PARC XXVII Pan Am Championships - Singles 32s & 16s

The elimination rounds have begun at the XXVII Pan American Racquetball Championships in Santa Cruz, Bolivia and there aren't any big upsets so far. The Round of 32 and 16 are being played in both women's and men's singles on Wednesday.

On the women's side, Jenny Daza of Bolivia upset the 6th seed Jennifer Saunders of Canada, 15-10, 15-4, in the Round of 16. Daza will play Mexican Susana Acosta in the quarterfinals, as Acosta beat American Janel Tisinger in three games, 13-15, 15-7, 11-4.

On the top half of the draw, Maria Jose Vargas of Argentina and Veronica Sotomayor of Ecuador won their Round of 32 and 16 matches comfortably and will face off in the quarterfinals on Thursday.

Canadian Frédérique Lambert is also into the quarters, although she had a tougher time in the Round of 16, as she needed a tie-breaker to defeat Bolivian Natalia Mendez, 15-8, 12-15, 11-1. She'll face top seed Samantha Salas Solis of Mexico in the quarters, as Salas Solis beat Maria Paz Muñoz of Ecuador, 15-13, 15-10.

Only one upsets in the men's Round of 32, but that was in the 16/17 match, where Ezequiel Paez of Venezela beat Fernando Kurbard of Argentina, 15-4, 14-15, 11-6. (note: correction from what was previously posted: Cesar Castillo of Venezuela defeated Pablo Kurzbard of Argentina, 15-6, 15-8; apologies; the error was at source).

Only one other tie-breaker, as Colombian Sebastian Franco, seeded 7th, needed three games to defeat 26th seed Selvin Cruz of Honduras, 15-10, 14-15, 11-2.

But there were upsets and some other interesting results in the men's Round of 16. Veteran Luis Perez of Dominican Republic defeated 4th seed Coby Iwaasa of Canada in a tie-breaker, 14-15, 15-12, 11-2. Iwaasa was playing his first international tournament for Canada, and the wily veteran got the better of him.

American David Horn, another international rookie, won a close match with Bolivian Conrado Moscoso, 15-14, 15-9, which was a small upset by the seedings as Horn was seeded 9th and Moscoso 8th.

Two tie-breakers of note: 10th seed Fernando Rios of Ecuador defeated 7th seed Sebastian Franco, 12-15, 15-7, 11-8, and 6th seed Carlos Keller of Bolivia squeaked out a win against 11th seed Alejandro Herrera of Colombia, 15-2, 12-15, 11-10.

The quarterfinals are set for Thursday with the semi-finals on Friday and finals on Saturday. There will be live streaming of the elimination round semi-finals and finals on Friday and Saturday - April 18 and 19 - via the IRT Network.

XXVII Pan American Racquetball Championships
Santa Cruz, Bolivia - April 12-19, 2014

Women's Singles - Round of 32

Samantha Salas Solis (Mexico) - BYE
Maria Paz Muñoz (Ecuador) d. Gabriella Martinez (Guatemala), 15-4, 15-9

Natalia Mendez (Bolivia) d. Maria Paz Riquelme (Chile), 15-1, 15-1
Frédérique Lambert (Canada) d. Pamela Padilla (Honduras), 15-5, 15-2

Maria Jose Vargas (Argentina) d. Mary Diaz (Puerto Rico), 15-5, 15-1
Melania Sauma (Costa Rica) d. Cecilia Ceruetti (Argentina), 15-7, 15-10

Maria Cespedes (Dominican Republic) d. Mariana Tobon (Venezuela), 15-13, 15-14
Veronica Sotomayor (Ecuador) d. Irene Caballero (Panama), 15-0, 15-0

Susana Acosta (Mexico) d. Giulia Barboni (Panama), 15-2, 15-3
Janel Tisinger (USA) d. Merynanyelly Delgado (Dominican Republic), 15-2, 15-12

Jenny Daza (Bolivia) d. Sofia Soley (Costa Rica), 15-7, 15-8
Jennifer Saunders (Canada) d. Paula Sierra (Honduras), 15-0, 15-5

Cristina Amaya (Colombia) d. Letty Maldonado (Puerto Rico), 15-1, 15-3
Carla Muñoz (Chile) d. Carolina Gomez (Colombia), 15-0, 15-8

