Kane proves he's Able

Sudsy Monchik was out of commission with an injured left wrist. Cliff Swain did not make it to the finals. But neither of them were the talk of the Las Vegas Sporting House. Both were out-shone by a fresh-faced Canadian named Kane Waselenchuk who took the pro tour by storm with his IRT debut.

Kane, who has been highly regarded in Canada since he defeated Sherman Greenfeld at last year’s Canadian Nationals, had never traveled south of the border to participate in an IRT stop, but joined fellow-Canadian National Team members Christie Van Hees and Lori-Jane Powell in Las Vegas for the Bud-Light Pro-Nationals in May.

He entered the men’s pro draw, and was seeded #40, but that did not deter the 18-year-old. After topping Greg Thomas in the first round, he posted a five-game upset over eighth-seeded Derek Robinson in the round of 32, winning 7-11, 11-6, 12-10, 2-11, 11-5. Kane then faced off against U.S. Junior Team-counterpart Jack Huczek, who had ousted Dan Fowler earlier. The teens battled for the right to advance to the quarterfinals, and the slightly elder Kane was victorious, 11-7, 8-11, 11-5, 11-2.

The young Canadian would now meet top-seed and second-ranked player Cliff Swain. “With guys like Cliff, I can’t go into the court thinking I’m going to beat them,” Kane admitted. “He’s probably the best-ever racquetball player. I can’t go into the court thinking that I’m going to beat him in three straight.”

Although Kane would not defeat Cliff in three-straight, he also would not fall that easily either. After losing the first game 11-4, Kane rallied back to win the next two, 11-7, 11-5, and suddenly the top-seeded player was in danger of losing to the a young unknown from Canada. However, Cliff regained his composure to win the fourth game 11-1 and force a tiebreaker, which he also won 11-8.

“I would say that kid has a future,” Cliff credited his opponent following their match. “He has everything it takes. He has no fear.”

Although Kane was unable to advance to the semifinals, he did not view his loss to Cliff as a defeat. “I never even expected to get any points, to tell you the truth,” the excited young player remarked. “Even though I didn’t really win, I count it as a win. Taking one of the best players in the world to tiebreaker is unbelievable. I’m so proud of myself.”

Several of the top pros in Las Vegas took notice of Kane’s accomplishments, with champion John Ellis noting, “The kid obviously has game. More than anything, I was impressed on how he handled the moment. A lot of people playing Cliff for the first time would be a little overwhelmed. He handled it and put himself in a position to win.”

Kane is one of the up-and-coming athletes recently signed by E-Force. “This was the first opportunity I had to see Kane play,” said E-Force’s Tim Doyle. “He’s got a lot of skill. Hopefully he’ll be able to get himself down to the tournaments, because he looks like he’s in top-10 shape right now.” Kane is currently seeking a sponsor to help him financially so that he may begin playing the pro tour full time next season.