2010 IRF World Championships - Semi Final Results

Americans have made it through to all four event finals at the 15th International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Championships in Seoul, South Korea. Men's singles will be a rematch of the 2008 World Championship final in Ireland, where Rocky Carson defeated Jack Huczek.

They both got to the final with close two game victories in the semi-finals. Defending champion Carson took out Ricardo Monroy of Bolivia, 15-13, 15-12, and Huczek beat Canadian Vincent Gagnon, 15-12, 15-12.

If Carson wins, he'll become the 4th man to win multiple World Championships, joining two time winners Egan Inoue (USA) and Sherman Greenfeld (Canada) as well as three time winner Huczek. A Huczek victory would be his fourth and make him the winningest player at Worlds. He's the winningest man already but Michelle Gould and Cheryl Gudinas also have three World titles.

The women's final will be a USA-Mexico battle, as many expected, but the Mexcian player isn't who was expected, as Paola Longoria, #1 on the Women's Professional Racquetball Organization (WPRO), lost to American Rhonda Rajsich in the semi-finals, 9-15, 15-10, 11-5.

Instead representing Mexico in the final will be Nancy Enriquez, who defeated American Cheryl Gudinas in the other semi, 5-15, 15-14, 11-5, to reach an international final for the first time in her career. She was a semi-finalist in the Pan American Championships earlier this year.

Longoria will have a chance for gold, however, as she and partner Samantha Salas Solis advanced to the women's doubles final with a 15-8, 15-6 victory over Canadians Brandi Jacobson Prentice and Frédérique Lambert.

The Mexicans will face defending champions Jackie Paraiso and Aimee Ruiz (USA), who defeated the Japanese pair of Naomi Wakimoto and Toshiko Sakamoto, 15-9, 15-3. An American victory would be the 3rd straight gold medal for Ruiz, who also won the title in 2006 with Laura Fenton.

In men's doubles, the American team of Ben Croft and Mitch Williams needed a tie-breaker to get by Venezuelan veterans Cesar Castro and Jorge Hirsekorn, 15-10, 6-15, 11-5. The other finalists are Canadians Mike Green and Tim Landeryou, the 2010 Pan American Championship gold medalists, who easily defeated the Mexican team of Alejandro Landa and Miguel Perea, 15-2, 15-5.

All finals will be played on Tuesday. Then there will be an off day before the team competition begins on Thursday. The team competition is a best of three matches with one countries' singles players and doubles team against another's on both the men's and women's side.

15th IRF World Championships
Seoul, South Korea

Men's Singles
Semi-finals
Jack Huczek (USA) d. Vincent Gagnon (Canada), 15-12, 15-12
Rocky Carson (USA) d. Ricardo Monroy (Bolivia), 15-13, 15-12

FINAL
Jack Huczek (USA) vs. Rocky Carson (USA)

Men's Doubles
Semi-finals
Ben Croft & Mitch Williams (USA) d. Cesar Castro & Jorge Hirsekorn (Venezuela), 15-10, 6-15, 11-5
Tim Landeryou & Mike Green (Canada) d. Alejandro Landa & Miguel Perea (Mexico), 15-2, 15-5

FINAL
Ben Croft & Mitch Williams (USA) vs. Tim Landeryou & Mike Green (Canada)

Women's Singles
Semi finals
Rhonda Rajsich (USA) d. Paola Longoria (Mexico), 9-15, 15-10, 11-5
Nancy Enriquez (Mexico) d. Cheryl Gudinas (USA), 5-15, 15-14, 11-5

FINAL
Rhonda Rajsich (USA) vs. Nancy Enriquez (Mexico)

Women's Doubles
Semi-finals
Amy Ruiz & Jacqueline Paraiso (USA) d. Naomi Wakimoto & Toshiko Sakamoto (Japan), 15-9, 15-3
Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas Solis (Mexico) d. Brandi Jacobson Prentice & Frédérique Lambert (Canada), 15-8, 15-6

FINAL
Amy Ruiz & Jacqueline Paraiso (USA) vs. Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas Solis (Mexico)

Follow the bouncing ball....