The Top 10 Racquetball Stories of 2016

Many are happy to see the end of 2016, as they feel it was filled with unfortunate events. However, 2016 was a great year in sports. The Chicago Cubs won the World Series for the first time in over a century, and that was only the third best championship win of the year! The first was Leicester City winning the English Premier League, when their odds of doing so at the start of the season were 5000-1, and the second was when the Cleveland Cavaliers came back from 3-1 down in their final series against the Golden State Warriors, who had the best regular season record in NBA history.

In addition, Peyton Manning retired as a Super Bowl winner with the Denver Broncos, Sidney Crosby won his second Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Brazil won Olympic gold in Men’s Soccer on home soil, Portugal wins its first ever European Football Championship, and in the NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament final the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels had the best finish to a championship game you will ever see.

But this is The Racquetball Blog, so here are the best racquetball stories of 2016.

10) American women. Apologies for starting on a down note, but we have highlighted the issue of women’s player development in the USA for several years now, as their top players were in the second halves of their careers, and there were no clear successors to them. Three things illustrate the situation. One, the final rankings of the 2015-16 Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) season had only one USA player in the top 10: Rhonda Rajsich, who was #2. Previously, the fewest US players in the top ten was three in 2013-14, but as recently as 2009-10 eight of the top ten were American. Two, at this year’s International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Championships in Cali, Colombia, no American woman got a medal in Women’s Singles for the first time ever. But it’s worse than that, because no American woman made it past the Round of 16! Forget about reaching the podium. No US woman was in the quarterfinals! This from a country that produced 11 of the first 15 Women’s Singles World Champions. Finally, so far on the LPRT this season only two of the 32 semi-final spots have been filled by USA players. It’s stunning, and if you’re a US coach, very concerning.

9) Aimee Ruiz & Janel Tisinger. Although the US women haven’t been doing well in singles, Ruiz and Tisinger produced one of the upsets of the year at the IRF World Championships as they won gold by defeating three time defending champions Paola Longoria and Samantha Salas of Mexico. The final went breaker, as the Americans won the first and Mexicans the second. In the breaker, Ruiz and Tisinger led most of the way, but it was a nervy finish, as Longoria and Salas got to within two down at 10-8. But Ruiz and Tisinger held on to win. It was a great match that’s well worth watching again.

8) Gabriela Martinez. It was 2010 when we saw a little girl running around at the World Junior Championships in Los Angeles, jumping on any open court she saw, hitting the ball around with exuberance. “Who is this girl? Gabriela Martinez? Where is she from? Guatemala? Really? Huh.” Flash forward six years, and that girl is U16 World Junior Champion for a second year, and was silver medalist at the 2016 IRF World Championships, losing only to Paola Longoria in the final. Martinez is the type of girl the USA used to produce regularly, but hasn’t recently. Instead, Martinez will be the girl Americans have trouble with for the next 15 years.

7) Rhonda Rajsich. Rajsich was the #1 player in the world, a two time World Champion, and four time US Open Champion. But beginning in July at the World Championships, her results have dropped off. She lost in the Round of 16 at Worlds, and hasn’t made it past the quarterfinals in any of the five LPRT events she’s played this season. Then in late October came the sad news that her father, Dennis, died. He was often seen at racquetball tournaments, and was a big part of his daughter’s life. She hasn’t played an LPRT event since, although we understand Rajsich plans to play at the next LPRT event in February, and it will be great to see her back on tour. But we heard someone describe climbing Mount Everest recently, and he said when you get to the top, you’re only halfway. And on Everest people die on the way down more often than the way up. We think there’s an analogy between climbing Everest and sports careers. Coming down from being on top can be more difficult than going up to the top.

6) Jason Thoerner. USA Racquetball appointed a new Executive Director late in 2016, and reached into its own ranks in selecting Jason Thoerner for the position. Thoerner has a wide background in racquetball, including as a USA Team player and World Champion in Men’s Doubles in 2008 with Mitch Williams. He worked with Head-Penn for several years, and in recent years was on the board of USA Racquetball, where he was serving as the USA Racquetball President at the time of his appointment to the ED position. USA Racquetball is one of the leading racquetball organizations, and as the USA likely has the most racquetball players overall, USA Racquetball is arguably the most important racquetball organization in the world. Thus, it’s important that they do things well. Thoerner’s appointment is intriguing, and from our interactions with him, we think he could have a very positive impact on the organization, and the sport in general.

