US Open - Preliminary Draws

The 16th US Open Racquetball Championships begins Wednesday in Minneapolis. We've got the men's and women's pro draws for you below. The higher seeded pros begin play on Thursday, but men who are trying to qualify for the main men's pro draw (International Racquetball Tour - IRT - draw) may play three times on Wednesday to get to the Round of 32.

If we here at The Racquetball Blog were setting probabilities on the men's and women's pro winners, we'd put the field at 10% in each case with the other 90% on the men's side lying with Kane Waselenchuk, the #1 men's racquetball player and undefeated on court since January 2009, while women's pro seeds #1 Rhonda Rasjich and #2 Paola Longoria are about even (45% each) in their likeihood to lift the US Open trophy on Sunday. And those probabilities may be generous for the men's field.

An interesting part of the men's draw is the bottom of the top section where the seeded players are #4 Andy Hawthorne, #5 Jose Rojas, #12 Javier Moreno and #13 Juan Herrera with the possible additions of last year's Junior Worlds Champion Taylor Knoth and two time Canadian Champion Kris Odegard, who are drawn to qualify in that part of the draw.

On the Women's Professional Racquetball Organization (WPRO) side, we're wondering when the last time Cheryl Gudinas was seeded outside the top 4; she's the 5th seed in Minneapolis this week.

Other head scratchers on the women's side are Kristen Bellows, who's seeded 22nd, and will play T. J. Baumbaugh first with 6th seed Adrienne Fisher her next potential opponent. Also, Laura Fenton is in the draw, seeded against Christina Amaya. If Fenton wins that she could play 9th seed Jennifer Saunders in the 16s.

This is the biggest racquetball tournament in the world with 698 participants this year, and it kicks off Wednesday in Minneapolis, Minnesota at three Life Time Fitness locations.

2011 US Open Racquetball Championships, Minneapolis, Minnesota
International Racquetball Tour (IRT) Qualifying Rounds

Round 1

Barret Husulak vs Pedro Castro
Akio Shimizu vs Rafael Filippini
John Goth vs Matthew Barserian

Fernando Rios vs. Wade Shadlock
Ernesto Ruíz vs Juan Carlos Torres Honoj
Juan Rios vs Coby Iwaasa

Zachary Wertz vs Jose Daniel Ugalde
Gilberto Mejia vs Kenny Green Jr.
Ivan Saenz vs Mike Isbell
Samuel Murray vs James Landeryou

Round 2

Q1: Andres Herrera vs Barret Husulak or Pedro Castro
Cesar Castillo vs Ivan Villegas

Q16: Alejandro Cardona vs Mauricio Zelada
Brent McDade vs Jose Diaz

Q9: Brad Schopieray vs Akio Shimizu or Rafael Filippini
Brian Watson vs Juan Martinez III

Q8: Geoff Goldblatt vs Rodrigo Garay
Polo Gutierrez vs. John Goth or Matthew Barserian

Q5: Erik Leetch vs Fernando Rios or Wade Shadlock
Armando Bermudez vs Joel Barshaw

Q12: Danny Lavely vs Grant Stalley
Ron Briggs vs Hiroshi Shimizu

Q13: Ryan Meyer vs Fabian Mendieta
Joshua Hungerford vs Kris Odegard

Q4: Jose Serrano vs Corey Osborne
Taylor Knoth vs. Ernesto Ruíz or Juan Carlos Torres Honoj

Q3: Arthur Schmeiser vs Juan Rios or Coby Iwaasa
Francisco Gomez Reyes vs Tim Landeryou

Q14: Stacey Young vs Andres Acuña
Bruce Robles vs Ruben Gonzalez

Q11: Sebastian Franco vs Doug Ganim
Jose Daniel Alvarez vs John Scott

Q6: Tyler Otto vs. Wesley Miller
Luiz Felipe Munoz Torrontegui vs. Zachary Wertz or Jose Daniel Ugalde

Q7: James Slamko vs Gilberto Mejia or Kenny Green Jr.
Deli Stinnett vs Cliff Swain

