Changing of the guard at the 2010 Canadian Racquetball Championships

Brandi Jacobson Prentice and Frédérique Lambert won their first Canadian National Championships in Burnaby, British Columbia by defeating the six time doubles champions Josée Grand'Maître and Jennifer Saunders, 15-8, 19-17, 11-4.

On the men's side, Mike Green won his sixth doubles title but first with partner Kris Odegard, who won the doubles title for the first time. Odegard is the reigning Canadian singles champion. Green's previously won the doubles title with Mike Ceresia, Tom O'Brien and Brian Istace.

Jacobson Prentice and Lambert came out shooting in game one against the veterans Grand'Maître and Saunders and won the first game by a comfortable margin. Things got tight in game two, however, as the veterans dug in and the score when back and forth. Jacobson Prentice and Lambert had three chances to win the match in game two, but when Grand'Maître and Saunders forced the tie-breaker it seemed like they would successfully defend their title.

But Jacobson Prentice and Lambert had other ideas, and after the third game was tied 4-4, they went on a run and won it 11-4, becoming 2010 Canadian National Racquetball Champions.

The men's final was equally dramatic but had a different story line. In game one, Green and Odegard let an 14-6 lead evaporate against Vincent Gagnon and François Viens, and it seemed the team of current and former Canadian #1 players (Odegard and Green, respectively) would not be able to beat the two time defending doubles champions Gagnon and Viens.

But Green and Odegard stepped it up in game two winning it despite another late comeback by Gagnon and Viens. In the tie-breaker, Gagnon and Viens had the early lead at 5-1, but Green and Odegard ran seven straight points to take a lead that they never relinquished.

Green and Odegard were playing their first tournament together. The victory was Green's sixth Canadian doubles title and Odegard's first.

The Nationals results will be combined with those from the National Team Selection Events held earlier this season to select the players for Team Canada to go to the World Racquetball Championships in South Korea in August.

Canadian National Racquetball Championships
Burnaby, British Columbia

WOMEN'S OPEN DOUBLES

1st place - Brandi Jacobson Prentice & Frederique Lambert d. Josée Grand'Maître & Jennifer Saunders, 15-8, 17-19, 11-4

3rd place - Brigitte Richard & Christine Richardson d. Murielle Boivin & Valerie Fallu, 15-4, 15-8

MEN'S OPEN DOUBLES

1st Place - Mike Green & Kris Odegard d. Vincent Gagnon & François Viens, 14-16, 15-10, 11-7

3rd Place - Corey Osborne & Francis Guillemette d. Tim Landeryou & James Landeryou, 15-11, 15-5

Follow the bouncing ball....