Sunday, February 12, 2012

USA National Doubles Championships - Final

The 45th USA Racquetball National Doubles Championship concluded Sunday in Tempe, Arizona, and there were some expected and some not so expected results. The expected results were on the men's side, as Rocky Carson and Ben Croft won the US Team Qualifying event by defeating Chris Crowther and Shane Vanderson in the final, 15-7, 15-4.

The win was Carson's sixth title and Croft's third, but it's their first title together. Carson won all his previous titles with Jack Huczek and Croft won both his with Mitch Williams.

Crowther and Vanderson were finalists last year also, when Carson and Huczek took the title.

The surprise result came on the women's side, as defending champs Jackie Paraiso and Aimee Ruiz lost in the semi-finals to Kim Russell-Waselenchuk and Rhonda Rajsich, 13-15, 15-6, 11-7.

Russell-Waselenchuk and Rajsich went on to win the title by defeating Krystal Csuk and Cheryl Gudinas, 15-11, 15-5, in the final. The final was a re-match of one of last year's semi-finals, which Csuk and Gudinas won, but they then lost the final to Paraiso and Ruiz.

The win is Russell-Waselenchuk's sixth, but first since 2004, when she won with Paraiso. It's Rajsich's first US National doubles title, and the first US National women's doubles title that has not been at least shared by either Ruiz or Paraiso since 2001, when Gudinas and Russell-Waselenchuk teamed up to win it.

Ruiz and Paraiso took the third place match by beating Marci Drexler and Laura Fenton, 15-6, 15-10.

The mixed open doubles title went to Ruiz and Andy Hawthorne, who were 13-15, 15-9, 11-3 winners over Charlie Pratt and Janel Tisinger.

2012 45th USA Racquetball National Doubles Championships
Tempe, Arizona
US National Team Divisions

Men's

Quarter finals
Rocky Carson & Ben Croft d. Brad Schopieray & John Scott, 15-4, 15-4
Charles Pratt & Tony Carson d. Alex Ackermann & Jansen Allen, 11-15, 15-10, 11-6
Andy Hawthorne & Jose Rojas d. Anthony Herrera & Rafael Filippini, 7-15, 15-12, 11-4
Chris Crowther & Shane Vanderson d. Blake Hansen & Travis Mettenbrink, 15-9, 15-6

Semi-finals
Rocky Carson & Ben Croft d. Charles Pratt & Tony Carson, 15-4, 10-15, 11-6
Chris Crowther & Shane Vanderson d. Andy Hawthorne & Jose Rojas, 15-8, 15-9

Final
Rocky Carson & Ben Croft d. Chris Crowther & Shane Vanderson, 15-7, 15-4

3rd place
Andy Hawthorne & Jose Rojas d. Charles Pratt & Tony Carson, 15-13, 15-8

Women's

Quarter finals
Jacqueline Paraiso & Aimee Ruiz d. Da'monique Davis & Sharon Jackson, 15-6, 15-3
Kim Russell-Waselenchuk & Rhonda Rajsich d. Janel Tisinger & Kristen Bellows, 15-9, 15-4

Laura Fenton & Marci Drexler d. Danielle Key & Michelle Key, 11-15, 15-8, 11-6
Krystal Csuk & Cheryl Gudinas d. Amy Foster & Elaine Albrecht, 15-8, 15-7

Semi-finals
Kim Russell-Waselenchuk & Rhonda Rajsich d. Jacqueline Paraiso & Aimee Ruiz, 13-15, 15-6, 11-7
Krystal Csuk & Cheryl Gudinas d. Laura Fenton & Marci Drexler, 15-14, 10-15, 11-7

Final
Kim Russell-Waselenchuk & Rhonda Rajsich d. Krystal Csuk & Cheryl Gudinas, 15-11, 15-5

Third
Aimee Ruiz & Jacqueline Paraiso d. Laura Fenton & Marci Drexler, 15-6, 15-10

Mixed Open

Semi-finals
Charles Pratt & Janel Tisinger d. Jacqueline Paraiso & Tony Carson, 6-15, 15-14, 11-4
Aimee Ruiz & Andy Hawthorne d. Rhonda Rajsich & Shawn Royster, 15-4, 15-11

Final
Aimee Ruiz & Andy Hawthorne d. Charles Pratt & Janel Tisinger, 13-15, 15-9, 11-3

Follow the bouncing ball....

No comments: