Longoria & Vargas to meet in LPRT Mile High Pro-Am final

Despite some upsets earlier in the tournament, it will be #1 v. #2 in the final of the Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) Mile High Pro/Am in Denver on Sunday, as #1 Paola Longoria and #2 Maria Jose Vargas won their respective semi-final matches, both in the minimum three games. But both won game one of their semis 12-10.

Longoria was up in game one against #4 Frédérique Lambert, 8-4 and 10-7, but Lambert tied it at 10-10. But an error gave the serve back to Longoria. On the next rally, Lambert skipped an easy forehand shot. Then Longoria hit a drive serve to the left, and the ball stuck in the back corner, and the first game was hers.

Game two was similar, as Longoria took an 8-2 lead. Lambert got within three at 10-7, but that was as close as she got, as Longoria won game two 11-7.

Game three was all Longoria, as she went out to a 9-0 lead and won 11-2.

Vargas beat Cristina Amaya, LPRT #6, in the other semi-final, 12-10, 11-3, 11-3. The match was close, despite the scores in games two and three, as there were several sideouts in both those games.

They were back and forth in game one, with Amaya leading 6-3, then Vargas leading 8-6. They tied at 9-9, and it was Amaya who got to 10 first. But Vargas got the serve back with a winning backhand return. Then Vargas tied it with a drive serve ace to the left side.

Amaya got the serve back with a forehand winner, but Vargas appealed that Amaya had encroached on the serve, which the referee had not called. The linejudges overturned the referee's call, and Vargas was awarded a point for Amaya's encroachment. Vargas won the game on the next rally with a forehand cross court shot.

Amaya won the first two points in game two, but Vargas held her to only one more, as she went on to win it, 11-3. Similarly in game three, they were tied at 3-3, and that was as many points as Amaya got, as Vargas scored eight straight points to finish off the game and match.

You can watch the final at noon MDT Sunday via the LPRT Network..

LPRT Mile High Pro-Am
Denver, Colorado
(with seeding)

Semi-finals

1 Paola Longoria d. 4 Frédérique Lambert, 12-10, 11-7, 11-2
2 Maria Jose Vargas d. 6 Cristina Amaya, 12-10, 11-3, 11-3

Final

1 Paola Longoria v. 2 Maria Jose Vargas

Follow the bouncing ball....