2021/22 Matches of the Season Series: Carroll vs. Lucho in Tucson
WPH Showcase, Tucson, AZ
As the 2022 Icebreaker Series and the 2022/23 Race 4 Eight Tour are set to kick off, the WPH is thrilled to introduce WPH 2021/22 Matches of the Season Series, featuring the best match from each of the major stops during the 2021/22 pro handball season.
2022 R48 Hall of Fame: Killian vs. Lucho, March 6, 2022 (Spoiler: Watch this Match HERE)
Killian Carroll was seeking his tenth consecutive WPH pro singles title and seventh consecutive R48 title in the 2022 R48 Hall of Fame final against Lucho Cordova. “Every time Killian takes the court he is making history,” stated ESPN play-by-play announcer Dave Vincent. “It’s either most match wins in a row, most titles, or some historic milestone.”
Carroll had looked unstoppable throughout much of the 2021/22 R48 season, dropping just two games in his first four starts on the season. Lucho was also having a strong season, advancing to two finals in four starts.
Carroll started fast in game one of the 2022 R48 Hall of Fame final, blitzing Lucho 15-4 in just eight minutes after trailing 1-3. Similar to what Diarmaid Nash had done in game two against Carroll in Houston two weeks prior, Lucho changed gears in game two, hitting a lob serve to the left that befuddled Carroll. Carroll appeared to be out of sorts, as Cordova kept him in the back court and forced errors. “Similar situation to Houston where Nash got me out of my rhythm with the slow serve and played smart,” stated Carroll. “That’s my weakness and it’s something I’m going to try to improve.”
Carroll quickly removed any suspense that his winning streak could be coming to an end, reasserting himself in the third. Carroll scored the first six points of the tiebreaker before Lucho served. Carroll was relentless throughout the tiebreaker, never allowing Lucho into the game and cruising to his twentieth title.
“In the third, I went to the middle of the court to drill the serve down wall,” stated Carroll. “I don’t get as many aces from the middle, but I can run the ball down the walls and whenever I got a setup just went for the bottom brick.”
Final: Carroll def Lucho 15-4, 8-15, 15-1
Stay tuned for upcoming WPH 2021/22 Matches of the Season Series features.
David Fink
WPH Senior Writer