Kane’s opponent today in the Finals, #2 ranked Rocky Carson, performed at a level that was the best racquetball he has played in several years. With one exception, and that being Alvaro Beltran, Rocky walked through his opponents in his prior matches with the same ease that Kane walked through Rocky in their Finals match today. The big difference is that this is routine for Kane, while it is an accomplishment for Rocky Carson.  Kane defeated Rocky in three straight games 11-3, 11-5 and 11-1.

The recent retirements of #4 ranked Jack Huczek and #7 ranked Mitch Williams will only solidify the absolute dominance of the IRT Tour by Kane. Some say the only person that can challenge Kane is Alvaro Beltran. Alvaro lost to Rocky Carson in the Quarters yesterday in a controversial and much heated match that went 5 tough and grueling games, 12-10, 9-11, 3-11, 11-9 & 11-9. Kane’s current winning streak of 117 straight games began after he last lost a racquetball match in 2009 to Alvaro Beltran in Los Angeles, California. Alvaro has since undergone two knee surgeries and has been plagued with chronic back problems. His overall fitness has also been questioned, although he looks to be in outstanding physical shape for the start of the new IRT season.

Current #3 ranked Ben Croft is always an exciting player to watch and is  never to be taken lightly. Ben recently began his new career as an executive at Racquetball Warehouse in San Luis Obispo CA, and it could be a challenge to maintain the top level of play and fitness necessary to compete on the Tour while he is working in a new career full-time. Ben Croft lost to Rocky Carson in the Semi-finals and was not very impressive in that showing. Ben lost in three straight games,  11–1, 11–4 and 11–5.  On a positive note, Ben did not receive any technical fouls the entire tournament.

With the upcoming US Open Grand Slam tournament at the Target Center in Minneapolis MN in three weeks, I predict Kane to continue his dominance by winning an unprecedented and record-setting 7th US Open Championship title.

The IRT today has a lot of up-and-coming future stars from all over the world who are positioning themselves for the coveted IRT top 10 rankings. As I said in an earlier blog on 40By20.com, it is safe to say that the next crop of IRT Top-10 candidates will most likely have the  name of “Herrera” or “Alejandro”, or be from a Spanish-speaking country. Even Kane’s Pro Kennex teammate and teenage protégé, Daniel De La Rosa of Mexico, is highly considered as a potential candidate to make the IRT Top-10 this year.

With the exception of Andy Hawthorne  and Chris Crowther, there really are no “old-school” players left in the IRT Top-10 rankings. Andy had a very successful opening tournament in Kansas  by making the Semi-finals before losing to Kane Waselenchuk in three straight games 11-5, 11-3 and 11-0.

Barring injury or the unlikely event of mental lapses due to sheer boredom, I fully expect Kane to finish this new IRT season undefeated, including victories at the scheduled three coveted  Grand Slam  tournaments – the US Open in Minneapolis, the Bolivia Grand Slam, and the Ektelon Nationals in Fullerton, CA.

Some say the sport would benefit from others to step up and challenge Kane yet I for one am enjoying watching this era of dominance and I am looking forward to several seasons of success by the person I can now describe as the greatest racquetball player of all time–Kane Waselenchuk.

***40By20.com  News & Info Blog Exclusive***

WPRO Boycotting 3 WallBall Championships Las Vegas

Sunday, 8/28/2011

40by20.com has learned that the governing body of women’s professional racquetball (WPRO) has elected to boycott the 2011 3 WallBall Championships in Las Vegas, Sep 21 – 25.  The boycott affects the Top-16 WPRO  professional players.  (Click HERE for current WPRO rankings).

The WPRO boycott is reportedly the result of an unresolved dispute over certain demands and conditions that the WPRO attempted to negotiate on behalf of it’s contracted players.  The WPRO reportedly demanded that 3 WallBall Championships organizers comp additional benefits and agree to certain guarantees for the WPRO.

40by20.com attempted to contact WPRO Commissioner Gigi Rock for official comment but as of publication we have not received a response.

WOR Executive Director and 3 WallBall Championships Co-organizer Hank Marcus did respond to our request for comment and told 40by20.com, “We welcome WPRO players and believe it is unfortunate that WPRO leadership has elected to boycott our event.   We find this decision regrettable and hope WPRO leadership will reconsider their decision so that fans and players alike can enjoy watching the best female racquetball players in the world.”

Mike Coulter, Event Promoter for the 3 WallBall Championships was also interviewed by 40By20.com.   Mr. Coulter told 40By20.com, “The WPRO was demanding certain monetary assurances and expense compensation, but they were not willing to give any guarantees or commitments in return to our event.  After talks with the WPRO to negotiate their demands, which regrettably led to this point, the  WPRO  has chosen not to participate in the tournament.  We welcome continued talks and we are willing to table negotiations of  their demands in looking forward towards next year’s event.”

