LPRT Mile High Pro-Am - Round of 16

Two more upsets at the Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) Mile High Pro/Am in Denver happened in the Round of 16. Veteran Cheryl Gudinas, the 10th seed, defeated 7th seed Michelle Key, 11-3, 11-2, 11-6, in match that has implications for the US Team qualification.

The top two American players on the LPRT qualify for the US National Team. Gudinas and Key are close in the race to do that. Key was leading, but Gudinas's win could change that. Da'monique Davis is also in that race, but she lost her match against Sofia Rascon, 11-3, 11-5, 11-3. That match was the other upset on the day, as Davis was seeded 8th and Rascon 9th.

Thus, on a day with big implication for US Team qualification, it was the veteran Gudinas who came through.

Gudinas would surely like to qualify for the US Team for the Pan American Games this summer. She has competed - and medaled - at every Pan Am Games racquetball competition since it was first included in 1995.

The first spot on Team USA will undoubtedly be claimed by Rhonda Rajsich, the LPRT 3rd ranked player, who defeated Alexandra Herrera, 4-11, 11-8, 9-11, 11-7, 11-4, in the Round of 16 Friday. She'll play Cristina Amaya in the quarterfinals, as Amaya beat Veronica Sotomayor, 11-2, 8-11, 11-8, 11-9.

Also in the quarters will be the match up that we've anticipated: 4th seed Frédérique Lambert will play 5th seed Samantha Salas, although it almost didn't happen, as Salas dropped the first two games against Susana Acosta in the 16s. However, Salas battled back to win the next three and take the match, 8-11, 6-11, 11-3, 11-3, 11-5.

Lambert also dropped the first game of her Round of 16 match with Gabriela Martinez, but then recovered to win the next three, making the final score line 9-11, 11-7, 11-2, 11-8.

You can watch the quarterfinals at 11 AM and noon Saturday via the LPRT Network. The semi-finals will go at 5 PM and 6 PM MDT Saturday with the final at noon on Sunday.

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

Round of 16

1 Paola Longoria d. 16 Kim Thomas, 11-2, 11-6, 11-2
9 Sofia Rascon d. 8 Da'monique Davis, 11-3, 11-5, 11-3

5 Samantha Salas d. 12 Susana Acosta, 8-11, 6-11, 11-3, 11-3, 11-5
4 Frédérique Lambert d. 20 Gabriela Martinez, 9-11, 11-7, 11-2, 11-8

3 Rhonda Rajsich d. 14 Alexandra Herrera, 4-11, 11-8, 9-11, 11-7, 11-4
6 Cristina Amaya d. 11 Veronica Sotomayor, 11-2, 8-11, 11-8, 11-9

10 Cheryl Gudinas d. 7 Michelle Key, 11-3, 11-2, 11-6
2 Maria Jose Vargas d. 18 Maria Paz Muñoz, 11-7, 11-8, 11-5

Quarterfinals

1 Paola Longoria v. 9 Sofia Rascon - Noon MDT
4 Frédérique Lambert v. 5 Samantha Salas - Noon MDT

3 Rhonda Rajsich v. 6 Cristina Amaya - 11 AM MDT
2 Maria Jose Vargas v. 10 Cheryl Gudinas - 11 AM MDT

Follow the bouncing ball....