5) Frédérique Lambert. From near the end of the last LPRT season and on into the current one, Lambert has risen up the rankings to the 2nd spot. Since February, Lambert has been in eight LPRT finals, and won the first event of this season. She has become Paola Longoria’s biggest rival, and already has a win against Longoria back in 2015. Lambert is the highest ranked Canadian women's player, since Christie Huczek (née Van Hees) was #1 back in 2005.

4) Rocky Carson. If racquetball had an Iron Man, it would be Carson. Carson has not missed an International Racquetball Tour (IRT) Tier 1 or Grand Slam event since 2000, and he’s been in the top 10 every season since the 1999-2000 season; those 17 seasons of top 10s is second only to Cliff Swain’s 20. Moreover, Carson is not just durable, he has an incredible record of excellence, which was highlighted this year by his 5th consecutive IRF Men’s Singles World Championship. He hasn’t lost at Worlds since 2008.

3) Paola Longoria. Longoria had an undefeated year on the LPRT, and her #1 finish at end of the 2015-16 season was Longoria’s 7th season ending #1, which tied her for most career #1s with Michelle Gould. Longoria’s popularity is incredible, and evidence of it is her more than 240,000 Twitter followers. She’s used that popularity to grow the game by hosting LPRT events in Mexico each season, and this has helped to develop more players, not only in Mexico but in Central and South America.

2) Kane Waselenchuk. Waselenchuk is the #1 IRT player, and although he was hindered somewhat by medical issues in 2016, he arguably had a better year than in 2015. Waselenchuk is the most talented athlete you’ll ever see, and he’s worked to translate that talent into skill that is off the charts. Waselenchuk is in the class of Usain Bolt, Lionel Messi and LeBron James. Could his talent have made him a great in another sport? We wouldn’t have bet against it, although Waselenchuk is not tall, and height is a definite advantage in some other sports, like basketball, or even hockey, which 20 years ago favoured taller players more than it does now (we do understand that Waselenchuk’s a good hockey player). It would have been interesting to see him play baseball - middle infielder perhaps? - or soccer, but in either of those sports you generally don’t get to touch the ball much during a game. In racquetball, Waselenchuk hits over half of the balls, because his shots typically end the rally, so he can really demonstrate how great he is. And Waselenchuk is great.

1) Men’s professional racquetball. For a few seasons now, there have been two men’s professional racquetball tours: the International Racquetball Tour (IRT) and the World Racquetball Tour (WRT). The IRT is the more established tour, and has the best players, while the WRT has generally younger players, and has strong ties to one racquetball company. However, the WRT has also partnered with the International Racquetball Federation (IRF) to webcast IRF events, which has improved their tournament video streams. In a marketplace, one generally thinks that competition is good. However, sports are not a marketplace, and competition between sport organizations can be bad. We think one of the reasons for the decline of boxing was the creation of different boxing organizations, which made it unclear to fans who was the true World Champion. Thus, if a casual racquetball fan - or especially a non-racquetball person - sees someone as the #1 player on the World Racquetball Tour, he or she would naturally think “oh, that must be the best racquetball player.” But we think the evidence is clear that it’s the players on IRT who are the best, but trying to explain that to casual fans, or people outside racquetball, would confuse them, and you never want to confuse fans or potential fans.

Moreover, there are only so many places to host events, and due to the expenses and logistics of hosting events, if a site is hosting an IRT event, they aren’t likely to host a WRT event, and vice versa. In addition, there’s only so many players, so draws can be smaller, and with fewer quality players, than they might otherwise be if players choose to play on one tour or the other. Indeed, with no coordination between the tours, there are some weekends with both an IRT and a WRT event. This is clearly not ideal.

It would be best to have just one men’s racquetball tour, but it’s unclear how that’s going to happen, as the IRT and WRT do not seem to be on friendly terms.

