World Championships - Quarter Finals

DATELINE - AUGUST 3, 2008

The quarter finals have been played and the first significant upset has happened at the 14th International Racquetball Federation World Championships in Kingscourt, Ireland. The semi-finals will go later on Monday.

Both Rocky Carson and Jack Huczek won their matches. Carson defeated Fernando Rios (Ecuador), 15-3, 15-4, while Huczek beat Michimune Kono of Japan, 15-3, 15-4.

But the Canadian-Mexican match ups were split. Alvaro Beltran defeated Mike Green, 15-14, 15-10, and Vincent Gagnon defeated Polo Gutierrez Sotres, 15-5, 11-15, 11-8, to produce the first significant upset at Worlds. Gagnon was seeded 7th and Gutierrez Sotres 2nd.

Gagnon will now face Huczek in one semi-final with Carson and Beltran facing off in the other.

The top four women's seeds have all made it through to the semis, winning their quarter final matches in two straight games.

Top seed Rhonda Rajsich (USA) defeated 8th seed Toshiko Sakamoto of Japan, 15-9, 15-3. Rajsich will now face Mexican Paola Longoria who took out Canadian Josée Grand'Maître, 15-10, 15-8.

On the other side of draw, Canadian Jennifer Saunders defeated Susana Acosta of Mexico, 15-13, 15-9, and American Cheryl Gudinas Holmes beat Angela Grisar of Chile, 15-7, 15-6.

That sets up a rematch of the 2002 World Championship final, when Gudinas Holmes beat Saunders, 15-13, 15-13, to win her second World Championship.

Overall, the USA remains well positioned to sweep the individual competition at Worlds with two of the four semi-finalists in both men's and women's singles.

The doubles competitions play later on Monday.