Sunday, August 28, 2011

Rajsich wins 2011 Texas Open

Rhonda Rajsich defeated Samantha Salas to win the Texas Open in Dallas on Sunday and claim the first Women's Professional Racquetball Organization (WPRO) title of the season. Rajsich won in four games, 8-11, 11-4, 11-4, 12-10.

The victory will boost Rajsich's ranking points, as she lost in the quarter finals in Dallas last year, when she was beaten by Salas in five games. Salas was a Texas Open finalist last year, losing to Paola Longoria, who was suspended for this event.

The next WPRO event will be the US Open in Minneapolis, October 5-9.

2011 Ektelon WPRO Texas Open
Dallas, Texas

Final


Rhonda Rajsich d. Samantha Salas, 8-11, 11-4, 11-4, 12-10

Follow the bouncing ball....

Saturday, August 27, 2011

2011 Texas Open - Quarter finals

Samantha Salas reached the final of the 2011 Women's Professional Racquetball Organization (WPRO) Texas Open with a five game victory over Kerri Wachtel, winning 11-4, 13-15, 1-11, 11-5, 11-4. She'll face either Rhonda Rajsich or Cheryl Gudinas in the final. Their semi-final is still to come on Saturday.

Earlier on Saturday, Salas defeated Angela Grisar, and Wachtel beat Jennifer Saunders, 11-2, 11-3, 4-11, 11-5, in the quarter finals. Rajsich and Gudinas were winners over Cristina Amaya, 11-7, 11-1, 9-11, 11-4, and Da'monique Davis, 11-4, 11-8, 11-2, respectively.

The final will be Sunday at 11 AM and webcast live over the internet via the IRT Network.

2011 Ektelon WPRO Texas Open
Dallas, Texas

Quarter finals


Rhonda Rajsich d. Cristina Amaya, 11-7, 11-1, 9-11, 11-4
Cheryl Gudinas d. Da'monique Davis, 11-4, 11-8, 11-2

Kerri Wachtel d. Jennifer Saunders, 11-2, 11-3, 4-11, 11-5
Samantha Salas d. Angela Grisar, 4-11, 11-7, 11-2, 4-11, 11-7

Semi finals

Rhonda Rajsich d. Cheryl Gudinas, 11-6, 11-2, 11-1
Samantha Salas d. Kerri Wachtel, 11-4, 13-15, 1-11, 11-5, 11-4

Follow the bouncing ball....

2011 Texas Open - Round of 16

Da'monique Davis is through to the quarter finals of the Texas Open, the first event of the 2011-2012 Women's Professional Racquetball Organization (WPRO) season. Davis was an upset winner over Mexican veteran Susana Acosta, winning 11-9, 11-5, 11-9, in the Round of 16.

Joining Davis in the quarters are top seeds Rhonda Rajsich - a winner over Sharon Jackson, 11-4, 11-0, 11-0 - and Samantha Salas, who defeated Maiko Sato, 11-1, 11-4, 6-11, 11-2.

Third seed Kerri Wachtel also won, defeating Sheryl Lotts, 11-4, 11-5, 11-3, and she'll face Jennifer Saunders in the quarters, which is a re-match from last year's Texas Open, when Saunders defeated Wachtel to reach her first WPRO semi-final.

Saunders beat T.J. Baumbaugh in the quarters, 11-7, 11-4, 10-12, 11-6.

In a bit of an upset, 10th seed Angela Grisar beat 7th seed Adrienne Fisher, 11-6, 11-8, 10-12, 10-12, 11-2. Grisar will play Salas in the quarters on Saturday.

Play continues Saturday in Dallas with the quarter finals starting at 10 AM and semi-finals beginning at 5 PM CDT. Matches can be seen live over the internet via the IRT Network.

2011 Ektelon WPRO Texas Open
Dallas, Texas

Round of 16


Rhonda Rajsich d. Sharon Jackson, 11-4, 11-0, 11-0
Cristina Amaya d. Krystal Csuk, 11-1, 11-4, 6-11, 11-2

Da'monique Davis d. Susana Acosta, 11-9, 11-5, 11-9
Cheryl Gudinas d. Liz Alvarado, 7-11, 11-9, 5-11, 11-9, 11-6

Kerri Wachtel d. Sheryl Lotts, 11-4, 11-5, 11-3
Jennifer Saunders d. T.J. Baumbaugh, 11-7, 11-4, 10-12, 11-6

Angela Grisar d. Adrienne Fisher, 11-6, 11-8, 10-12, 10-12, 11-2
Samantha Salas d. Maiko Sato, 11-4, 11-3, 11-6

Quarter finals

Rhonda Rajsich vs. Cristina Amaya
Cheryl Gudinas vs. Da'monique Davis

Kerri Wachtel vs. Jennifer Saunders
Samantha Salas vs. Angela Grisar

Follow the bouncing ball....

