IRF World Junior Championships - Boy's Draws

On small upset in the Boy's U16 at the 24th International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Junior Racquetball Championships in Canoga Park, California, as American Adam Manilla - the 5th seed - won a tie-breaker against the 4th seeded Costa Rican Paulo Sauma, 9-15, 15-7, 11-5.

The three top seeds all won, including #1 seed Coby Iwaasa of Canada, who defeated Mario Mercado of Bolivia, 15-11, 15-11. Iwaasa will play Manilla on Friday in the semi-finals.

The other semi will be between 2nd seed Andreas Acuña (Costa Rica) and 3rd seed Erik Garcia (Mexico). Acuña defeated 10th seed David Tamayo (Ecuador), 15-2, 15-2, while Garcia was a winner against Conrado Moscoso (Bolivia), 15-11, 15-12.

There was also an upset in Boy's U18 but the winner was 6th seed Jose Diaz (USA), who is ranked 19th on the International Racquetball Tour (IRT) - the highest junior player competing in Los Angeles this week. Diaz defeated 3rd seed Missael Leija (Mexico), 15-7, 15-9.

Diaz will next play 2nd seed Sebastian Franco (Colombia), who beat Canadian Samuel Murray, 15-6, 15-10, in the quarters.

An all American Boy's U18 final remains a possibility as Marco Rojas (USA) beat Edwin Haroldo Galicia Lutin (Guatemala), 15-1, 15-0, on the top side of the draw. Rojas will play Mexican Salvador Ortiz, who was a winner over Ashton Duda (Canada), 15-11, 15-11, in the other semi-final on Friday.

One upset in Boy's U14, and it was the #1 seed who went out, as 9th seed Jose Ubilla of Costa Rica defeated #1 seed Jordy Alonso of Mexico, 12-15, 15-13, 11-8. Ubilla will play 4th seed Bolivian Cristhian Mina in the semi-finals, as Mina beat 5th seed John De Michele of Canada, 15-5, 15-7.

On the other side, it'll be 2nd seed Gonzalo Paco (Bolivia) versus 3rd seed Alejandro Almada Felix (Mexico) on Friday, as Paco beat 10th seed Alejandro Santos (Venezuela), 15-7, 15-3, and Felix defeated 6th Jordan Barth (USA), 15-12, 15-14.

The elimination round continues Thursday with the U18 quarter finals then the semi-finals will be Friday and the finals on Saturday. There is live streaming of some of the matches from California via the IRF website.

24th IRF World Junior Racquetball Championships
Canoga Park, California

Boy's U18 - Quarter finals

1. Salvador Ortiz (Mexico) d. 8. Ashton Duda (Canada), 15-11, 15-11
4. Marco Rojas (USA) d. 5. Edwin Haroldo Galicia Lutin (Guatemala), 15-1, 15-0

6. Jose Diaz (USA) d. 3. Missael Leija (Mexico), 15-7, 15-9
2. Sebastian Franco (Colombia) d. 7. Samuel Murray (Canada), 15-6, 15-10

Boy's U18 - Semi-finals

1. Salvador Ortiz (Mexico) v. 4. Marco Rojas (USA)
2. Sebastian Franco (Colombia) v. 6. Jose Diaz (USA)

Boy's U16 - Quarter finals

1. Coby Iwaasa (Canada) d. 8. Mario Mercado (Bolivia), 15-11, 15-11
5. Adam Manilla (USA) d. 4. Pablo Sauma (Costa Rica), 9-15, 15-7, 11-5

3. Erik Garcia (Mexico) d. 6. Conrado Moscoso (Bolivia), 15-11, 15-12
2. Andreas Acuña (Costa Rica) d. 10. David Tamayo (Ecuador), 15-2, 15-2

Boy's U16 - Semi-finals

1. Coby Iwaasa (Canada) v. 5. Adam Manilla (USA)
2. Andreas Acuña (Costa Rica) v. 3. Erik Garcia (Mexico)

Boy's U14 - Quarter finals

9. Jose Ubilla (Costa Rica) d. 1. Jordy Alonso (Mexico), 12-15, 15-13, 11-8
4. Cristhian Mina (Bolivia) d. 5. John De Michele (Mississauga, Ont.), 15-5, 15-7

3. Alejandro Almada Felix (Mexico) d. 6. Jordan Barth (USA), 15-12, 15-14
2. Gonzalo Paco (Bolivia) d. 10. Alejandro Santos (Venezuela), 15-7, 15-3

Boy's U14 - Semi-finals

4. Cristhian Mina (Bolivia) v. 9. Jose Ubilla (Costa Rica)
2. Gonzalo Paco (Bolivia) v. 3. Alejandro Almada Felix (Mexico)

Follow the bouncing ball....