The XXV Pan American Championships began Saturday in Temuco, Chile with round robin pool play that will set the seedings for the elimination round that will start on Wednesday. Thus, no one is facing elimination until Wednesday.
There have been no surprises so far, as most of the higher seeded players won in two straight games by comfortable margins. That includes defending champion American Rhonda Rajsich, who beat Argentinian Natalia Corti, 15-2, 15-2, and Mexican Paola Longoria, a 15-5, 15-8 winner over Véronique Guillemette of Argentina.
The other women's higher seeds - Susana Acosta (Mexico), Jennifer Saunders (Canada), Frédérique Lambert (Canada) and Carol Loma (Bolivia) - also all won in two games and none of them gave up more than 10 points total.
Men's singles went similarly, although last year's champion Daniel De La Rosa of Mexico didn't play. Also, his team-mate Misael Leija had the toughest test on Saturday as he needed a tie-breaker to beat Chilean Francisco Troncoso, 12-15, 15-8, 11-5.
Canadian Mike Green, Bolivians Kadim Carrasco and Carlos Keller, who's the current World Junior U18 Champion, all won in two games.
One other men's singles game went tie-breaker, as Luis Perez of the Dominican Republic defeated Teobaldo Fumero Adams, 15-7, 10-15, 11-8.
In women's doubles, two matches went tie-breaker. Colombians Cristina Amaya and Carolina Gomez squeaked out a win against Guatemalans Marie Gomar and Maria Rene Rodriguez, 15-8, 12-15, 11-10, and Ecuadorans Maria Paz Muñoz and Cristina Ana Velez needed a third game to defeat Mariana Paredes and Mariana Tobon of Venezuela, 15-13, 13-15, 11-3.
Men's doubles action also saw two tie-breakers. The Argentine team of Daniel Maggi and Fernando Kurzbard beat Pedro Manolo Sandoval and Edwin Galicia of Guatemala, 15-7, 12-15, 11-0, and Ecuadorans Imael Zhindon and Jose Daniel Ugalde defeated Sergio Baires and Servin Cruz, 15-6, 12-15, 11-1.
Pool play action continues in Temuco Sunday and Monday, and PARC is streaming some of it live via the internet through their website.
Follow the bouncing ball....
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