Friday, August 26, 2011

2011 Texas Open - Round of 32

Da'monique Davis is through to the quarter finals of the Texas Open, the first event of the 2011-2012 Women's Professional Racquetball Organization (WPRO) season. Davis was an upset winner over Mexican veteran Susana Acosta, winning 11-9, 11-5, 11-9, in the Round of 16.

Davis also beat Carla Munoz in the Round of 32 earlier on Friday, 11-9, 1-11, 6-11, 11-8, 11-4. But several higher seeds lost in the 32s, as Claudine Garcia, Keely Franks, Laura Brandt and Linda Scales all lost to Liz Alvarado, Sheryl Lotts, Maiko Sato and Sharon Jackson, respectively.

2011 Ektelon WPRO Texas Open
Dallas, Texas

Round of 32


Rhonda Rajsich BYE
Sharon Jackson d. Linda Scales, 11-6, 4-11, 11-5, 11-3

Krystal Csuk BYE
Cristina Amaya BYE

Susana Acosta BYE
Da'monique Davis d. Carla Munoz, 11-9, 1-11, 6-11, 11-8, 11-4

Liz Alvarado d. Claudine Garcia, 4-11, 13-11, 11-9, 11-4
Cheryl Gudinas BYE

Kerri Wachtel BYE
Sheryl Lotts d. Keely Franks, 7-11, 13-11, 12-10, 11-7

T.J. Baumbaugh d. Dolly Watson, 11-5, 11-6, 11-4
Jennifer Saunders BYE

Adrienne Fisher BYE
Angela Grisar d. Bernadette Zimmerman, 11-4, 13-11, 11-3

Maiko Sato d. Laura Brandt, 11-9, 11-2, 11-4
Samantha Salas BYE

Round of 16

Rhonda Rajsich vs. Sharon Jackson
Krystal Csuk vs. Cristina Amaya

Da'monique Davis d. Susana Acosta, 11-9, 11-5, 11-9
Cheryl Gudinas vs. Liz Alvarado

Kerri Wachtel vs. Sheryl Lotts
Jennifer Saunders vs. T.J. Baumbaugh

Adrienne Fisher vs. Angela Grisar
Samantha Salas vs. Maiko Sato

Follow the bouncing ball....

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

2011 Texas Open

The Racquetball Blog staff is emerging from the tall grass where we've been spending much of the summer to coincide with the Texas Open, which is the kick off tournament to the 2011-2012 Women's Professional Racquetball Organization (WPRO) season.

Most of the usual suspects will be in Dallas, but WPRO #2 Paola Longoria is absent from the event as a result of her behavior following the final at the Stockton event in April. Longoria lost that final to Rhonda Rajsich after she had a matching winning point overturned on appeal. Other calls that did not go Longoria's way late in the match led her to be insulting to the WPRO at the event as well as subsequently in social media. Longoria has been fined and suspended for the first match of this season as a result. She has since apologized for her remarks.

The Stockton event was the second last tournament of last season though, and there was two weeks until the next event in New Orleans. Thus, one wonders why Longoria wasn't suspended for the next tournament after the infraction occurred, which would have been that last event in New Orleans.

Of course, suspending Longoria for New Orleans would have decided the season ending #1 player, as Rajsich and Longoria were that close going into the New Orleans event. If Rajsich had lost early and Longoria done well, then Longoria would have finished #1. As it was Rajsich made it to the New Orleans final, and thereby clinched the #1 spot, despite losing that final to Longoria.

Longoria's absence from Dallas moves Samantha Salas into the #2 seed, Kerri Wachtel to #3 and Cheryl Gudinas to #4, with Rajsich as the top seed.

Also absent from the Texas Open draw, and perhaps surprisingly so, is WPRO #12 Christie Huczek, who lives in the Dallas area and did play this event last season, when she made the semi finals.

2011 Ektelon WPRO Texas Open
Dallas, Texas

Round of 32


Rhonda Rajsich BYE
Linda Scales vs. Sharon Jackson

Krystal Csuk BYE
Cristina Amaya BYE

Susana Acosta BYE
Da'monique Davis vs. Carla Munoz

Claudine Garcia vs. Liz Alvarado
Cheryl Gudinas BYE

Kerri Wachtel BYE
Keely Franks vs. Sheryl Lotts

T.J. Baumbaugh vs. Dolly Watson
Jennifer Saunders BYE

Adrienne Fisher BYE
Angela Grisar vs. Bernadette Zimmerman

Laura Brandt vs. Maiko Sato
Samantha Salas BYE

Follow the bouncing ball....