Everyone wants to grow the sport, and the WRT specifically promotes this as a mission, but it’s unclear whether a pro tour in general, let alone the WRT in particular, can directly impact the growth of the sport, because there has to be support on the local level (shoes on the court, as it were) to get that done. Pro tours can give younger players something to aspire to, but growing the game shouldn’t be just about getting kids to play racquetball, although that’s important. You want to bring in all ages to play.

A pro tour should be a natural outcome of a groundswell of popularity and players, who are all pushing each other to be the best they can be. The question in racquetball has become do we still have that groundswell and those players? To close the circle where we started, the USA doesn’t seem to have the players on the women’s side. And it’s unclear whether there are enough men’s players for two pro tours either.

A new year is always a time for resolutions for improvement. The great hockey coach Bob Johnson was known for saying “it’s a great day for hockey.” In that spirit, let’s make 2017 a great year for racquetball.

Follow the bouncing ball….

Weekend Round-Up - Landeryou wins twice in Minot

James Landeryou won the 2016 Minot Open Pro-Am - a Tier 4 International Racquetball Tour (IRT) event in Minot, North Dakota - on the weekend to finish off what is probably his best year, as the Canadian was runner up at Racquetball Canada’s first National Team Selection Event of the season in November, and got 3rd place at the Canadian National Championships back in May, when he was in the semi-finals for the first time.

In Minot, Landeryou defeated fellow Canuck Kurtis Cullen in the final, 11-2, 0-11, 11-3, 3-11, 11-5. Landeryou beat Troy Vanbemmelen, 11-5, 8-11, 11-5, 11-9, in one semi, while Cullen defeated Lee Connell in the other, 11-3, 11-6, 11-6.

Landeryou teamed up with Connell to win the doubles division, as they beat Richard Eisemann and Vanbemmelen in the final, 15-3, 15-7. In the semis, Landeryou and Connell defeated Justin Johnson and Brian Knowles, 15-5, 15-7, and Eisemann and Vanbemmelen needed a tie-breaker to get past Cullen and Tanner Prentice, 12-15, 15-14, 11-7.

The IRT is on a holiday break now, but will kick off 2017 with the Coast to Coast California Open in Reseda, California on the first weekend of the year, January 5-8. The second event of 2017 will be two weeks later at the Lewis Drug Pro-Am in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, January 19-22.

2016 Minot Open Pro-Am - IRT Tier 4
Minot, North Dakota, December 16-18, 2016

Final

James Landeryou d. Kurtis Cullen, 11-2, 0-11, 11-3, 3-11, 11-5

Semi-finals

James Landeryou d. Troy Vanbemmelen, 11-5, 8-11, 11-5, 11-9
Kurtis Cullen d. Lee Connell, 11-3, 11-6, 11-6

Doubles Final

James Landeryou & Lee Connell d. Richard Eisemann & Troy Vanbemmelen, 15-3, 15-7

Doubles Semi-finals

James Landeryou & Lee Connell d. Justin Johnson & Brian Knowles, 15-5, 15-7
Richard Eisemann & Tory Vanbemmelen d. Kurtis Cullen & Tanner Prentice, 12-15, 15-14, 11-7

Follow the bouncing ball….

Longoria wins twice at 25th NES Associates LPRT Christmas Classic

Paola Longoria, the #1 player on the Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) should have a Merry Christmas, as she won both singles and doubles at the last LPRT event of 2016 Sunday at the 25th Annual NES Associates LPRT Christmas Classic in Laurel, Maryland. In singles, Longoria defeated LPRT #2 Frédérique Lambert, 11-2, 11-3, 10-12, 11-1, while in doubles she and partner Samantha Salas had to come back from a game down to defeat Lambert and Jessica Parrilla, 10-15, 15-9, 11-7. Longoria ends the year undefeated both this season and in the calendar year on the LPRT.

In the singles final, Longoria cruised through the first two games, but Lambert started well in game three, taking a 3-0 lead. However, points came slowly for both players from there. Thirty three rallies later, Lambert’s lead was gone, as Longoria tied her at 6-6. From there Longoria scored four of the next five points to put her on match point at 10-7, and it looked like it would be over in three straight games.

But Lambert caught fire. She fought off the first match point with a great backhand pinch shot, yet didn’t score on her serve, giving Longoria a second match point. However, Longoria skipped a backhand shot, gifting Lambert back the serve.

