2016 Pan American Championships - Day 2 Results

There were few surprises Sunday at the 2016 Pan American Championships in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, as the group round continued. But the shot of the match may already have been made. It came in Men's Doubles at match point between Colombians Sebastian Franco and Felipe Arenas and Ecuadorans Fernando Rios and Jose Daniel Ugalde.

Ecuador won the first game comfortably at 15-3. But it's close in game two. However, Rios serving for the match half down at 14-13. Franco has his racquet up, and has it up for several seconds when he turns over to tell something to his partner. Rios must be thinking "it's been well over 10 seconds, so I'm just going to serve," and hits an off speed drive to Franco's side (the left side).

Franco recognizes the ball's been put into play, and hustles over to return it, and hits a backhand reverse pinch that rolls flat as a tortilla out of the front right corner. Amazing!

That got Colombia the serve back, and they scored two points to win game two, 15-14, and force a tie-breaker.

In the breaker, it was close early, but then Ecuador went up 6-3. However, Colombia came back to lead 9-7, when Ecuador calls a timeout. That doesn't stop Colombia from scoring one more point to make it 10-7.

But on match point, half down, Franco serves a lob short to give the serve back to Ecuador. Could Franco have made the shot of the tournament, and also the error of the tournament in the same match?

That could have happened, but Colombia held Ecuador at 7, and got the serve back, which led to Franco making a winning shot into the front left corner to make the final score, 3-15, 15-14, 11-7.

In other action, it seemed like 2002 all over again in Women's Singles, when Canadian Jennifer Saunders took on American Cheryl Gudinas, as those two met in the final of the 2002 IRF World Championship, which Gudinas won 15-13, 15-13.

However, fourteen years later it was Saunders turn, as she defeated Gudinas, 15-8, 8-15, 11-5, in a match where the right side glass wall played a significant factor, as both players hit straight lobs serves on that side, which they each had some difficulty returning.

Canadian veteran Mike Green continues to turn back time, as he won again Sunday, although needed three games to defeat Edwin Galicia of Guatemala, 15-9, 11-15, 11-3.

In Women's Doubles, Maria Paz Muñoz and Veronica Sotomayor of Ecuador defeated Guatemalans Gabriela Martinez and Andrea Martinez, 15-5, 15-11, so they will win the group and get 2nd seed for the elimination round.

The biggest match on Monday could be between Argentina's Maria Jose Vargas and Canada's Frédérique Lambert, as they will play with the winner getting the 2nd seed, as both won their other matches in their group. On Saturday, Vargas beat Paula Padilla of Honduras, 15-0, 15-1, and Lambert defeated Jenny Daza of Bolivia, 15-3, 12-15, 11-3.

Similarly, Mexican Jessica Parrilla and Guatemalan Gabriela Martinez will play to win Group C on Monday, and the 3rd seed in the elimination round.

The competition continues Monday with the final day of group play, which will be followed by an off day on Tuesday. The elimination draw begins Wednesday. Results of previous years were used to create the groups, and the group results are used to seed players for the elimination rounds.

The International Racquetball Federation (IRF) has partnered with the World Racquetball Tour (WRT) for streaming of this event, so look for matches to be streamed via the WRT website starting on Thursday March 24.

XXIX Pan American Racquetball Championships
San Luis Potosi, Mexico - March 19-26, 2016
Results Summary

Women's Singles - Sunday

Group A

Carola Loma (Bolivia) d. Carla Muñoz (Chile), 15-2, 15-7
Paola Longoria (Mexico) - BYE

Group B

María José Vargas (Argentina) d. Paula Padilla (Honduras), 15-0, 15-1
Frédérique Lambert (Canada) d. Jenny Daza (Bolivia), 15-3, 12-15, 11-3

Group C

Jessica Parrilla (Mexico) d. Melania Sauma (Costa Rica), 15-9, 15-4
Gabriela Martinez (Guatemala) d. Ivonne Carpio (Ecuador), 15-6, 15-8

Group D

Jennifer Saunders (Canada) d. Cheryl Gudinas (USA), 15-8, 8-15, 11-5
Cecilia Cerquetti (Argentina) d. Pamela Sierra (Honduras), 15-7, 7-15, 11-4

Group E

Veronica Sotomayor (Ecuador) d. Maria Rene Rodriguez (Guatemala), 15-9, 15-11
Michelle Key (USA) d. Sofia Soley (Costa Rica), 15-4, 15-5

Women's Doubles

Group A

Frédérique Lambert & Jennifer Saunders (Canada) d. Melania Sauma & Sofia Soley (Costa Rica), 15-8, 15-14
Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas (Mexico) - BYE

Group B

Maria Paz Muñoz & Veronica Sotomayor (Ecuador) d. Gabriela Martinez & Maria Rene Rodriguez (Guatemala), 15-5, 15-11
Maria Jose Vargas & Cecilia Cerquetti (Argentina) - BYE

Group C

Jenny Daza & Carola Loma (Bolivia) d. Pamela Sierra & Lissel Padilla (Honduras), 15-3, 15-0
Kelani Bailey & Michelle Key (USA) - BYE

Men's Singles

Group A

Set Cubillos (Colombia) d. Juan Francisco Cueva (Ecuador), 15-7, 9-15, 11-5
Daniel De La Rosa (Mexico) - BYE

Group B

Jake Bredenbeck (USA) d. Marco Sarmiento (Honduras), 15-6, 15-1
Fernando Rios (Ecuador) d. Fernando Kurzbard (Argentina), 15-1, 15-4

Group C

Javier Mar (Mexico) d. Carlos Medrano (Honduras), 15-1, 15-6
Sebastian Franco (Colombia) d. Christian Wer (Guatemala), 15-11, 15-10

Group D

David Horn (USA) d. Rodrigo Salgado (Chile), 15-5, 15-5
Alexander Pirie (Costa Rica) d. Franco Capandegui (Argentina), 15-10, 11-15, 11-2

Group E

Mike Green (Canada) d. Edwin Galicia (Guatemala), 15-10, 11-5, 11-2
Conrrado Moscoso (Bolivia), d. Abraham Mercado (Puerto Rico), 15-0, 15-4

Group F

Andres Acuña (Costa Rica) d. Aaron Booker (Puerto Rico), 15-6, 15-7
Samuel Murray (Canada) d. Francisco Troncoso (Chile), 15-14, 15-9

Men's Doubles

Group A

Pedro Castro & Tim Landeryou (Canada) d. Hanzel Martinez & Juan Jose Salvatierra (Guatemala), 15-11, 15-0
Alejandro Lanada & Javier Moreno (Mexico) - BYE

Group B

Jake Bredenbeck & David Horn (USA) d. Carlos Medrano & Sergio Ortega (Honduras), 15-3, 15-5
Franco Capandegui & Fernando Kurzbard (Argentina) d. Rodrigo Salgado & Francisco Troncoso (Chile), 15-10, 2-15, 11-8

Group C

Felipe Camacho & Teobaldo Fumero (Costa Rica) d. Aaron Booker & Abraham Mercado (Puerto Rico), 15-2, 15-4
Felipe Arenas & Sebastian Franco (Colombia) d. Fernando Rios & Jose Daniel Ugalde (Ecuador), 3-15, 15-14, 11-7

Follow the bouncing ball….