17th IRF World Championships - Doubles draws preview

There were fewer upsets in the group stage of the doubles competitions at the 17th International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Championships in Burlington, Ontario, Canada, so the elimination round draws are more straightforward.

But it won't be an easy road to gold for any team. On the women's side, Mexicans Paola Longoria and Samantha Salas are the defending champions, but they could face a good young team from Bolivia in the quarterfinals in Natalia Mendez and Adriana Riveros, who went tie-breaker with the Canadian team of Frédérique Lambert and Jennifer Saunders in the group stage.

Win that, and the Mexicans will likely have to play either the Argentine team of Maria Jose Vargas and Veronique Guillemette or the Chilean team of veteran Angela Grisar and Carla Muñoz, who were silver medalists two years ago.

Similarly on the men's side, Mexicans Alvaro Beltran and Edson Martinez will likely need to defeat a solid Colombian side of Alejandro Herrera and Sebastian Franco in the quarterfinals, and then deal with Bolivians Conrado Moscos and Mario Mercado or Venezuelans Cesar Castillo and Cesar Castro in the semi-finals.

In the finals, there could be Mexico versus USA in both Men's and Women's play, but everyone else with be trying to prevent that.

Only two games in the Men's Doubles elimination draw will be played on Tuesday with the Round of 16 matches set for Wednesday. Similarly, the Women's Doubles elimination round will begin on Wednesday.

There will be live streaming of the semi-finals and finals on Friday and Saturday via the IRF Network.

17th IRF World Championships
June 14-21, 2014
Burlington, Ontario, Canada

Men's Doubles

Round of 32

Michael Barrett & Fernando Rivera (Puerto Rico) v. Pratap Ballalasamudra & Sumeet Kamat (India)
Pat O'Donnell & Conor Skehan (Ireland) v. Victor Montserrat & Dani Pascual (Catalunya)

Round of 16

Ben Croft & Thomas Fuhrmann (USA) v. Michael Barrett & Fernando Rivera (Puerto Rico) or Pratap Ballalasamudra & Sumeet Kamat (India)
Fernando Rios & Jose Daniel Alvarez (Ecoador) v. Luis Perez & Junior Rodriguez (Dominican Republic)

Daniel Maggi & Shai Manzuri (Argentina) v. Edwin Galicia & Pedro Manolo Sandoval (Guatemala)
Mike Green & Vincent Gagnon (Canada) v. Mingyu Kim & Daeyong Kwon (South Korea)

Cesar Castillo & Cesar Castro (Venezuela) v. Hiroshi Shimizu & Michimune Kono (Japan)
Conrado Moscos & Mario Mercado (Bolivia) v. Rodrigo Salgado & Francisco Troncoso (Chile)

Alejandro Herrera & Sebastian Franco (Colombia) v. Joaquin Solera & Pablo Sauma Masis (Costa Rica)
Alvaro Beltran & Edson Martinez (Mexico) v. Pat O'Donnell & Conor Skehan (Ireland) or Victor Montserrat & Dani Pascual (Catalunya)

Women's Doubles

Round of 16

Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas Solis (Mexico) v. Maria Renee Rodriguez & Gabriela Martinez (Guatemala)
Natalia Mendez & Adriana Riveros (Bolivia) v. Melania Sauma Masis & Sofia Soley Saborio (Costa Rica)

Véronique Guillemette & Maria Jose Vargas (Argentina) v. Jin Seok & Jung Eun Ane (South Korea)
Angela Grisar & Carla Muñoz (Chile) v. Majella Haventry & Katie Kenny (Ireland)

Frédérique Lambert & Jennifer Saunders (Canada) v. Cristina Amaya & Claudia Andrade (Colombia)
Mariana Paredes & Mariana Tobon (Venezuela) v. Maria Paz Muñoz & Veronica Sotomayor (Ecuador)

Maiko Sato & Naomi Wakimoto (Japan) v. Maria Cespedes & Merynanyelly Delgado Araujo (Dominican Republic)
Aimee Ruiz & Janel Tisinger (USA) v. Anna Ventura & Bet Consegal (Catalunya)

Follow the bouncing ball....