Doubles semi-finals at 2016 IRF World Junior Championships

The Bolivia-Mexico dominance shows itself in the doubles semi-finals as it did in the singles semis at the 28th International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Junior Racquetball Championships in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, as three of the six finals will be Bolivia versus Mexico. The exceptions are in the U18 divisions, and Girl's U16, where Bolivia doesn't have a team.

Huge result in Girl's U18, as Guatemalans Gabriela and Andrea Martinez defeated the USA team of Erika Manilla and Jordan Cooperrider Friday, 15-9, 15-0, to put both teams on 4-1 in the double round robin. The first time they met, earlier in the week, the USA won by scores of 15-13, 15-5. But by beating the USA by a greater score in their second meeting Guatemala may have earned themselves the gold medal, if they can win their last match against Bolivians Brenda Laime and Flavia Meneses, who are winless so far this week.

In Boy's U18, Mexico will play the USA as Mexicans Gerardo Franco and Cristian Longoria defeated Bolivians Prado Mendoza and Cristhian Miña, 15-10, 15-3, in the semi-finals, and the USA's Jake Birnel and Mauro Rojas beat Christian Chavez and Jorge Ochoa of Ecuador, 15-9, 15-9.

That gave the Bolivians a chance, and they tied the score at 14-14, with the 13th and 14th points coming off American skips, one each by Coooperrider and Manilla. The USA called a timeout at that point, and when play resumed, they got the serve back via a Cooperrider forehand pinch serve return winner. The USA won it on the next rally as Manilla hit a strong backhand cross court.

The top four seeds all got through to the semis across the divisions except in Boy's U14, when Canadians Ian Frattinger and Sean Sauvé, who were 5th seeds, beat 4th seeds Antonio Rojas and Sahil Thakur of the USA, 10-15, 15-5, 11-8.

Look for live streaming of matches from San Luis Potosi via the IRF YouTube channel.

28th IRF World Junior Racquetball Championships
San Luis Potosi, Mexico

Girl's U18 Doubles - Double Round Robin*

Gabriela Martinez & Andrea Martinez (Guatemala) d. Jordan Cooperrider & Erika Manilla (USA), 15-9, 15-0
Mariel Morales & Erin Rivera (Mexico) d. Brenda Laime & Flavia Meneses (Bolivia), 15-13, 15-8

Saturday

Gabriela Martinez & Andrea Martinez (Guatemala) v. Brenda Laime & Flavia Meneses (Bolivia)
Jordan Cooperrider & Erika Manilla (USA) v. Mariel Morales & Erin Rivera (Mexico)

Standings

1) Jordan Cooperrider & Erika Manilla (USA) - 4-1
2) Gabriela Martinez & Andrea Martinez (Guatemala) - 4-1
2) Mariel Morales & Erin Rivera (Mexico) - 2-3
4) Brenda Laime & Flavia Meneses (Bolivia) - 0-5

Boy's U18 Doubles - Semi-finals

1) Gerardo Franco & Cristian Longoria (Mexico) d. 4) Prado Mendoza & Cristhian Miña (Bolivia), 15-10, 15-3
2) Jake Birnel & Mauro Rojas (USA) d. 3) Christian Chavez & Jorge Ochoa (Ecuador), 15-9, 15-9

Boy's U18 Doubles - Final

1) Gerardo Franco & Cristian Longoria (Mexico) v. 2) Jake Birnel & Mauro Rojas (USA)

Girl's U16 Doubles - Double Round Robin*

Ana Laura Flores & Monserrat Mejia (Mexico) d. Alexis Iwaasa (Canada) & Marjolaine Parent (Canada), 15-0, 15-0 - forfeit
Briana Jacquet & Ingrid Robledo (USA) - BYE

Saturday

Ana Laura Flores & Monserrat Mejia (Mexico) v. Briana Jacquet & Ingrid Robledo (USA)
Alexis Iwaasa (Canada) & Marjolaine Parent (Canada) - BYE

Standings

Ana Laura Flores & Monserrat Mejia (Mexico) - 3-0
Briana Jacquet & Ingrid Robledo (USA) - 2-1
Alexis Iwaasa (Canada) & Marjolaine Parent (Canada) - 0-4

Boy's U16 Doubles - Semi-finals

1) Eduardo Portillo & Rodrigo Rodriguez (Mexico) d. 4) Sergio Acuña & Pablo Freer (Costa Rica), 15-10, 15-5
2) Fernando Ruiz & Bernardo Valencia (Bolivia) d. 3) Johan Adasme & Ari Weissbrot (Chile), 14-15, 15-4, 11-0

Boy's U16 Doubles - Final

1) Eduardo Portillo & Rodrigo Rodriguez (Mexico) v. 2) Fernando Ruiz & Bernardo Valencia (Bolivia)

Girl's U14 Doubles - Quarterfinals

1) Guadalupe Griffin & Valeria Hernandez (Mexico) - BYE
4) Sofia Freer & Maricruz Ortiz (Costa Rica) d. 5) Juliette Parent & Cassie Prentice (Canada), 15-0, 15-3

3) Valeria Centellas & Romina Rivero (Bolivia) d. 6) Nikita Chauhan & Elena Dent (USA), 15-8, 10-15, 11-5
2) Nathalia Pinero & Ana Lucia Sarmiento (Ecuador) d. Yun Chaeen & Cho Seungmin (Korea), 15-2, 15-2

Girl's U14 Doubles - Semi-finals

1) Guadalupe Griffin & Valeria Hernandez (Mexico) d. 4) Sofia Freer & Maricruz Ortiz (Costa Rica), 15-6, 9-15, 11-5
3) Valeria Centellas & Romina Rivero (Bolivia) d. 2) Nathalia Pinero & Ana Lucia Sarmiento (Ecuador), 15-3, 15-5

Girl's U14 Doubles - Final

1) Guadalupe Griffin & Valeria Hernandez (Mexico) v. 3) Valeria Centellas & Romina Rivero (Bolivia)

Boy's U14 Doubles - Semi-finals

1) Martin Martinez & Jose Ramos (Mexico) d. 5) Ian Frattinger & Sean Sauvé (Canada), 11-15, 15-8, 11-7
3) Roberto Arellano & Diego Garcia (Bolivia) d. 2) Juan Flores & Esteban Jano (Ecuador), 15-6, 15-6

Boy's U14 Doubles - Final

1) Martin Martinez & Jose Ramos (Mexico) v. 3) Roberto Arellano & Diego Garcia (Bolivia)

Note: A double round robin format has each team playing the other teams twice, rather than only once in a regular round robin format.

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