Drury & Saunders and Green & Iwaasa Champions of Canada

Jennifer Saunders and Danielle Drury are the 2015 Canadian Women's Doubles Champions, as they completed the five team round robin competition undefeated on Tuesday at the 2015 Canadian National Racquetball Championships in Burnaby, B.C. In their last match, Saunders and Drury defeated Brigitte Richard and Christine Richardson, 16-14, 15-12.

Saunders won for the 11th time, but the previous 10 were with Josée Grand'Maître as her partner. Also, the win makes Saunders the winningest player in Canadian racquetball history, as it was her 19th title overall: 11 Women's Doubles titles, and 8 Women's Singles titles.

Drury - a member of Canada's Junior Racquetball Team - won for the first time.

Early in the match, it looked like Richard and Richardson would carry the day as they had a big lead in game one at 7-0, and served for the game a few times. However, Drury and Saunders held them off and slowly got back in the game, tying the score at 14-14, and then getting the last two points to win it 16-14.

In game two, they were close early, and then Drury and Saunders pulled ahead in the mid-game, with Richard and Richardson coming back to make it close, but they couldn't get level with their opponents, as Drury and Saunders won the game and match with the last point coming off a Saunders backhand cross court that cracked out off the right side wall.

Men's Doubles

Mike Green and Coby Iwaasa won the Men's Doubles title, defeating Nicolas Bousquet and Tommy Murray in the final, 15-3, 15-11. The win is the second for Green and Iwaasa together, as they also won in 2013. Overall, it's Green's 18th Canadian Championship: nine doubles titles and nine singles titles, which is the most for any man.

In game one, it seemed like the stage was too big for the surprise finalists Bousquet and Murray, as Green and Iwaasa went up 9-0. A side out led to two points for Bousquet and Murray, but then Green and Iwaasa scored another five to get to game point at 14-2. Bousquet and Murray held them off and scored one more, but that was all.

In game two, it seemed like it was going to be more of the same, as Green and Iwaasa again took an early lead at 6-1. However, Bousquet and Murray pulled it together, and got within two at 10-8 and then within one at 12-11.

Green and Iwaasa got to 14-11, but Bousquet prevented the first match point with a great backhand pinch that got them a side out. However, they failed to score themselves, so Green and Iwaasa went back in the service box at 14-11. Iwaasa served first, and drove it short. Then Green it a jam drive serve to the left side that came over to Murray on the right; he took it with his backhand, but skipped the return, ending the game, 15-11, and match 2-0.

In the 3rd place Men's Doubles match, it was a rematch of last year's final between Pedro Castro and Tim Landeryou one side and Vincent Gagnon and Samuel Murray on the other. However, the result was different, as Castro and Landeryou defeated the defending champions, 15-13, 15-12.

The doubles competition has concluded and the singles competition begins Wednesday. The Nationals is the last opportunity for players to earn points that will get them spots on the Canadian National Team that will compete at the 2015 Pan American Games this July in Toronto.

2015 Racquetball Canada National Championships
May 17-23, Burnaby, B.C.

Men's Open Doubles

Final

Mike Green & Coby Iwaasa d. Nicolas Bousquet & Tommy Murray, 15-3, 15-11

3rd Place

Pedro Castro & Tim Landeryou d. Vincent Gagnon & Samuel Murray, 15-13, 15-12

5th Place

Barret Husulak & James Landeryou d. Lee Connell & Nathaniel Husulak, 15-9, 15-7

7th Place

Chris Exner & Tanner Mattson d. Michael Leduc & Trevor Webb, 15-11, 19-17

Women's Open Doubles - Round Robin

Round 4

Danielle Drury & Jennifer Saunders d. Brigitte Richard & Christine Richardson, 16-14, 15-12
Frederique Lambert & Michele Morissette d. Joanne Ditommaso & Valerie Fallu, 15-9, 15-11

Round 5

Frédérique Lambert & Michele Morissette d. Brigitte Richard & Christine Richardson, 15-12, 15-2
Joanne Ditommaso & Valerie Fallu d. Alexis Iwaasa & McKenzie Brayley, 15-9, 15-3

Standings

1st Danielle Drury & Jennifer Saunders (4-0)
2nd Frédérique Lambert & Michele Morissette (3-1)
3rd Brigitte Richard & Christine Richardson (2-2)
4th Joanne Ditommaso & Valerie Fallu (1-3)
5th Alexis Iwaasa & McKenzie Brayley (0-4)

Follow the bouncing ball….