The 2011 3 WallBall Championships is the second in a row of a series of scheduled annual Las Vegas Grand Slam events that includes outdoor racquetball, handball and paddleball divisions.  The tournament is open to the public and is held on the famous Las Vegas Strip at the Stratosphere Hotel and Casino.  Last year the five-day tournament drew over 400 players from around the world and was viewed by thousands of fans in attendance and over live streaming worldwide internet broadcasts.

Wednesday, August 16, 2011
SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA– Racquetball Warehouse, official retailer of USA Racquetball and the International Racquetball Tour, has announced the hiring of top ranked professional player, Ben Croft. Croft will join the team as Business Manager with additional responsibilities as a buyer and content provider.

During his transition from the court to the office, Croft will continue to play on the pro tour, attending most major events and tournaments. “We are extremely excited to bring Ben’s talent, passion and invaluable insight to Racquetball Warehouse. We are equally eager for him to continue his reign on the court in support of his career, the IRT and the many fans who love to watch him play,” said Racquetball Warehouse Operations Manager, Ben LoBue.

With the season fast approaching, HEAD Penn and Racquetball Warehouse will join forces in a unique partnership to support Croft during the 2011-12 season. Ben Simons, HEAD Penn’s Senior Business Manager for Racquetball, expressed accolades for Croft. “Ben is an intelligent young man with a true passion for the sport of racquetball. I am confident that he will excel in his new role with Racquetball Warehouse. HEAD Penn remains committed to supporting his efforts on the court and appreciates the opportunity to co-sponsor his activities with Racquetball Warehouse for the coming season.”

Ben Croft, who has already made the move to California, begins his new responsibilities at Racquetball Warehouse on August 22, 2011.

ABOUT RACQUETBALL WAREHOUSE

Racquetball Warehouse was started in 2003 as a sister company to online market leader Tennis Warehouse. Since then it has come to the forefront of specialty racquetball retailers with a focus on customer service and product information. Racquetball Warehouse is an official partner of USAR, IRT and WOR. To learn more about Racquetball Warehouse, visit: http://www.racquetballwarehouse.com/.

To connect, visit: http://www.facebook.com/racquetballwarehouse

and http://twitter.com/rbwarehouse.

Last year, Paola earned 228.75 points at the World Championships in New Orleans with her second place finish. This year she earned 300 points — 160 x 1.875 points. Note 1.875 is our Grand Slam multiplier. The points from last year were replaced by the points earned this year so Paola had a net gain of 71.25 points for that event to close out the 2010-2011 season. Rhonda Rajsich earned 127.50 points for her semifinal finish at the World Championships last year. This year, she earned 210 points — 112 x 1.875 — for her second place finish. This gave her a net gain of 82.50 points. With Rhonda’s 13.77 points going into the 2011 World Championships and 11.25 points more than Paola’s net gain from last year appearance, Rhonda has earned more total points in 14 tournaments. Therefore, Rhonda is the #1 ranked player for the 2010-2011 season. Note: Paola did not compete in the Tier 1 event in Olympia, Washington.

The 12 month cycle is currently being used by pro tours across a variety of sports around the world and has been used by the WPRO for many years. Moving forward, in an effort to eliminate any confusion, the WPRO will also publish a “year-to-date” compilation of ranking points. This will allow the players and others to see the current standings as we go.

Please visit http://www.wpro-tour.com/rankings.asp for the complete 2010-2011 season ending rankings and http://www.wpro-tour.com/resources.asp to view the WPRO Ranking System.

_____________________________________________________________________________
The Women’s Professional Racquetball Organization (WPRO) is the governing body of a growing membership of the highest-level professional female racquetball players in the world. The WPRO is currently comprised of elite athletes representing over a dozen countries, including the United States, Mexico, Chile, Canada, Puerto Rico, Japan, Dominican Republic and Colombia.

Shannon Feaster
WPRO Commissioner

Commissioner Ellis stated that Rhonda actually clinched the coveted National Championship title by winning her Semi’s match on Saturday. The WPRO National Championship title is based upon a 52 week point accumulation methodology. According to Commissioner Ellis’ calculations, Rajsich clinched the National Championship title by a margin of ~120 points using the 52 week point methodology.

Rhonda and Paola have met in the Final’s eight times this season with Rhonda winning four of the events, including the 2010 US Open Grand Slam in Minneapolis.

Paola Longoria defeated Rhonda Rajsich today in the Final’s of the 2011 WPRO Ektelon World Championships Grand Slam 11-1, 11-4 & 11-9.

Congratulations to Rhonda and Paola for a great season!