That time Lambert made good, as she hit five consecutive winners, including a backhand reverse pinch from her shoulder that was her 11th point. Another winning backhand gave her the game, 12-10.

Sadly for Lambert, the fire went out in game four, as Longoria slowly built a 5-0 lead from 21 rallies. Lambert got the serve back then, and called a timeout. However, she didn’t score, and Longoria then extended her lead to 8-0. Lambert got on the board, making it 8-1, but that was all she could muster, as Longoria finished the game, 11-1, and the match in four games.

In doubles, Lambert and Parrilla took the early lead in game one, 5-0, but Longoria and Salas tied them, 5-5. However, a Lambert backhard rekill shot stopped Longoria and Salas there, and then a series of winners from Lambert gave her side back the lead, as they ran it up to 12-5.

Longoria and Salas staged a comeback, and got within three at 12-9, when Lambert and Parrilla called a timeout. When play resumed, Parrilla got them the serve back with a forehand pinch winner.

Parrilla then was called for an avoidable hinder, putting her side half out. However, they did get to game point after Lambert hit two consecutive backhand pinch winners. But a Salas forehand return quashed their first game point.

A series of five half-out or side outs followed that was ended when Longoria hit a drive serve ace against Lambert that made the score 14-10. But Lambert hit a backhand winner on Longoria’s next serve, and after they called a timeout she and Parrilla closed out the game, 15-10, as Lambert hit a forehand rekill winner on what was their fourth game point.

The teams were tied early in game two at 2-2, but then Longoria and Salas scored points on 9 of the next 10 rallies to lead 11-2. Lambert and Parrilla did stage a comeback, but only got to nine, as Longoria and Salas won 15-9.

A similar thing happened in the breaker, as again they were tied 2-2 and again Longoria and Salas took a big lead from there, making it 7-2. But here Lambert and Parrilla responded, and closed the lead to one at 7-6. Salas ended their run with a forehand cross court shot.

With the serve back, Longoria and Salas scored twice, making it 9-6. Lambert and Parrilla called a timeout, and then a Lambert forehand got them the serve back on the ensuing rally.

Lambert and Parrilla made it 9-7 when Lambert hit another forehand winner, but lost the serve when Parrilla skipped a forehand shot. It was a tricky situation, as the ball came big off the back wall, but towards the side wall and past Salas, who might have been screening the ball a bit. Yet Parrilla didn’t ask for a hinder, and may not have got one if she held up.

Serving at 9-7, Longoria hit a backhand winner to give them match point at 10-7. Salas then had a big forehand set up on the next rally, which she skipped, as the ball slid to the front wall. However, her partner Longoria picked her up on the next rally by hitting a good drive serve that Lambert skipped on the return.

The LPRT is now on a two month break, as their first event of 2017 will be the Winter Classic in Overland Park, Kansas, February 17-19. If you missed any of the action from the Christmas Classic, you can view matches via the LPRT LiveStream channel.

25th Annual NES Associates LPRT Christmas Classic, December 9-11, 2016
Laurel, Maryland

Final

1) Paola Longoria d. 2) Frédérique Lambert, 11-2, 11-3, 10-12, 11-1

Doubles - Final

1) Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas d. 2) Frédérique Lambert & Jessica Parrilla, 10-15, 15-9, 11-7

Follow the bouncing ball….

Longoria & Lambert to renew rivalry in final of 25th Annual NES Associates LPRT Christmas Classic

The main theme of the 2016-17 Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) season will continue Sunday at the 25th Annual NES Associates LPRT Christmas Classic in Laurel, Maryland, when LPRT #1 Paola Longoria faces LPRT #2 Frédérique Lambert in the final. The two have met in four of the five events they have both entered this season with Longoria coming out on top each time. Lambert has defeated Longoria, but only once.

Longoria reached the final by defeating her long time doubles partner Samantha Salas, 11-5, 11-1, 11-8, in one semi-final while Lambert beat Jessica Parrilla, who is her doubles partner for this tournament, in the other semi, 8-11, 11-3, 9-11, 11-6, 11-5.

