIANA NI CHURRAOIN VS CATRIONA CASEY
11:45AM KILLIAN CARROLL VS SEAN LENNING
*Troubles watching on ESPN3? Gather more info on how to tune in via your smart device, smart TV, Xbox, Amazon Fire TV, Roku and more, go to http://www.espn.com/watch/. Streaming info on ESPN is found here: https://goo.gl/KGBuzT.
**WPH Patreon Supporters having alternative viewing options that will be posted each day; plus exclusive player interviews, and more! www.patreon.com/wphlive
San Francisco, CA, WPH Press, 3/28/19
Thursday: Day 1
The 55th Race 4 Eight event in the eight-year, 16-state history of the tour kicked off at San Francisco’s Olympic Club on Thursday with a special R48/WR48 player trip to Alcatraz, followed by a packed evening of R48 qualifier handball featuring 36 hungry qualifiers in search of one of the eight spots in Friday’s 16-player R48 main draw.
David Fink teamed with fellow SR48 star Pete Papathemetrios to face Marcos Chavez and John Vargas in the first handball match at Alcatraz since 1963. The foursome battled 40 mile per hour winds and dazzled more than 1,000 Alcatraz tourists in a three-game thriller, ultimately won by Fink/Papa. “That’s definitely the most fun I’ve had playing handball,” barked Fink. “What an experience!”
Thursday Night Qualifier
The qualifier featured a number of close matches on Thursday nights. Top R48 stars Loren Collado, Abraham Montijo, Shorty Ruiz, Leo Canales, Jr., and Max Langmack advanced on Thursday night to setup a sensational Friday morning qualifier lineup.
Follow all of the qualifier brackets HERE
San Francisco R48/WR48 Full Player Preview HERE
For more info on the 2019 San Francisco, including starting times and to follow the brackets go HERE
2019 San Francisco Broadcast Schedule on ESPN3: Saturday, March 30, 10 am-7 pm PST, Sunday, March 31, 10 am-1:30 pm PST. Watch ESPN3 HERE
Become a WPH Patreon HERE
2018/19 Race 4 Eight stats HERE
2018/19 Race 4 Eight Preview HERE
2017/18 R48 and WR48 Match Analytics HERE
Handball Terminology + Instruction and R48 Rules HERE
Race 4 Eight Pro Player Bios HERE
WPH Power Rankings HERE
DF’s R48 Fun Facts and Trends HERE
Race 4 Eight History of Champions and Finalists HERE
WPH RACE 4 EIGHT: The World Players of Handball’s 2018/19 Race 4 Eight 8 Powered by ESPN features R48 stops in Georgia, Arizona, Oregon, Montana, Louisiana, and California, all culminating with The Player’s Championship in Utah in May of 2019.
Similar to NASCAR’s Nextel Cup and the FedEx PGA Playoffs, players earn points in the Race 4 Eight’s regular season stops to qualify for the season-ending Player’s Championship and bonus prizes.
