Racquetball Canada's Doubles Selection Event Final Standings

Mike Green won again at Racquetball Canada's National Team Doubles Selection event in Burnaby, British Columbia, but this time he had a new partner, Eric Desrochers. They finished on top after beating Francis Guillemette and Corey Osborne, 15-12, 15-8, on Sunday.

The last four seasons Green had played with Brian Istace, but Istace retired following their loss in the final of last year's Canadian Championship to Vincent Gagnon and François Viens. Thus, Green recruited Desrochers to be his partner this season.

Gagnon and Viens finished second after defeating James and Tim Landeryou, 15-13, 15-7.

The format of the men's side was not a straight draw. Initial matches sorted teams into groups of four, who are playing off in a round robin format. Racquetball Canada adopted this format a few years ago for selection events so that all players, or teams in doubles, have to play each other. Without doing so it was felt there was some uncertainty about which players were better.

Women's Matches

Jennifer Saunders and Josée Grand'Maître gained a measure of revenge Sunday by defeating Geneviève Brodeur and Véronique Guillemette, 15-8, 3-15, 11-6. Brodeur and Guillemette stopped Saunders and Grand'Maître's streak of Canadian doubles titles at 5 last year, when they won their first Canadian Championship.

Also on Sunday, Denise Haynes and Frédérique Lambert defeated Brigitte Richard and Christine Richardson, 15-2, 10-15, 11-3, to finish third. Alison Schlichemeyer and Brandi Jacobson Prentice finished fourth with Richard and Richardson fifth.

These results likely throw up for grabs the selection of the doubles players for the Pan American Championships in April, and makes the Singles Selection event coming up in three weeks in Brossard, Quebec all the more important.

Racquetball Canada National Team Doubles Selection 2009
Burnaby, British Columbia

Men (W-L in RR)
1. Eric Desrochers & Mike Green (3-0)
2. Vincent Gagnon & François Viens (2-1)
3. Francis Guillemette & Corey Osborne (1-2)
4. James Landeryou & Tim Landeryou (0-3)

Women (W-L)
1. Jennifer Saunders & Josée Grand'Maître (4-0)
2. Geneviève Brodeur & Véronique Guillemette (3-1)
3. Denise Haynes & Frédérique Lambert (2-2)
4. Alison Schlichemeyer & Brandi Jacobson Prentice (1-3)
5. Brigitte Richard & Christine Richardson (0-4)

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