Longoria and Lambert will also face off in the doubles final on Sunday, as Longoria and Salas beat Cristina Amaya and Veronica Sotomayor, 15-5, 15-7, in one semi-final Saturday, and Lambert and Parrilla defeated Alexandra Herrera and Carla Muñoz, 15-13, 15-8, in the other.

Sunday’s action begins with the singles final at 11 AM EST and can be viewed via the LPRT LiveStream channel with the doubles final to follow the singles final.

25th Annual NES Associates LPRT Christmas Classic, December 9-11, 2016
Laurel, Maryland

Semi-finals - Saturday

1) Paola Longoria d. 5) Samantha Salas, 11-5, 11-1, 11-8
2) Frédérique Lambert d. 3) Jessica Parrilla, 8-11, 11-3, 9-11, 11-6, 11-5

Final - Sunday

1) Paola Longoria v. 2) Frédérique Lambert 11 AM

Doubles - Semi-finals - Saturday

1) Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas v. 4) Cristina Amaya & Veronica Sotomayor, 15-5, 15-7
2) Frédérique Lambert & Jessica Parrilla d. 3) Alexandra Herrera & Carla Muñoz, 15-13, 15-8

Doubles - Final - Sunday

1) Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas v. 2) Frédérique Lambert & Jessica Parrilla - Noon

Follow the bouncing ball….

25th Annual NES Associates LPRT Christmas Classic Quarterfinals

There were some close games and one upset in the quarterfinals of the Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) 25th Annual NES Associates LPRT Christmas Classic in Laurel, Maryland. LPRT #1 Paola Longoria defeated 8th seed Carla Muñoz, 11-2, 11-1, 12-10, to advance to the semi-finals, where she’ll face a familiar opponent in Samatha Salas, who as the 5th seed upset 4th seed Alexandra Herrera, 11-1, 11-6, 11-3.

On the bottom of the draw, 2nd seed Frédérique Lambert needed four games to get past 10th seed Veronica Sotomayor, 11-3, 10-12, 11-9, 11-7. Lambert plays 3rd seed Jessica Parrilla in the semi-finals, as Parrilla beat Cristina Amaya, 11-7, 12-10, 11-4.

After dropping the first game against Lambert, Sotomayor led early in game two. Lambert did tie it at 8-8, but Sotomayor was able to finish off the game, 12-10. The story was similar in game three, as Sotomayor went out to a 6-1 lead.

Again Lambert caught up at 8-8, and this time she pushed on to win it, 11-9, with her second game point. Lambert went on to close it out in four games by taking the fourth 11-7.

In Longoria and Muñoz’s match, Longoria cruised through the first two games, but then in game three, Muñoz took the early advantage with leads of 3-0 and 7-2. Muñoz hit several jam serves to the left side that initially forced Longoria to turn around to play the ball as it came off the back wall and towards the right side wall.

Longoria tied the game at 8-8, and then went up 9-8. However, it was Muñoz who got to 10 first, leading 10-9. A Longoria backhand denied Muñoz that game point, and Longoria scored on the next three rallies to win 12-10, ending the match with a backhand cross court shot.

The semi-finals will begin at 4 and 5 PM Saturday and can be viewed via the LPRT LiveStream channel. The doubles semis will follow the singles semis. The singles final will be 11 AM Sunday with the doubles final to follow.

25th Annual NES Associates LPRT Christmas Classic, December 9-11, 2016
Laurel, Maryland

Quarterfinals

1) Paola Longoria d. 8) Carla Muñoz, 11-2, 11-1, 12-10
5) Samantha Salas d. 4) Alexandra Herrera, 11-1, 11-6, 11-3

3) Jessica Parrilla d. 6) Cristina Amaya, 11-7, 12-10, 11-4
2) Frédérique Lambert d. 10) Veronica Sotomayor, 11-3, 10-12, 11-9, 11-7

Semi-finals - Saturday

1) Paola Longoria v. 5) Samantha Salas - 5 PM
2) Frédérique Lambert v. 3) Jessica Parrilla - 4 PM

Doubles - Semi-finals - Saturday

1) Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas v. 4) Cristina Amaya & Veronica Sotomayor - 6 PM
2) Frédérique Lambert & Jessica Parrilla v. 3) Alexandra Herrera & Carla Muñoz - 7 PM

Follow the bouncing ball….