For more information on the WPH Race 4 Eight, please contact World Players of Handball Executive Director David Vincent at dave.vincent@wphlive.tv or World Players of Handball Development Director David Fink at david.fink@wphlive.tv. For more information on the World Players of Handball, please visit wphlive.tv
Support the WPH and inspiring the next generation of players by becoming a WPH Patreon. Enjoy never before seen videos, pro commentary, special awards, Sports Casts archives and new episodes, live broadcasts, and much more. Become a WPH Patreon HERE
David Fink
WPH Senior Writer
WPH R48PRO STOP #5 & OLYMPIC CLUB INVITATIONAL
BROADCAST SCHEDULE
OLYMPIC CLUB, SAN FRANCISCO, CA
MARCH 28-30, 2019
(All Times Pacific)
Follow the draws, HERE: https://goo.gl/yahS8w
Saturday, March 30th – LIVE on ESPN3 & WatchESPN App ~ 10am-6pm
MEN’S PRO QUARTERFINAL’S
10:00AM KILLIAN CARROLL VS SHORTY RUIZ
10:45AM VIC PEREZ VS LUIS CORDOVA
11:45PM DANIEL CORDOVA VS MARCOS CHAVEZ
12:45PM DAVID FINK VS SEAN LENNING
WOMEN’S PRO SEMIFINALS
1:45PM CATRIONA CASEY VS FIONA TULLY
2:45PM CIANA NI CHURRAOIN VS AISLING REILLY
MEN’S ELITE PRO SEMIFINALS
3:45PM MEN’S ELITE PRO SEMIFINALS TBD
4:45PM MEN’S ELITE PRO SEMIFINALS TBD
Sunday, March 31st — LIVE on ESPN3 & WatchESPN App ~ 10am – 1:30pm
10:00AM MEN’S ELITE PRO 9TH PLACE OR 5TH PLACE TBD
10:45AM WOMEN’S PRO FINAL TBD
11:45AM MEN’S ELITE PRO FINAL TBD
*Troubles watching on ESPN3? Gather more info on how to tune in via your smart device, smart TV, Xbox, Amazon Fire TV, Roku and more, go to http://www.espn.com/watch/. Streaming info on ESPN is found here: https://goo.gl/KGBuzT.
**WPH Patreon Supporters having alternative viewing options that will be posted each day; plus exclusive player interviews, and more! www.patreon.com/wphlive
San Francisco, CA, WPH Press, 3/20/19- The World Players of Handball’s Race 4 Eight Tour is thrilled to host the 2019 R48/WR48 San Francisco, March 28-31, 2019 at the famed Olympic Club, with Saturday and Sunday action broadcast live on ESPN3.
2019 San Francisco R48/WR48 info HERE
Become a WPH Patreon HERE
Olympic Club homepage HERE
The 2019 R48/WR48 San Francisco marks the 55th event in the history of the Race 4 Eight tour, with the tour spanning 16 states in the R48’s first eight seasons. The 2019 R48/WR48 San Francisco will feature the top eight pros on the R48 Men’s Pro tour, with the “Elite 8” R48 pros joined by 37 qualifier hopefuls, including the Olympic Club’s Erik Torres, Loren Collado, Anthony Collado, David Sanchez III, and Chris Tico.
San Francisco’s Olympic Club will proudly host the Race 4 Eight for the second time since first stop in the Golden Gate City in 2015. The Olympic Club is one of the country’s most celebrated athletic clubs, home to five U.S. Open Men’s Golf Championships and proud sponsor of many of the country’s best athletes. Players and fans will be treated to outstanding facilities and a special Saturday night “Mucha Party” following the R48 and WR48 semifinals.
WR48
San Francisco features the 19th stop in the history of the WR48, dating back to the inaugural WR48 event at the 2013 Simple Green U.S. Open. The WR48 San Francisco ‘19 features six ranked WR48 stars, highlighted by 16-time WR48 champion and WR48 #1 Catriona Casey.
Catriona Casey will face one of the best WR48 fields in the 19-event, six-year history of the WR48 tour at the Olympic Club, as Aisling Reilly will make her first start on the WR48 in nearly three years, while rising star Ciana Ni Churraoin is aiming for her first WR48 title after advancing to the finals in her last two starts.
Top U.S. WR48 stars Tracy Davis, Ashley Moler, Courtney Peixoto de Melo, and Danielle Daskalakis will be aiming to defend the American flag, with each superstar trying to become the first American-born WR48 champion.
