Monday, October 10, 2011

2011 US Open Bits 'n' Bobs

WPRO Awards

During the Women's Professional Racquetball Organization (WPRO) final, the US Open scoreboard announced the WPRO award winners for the past season. Rhonda Rajsich was the Player of the Year, and Samantha Salas was named Most Improved Player, as she was last year.

Also, the Janet Myers Sportsmanship Award went to Maiko Sato and Da'monique Davis was named WPRO Rookie of the Year.

Open Division Winners

Canadian Frédérique Lambert defeated Mexican Susana Acosta for the Women's Open title, 14-15, 15-5, 11-8. In the semi-finals, Lambert beat T.J. Baumbaugh, 15-2, 15-10, and Acosta took out Sharon Jackson, 15-8, 15-0.

The Men's Open division has gone to a non-American for the last 9 years, and Mexican Daniel De La Rosa made it ten as he defeated American Taylor Knoth in the final, 15-2, 15-8. Both De La Rosa and Knoth got to the final with 11-10 victories in the semi-finals. De La Rosa beat Jose Diaz, 12-15, 15-1, 11-10, while Knoth took out Alejandro Herrera, 15-8, 14-15, 11-10.

Josh Tucker (in 2002) is the last American to win Men's Open at the US Open.

Polo Gutierrez and Alejandro Landa won Men's Open Doubles by defeating Javier Moreno and Shayne Royster, 13-15, 15-10, 11-8. Cristina Cordova and Maria Paz Munoz took the Women's Open Doubles title with a 15-1, 15-8 win over Claudia Andrade and Claudine Garcia.

Finally, the Open Mixed Doubles title went to Canadians Lambert and Corey Osborne, who defeated Americans Diaz and Aimee Ruiz, 10-15, 15-14, 11-10.

2012 US Open

During the finals on Sunday, Doug Ganim, US Open Tournament Director, announced that next year's US Open would be held in the same week as this year's tournament. The US Open Racquetball Championships Facebook page confirmed this today stating that the dates for 2012 will be October 3-7.

However, last year they announced that the dates for this year would be at the end of October, and it turned out to the beginning of October, so we don't recommend paying for any hotel rooms in advance just yet.

Follow the bouncing ball....

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