2016 Pan American Championships - Win or go home

The biggest surprises on day one of the elimination round at the 2016 Pan American Championships in San Luis Potosi, Mexico both involved Ecuador players, but unfortunately for Ecuador both weren't wins. In what was a rematch of the 2012 Pan American Championships, Ecuador's Fernando Rios faced Mike Green of Canada in the Men's Singles Round of 16, and reversed the outcome of four years ago by defeating Green, 15-9, 15-4.

But in Women's Singles, 5th seed Veronica Sotomayor lost to 12th seed Jenny Daza of Bolivia, 15-14, 15-8, in the Round of 16. Daza will play 4th seed Jennifer Saunders of Canada in the quarterfinals Thursday, as Saunders defeated Sotomayor's team-mate Ivonne Carpio, 15-12, 15-8.

The top seeds - Daniel De La Rosa and Paola Longoria - in Men's and Women's Singles, respectively, both won their Round of 16 matches Wednesday. De La Rosa defeated Francisco Troncoso of Chile, 15-8, 15-5, while Longoria beat Sofia Soley of Costa Rica, 15-2, 15-7.

Of the final eight players in Women's Singles, two are Bolivian and two Canadian with one each from Mexico, Guatemala, Argentina and the USA. The other Bolivian and Canadian are Carola Loma and Frédérique Lambert, respectively. Loma defeated American Cheryl Gudinas, 15-7, 15-7, and Lambert beat Maria Renee Rodriguez of Guatemala, 15-2, 15-10, in the Round of 16, and they will play each other in the quarters.

Two different countries are doubly represented in the Men's Singles quarterfinals, as two Mexicans and two USA players are in the last eight with a Canadian, a Costa Rican, a Colombian, and an Ecuadoran.

De La Rosa's Mexican team-mate Javier Mar got through to the quarters with a win over Fernando Kurzbard of Argentina, 15-8, 15-6, while the two Americans - Jake Bredenbeck and David Horn - also won in two straight games. Bredenbeck defeated Edwin Galicia of Guatemala, 15-9, 15-5, and Horn beat Juan Francisco Cueva of Ecuador, 15-5, 15-2.

There were three Men's Doubles matches Wednesday, and one of them went tie-breaker. The Guatemalan team of Hanzel Martinez and Juan Jose Salvatierra needed three games to defeat Puerto Ricans Aaron Booker and Abraham Mercado, 15-8, 9-15, 11-2. The win puts Guatemala against Americans Bredenbeck and Horn on Thursday in the quarterfinals.

One of the other Men's Doubles matches almost went breaker, but Colombians Sebastian Franco and Felipe Arenas came back from 12-5 down in game two to defeat Rodrigo Salgado and Francisco Troncoso of Chile in two straight games, 15-13, 15-14. Thus, there will be multiple Men's Doubles World Champion versus current Men's Doubles World Champion in the quarters as Mexicans Javier Moreno and Alejandro Landa will face Colombians Franco and Arenas. Moreno has won three World Championships in Men's Doubles (twice with Alvaro Beltran & once with Luis Bustilos), while Franco is the current World Champion in Men's Doubles, as he and Alejandro Herrera won the title in 2014.

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

Women's Singles - Round of 32

Paola Longoria (Mexico) - BYE
Sofia Soley (Costa Rica) d. Pamela Sierra (Honduras), 15-6, 15-8

María José Vargas (Argentina) - BYE
Jessica Parrilla (Mexico) - BYE

Veronica Sotomayor (Ecuador) - BYE
Jenny Daza (Bolivia) - BYE

Ivonne Carpio (Ecuador) - BYE
Jennifer Saunders (Canada) - BYE

Gabriela Martinez (Guatemala) - BYE
Cecilia Cerquetti (Argentina) d. Paula Padilla (Honduras), 15-8, 15-1

Carla Muñoz (Chile) - BYE
Michelle Key (USA) - BYE

Cheryl Gudinas (USA) - BYE
Carola Loma (Bolivia) - BYE

Maria Rene Rodriguez (Guatemala) d. Melania Sauma (Costa Rica), 15-13, 15-8
Frédérique Lambert (Canada) - BYE

Women's Singles - Round of 16

Paola Longoria (Mexico) d. Sofia Soley (Costa Rica), 15-2, 15-7
María José Vargas (Argentina) d. Jessica Parrilla (Mexico), 5-15, 15-9, 11-5

Jenny Daza (Bolivia) d. Veronica Sotomayor (Ecuador), 15-14, 15-8
Jennifer Saunders (Canada) d. Ivonne Carpio (Ecuador), 15-12, 15-8

Gabriela Martinez (Guatemala) d. Cecilia Cerquetti (Argentina), 15-2, 15-6
Michelle Key (USA) d. Carla Muñoz (Chile), 15-14, 15-8

Carola Loma (Bolivia) d. Cheryl Gudinas (USA), 15-7, 15-7
Frédérique Lambert (Canada) d. Maria Rene Rodriguez (Guatemala), 15-2, 15-10

Women's Singles - Quarterfinals

Paola Longoria (Mexico) v. María José Vargas (Argentina)
Jennifer Saunders (Canada) v. Jenny Daza (Bolivia)

