Paola Longoria defeated Rhonda Rajsich for the first time this season to win the California Open in Canoga Park, California and retain the #1 ranking in the Women's Professional Racquetball Organization (WPRO). Longoria won in four games, 11-6, 11-8, 5-11, 14-12.
Longoria won the first two games and was up early in game three at 2-0 and 4-3, but Rajsich showed that she wasn't going to give in easily, and won game three to force a fourth game. That fourth game was a see-saw affair, as Longoria went up 4-0. Rajsich tied it at 4-4. But Longoria again took the lead at 8-4 and then 10-5.
Rajsich kept working and leveled it at 10-10 and then took a 11-10 lead. Predictably for this game, Longoria came back and took the lead at 12-11, and Rajsich countered and tied it again at 12-12.
Then with Longoria having taken a 13-12 advantage, she hit a shot from deep in the court that she thought to be the winner. So did Rajsich. Longoria was ecstatic and relieved until she realized the referee called her shot a skip. The IRT Network replay proved the referee was correct.
But it only resulted in a couple of more rallies and no more points for Rajsich as Longoria got the serve back and finally won the match on her 6th match point opportunity.
The next Tier 1 WPRO event is Great Balls of Fire in Miami, Florida February 25-27. There is a WPRO satellite event later this month with the Wilson Tour of Hope event in Cincinnati, Ohio January 28-30.
2011 California Open, Canoga Park, California
Final
1 Paola Longoria d. 2 Rhonda Rajsich, 11-6, 11-8, 5-11, 14-12
Follow the bouncing ball....
Sunday, January 9, 2011
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