Maria Renee Rodriguez (Guatemala) d. Mariana Parades (Venezuela), 15-9, 15-5
Rhonda Rajsich (USA) - BYE

Women's Singles - Round of 16

Samantha Salas Solis (Mexico) d. Maria Paz Muñoz (Ecuador), 15-13, 15-10
Frédérique Lambert (Canada) d. Natalia Mendez (Bolivia), 15-8, 12-15, 11-1

Maria Jose Vargas (Argentina) d. Melania Sauma (Costa Rica), 15-5, 15-0
Veronica Sotomayor (Ecuador) d. Maria Cespedes (Dominican Republic), 15-2, 15-1

Susana Acosta (Mexico) d. Janel Tisinger (USA), 13-15, 15-7, 11-4
Jenny Daza (Bolivia) d. Jennifer Saunders (Canada), 15-10, 15-4

Cristina Amaya (Colombia) d. Carla Muñoz (Chile), 15-10, 11-15, 11-8
Rhonda Rajsich (USA) d. Maria Renee Rodriguez (Guatemala), 15-1, 15-5

Women's Singles - Quarterfinals

Samantha Salas Solis (Mexico) v. Frédérique Lambert (Canada)
Veronica Sotomayor (Ecuador) v. Maria Jose Vargas (Argentina)

Susana Acosta (Mexico) v. Jenny Daza (Bolivia)
Rhonda Rajsich (USA) v. Cristina Amaya (Colombia)

Men's Singles - Round of 32

Polo Gutierrez (Mexico) - BYE
Ezequiel Paez (Venezuela) d. Fernando Kurzbard (Argentina), 15-4, 14-15, 11-6

David Horn (USA) d. Edwin Garcia (Guatemala), 15-8, 15-6
Conrado Moscoso (Bolivia) d. Rodrigo Salgado (Chile), 15-3, 15-5

Jose Rojas (USA) d. Miguel Flores (Honduras), 15-4, 15-9
Jose Daniel Ugalde (Ecuador) d. Francisco Troncoso (Chile), 15-9, 15-6

Luis Perez (Dominican Republic) d. Andrés Solera (Costa Rica), 15-14, 15-13
Coby Iwaasa (Canada) d. Diego Vognione (Uruguay), 15-3, 15-4

Andree Parrilla (Mexico) d. Gustavo Farrel (Uruguay), 15-3, 15-1
Felipe Camacho (Costa Rica) d. Junior Rodriguez (Dominican Republic), 15-12, 15-12

Alejandro Herrera (Colombia) d. Pedro Manolo Sandoval (Guatemala), 15-14, 15-3
Carlos Keller (Bolivia) d. Fernando Rivera (Puerto Rico), 15-3, 15-7

Sebastian Franco (Colombia) d. Selvin Cruz (Honduras), 15-10, 14-15, 11-2
Fernando Rios (Ecuador) d. Jared Torres (Puerto Rico), 15-2, 15-6

Pablo Kurzbard (Argentina) d. Cesar Castillo (Venezuela), 15-6, 15-8
Vincent Gagnon (Canada) - BYE

Men's Singles - Round of 16

Polo Gutierrez (Mexico) d. Ezequiel Paez (Venezuela), 15-2, 15-5
David Horn (USA) d. Conrado Moscoso (Bolivia), 15-14, 15-9

Jose Rojas (USA) d. Jose Daniel Ugalde (Ecuador), 15-3, 15-2
Luis Perez (Dominican Republic) d. Coby Iwaasa (Canada), 14-15, 15-12, 11-2

Andree Parrilla (Mexico) d. Felipe Camacho (Costa Rica), 15-9, 15-11
Carlos Keller (Bolivia) d. Alejandro Herrera (Colombia), 15-2, 12-15, 11-10

Sebastian Franco (Colombia) d. Fernando Rios (Ecuador), 12-15, 15-7, 11-8
Vincent Gagnon (Canada) d. Pablo Kurzbard (Argentina), 15-6, 15-11

Men's Singles - Quarterfinals

Polo Gutierrez (Mexico) v. David Horn (USA)
Jose Rojas (USA) v. Luis Perez (Dominican Republic)

Andree Parrilla (Mexico) v. Carlos Keller (Bolivia)
Vincent Gagnon (Canada) v. Fernando Rios (Ecuador)

Follow the bouncing ball....