Breaking down the WR48
Catriona Casey: Casey was ruthless in her conquest of the 2015 WR48 Olympic Club, outscoring her three opponents 90-7 (93%), a record that still stands for the largest margin of victory on the Race 4 Eight tour. Casey brings a 55-2 WR48 match record to the 2019 WR48 San Francisco and will be the prohibitive favorite at the OC
Tracy Davis: Davis is a living legend who continues to add to her legacy at 42 years of age. Davis owns more than 40 national pro championships and currently sits at #2 on the WR48, a testament to her skill and dedication
Ashley Moler: Moler is a former college softball star who brings tremendous athletic ability to the WR48. Moler recently won 2019 USHA Women’s Classic (March) in dominating fashion and currently holds the WR48 #3 ranking, the highest ranking of her WR48 career
Courtney Peixoto de Melo: CPM is a former USHA 4-Wall national singles finalist and current WR48 #5. CPM advanced to her first WR48 final 13 months ago in Las Vegas, defeating her weekly sparring partner Tracy Davis en route to the final. CPM honed her skills at the Olympic Club and will be supported dozens of fans in downtown San Francisco
Cianna Ni Churraoin: CNC has announced herself as one of Catriona Casey’s greatest challengers on the WR48, pushing Casey to a tiebreaker in the 2017 WR48 NYAC final and nearly forcing a third game at the 2018 WR48 Tucson Memorial final (November). CNC is the current USHA collegiate national champion and has advanced to the final of her last two WR48 starts
Danielle Daskalakis: 2D is the 2015 World WallBall champion and one of the game’s greatest cross over stars. 2D advanced to the semifinals of her only WR48 start in 2018 (NYAC) and currently sits in the WR48 top 10
Aisling Reilly: 2012 and 2015 4-Wall World Champion Aisling Reilly makes her return to the WR48 after nearly three years off the tour, seeking her second WR48 title. Reilly is just one of three players to have won a WR48 title (Casey, McMahon) and has appeared in the most WR48 finals (8) of any WR48 star outside of Catriona Casey
Can Cianna break through? Can Aisling win her second WR48 title? Will an American make history? Tune in to ESPN3 on March 30-31 to find out.
R48
The 2018/19 R48 Men’s Pro season has featured four different champions in six events, six different finalists, and the arrival of the “Flying Cordovas” as a force on Sundays. “This has been the most exciting season in professional handball history with all of the great matches and different players winning,” stated the USHA’s Matt Krueger.
Breaking Down the Elite 8
Killian Carroll has maintained his R48 #1 ranking despite winning just one of the first six events, in large part due to his consistency, as “Flash” has appeared in three finals in his four R48 8 starts. Carroll won six of seven events during the 2017/18 R48 7 season and adding the World Championship in August, making Carroll the undisputed #1 player in the sport
Sean Lenning has remained the R48 #2 on the heels of a dominant win at the 2018 Tucson Memorial (November) and a finals appearance at the 2019 Montana Red Death. Lenning has looked unstoppable at times this season and will look to bring that dominant form to Frisco.
Danos Cordova has climbed into the top two (tied with Lenning) after his second win of the season at the 2019 R48LTE USHA/WPH Hall of Fame (March). Danos started the season at #4 and made his breakthrough in his third R48 final at the 2018 Portland (December), dismantling Carroll en route to his first title. Danos has positioned himself for a chance at the year-end #1 ranking.
Lucho Cordova started the season at #6 and wasted little time climbing into the top three, clinching his maiden R48 title on his home court in Atlanta in the first stop of the season (October). Lucho has advanced to the semifinals or better in all six of his R48 8 starts, including his second R48 victory at the 2019 New Orleans R48LTE (February).
Vic Perez has climbed three spots since the start of the season, advancing to the quarterfinals or better in his six R48 8 starts this season. Perez advanced to his first R48 final at the 2019 New Orleans R48LTE (February), where the LAAC’s top-ranked star ousted Danos Cordova in the semifinals.
