16th IRF World Championships - Men's Results Day 1

The 16th International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Championships began Saturday in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and there are no big upsets on the men's side so far, although some results have been surprising.

Unsurprisingly, American Rocky Carson - the two time defending champion - is through to the Round of 16 with a comfortable victory over Pedro Manolo Sandoval (Guatemala), 15-1, 15-3. Second seed Polo Gutierrez of Mexico didn't give up any points in his match against Abraham Mercado (Puerto Rico), winning 15-0, 15-0.

Similarly in doubles, top seeds Jansen Allen and Tony Carson (USA) beat Miguel Santiago and Abraham Mercado (Puerto Rico), 15-1, 15-5, while second seeds Alvaro Beltran and Javier Moreno (Mexico) defeated Rolando Bier & David Matamoros (Honduras), 15-7, 15-6.

Match of the day goes to Ramon De Leon and Junior Rodriguez of the Dominican Republic who defeated Japanese veterans Hiroshi Shimizu and Michimune Kono, 4-15, 15-14, 11-10. The Dominicans had a comfortable lead in game two, up 13-5, but the Japanese fought back and tied it at 14-14. It looked like they might win two straight, but the young Dominican team managed for finish off game two and then pulled out the tie-breaker by the same one point margin.

Play continues Sunday and there is live streaming of the event via the IRF website. The men's and women's singles and doubles competitions will conclude on Tuesday. Then there will be an off day before the team competition begins on Thursday and that will conclude next Saturday.

16th IRF World Championships
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Men's Singles - Round of 32

Rocky Carson (USA) d. Pedro Manolo Sandoval (Guatemala), 15-1, 15-3
Alejandro Herrera (Colombia) d. Daeyong Kwon (South Korea), 15-10, 15-8

Cesar Castillo (Venezuela) d. Ricardo Delgado (Panama), 15-14, 7-15, 11-8
Agustin Tristan (Catalunya) d. Takaaki Hirose (Japan), 15-5, 15-3

Kris Odegard (Canada) d. Francisco Troncoso (Chile), 15-6, 15-8
Fernando Rios (Ecuador) d. Kadim Carrasco (Bolivia), 15-4, 15-2

Felipe Camacho (Costa Rica) d. Luis Perez (Dominican Republic), 15-13, 15-8
Gilberto Meija (Mexico) d. Santiago Ugalde (Argentina), 15-4, 15-11

Jose Rojas (USA) d. Christian Wer (Guatemala), 15-6, 15-12
Juan Herrera (Colombia) d. Mingyu Kim (South Korea), 15-8, 15-6

Luis Reveron (Venezuela) d. Stephen O'Loan (Ireland), 15-0, 15-2
Shai Manzuri (Argentina) d. Michimune Kono (Japan), 15-8, 15-7

Tim Landeryou (Canada) d. Santiago Canedo (Chile), 14-15, 15-1, 11-6
Carlos Keller (Bolivia) d. Jose Daniel Ugalde (Ecuador), 15-7, 13-15, 11-1

Taobaldo Fumero Adams (Costa Rica) d. Junior Rodriguez (Dominican Republic), 15-11, 15-6
Polo Gutierrez (Mexico) d. Abraham Mercado (Puerto Rico), 15-0, 15-0

Men's Singles - Round of 16

Rocky Carson (USA) v. Alejandro Herrera (Colombia)
Cesar Castillo (Venezuela) v. Agustin Tristan (Catalunya)

Kris Odegard (Canada) v. Fernando Rios (Ecuador)
Gilberto Meija (Mexico) v. Felipe Camacho (Costa Rica)

Jose Rojas (USA) v. Juan Herrera (Colombia)
Luis Reveron (Venezuela) v. Shai Manzuri (Argentina)

Tim Landeryou (Canada) v. Carlos Keller (Bolivia)
Polo Gutierrez (Mexico) v. Taobaldo Fumero Adams (Costa Rica)

Men's Singles - Round of 64

Rocky Carson (USA) BYE
Pedro Manolo Sandoval (Guatemala) d. Ashish Mehta (India), 15-7, 15-4