Gabriela Martinez (Guatemala) v. Michelle Key (USA)
Frédérique Lambert (Canada) v. Carola Loma (Bolivia)

Women's Doubles - Round of 16

Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas (Mexico) - BYE
Gabriela Martinez & Maria Rene Rodriguez (Guatemala) d. Pamela Sierra & Lissel Padilla (Honduras), 15-2, 15-2

Frédérique Lambert & Jennifer Saunders (Canada) - BYE
Jenny Daza & Carola Loma (Bolivia) - BYE

Kelani Bailey & Michelle Key (USA) - BYE
Maria Jose Vargas & Cecilia Cerquetti (Argentina) - BYE

Melania Sauma & Sofia Soley (Costa Rica) - BYE
Maria Paz Muñoz & Veronica Sotomayor (Ecuador) - BYE

Women's Doubles - Quarterfinals

Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas (Mexico) v. Gabriela Martinez & Maria Rene Rodriguez (Guatemala)
Jenny Daza & Carola Loma (Bolivia) v. Frédérique Lambert & Jennifer Saunders (Canada)

Kelani Bailey & Michelle Key (USA) v. Maria Jose Vargas & Cecilia Cerquetti (Argentina)
Maria Paz Muñoz & Veronica Sotomayor (Ecuador) v. Melania Sauma & Sofia Soley (Costa Rica)

Men's Singles - Round of 32

Daniel De La Rosa (Mexico) - BYE
Francisco Troncoso (Chile) d. Rodrigo Salgado (Chile), 15-9, 15-12

Sebastian Franco (Colombia) - BYE
Conrrado Moscoso (Bolivia) - BYE

Mike Green (Canada) - BYE
Fernando Rios (Ecuador) d. Carlos Medrano (Honduras), 15-3, 15-3

Juan Francisco Cueva (Ecuador) d. Aaron Booker (Puerto Rico), 15-6, 15-13
David Horn (USA) - BYE

Javier Mar (Mexico) - BYE
Fernando Kurzbard (Argentina) d. Abraham Mercado (Puerto Rico), 15-5, 15-2

Set Cubillos (Colombia) d. Franco Capandegui (Argentina), 15-0, 15-9
Andres Acuña (Costa Rica) - BYE

Samuel Murray (Canada) - BYE
Alexander Pirie (Costa Rica) d. Marco Sarmiento (Honduras), 15-2, 15-3

Edwin Galicia (Guatemala) d. Christian Wer (Guatemala), 15-0, 15-6
Jake Bredenbeck (USA) - BYE

Men's Singles - Round of 16

Daniel De La Rosa (Mexico) d. Francisco Troncoso (Chile), 15-8, 15-5
Sebastian Franco (Colombia) d. Conrrado Moscoso (Bolivia), 15-10, 15-7

Fernando Rios (Ecuador) d. Mike Green (Canada), 15-9, 15-4
David Horn (USA) d. Juan Francisco Cueva (Ecuador), 15-5, 15-2

Javier Mar (Mexico) d. Fernando Kurzbard (Argentina), 15-8, 15-6
Andres Acuña (Costa Rica) d. Set Cubillos (Colombia), 15-10, 15-0

Samuel Murray (Canada) d. Alexander Pirie (Costa Rica), 15-0, 15-8
Jake Bredenbeck (USA) d. Edwin Galicia (Guatemala), 15-9, 15-5

Men's Singles - Quarterfinals

Daniel De La Rosa (Mexico) v. Sebastian Franco (Colombia)
David Horn (USA) v. Fernando Rios (Ecuador)

Javier Mar (Mexico) v. Andres Acuña (Costa Rica)
Jake Bredenbeck (USA) v. Samuel Murray (Canada)

Men's Doubles - Round of 16

Alejandro Landa & Javier Moreno (Mexico) - BYE
Felipe Arenas & Sebastian Franco (Colombia) d. Rodrigo Salgado & Francisco Troncoso (Chile), 15-13, 15-14

Pedro Castro & Tim Landeryou (Canada) d. Carlos Medrano & Sergio Ortega (Honduras), 15-4, 15-4
Felipe Camacho & Teobaldo Fumero (Costa Rica) - BYE

Fernando Rios & Jose Daniel Ugalde (Ecuador) - BYE
Franco Capandegui & Fernando Kurzbard (Argentina) - BYE

Hanzel Martinez & Juan Jose Salvatierra (Guatemala) d. Aaron Booker & Abraham Mercado (Puerto Rico), 15-8, 9-15, 11-2
Jake Bredenbeck & David Horn (USA) - BYE

Men's Doubles - Quarterfinals

Alejandro Landa & Javier Moreno (Mexico) v. Felipe Arenas & Sebastian Franco (Colombia)
Felipe Camacho & Teobaldo Fumero (Costa Rica) v. Pedro Castro & Tim Landeryou (Canada)

Fernando Rios & Jose Daniel Ugalde (Ecuador) v. Franco Capandegui & Fernando Kurzbard (Argentina)
Jake Bredenbeck & David Horn (USA) v. Hanzel Martinez & Juan Jose Salvatierra (Guatemala)

Follow the bouncing ball….