2010 IRF World Championships - Day 1 Results

It's just the first day of competition in Seoul, South Korea at the 15th International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Championships, but there have already been some close matches, including two upsets. Playing on home soil Jin Young Seok of South Korea defeated 4th seed Josée Grand'Maître of Canada, 15-8, 15-6, in the Round of 16. Next up for the Korean is Mexican Paola Longoria, who defeated Cristina Cordova of Ecuador, 15-4, 15-3.

Seok's team-mate also played well pushing Canadian Jennfier Saunders to a tie-breaker before falling, 15-8, 11-15, 11-4. Saunders will face Mexican Nancy Enriquez in the quarter finals, and Enriquez also needed a tie-breaker to defeat Maria Paz Munoz of Ecuador, 15-3, 14-15, 11-6.

The upset on the men's side came as Mexican Eduardo Alvia, the 4th seed, lost to Columbian Francisco Gomez in two straight games, 15-10, 15-3. But Alejandro Landa, the other Mexican man in singles, defeated Siaosi Palauni of Tonga, 15-5, 15-4.

Unlike in years past, matches now can be difficult from the start, and the first matches for Americans Jack Huczek and Rocky Carson, the defending World Champion, provided evidence of that. Indeed, Carson needed a tie-breaker to beat Argentine Shai Manzuri, 13-15, 15-8, 11-4, while Huczek defeated the other Argentine in the draw, Daniel Maggi, 15-13, 15-12.

Close match of the day was Fernando Rios's victory over home country favorite Seung Jun Jeon (South Korea) with the scoreline of 15-10, 14-15, 11-10. Can't get much closer than that.

Match highlight of the Men's Round of 16 might be the battle between the current Pan American Champion Ricardo Monroy of Bolivia and the 2006 Pan American Champion Canadian Kris Odegard. The winner of that will face either Rios or Landa in the quarter finals.

Play continues Sunday with the Round of 16s in singles and the quarter finals in doubles en route to the finals on Tuesday. Matches can be viewed over the web via the IRF website.

15th IRF World Championships
Seoul, South Korea

Men's Singles
Round of 64
Raaj Mohan (India) d. Jeff Hwang (China), 15-7, 15-3
Francisco Gomez (Columbia) d. Sitaram Vananran (Tonga) 15-2, 15-1
Shai Manzuri (Argentina) d. Timothy Baghurst (United Kingdom) 15-3, 15-6
Siaosi Palauni (Tonga) d. Choung-yew Chang (Taiwan) 15-4, 15-4
Daniel Maggi (Argentina) d. Wen-chang Wen (Taiwan) 15-1, 15-2

Round of 32
Jack Huczek (USA) d. Daniel Maggi (Argentina) 15-13, 15-12
Ivan Villegas (Costa Rica) d. Simon Perdomo (Dominican Republic) 15-12, 15-5

Michimune Kono (Japan) d. Luis Meza (Guatemala) 15-5, 15-2
Marcelo Laprea (Venezuela) d. Patrick Hanley (Ireland) 15-3, 15-12

Vincent Gagnon (Canada) d. Raaj Mohan (India) 15-4, 15-6
Carlos Oviedo (Catalonia) d. Amol Rocha (Bolivia) 15-4, 6-15, 11-7

Daeyong Kwon (South Korea) d. Jose Daniel Alvarez (Ecuador) 15-7, 15-9
Francisco Gomez (Columbia) d. Eduardo Avila (Mexico) 15-10, 15-3

Rocky Carson (USA) d. Shai Manzuri (Argentina) 13-15, 15-8, 11-4
Luis Perez (Dominican Republic) d. Felipe Camacho (Costa Rica) 15-14, 13-15, 11-8

Takaaki Hirose (Japan) d. Christian Wer (Guatemala) 15-6, 15-12
Alejandro Herrera (Colombia) d. Cesar Castro (Venezuela) 15-11, 15-12

Kris Odegard (Canada) d. Sathwik Rai (India) 15-2, 15-1
Ricardo Monroy (Bolivia) d. Joseph Dillon (Ireland) 15-4, 15-5

Fernando Rios (Ecuador) d. Seung Jun Jeon (South Korea) 15-10, 14-15, 11-10
Alejandro Landa (Mexico) d. Siaosi Palauni (Tonga) 15-5, 15-4

Round of 16
Jack Huczek (USA) vs. Ivan Villegas (Costa Rica)
Michimune Kono (Japan) vs. Marcelo Laprea (Venezuela)

Vincent Gagnon (Canada) vs. Carlos Oviedo (Catalonia)
Daeyong Kwon (South Korea) vs. Francisco Gomez (Columbia)

Rocky Carson (USA) vs. Luis Perez (Dominican Republic)
Alejandro Herrera (Colombia) vs. Takaaki Hirose (Japan)

Kris Odegard (Canada) vs. Ricardo Monroy (Bolivia)
Alejandro Landa (Mexico) vs. Fernando Rios (Ecuador)