Alejandro Herrera (Colombia) BYE
Daeyong Kwon (South Korea) BYE

Cesar Castro (Venezuela) BYE
Ricardo Delgado (Panama) d. Gary Lynch (Ireland), 15-3, 15-8

Agustin Tristan (Catalunya) d. David Matamoros (Honduras), 15-8, 15-2
Takaaki Hirose (Japan) BYE

Kris Odegard (Canada) BYE
Francisco Troncoso (Chile) d. Ernesto Centeno (Nicaragua), 15-0, 15-0

Fernando Rios (Ecuador) BYE
Kadim Carrasco (Bolivia) BYE

Luis Perez (Dominican Republic) BYE
Felipe Camacho (Costa Rica) BYE

Santiago Ugalde (Argentina) d. Miguel Santiago (Puerto Rico), 15-11, 15-13
Gilberto Meija (Mexico) BYE

Jose Rojas (USA) BYE
Christian Wer (Guatemala) d. Luciano Garcia (Nicaragua), 15-14, 15-13

Juan Herrera (Colombia) BYE
Mingyu Kim (South Korea) BYE

Luis Reveron (Venezuela) BYE
Stephen O'Loan (Ireland) BYE

Shai Manzuri (Argentina) d. Ronaldo Bier (Honduras), 15-5, 15-6
Michimune Kono (Japan) BYE

Tim Landeryou (Canada) BYE
Santiago Canedo (Chile) d. Timothy Baghurst (England), 15-5, 15-7

Jose Daniel Ugalde (Ecuador) d. Cesar Dominguez (Panama), 15-3, 15-5
Carlos Keller (Bolivia) BYE

Junior Rodriguez (Dominican Republic) BYE
Taobaldo Fumero Adams (Costa Rica) BYE

Abraham Mercado (Puerto Rico) d. Venkat Vejju (India), 14-15, 15-10, 11-10
Polo Gutierrez (Mexico) BYE

Men's Doubles - Round of 16

Jansen Allen & Tony Carson (USA) d. Miguel Santiago & Abraham Mercado (Puerto Rico), 15-1, 15-5
Daniel Maggi & Fernando Kurzbard (Argentina) d. Santiago Canedo & Francisco Troncoso (Chile), 15-8, 15-14

Ramon De Leon & Junior Rodriguez (Dominican Republic) d. Hiroshi Shimizu & Michimune Kono (Japan), 4-15, 15-14, 11-10
Edwin Galicia & Pedro Manolo Sandoval (Guatemala) d. Luis Reveron & Roberto Santander (Venezuela), 8-15, 15-11, 11-9

Mike Green & Vincent Gagnon (Canada) d. Alejandro Herrera & Sebastian Franco (Colombia), 15-11, 15-0
Sangsoo Lee & Eunbyung Kim (South Korea) d. Ricardo Monroy & Roland Keller (Bolivia), 15-10, 15-0

Fernando Rios & Jose Daniel Alvarez (Ecuador) d. Andres Acuña & Ivan Villegas (Costa Rica), 15-14, 15-14
Alvaro Beltran & Javier Moreno (Mexico) d. Rolando Bier & David Matamoros (Honduras), 15-7, 15-6

Men's Doubles - Quarter finals

Jansen Allen & Tony Carson (USA) v. Daniel Maggi & Fernando Kurzbard (Argentina)
Ramon De Leon & Junior Rodriguez (Dominican Republic) v. Edwin Galicia & Pedro Manolo Sandoval (Guatemala)

Mike Green & Vincent Gagnon (Canada) v. Sangsoo Lee & Eunbyung Kim (South Korea)
Alvaro Beltran & Javier Moreno (Mexico) v. Fernando Rios & Jose Daniel Alvarez (Ecuador)

Men's Doubles - Round of 32

Miguel Santiago & Abraham Mercado (Puerto Rico) d. Nirup Shetty & Sathwik Rai (India), 15-9, 11-15, 11-1
Alejandro Herrera & Sebastian Franco (Colombia) d. Ricardo Delgado & Cesar Dominguez (Panama), 15-3, 15-3
Rolando Bier & David Matamoros (Honduras) d. Gary Lynch & Stephen O'Loan (Ireland), 15-6, 15-7

Follow the bouncing ball....