Seven of top eight into quarterfinals at 25th Annual NES Associates LPRT Christmas Classic

Seven of the top eight seeds have reached the quarterfinals at the Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) 25th Annual NES Associates LPRT Christmas Classic in Laurel, Maryland. Leading the way is LPRT #1 Paola Longoria, who handily defeated Amie Brewer, 11-1, 11-1, 11-1, in the Round of 16. In the quarters, Longoria will face 8th seed Carla Muñoz who was also a winner in three straight games, as she beat 9th seed Adrienne Haynes, 11-2, 11-4, 11-8.

The exception to the “Top 8 Rules” rule was Veronica Sotomayor, the 10th seed, who upset 7th seed Susana Acosta in four games, 13-15, 11-7, 11-3, 11-9. The win pits Sotomayor against 2nd seed Frédérique Lambert in the quarterfinals on Saturday, as Lambert beat Kelani Bailey, 11-9, 11-5, 11-9.

You can watch the quarterfinals beginning at 10 AM Saturday morning via the LPRT LiveStream channel. The semi-finals will begin at 4 and 5 PM on Saturday. The singles final will be 11 AM Sunday with the doubles final to follow.

25th Annual NES Associates LPRT Christmas Classic, December 9-11, 2016
Laurel, Maryland

Round of 16

1) Paola Longoria d. 17) Amie Brewer, 11-1, 11-1, 11-1
8) Carla Muñoz d. 9) Adrienne Haynes, 11-2, 11-4, 11-8

5) Samantha Salas d. 12) Samantha Simmons, 11-0, 11-2, 11-2
4) Alexandra Herrera d. 13) Laura Brandt, 11-3, 11-0, 11-1

3) Jessica Parrilla d. 14) Hollie Scott, 12-10, 11-5, 11-7
6) Cristina Amaya d. 11) Jordan Cooperrider, 11-4, 11-7, 11-4

10) Veronica Sotomayor d. 7) Susana Acosta, 13-15, 11-7, 11-3, 11-9
2) Frédérique Lambert d. 15) Kelani Bailey, 11-9, 11-5, 11-9

Quarterfinals

1) Paola Longoria v. 8) Carla Muñoz
4) Alexandra Herrera v. 5) Samantha Salas

3) Jessica Parrilla v. 6) Cristina Amaya
2) Frédérique Lambert v. 10) Veronica Sotomayor

Round of 32

1) Paola Longoria - BYE
17) Amie Brewer d. 16) Kelly Gremley, 8-11, 11-5, 11-7, 5-11, 11-1

9) Adrienne Haynes - BYE
8) Carla Muñoz - BYE

5) Samantha Salas - BYE
12) Samantha Simmons - BYE

13) Laura Brandt - BYE
4) Alexandra Herrera - BYE

3) Jessica Parrilla - BYE
14) Hollie Scott - BYE

11) Jordan Cooperrider - BYE
6) Cristina Amaya - BYE

7) Susana Acosta - BYE
10) Veronica Sotomayor - BYE

15) Kelani Bailey - BYE
2) Frédérique Lambert - BYE

Doubles - Quarterfinals

1) Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas - BYE
4) Cristina Amaya & Veronica Sotomayor d. 5) Susana Acosta & Jordan Cooperrider, 15-7, 12-15, 11-2

3) Alexandra Herrera & Carla Muñoz d. 6) Hollie Scott & Samantha Simmons, 15-3, 15-5
2) Frédérique Lambert & Jessica Parrilla - BYE

Doubles - Semi-finals

1) Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas v. 4) Cristina Amaya & Veronica Sotomayor
2) Frédérique Lambert & Jessica Parrilla v. 3) Alexandra Herrera & Carla Muñoz

Follow the bouncing ball….

25th Annual NES Associates LPRT Christmas Classic - Preview

The Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour’s (LPRT’s) last event of 2016 begins Friday in Laurel, Maryland, where the 25th Annual NES Associates LPRT Christmas Classic will take place. As with their last event, the Kitsap Splat, there’s a small draw this weekend, but 8 of the top 9 players will be competing in Laurel, including LPRT #1 Paola Longoria, who is undefeated this season and hasn’t lost an LPRT match since March of 2015, when Frédérique Lambert defeated her in the New Jersey Open.

