Top-Seeded Racquetball Players Upset in Hogan Quarterfinals

Vince Iannolo and Jim Bruner upset top-seeded Steve Soffa and Kevin Watson Friday night in the quarterfinals of the open doubles division in the final tournament of the Coors Light/Marty Hogan racquetball series at the Mid Valley Athletic Club in Reseda.

Iannolo and Bruner, representing Supreme Courts of Van Nuys, won the tiebreaker to beat Soffa and Watson, representing Mid Valley, 15-3, 8-15, 11-9.

In the other quarterfinal matches, Guy Texeira and Dave Hyman of Sports Gallery in Anaheim defeated Sam Neer and Randy Moore of La Casa de Vida of Torrance and Eddie Savage and Jon Woodard of Mid Valley beat Jerry Nielson and Joe Blandino of Arcadia All-Pro.

In today’s semifinals, Iannolo and Bruner will meet Phil Montano and Mike Hart of the Laurel Canyon Fitness Center in North Hollywood and Texeira and Hyman will play Savage and Woodard.

Texeira, the tournament’s No. 1 seed in open singles, advanced to the semifinals with a victory over Kiffen Taylor of Mid Valley.

This weekend’s tournament, which runs through today, is the series-ending event of the three-month Hogan series.

It brings together champions in 12 divisions from 12 clubs throughout Los Angeles and Orange counties. Linda Murashige of Tarzana, a national deaf champion, is the No. 1 seed in the women’s C division.

Organizers say the event serves as kind of an unofficial Southern California amateur championship.