Men's & Women's Singles Draws - 2015 Pan American Games

The draws are out for the elimination round in Men's and Women's Singles at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto, Canada. The defending champions - Rocky Carson (USA) and Paola Longoria (Mexico) - look good to reach the podium, but whether they will get past the semi-finals is another question.

Carson will likely face Mexican Daniel De La Rosa in the Men's semi-finals, which will be a tough match. On the other side of the draw, there are both Bolivians and both Canadians, as well as American Jake Bredenbeck and Mexican Alvaro Beltran.

Canadian Coby Iwaasa will likely face Bredenbeck in the Round of 16; Iwaasa is slated to play Fernando Rios of Ecuador in the Round of 32, but Rios injured himself earlier in the tournament, and hasn't played since. The winner of Bredenbeck and Iwaasa will likely get Beltran in the quarterfinals. Not an easy path to the podium there.

In the bottom bracket, Canadian Mike Green will likely face 2nd seed Carlos Keller of Bolivia, which will be an interesting match up of youth versus age (Keller is 23; Green 41) as well as Green's power versus Keller's control. The winner of that will play the winner of Felipe Camacho of Costa Rica and Bolivia's Conrrado Moscoso. Again, not an easy path to the podium.

On the Women's side, Longoria should reach the semi-finals, but there she'll likely face one of the two women who defeated her this season on the women's pro tour - the LPRT - in American Rhonda Rajsich or Canadian Frédérique Lambert. That Rajsich and Lambert look likely to play each other in the quarterfinals will be unfortunate for one of them.

On the bottom of the Women's Singles draw, the likely quarterfinal matches are Samantha Salas of Mexico versus Maria Jose Vargas of Argentina and Veronica Sotomayor of Ecuador versus Cristina Amaya of Colombia. Two of those four players are likely to be medalists in Toronto and the other two will not be.

The elimination round of Men's and Women's Singles begins Wednesday morning, and runs until Friday morning (July 24). A team competition - best of three matches, two singles singles and a doubles - will follow from Friday afternoon to Sunday (July 26).

For updates during the event - between postings on the website - follow us on Twitter: @racquetballblog.

2015 Pan American Games - Toronto, Canada

Women Singles

Round of 32

1) Paola Longoria (Mex) - BYE
16) Ana Gabriela Martinez (Gua) v. 17) Angela Grisar (Chi)

9) Jennifer Saunders (Can) - BYE
8) Carola Loma (Bol) - BYE

5) Rhonda Rajsich (USA) - BYE
12) Michelle Key (USA) - BYE

13) Mariana Tobon (Ven) v. 20) Maria Rene Rodriguez (Gua)
4) Frédérique Lambert (Can) - BYE

3) Samantha Salas (Mex) - BYE
14) Carolina Gomez (Col) v. 19) Carla Munoz (Chi)

11) Mariana Paredes (Ven) - BYE
6) Maria Jose Vargas (Arg) - BYE

7) Adriana Riveros (Bol) - BYE
10) Cristina Amaya (Col) - BYE

15) Maria Paz Muñoz (Ecu) v. 18) Veronique Guillemette (Arg)
2) Veronica Sotomayor (Ecu) - BYE

Men Singles

Round of 32

1) Rocky Carson (USA) - BYE
16) Ramon De Leon (Dom) v. 17) Christian Wer (Gua)

9) Andres Acuña (Crc) - BYE
8) Luis Perez (Dom) - BYE

5) Alejandro Herrera (Col) - BYE
12) Edwin Galicia (Gua) - BYE

13) Cesar Castillo (Ven) v. 20) Cesar Castro (Ven)
4) Daniel De La Rosa (Mex) - BYE

3) Jake Bredenbeck (USA) - BYE
14) Fernando Rios (Ecu) v. 19) Coby Iwaasa (Can)

11) Jose Alvarez (Ecu) - BYE
6) Alvaro Beltran (Mex) - BYE

7) Conrado Moscoso (Bol) - BYE
10) Felipe Camacho (Crc)

15) Mike Green (Can) v. 18) Set Cubillos (Col)
2) Carlos Keller (Bol) - BYE

Follow the bouncing ball....