World Outdoor Racquetball Championships - Poage in semi-finals

Michelle Poage is a surprise semi-finalist at the 2009 Racquetball Warehouse World Outdoor Racquetball Championships (WOR) in Huntington Beach, California, after defeating top seed and defending champion Angela Grisar in the quarter finals, 15-11, 15-9. Poage is ranked 31st on the Women's Professional Racquetball Organization (WPRO) tour, the more common indoor version of the game, and she hasn't been in a semi-final of a WPRO Tier 1 event.

Poage will face Jackie Paraiso, one of the greats of the game, Sunday in the semis, as Paraiso defeated Janel Tisinger in the quarters, 15-6, 15-5. Paraiso is a former #1 player indoors, and in contrast to Poage has played in at least 57 semi-finals on the women's pro tour.

On the other side of the draw, last year's runner-up Keely Franks is in the other semi after defeating Diane Moore, 15-9, 15-11. She'll face the current WPRO #1 Paola Longoria, who beat Kristen Bellows, 15-14, 15-9, in a rematch of the WPRO Pro Nationals final in May that Bellows won.

In men's play, second seed and runner up last year, Alvaro Beltran made it back to the final but needed two tie-breakers on Saturday to get there. He first defeated up and coming Jose Rojas, 7-15, 15-13, 11-6, in the quarter finals before taking out Ben Croft in the semis, 12-15, 15-7, 11-7.

Beltran will play defending champ and top seed Rocky Carson who beat Charles Pratt, 15-13, 15-13, in the other semi-final later Saturday. In the quarters, Carson defeated Mike Orr while Pratt took out Scott Davis.

You can watch the finals Sunday on line via Racquetball Online.

2009 Racquetball Warehouse World Outdoor Racquetball Championships
Women's Open Singles
Quarter finals
Michelle Poage d. Angela Grisar, 15-11, 15-9
Jacqueline Paraiso d. Janel Tisinger, 15-6, 15-5

Paola Longoria d. Kristen Bellows, 15-14, 15-9
Keely Franks d. Diane Moore, 15-9, 15-11

Semi-finals
Michelle Poage vs. Jacqueline Paraiso
Paola Longoria vs. Keely Franks

Men's Open Singles
Quarter finals
Rocky Carson d. Mike Orr, scores unknown
Charles Pratt d. Scott Davis, 15-9, 15-11

Ben Croft d. Chris Crowther, 15-5, 13-15, 11-8
Alvaro Beltran d. Jose Rojas, 11-15, 15-4, 11-8

Semi-finals
Rocky Carson d. Charles Pratt, 15-13, 15-13
Alvaro Beltran d. Ben Croft, 12-15, 15-7, 11-7

Finals
Rocky Carson vs. Alvaro Beltran

Follow the bouncing ball....