David Fink has notched wins this season against R48 top five stars Danos Cordova, Sean Lenning, and Vic Perez, while losing tiebreakers to Killian Carroll and Lucho Cordova. Fink advanced to his first final in 23 months at the 2019 R48LTE USHA/WPH Hall of Fame (March) and will aim to build on that momentum in San Fran
Emmett Peixoto will be defending his home court at the 2019 R48 Olympic Club, a venue that has seen “The Rock” win an astounding 16 Olympic Club singles championships. Peixoto has been sponsored by the Olympic Club since he was a teenager and has been aiming to peak for March’s R48 Olympic Club stop all season
Marcos Chavez continues to defy Father Time with an inspiring 2018/19 season that has seen the Southern California Handball Hall of Famer earn his way into the R48 Elite 8 for the first time. Chavez boasts impressive wins this season against Peter Funchion, Emmett Peixoto, David Fink, and Shorty Ruiz, while nearly defeating Vic Perez and Lucho Cordova. Known for his back wall prowess, Chavez is always dangerous.
R48 Qualifier
The qualifier field in San Francisco is one of the deepest and most talented of the season, as a combination of young guns and wily veterans will look to supplant the R48 Elite 8.
Breaking Down the Frisco Qualifier
Jonathan Iglesias advanced to the quarterfinals at the R48 8 Portland (December) by defeating David Fink and currently sits at #10, his highest ranking since 2016. Iglesias’ blend of outdoor and indoor skills makes “Churches” a very difficult matchup for any pro
Erik Torres is former Olympic Club singles champion (2017). ET advanced to the quarterfinals in Portland (December) by defeating Mando Ortiz and currently sits at #11. Torres possesses the smoothest strokes on the tour while generating effortless power. Torres’ fans have been waiting for their man to crack the sport’s elite, will it happen on his home courts?
John Wayne Cortez: “True Grit” pre-qualified for San Francisco at the LAAC R48 Pre Qualifier (December), knocking out Dylan Hernandez in the final. Cortez had been on the cusp of qualifying for several years and by virtue of his LAAC Pre Qualifier victory will play in the R48 main draw for the first time. JWC is a dangerous sharpshooter who has the game to take down just about anybody in the sport
Shorty Ruiz will be seeking his 13th straight qualifier in San Francisco, a record-streak that started in the spring of 2017. Ruiz’s best finish of the season was 9th at the 2018 Tucson Memorial (November). Ruiz currently sits at #12. Ruiz is the three-time 3WallBall 3-Wall singles world champion and has all of skills to become one of the best indoors as well
Leo Canales, Jr: The 2018 USHA collegiate national champion is enjoying a breakthrough season with wins against Mando Ortiz, Jonathan Iglesias, and Shorty Ruiz. Canales has moved up 15 ranking spots thus far this season, currently sitting at a career-best #13. Canales is the youngest player in the R48 top 15 and appears to be on the road to the Elite 8
Danny Bell: The 2005 USHA national pro singles finalist still has plenty of game in his late 50’s, as evidenced by winning the 2018 Albany Open (November), defeating three former pro players along the way. Bell with bring his dump shots and fiery intensity to Frisco, aiming to become the oldest qualifier in R48 history
Chris Tico was a former top 12 pro on the USHA Spalding/Gatorade pro tour in the late 1990’s/early 2000’s and will be attempting to qualify for the first time on the R48. Tico is in great form, having just dominated the 50+ singles at the USHA National Master’s singles two weeks ago in Tucson
Abraham Montijo is one game’s steadiest players, armed with a tremendous serve and revolving door back wall kill. Montijo has been plagued by injuries in the past two seasons but appears to be healthy now, a dangerous proposition for the tour
Loren Collado has been steadily improving, adding shots and wins to his CV and sitting at #14 on the tour. Collado plays a “throwback” game that relies on percentage shot making and punishing his opponent’s mistakes. The Olympic Club sponsored Collado will be aiming for his first main draw R48 win of his career on his home courts
David Sanchez III is the current USHA 15-and-under 1-Wall, 3-Wall, and 4-Wall singles and doubles national champion, and is quickly closing the gap on earning his first R48 ranking point. DS3 captured a highly competitive “A” bracket at the USHA Hall of Fame tournament (March) and will aim to parlay his strong play into a spot in San Francisco’s R48 main draw
Coleman McGrath: Santa Barbara’s crew star is undoubtedly one of the fittest stars on the R48 tour and a potential future #1. McGrath qualified for the first time at the 2018 R48 Portland (December), overpowering R48 veteran Stephen Cooney en route to an 11th place finish
The Funchion Brothers are similar to the Bay Area’s “Bash Brothers” of the late 1980’s, as the Irish powerhouse brothers bring a lot of game to the tour. Look for the Irish Bash Brothers to make some noise in San Fran
Young Guns: Ivan Burgos, Michael Gaulton, Sean Kerr, and Max Langmack are 20 years younger than several of the Elite 8 stars…it’s only a matter of time until these Young Guns make their marks on the professional level
Ryan Bowler: The “Bowl Dog” has been proudly carrying the Maple Leaf for five years on the R48 tour, representing the Great White North with tremendous hustle and a great attitude. Bowl Dog has given many of the R48 stars fits and will look to do the same at the Olympic Club
Adam Bernhard: “Weekend at Bernie’s” was spit out from a 1950’s time machine, a cerebral assassin armed with a deft ceiling touch, lob serve, precision fist shots, and a deadly back wall kill to unsettle even the game’s top stars. Bernie will be seeking his first qualifier breakthrough in more than one year in San Fran.
