LPRT - Longoria wins 2013 Stockton Pro-Am to start the 2013-14 LPRT season

Paola Longoria, the #1 player on the Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT), lost the last time she played in Stockton, California. That was May 2011, and that was the last time she's lost women's pro match.

So it was a measure of redemption when she won the 2013 Stockton Pro-Am on Sunday by defeating Veronica Sotomayor in the final, 11-1, 11-9, 11-3. It was a dominant performance, who needed only 15 rallies to win the first game, as Sotomayor only served twice.

Longoria clearly had a game plan for serving to Sotomayor, as she did not drive serve at all in the final. Rather Longoria hit lob Z serves - and added some straight lob serves for variety - all to the right side, Sotomayor's forehand.

The players went back and forth in game two, but when Longoria went ahead 8-4, it seemed like it would be all over for Sotomayor. However, the young Ecuadoran player battled back and tied the game at 9-9.

Again they went back and forth. Then with the game still tied at 9-9, Sotomayor got the serve back and called a time-out. But on the ensuing rally she had a chance to hit a forehand winner but instead skipped the shot.

Longoria then made it 10-9 and then after another side-out, closed it out, as Sotomayor skipped another ball with her forehand that was left up following a Longoria pinch to the left corner.

The third game started slowly, and it wasn't until the 12th rally that Longoria made it 2-1. But she then went on a run taking the score up to 10-1. Sotomayor got a couple points back, but the writing was on the wall, and Longoria won it 11-3, to take the first LPRT event of the season.

The next LPRT event is the Albierto Mexicano de Racquetas tournament in Toluca, Mexico, September 20-22. It's a Grand Slam event, so results will be worth more ranking points, and there will be more prize money on the line as well.

LPRT 2013 Stockton Pro-Am, Stockton, Calif.

Final

Paola Longoria d. Veronica Sotomayor, 11-1, 11-9, 11-3

Follow the bouncing ball....