It was a brilliant weekend for two Galway pro handballers in Los Angeles yesterday, as both Martin Mulkerrins from Moycullen and Niamh Heffernan from Claregalway landed titles to cement their places as Number 1.
Martin Mulkerrins won the Los Angeles Pro-Stop Handball title in a thriller yesterday against Mexican Leo Canales, 15-13, 15-10. The scoreline does not even begin to tell the story of an incredible fight back from the Moycullen man in both sets. The Mexican, Canales, got off to an incredible start and was 12-0 ahead before Mulkerrins registered his first score. Canales, needing only three more points to win game one, looked to have an unassailable lead. But Mulkerrins added a few more points, and at 7-12 there was a glimmer of hope. The Moycullen man dug deep and tied the game at 13-13 before closing it out 15-13 after one of the best comebacks seen on the pro tour. A determined Canales similarly started the second quickly, building a 9-1 lead, but was only to score one more point as the unstoppable Mulkerrins powered to a 15-10 win to claim the title. Mulkerrins picked up his 16th Pro-Stop title and secured his #1 seed ranking. “That was a war, delighted obviously to come out of the right end of it,” an exhausted Mulkerrins would tell ESPN’s Kara Mack. “Stayed composed after being down 0-12 (in the first) and 1-10 (in the second). I ground it out. Leo made some serves and shots, and there is nothing you can do. I felt a bit passive, so I tried to look for my chances and tried to be more aggressive. I was just trying to get some points on the board and get some momentum. It got closer and closer, and I was eventually able to take the lead and win it. I always have great confidence in myself. I had a lot of heartbreak. I’ve been here a lot of times before. Experience gives me the belief. We were both exhausted, and anything could happen, really. I want to thank the WPH. I would not be in America if it were not for the pro tour. I want to thank Owen Gloves and thank everyone at the LAAC. It’s also a huge honour for me to become a member of the New York Athletic Club.”
WR48 #1 Niamh Heffernan and WR48 #2 Aoife Holden met for the second time in a WR final this season, with Heffernan seeking her fourth consecutive WR title and Holden seeking her first WR title in her second final. Heffernan dominated the first game, winning 15-2. The second was a tense battle, and Holden led 10-9, but Heffernan’s speed and offence proved to be the difference, as she won 15-11 and clinched her fourth straight WR title. “Feels great,” Heffernan told ESPN’s Kara Mack. “I knew today I had to come in on my “A” game. Nobody realises the heat in that alley. I think yesterday I just collapsed during the timeouts. I tried to hydrate as much as possible. My very first pro stop I just loved it, and my goal was to come to every pro stop in a season. I’ll keep practising when I come home. Today I’m going to go to the beach to get some sun."