Q10: Brian Simpson vs Francisco Troncoso
Nick Montalbano vs. Ivan Saenz or Mike Isbell

Q15: Teobaldo Fumero A. vs Mike Ray
Esteban Pastora vs Jansen Allen

Q2: Andres Ramirez vs Brian Pineda
Felipe Camacho vs. Samuel Murray or James Landeryou

Round 3

Q1: Andres Herrera or Barret Husulak or Pedro Castro vs. Cesar Castillo vs Ivan Villegas
Q16: Alejandro Cardona vs Mauricio Zelada vs. Brent McDade vs Jose Diaz

Q9: Brad Schopieray or Akio Shimizu or Rafael Filippini vs. Brian Watson vs Juan Martinez III
Q8: Geoff Goldblatt or Rodrigo Garay vs. Polo Gutierrez or John Goth or Matthew Barserian

Q5: Erik Leetch or Fernando Rios or Wade Shadlock vs. Armando Bermudez or Joel Barshaw
Q12: Danny Lavely or Grant Stalley vs. Ron Briggs or Hiroshi Shimizu

Q13: Ryan Meyer or Fabian Mendieta vs. Joshua Hungerford or Kris Odegard
Q4: Jose Serrano or Corey Osborne vs. Taylor Knoth or Ernesto Ruíz or Juan Carlos Torres Honoj

Q3: Arthur Schmeiser or Juan Rios or Coby Iwaasa vs. Francisco Gomez Reyes or Tim Landeryou
Q14: Stacey Young or Andres Acuña vs. Bruce Robles or Ruben Gonzalez

Q11: Sebastian Franco or Doug Ganim vs. Jose Daniel Alvarez or John Scott
Q6: Tyler Otto or Wesley Miller vs. Luiz Felipe Munoz Torrontegui or Zachary Wertz or Jose Daniel Ugalde

Q7: James Slamko or Gilberto Mejia or Kenny Green Jr. vs. Deli Stinnett or Cliff Swain
Q10: Brian Simpson or Francisco Troncoso vs. Nick Montalbano or Ivan Saenz or Mike Isbell

Q15: Teobaldo Fumero A. or Mike Ray vs. Esteban Pastora or Jansen Allen
Q2: Andres Ramirez or Brian Pineda vs. Felipe Camacho or Samuel Murray or James Landeryou

IRT Round of 32

Kane Waselenchuk vs. Q16
Alejandro Landa vs. Q1

Alvaro Beltran vs. Q8
Charles Pratt vs. Q9

Jose Rojas vs. Q12
Javier Moreno vs Q5

Juan Herrera vs. Q4
Andy Hawthorne vs. Q13

Ben Croft vs. Q14
Alejandro Herrera vs. Q3

Tony Carson vs. Q6
Chris Crowther vs. Q11

Shane Vanderson vs. Q10
Anthony Herrera vs. Q7

Daniel De La Rosa vs. Q2
Rocky Carson vs. Q15

Women's Professional Racquetball Organization (WPRO) Qualifying

Q8: Youngock Lee vs Ivonne Carpio
Q7: Maria Paz Muñoz vs Maria Paz Riquelme

WPRO ROund of 32

Rhonda Rajsich vs Q8
Sharon Jackson vs Linda Scales

Jennifer Saunders vs Tracy Hawthorne
Laura Fenton vs Christina Amaya

Cheryl Gudinas vs Debbie Beldring
Jocelyn Loredo vs Da'monique Davis

Aimee Ruiz vs Frederique Lambert
Kerri Wachtel vs. Mercedes Arias

Samantha Salas Solis vs Cristina Cordova
Sheryl Lotts vs Laura Brandt

T. J. Baumbaugh vs Kristen Bellows
Lily Berry vs Adrienne Fisher

Susana Acosta vs Carla Munoz
Claudine Garcia vs Krystal Csuk

Keely Franks vs Jessica Parrilla
Paola Longoria vs. Q7

Follow the bouncing ball....