Vargas & Rajsich to meet in final of 23rd Christmas Classic

Number 1 will play number 2 Sunday in the final of the Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) 23rd Annual Christmas Classic in Arlington, Virginia, as top seed Maria Jose Vargas and 2nd seed Rhonda Rajsich won their respective semi-final matches. One of them could be a double winner Sunday, as they are a doubles team and in that final also.

Vargas had an easier time of it in the singles semi-finals, as she beat Alexandra Herrera, the current U18 World Junior champion, in three straight games, 11-7, 11-1, 11-1. But Rajsich needed five games to fend off 3rd seed Samantha Salas, 11-9, 8-11, 4-11, 11-2, 11-4.

If Vargas wins on Sunday, it will be her first pro tournament win.

Rajsich and Vargas almost did make the doubles final, as they were pushed to a tie-breaker by the young team of Michelle Key and Maria Renee Rodriguez. Key and Rodriguez were actually up 14-8 in game one, but lost it 15-14. But they responded by winning game two, 15-13 to force a tie-breaker.

However, in the breaker Rajsich and Vargas went up 8-0, and while Key and Rodriguez made it interesting by cutting the deficit to 9-5, the end was not in doubt, as Rajsich and Vargas won by a final score line of 15-14, 13-15, 11-5.

Live streaming of the singles final will be Sunday at 11 AM with the doubles final to follow immediately after that.

23rd Annual LPRT Christmas Classic
Arlington, Virginia

Semi-finals

1) Maria Jose Vargas d. 13) Alexandra Herrera, 11-7, 11-1, 11-1
2) Rhonda Rajsich d. 3) Samantha Salas, 11-9, 8-11, 4-11, 11-2, 11-4

Final

1) Maria Jose Vargas v. 2) Rhonda Rajsich - 11 AM EST Sunday

Doubles - Semi-finals

1) Rhonda Rajsich & Maria Jose Vargas d. 4) Michelle Key & Maria Renee Rodriguez, 15-14, 13-15, 11-5
2) Alexandra Herrera & Samantha Salas d. 3) Susana Acosta & Jessica Parrilla, 15-4, 15-7

Doubles - Final

1) Rhonda Rajsich & Maria Jose Vargas v. 2) Alexandra Herrera & Samantha Salas - Noon EST Sunday

Follow the bouncing ball….