Women's Singles
Round of 32
Nancy Enriquez (Mexico) d. Pianola Tua'one (Tonga) 15-4, 15-1
Maiko Sato (Japan) d. Veronique Guillemette (Argentina) 15-9, 15-8
Jenny Daza Navia (Bolivia) d. Sela Brown (Tonga) 15-3, 15-2
Maria Paz Munoz (Ecuador) d. Maria Renee Rodriguez (Guatemala) 15-5, 15-1
Maria Jose Vargas (Bolivia) d. Cristina Amaya (Columbia) 15-14, 14-15, 11-8
Cristina Cordova (Ecuador) d. Marie Gomar (Guatemala) 15-5, 15-5
Jin Young Seok (South Korea) d. Katie Kenny (Ireland) 15-2, 15-4
Islhey Mariana Paredes (Venezuela) d. Debbie Kessler (Costa Rica) 15-11, 15-7
Jung Eun Anh (South Korea) d. Majella Haverty (Ireland) 15-2, 15-0
Claudine Garcia (Dominican Republic) d. Vivianna Reveron (Venezuela) 15-7, 15-7

Round of 16
Rhonda Rajsich (USA) d. Claudine Garcia (Dominican Republic) 15-3, 15-2
Maiko Sato (Japan) d. Jenny Daza Navia (Bolivia) 15-14, 12-15, 11-3

Paola Longoria (Mexico) d. Cristina Cordova (Ecuador) 15-4, 15-3
Jin Young Seok (South Korea) d. Josee Grand'maitre (Canada) 15-8, 15-6

Cheryl Gudinas (USA) d. Islhey Mariana Paredes (Venezuela) 15-6, 15-1
Maria Jose Vargas (Bolivia) d. Etsuko Noda (Japan) 15-5, 3-15, 11-10

Nancy Enriquez (Mexico) d. Maria Paz Munoz (Ecuador) 15-3, 14-15, 11-6
Jen Saunders (Canada) d. Jung Eun Anh (South Korea) 15-8, 11-15, 11-4

Quarter finals
Rhonda Rajsich (USA) vs. Maiko Sato (Japan)
Paola Longoria (Mexico) vs. Jin Young Seok (South Korea)

Cheryl Gudinas (USA) vs. Maria Jose Vargas (Bolivia)
Jen Saunders (Canada) vs. Nancy Enriquez (Mexico)

Men's Doubles
Round of 32
Loleni Tuaone & Tevita Tangulu (TGA) d. Wen-chang Wen & Choung-yew Chang (TPE) WBF - No Show

Round of 16
Ben Croft & Mitch Williams (USA) d. Loleni Tuaone & Tevita Tangulu (TGA) 15-3, 15-2
Ivan Villegas & Felipe Camacho (CRI) d. Christian Wer & Luis Meza (GUA) 15-14, 15-11

Min Soo Park & Dong Min-jang (KOR) d. Hiroshi Shimizu & Michimune Kono (JPN) 15-11, 15-11
Cesar Castro & Jorge Hirsekorn (VEN) d. Srikaran Kandadai & Raaj Mohan (IND) 15-1, 15-4

Tim Landeryou & Mike Green (CAN) d. Patrick Hanley & Joseph Dillon (IRL) 15-6, 15-4
Shai Manzuri & Daniel Maggi (ARG) d. Luis Perez & Simon Perdomo (DOM), 8-15, 15-3, 11-10

Fernando Rios & Jose Daniel Alvarez (ECU) d. Ricardo Monroy & Carlos Keller Vargas (BOL) 10-15, 15-10, 11-9
Alejandro Landa & Miguel Perea (MEX) d. Juan Herrera & Alejandro Herrera (COL) 15-8, 15-12

Quarter finals
Ben Croft & Mitch Williams (USA) vs. Ivan Villegas & Felipe Camacho (CRI)
Cesar Castro & Jorge Hirsekorn (VEN) vs. Min Soo Park & Dong Min-jang (KOR)

Tim Landeryou & Mike Green (CAN) vs. Shai Manzuri & Daniel Maggi (ARG)
Alejandro Landa & Miguel Perea (MEX) vs. Fernando Rios & Jose Daniel Alvarez (ECU)

Women's Doubles
Round of 16
Cristina Cordova & Maria Paz Munoz (ECU) d. Pianola Tua'one & Sela Brown (TGA) 15-1, 15-0
Young-mi Lee & Yunhui Yu (KOR) d. Katie Kenny & Majella Haverty (IRL) 15-2, 15-10
Islhey Mariana Paredes & Vivianna Reveron (VEN) d. Maria Renee Rodriguez & Marie Gomar (GUA) 15-4, 15-8

Quarter finals
Amy Ruiz & Jacqueline Paraiso (USA) vs Islhey Mariana Paredes & Vivianna Reveron (VEN)
Jenny Daza Navia & Maria Jose Vargas (BOL) vs Naomi Wakimoto & Toshiko Sakamoto (JPN)

Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas Solis (MEX) vs Cristina Cordova & Maria Paz Munoz (ECU)
Brandi Jacobson Prentice & Frédérique Lambert (CAN) vs. Young-mi Lee & Yunhui Yu (KOR)

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