AVP New York: Rosenthal-Santos pull upsets to reach winners semis

The main draw kicked off Friday at the AVP New York City Open, and as is normally the case on Fridays, it was business as usual.

Fridays are the day when the top seeds put the qualifiers back into their place, having reached another level of physicality and consistency.

Friday’s play also shows that the level of parity is increasing on the AVP, as 11 of the 24 matches went three sets.

Nonetheless there were only two upsets.

No. 12-seeded Sean Rosenthal and Ricardo Santos knocked off both No. 5 Ed Ratledge and Roberto “Rafu” Rodriguez (23-21, 21-18) and No. 4 Theo Brunner and Reid Priddy (21-14, 16-21, 15-9).

Remarkably, there were no upsets in the women’s field, not counting No. 5 over No. 4 or No. 9 over No. 8 as upsets.

Saturday’s winners semifinalists are No. 1 Taylor Crabb and Jake Gibb, No. 2 Phil Dalhausser and Nick Lucena, No. 3 Jeremy Casebeer and Chaim Schalk, and No. 12 Sean Rosenthal and Ricardo Santos.

The women’s semifinalists are No. 1 Alix Klineman and April Ross, No. 2 Sara Hughes and Summer Ross, No. 3 Kelley Larsen and Emily Stockman, and No. 5 Kelly Claes and Sarah Sponcil.

“Ricardo and I are getting better every match together,” Rosenthal said. “It’s a blast for me to play with a guy I’ve looked up to and battled against for so long.”

Of course, Rosenthal and Santos have six Olympics between them, with Santos owning gold, silver, and bronze medals, so the No. 12 over No. 4 and No. 5 upsets aren’t nearly the shock to the field that it might otherwise be.

Next up for Rosenthal and Santos are Gibb and Crabb. Rosenthal and Gibb know each other well, competing in 131 tournaments together for 13 wins from 2006-2013, including fifth in both the 2012 and 2016 Olympics.

“Can’t wait to get our second chance against my former partner in Jake Gibb. Always have a blast playing with him.”

Gibb and Crabb dropped Friday matches in both previous AVP stops, in Huntington Beach, and Austin, but persevered through the contender’s bracket to win both events.

Friday Gibb and Crabb defeated both Peter Connole and Steven Roschitz (21-15, 21-14) and squeaked by Trevor Crabb and Tri Bourne (17-21, 21-17, 15-13).

Saturday’s matches begin at 10:15 a.m. Eastern.

Saturday’s schedule
Men
Winners Bracket
Round 3
Taylor Crabb/Jake Gibb (1) vs. Sean Rosenthal/Ricardo Santos (12)
Jeremy Casebeer/Chaim Schalk (3) vs. Phil Dalhausser/Nick Lucena (2)
Alix Klineman/April Ross (1) vs. Kelly Claes/Sarah Sponcil (5)
Kelley Larsen/Emily Stockman (3) vs. Sara Hughes/Summer Ross (2)
Contenders bracket
Round 1
Paul Lotman/Gabriel Ospina (15, Q15) vs. Tim Bomgren/Troy Field (7)
Avery Drost/Eric Zaun (11) vs. Michael Brunsting/Ty Loomis (14, Q3)
Chase Frishman/Piotr Marciniak (13, Q1) vs. Ed Ratledge/Roberto Rodriguez (5)
Chase Budinger/Casey Patterson (8) vs. Peter Connole/Steven Roschitz (16, Q20)
Round 2
TBA vs. Theo Brunner/Reid Priddy (4)
TBA vs. Tri Bourne/Trevor Crabb (9)
TBA vs. Billy Allen/Stafford Slick (10)
TBA vs. Ryan Doherty/John Hyden (6)

