Americans Sharon Jackson and Rhonda Rajsich upset two time defending champions Paola Longoria and Samantha Salas of Mexico, 15-5, 15-7, to win gold in women's doubles at the 2013 Pan American Championships in Cali, Colombia. Longoria and Salas were undefeated in the past two years, winning gold at the 2011 Pan Am Games, 2012 World Championships as well as the past two Pan Am Championships.
The women's final was remarkable not just for who won, but also for how the match went. Jackson and Rajsich jumped out to a big lead in game at 7-0, and cruised to go up one game on Longoria and Salas.
The Mexicans scored the first two points of game two, but momentum quickly shifted back to the Americans, who won eight straight points to go up 8-2. The Mexicans were able to hold the Americans at eight, but they could only get a point themselves, making it 8-3, before the Americans scored again.
From then on the Americans never let the lead get closer than six points, as they completed the upset in two straight games.
Jackson was representing the USA for the first time, so it's her first gold medal. Veteran Rajsich won gold for the second time in women's doubles at Pan Am Championships, having previously done so in 2007 with Janel Tisinger.
Rajsich has now won four Pan American Championship gold medals, as she won singles in 2007 and 2011 to go with her two gold in doubles.
2013 Pan American Championships
Cali, Colombia
Women's Doubles - Final
Sharon Jackson & Rhonda Rajsich (USA) d. Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas (Mexico), 15-5, 15-7
Follow the bouncing ball....
Saturday, March 30, 2013
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