The San Francisco qualifier starts on Thursday night at 6 pm PST at the Olympic Club and will be completed on Friday morning. The R48 main draw will commence late on Friday morning, while the WR48 will also kickoff on Friday morning.
ESPN3 2019 San Francisco Broadcast Schedule:
Saturday, March 30, 10 am-7 pm PST
Sunday, March 31, 10 am-1:30 pm PST
Watch ESPN3 HERE
Become a WPH Patreon HERE
2018/19 Race 4 Eight stats HERE
WPH R48 Power Rankings: here
R48 Fun Facts and Trends: here
Race 4 Eight History of Champions and Finalists: here
WPH RACE 4 EIGHT: The World Players of Handball’s 2018/19 Race 4 Eight 8 Powered by ESPN features R48 stops in Georgia, Arizona, Oregon, Montana, Louisiana, Texas, and California, all culminating with The Player’s Championship in Utah in May of 2019. Similar to NASCAR’s Nextel Cup and the FedEx PGA Playoffs, players earn points in the Race 4 Eight’s regular season stops to qualify for the season-ending Player’s Championship and bonus prizes.
For more information on the WPH Race 4 Eight, please contact World Players of Handball Executive Director David Vincent at dave.vincent@wphlive.tvor World Players of Handball Development Director David Fink at david.fink@wphlive.tv. For more information on the World Players of Handball, please visit wphlive.tv
David Fink
WPH Senior Writer
WPH R48PRO STOP #5 & OLYMPIC CLUB INVITATIONAL
BROADCAST SCHEDULE
OLYMPIC CLUB, SAN FRANCISCO, CA
MARCH 28-30, 2019
(All Times Pacific)
Follow the draws, HERE: https://goo.gl/yahS8w
Saturday, March 30th – LIVE on ESPN3 & WatchESPN App ~ 10am-6pm
10:00AM – 12:45PM MEN’S ELITE PRO QUARTERFINALS
1:45PM – 3:45PM WOMEN’S PRO SEMIFINALS TBD
3:45PM – 6:00PM MEN’S ELITE PRO SEMIFINALS TBD
Sunday, March 31st — LIVE on ESPN3 & WatchESPN App ~ 10am – 1:30pm
10:00AM MEN’S ELITE PRO 9TH PLACE OR 5TH PLACE TBD
10:45AM WOMEN’S PRO FINAL TBD
11:45AM MEN’S ELITE PRO FINAL TBD
*Troubles watching on ESPN3? Gather more info on how to tune in via your smart device, smart TV, Xbox, Amazon Fire TV, Roku and more, go to http://www.espn.com/watch/. Streaming info on ESPN is found here: https://goo.gl/KGBuzT.
**WPH Patreon Supporters having alternative viewing options that will be posted each day; plus exclusive player interviews, and more! www.patreon.com/wphlive