Women
Round 1
Taylor Nyquist/Tory Paranagua (15, Q13) vs. Kelly Reeves/Allie Wheeler (10)
Caitlin Ledoux/Geena Urango (11) vs. Kimberly Hildreth/Sarah Schermerhorn (14, Q6)
Amanda Dowdy/Corinne Quiggle (13, Q1) vs. Brittany Hochevar/Carly Wopat (12)
Brittany Howard/Katie Spieler (9) vs. Annika Rowland/Teegan Van Gunst (16, Q15)
Women’s Round 2
TBA vs. Emily Day/Betsi Flint (4)
TBA vs. Terese Cannon/Irene Pollock (8)
TBA vs. Brooke Sweat/Brandie Wilkerson (7)
TBA vs. Karissa Cook/Jace Pardon (6)

Friday results
Men’s winners bracket
Round 1
Taylor Crabb/Jake Gibb (1) def. Peter Connole/Steven Roschitz (16, Q20) 21-15, 21-14 (0:32)
Tri Bourne/Trevor Crabb (9) def. Chase Budinger/Casey Patterson (8) 22-24, 21-14, 15-10 (1:00)
Sean Rosenthal/Ricardo Santos (12) def. Ed Ratledge/Roberto Rodriguez (5) 23-21, 21-18 (0:48)
Theo Brunner/Reid Priddy (4) def. Chase Frishman/Piotr Marciniak (13, Q1) 21-12, 19-21, 15-10 (0:57)
Jeremy Casebeer/Chaim Schalk (3) def. Michael Brunsting/Ty Loomis (14, Q3) 21-16, 21-15
Ryan Doherty/John Hyden (6) def. Avery Drost/Eric Zaun (11) 21-18, 21-15
Billy Allen/Stafford Slick (10) def. Tim Bomgren/Troy Field (7) 21-14, 14-21, 15-10
Phil Dalhausser/Nick Lucena (2) def. Paul Lotman/Gabriel Ospina (15, Q15) 21-19, 21-17
Round 2
Taylor Crabb/Jake Gibb (1) def. Tri Bourne/Trevor Crabb (9) 17-21, 21-17, 15-13
Sean Rosenthal/Ricardo Santos (12) def. Theo Brunner/Reid Priddy (4) 21-14, 16-21, 15-9
Jeremy Casebeer/Chaim Schalk (3) def. Ryan Doherty/John Hyden (6) 21-16, 14-21, 16-14
Phil Dalhausser/Nick Lucena (2) def. Billy Allen/Stafford Slick (10) 21-19, 21-15
Women’s winners bracket
Round 1
Alix Klineman/April Ross (1) def. Annika Rowland/Teegan Van Gunst (16, Q15) 22-20, 21-18 (0:41)
Terese Cannon/Irene Pollock (8) def. Brittany Howard/Katie Spieler (9) 19-21, 21-18, 15-7 (0:51)
Kelly Claes/Sarah Sponcil (5) def. Brittany Hochevar/Carly Wopat (12) 21-11, 21-13 (0:36)
Emily Day/Betsi Flint (4) def. Amanda Dowdy/Corinne Quiggle (13, Q1) 19-21, 21-14, 15-7 (0:56)
Kelley Larsen/Emily Stockman (3) def. Kimberly Hildreth/Sarah Schermerhorn (14, Q6) 21-9, 21-19
Karissa Cook/Jace Pardon (6) def. Caitlin Ledoux/Geena Urango (11) 13-21, 21-16, 15-12
Brooke Sweat/Brandie Wilkerson (7) def. Kelly Reeves/Allie Wheeler (10) 21-14, 18-21, 15-12
Sara Hughes/Summer Ross (2) def. Taylor Nyquist/Tory Paranagua (15, Q13) 19-21, 22-20, 15-11
Round 2
Alix Klineman/April Ross (1) def. Terese Cannon/Irene Pollock (8) 21-10, 21-16
Kelly Claes/Sarah Sponcil (5) def. Emily Day/Betsi Flint (4) 21-15, 12-21, 15-13
Kelley Larsen/Emily Stockman (3) def. Karissa Cook/Jace Pardon (6) 21-12, 21-17
Sara Hughes/Summer Ross (2) def. Brooke Sweat/Brandie Wilkerson (7) 21-11, 21-13

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