Monday, August 1, 2011

23rd Junior Worlds - Results Summary

Players from nine of the seventeen nations won medals while competing at the 23rd International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Junior Racquetball Championships last week in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Mexicans were the clear leaders as they had four players win two gold medals: Rodrigo Montoya in Boys U14, Rodrigo Garay in Boys U16, Diana Aguilar in Girls U14 and Alexandra Herrera in Girls U16.

Bolivians went home with two gold, five silver and one bronze for eight total medals. USA had nine total medals - one more than Bolivia but fewer gold and silver (one and two, respectively) and more bronze (seven). Bolivian Maria Jose Vargas was a gold medalist in Girls U18 doubles and silver in U18 singles, while Nick Montalbano of the USA won gold in U18 doubles and bronze in U18 singles.

Canada was fourth with 7 medals and three Canadians were double medalists as Frédérique Lambert won gold and bronze in Girls U18, Michelle Morissette silver and bronze in Girls U14 and Coby Iwaasa duplicated his results from last year taking home two bronze medals in Boys U14.

Guatemala took another step forward by winning three medals - up from two last year - and they were led by Maria Renee Rodriguez of Guatemala - a double bronze medalist in Girls U16. The Dominican Republic took silver in Boys U16 doubles, with Irish and Venezuelan players coming home with a bronze medal each.

Medal Summary by Country
Mexico 8 gold, 2 silver, 4 bronze
Bolivia 2, 5, 1
USA 1, 2, 7
Canada 1, 1, 5
Guatemala 0, 0, 3
Costa Rica 0, 1, 1
Dominican Republic 0, 1, 0
Ireland 0, 0, 1
Venezuela 0, 0, 1

2011 IRF Junior World Racquetball Championships
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Boy's 14 and Under
Singles

1st Rodrigo Montoya (Mexico)
2nd Marcelo Vargas (Bolivia)
3rd Coby Iwaasa (Canada) and Hansel Martinez (Guatemala)

Doubles
1st Rodrigo Montoya & Erik Garcia (Mexico)
2nd Marcelo Vargas & Cristhian Mina (Bolivia)
3rd Coby Iwaasa & Matthew Swaine (Canada) and Jake Birnel & Jacob Matthews (USA)

Boy's 16 and Under
Singles

1st Rodrigo Garay (Mexico)
2nd Andres Acuna (Costa Rica)
3rd Adam Manilla (USA) and Ramon Yanez (Mexico)

Doubles
1st Rodrigo Garay & Eduardo Garay (Mexico)
2nd Junior Rodriguez & Francisco De Leon (Dominican Republic)
3rd Stevie Quinn & Cono Skehan (Ireland) and Adam Manilla & Nick Riffel (USA)

Boy's 18 and Under
Singles

1st Carlos Keller (Bolivia)
2nd Daniel De La Rosa (Mexico)
3rd Jaime Martell (Mexico) and Nick Montalbano (USA)

Doubles
1st Josh Hungerford & Nick Montalbano (USA)
2nd Carlos Keller Vargas & Jorge Luis Michel (Bolivia)
3rd Kurtis Cullen & Samuel Murray (Canada) and Daniel De La Rosa & Missael Leija (Mexico)

Girl's 14 and Under
Singles

1st Diana Aguilar (Mexico)
2nd Natalia Mendez (Bolivia)
3rd Nathaly Mina (Bolivia) & Michelle Morissette (Canada)

Doubles
1st Monserrat Perez & Diana Aguilar (Mexico)
2nd Danielle Drury & Michelle Morissette (Canada)
3rd Krystle Boyle & Lexi York (USA) and Melania Sauma & Sofia Soley (Costa Rica)

Girl's 16 and Under
Singles

1st Alexandra Herrera (Mexico)
2nd Kelani Bailey (USA)
3rd Maria Renee Rodriguez (Guatemala) and Mariana Tobon (Venezuela)

Doubles (round robin)
1st Alexandra Herrera & Ximena Gonzalez (Mexico)
2nd Kelani Bailey & Mercedes Arias (USA)
3rd Ana Gabriela Martinez & Maria Renee Rodriguez (Guatemala)

Girl's 18 and Under
Singles

1st Frédérique Lambert (Canada)
2nd Maria Jose Vargas (Bolivia)
3rd Devon Pimentelli (USA) and Sofia Rascon (Mexico)

Doubles
1st Maria Jose Vargas & Adriana Riveros (Bolivia)
2nd Sofia Rascon & Elena Robles (Mexico)
3rd Frédérique Lambert & Valerie Fallu (Canada) and Amanda Lindsey & Jessica Munoz (USA)

Follow the bouncing ball....