Lambert has had a great start to this season, and as a result is now ranked #2 on the LPRT. Odds are that she and Longoria will face off in the Christmas Classic Final come Sunday.

However, Lambert’s path to the final won’t be an easy one, as she’ll play either veteran left hander Susana Acosta or Veronica Sotomayor in the quarterfinals, and then probably 3rd seed Jessica Parrilla or 6th Cristina Amaya in the semi-finals.

Longoria’s path to the final will likely have a semi-final showdown with either 4th seed Alexandra Herrera or 5th seed Samantha Salas, who was runner up to Longoria at this year’s US Open.

They are also playing doubles this weekend with Longoria and Salas as the top seeds and Lambert and Parrilla as 2nd seeds. They both have byes in the quarterfinals, but the other quarterfinal matches could be interesting. Amaya and Sotomayor will take on Susana Acosta and Jordan Cooperrider in one quarter with Herrera and Carla Muñoz playing Hollie Scott and Samantha Simmons in the other.

You can watch this weekend’s action live via the LPRT LiveStream channel. The Round of 16 begins at 3 PM on Friday, with the quarterfinals on Saturday at 10 and 11 AM and the semi-finals at 4 and 5 PM. The singles final will be 11 AM Sunday with the doubles final to follow.

25th Annual NES Associates LPRT Christmas Classic, December 9-11, 2016
Laurel, Maryland

Round of 32

1) Paola Longoria - BYE
16) Kelly Gremley v. 17) Amie Brewer

9) Adrienne Haynes - BYE
8) Carla Muñoz - BYE

5) Samantha Salas - BYE
12) Samantha Simmons - BYE

13) Laura Brandt - BYE
4) Alexandra Herrera - BYE

3) Jessica Parrilla - BYE
14) Hollie Scott - BYE

11) Jordan Cooperrider - BYE
6) Cristina Amaya - BYE

7) Susana Acosta - BYE
10) Veronica Sotomayor - BYE

15) Kelani Bailey - BYE
2) Frédérique Lambert - BYE

Doubles - Quarterfinals

1) Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas - BYE
4) Cristina Amaya & Veronica Sotomayor v. 5) Susana Acosta & Jordan Cooperrider

3) Alexandra Herrera & Carla Muñoz v. 6) Hollie Scott & Samantha Simmons
2) Frédérique Lambert & Jessica Parrilla - BYE

Follow the bouncing ball….

Weekend Round-up - Martinez wins Monterrey Open

Edson Martinez won the Monterrey Open - a Tier 4 event on the International Racquetball Tour (IRT) - on the weekend in Monterrey, Mexico. Martinez defeated Javier Mar in the final, 11-6, 11-5, 11-1.

In the semi-finals, Martinez beat Eduardo Garay, 12-10, 11-0, 7-11, 11-8, and Mar defeated Rodrigo Garay due to an injury forfeit.

The IRT will kick off 2017 with a bang, as they will play three tournaments back to back to back beginning with the Coast to Coast California Open in Oakridge, California, January 5-8, followed by the 18th Annual NYC Open on Long Island, New York, January 12-15, and finishing with the Lewis Drug Pro-Am in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, January 19-22.

The Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) will be in action this coming weekend, when their traditional event - the 25th Annual NES Associates Christmas Classic - will take place in Laurel, Maryland.

2016 Monterrey Open - IRT Tier 4
Monterrey, Mexico - December 1-4, 2016

Final

Edson Martinez d. Javier Mar, 11-6, 11-5, 11-1

Semi-finals

Javier Mar d. Rodrigo Garay, injury forfeit
Edson Martinez d. Eduardo Garay, 12-10, 11-0, 7-11, 11-8

Follow the bouncing ball….

Landa wins twice at 2016 WRT Alamo City Open

Alejandro Landa won twice Sunday, as he successfully defended his singles and doubles titles at the World Racquetball Tour (WRT) Alamo City Open in San Antonio, Texas. Landa defeated top seed Alejandro Cardona in the singles final, 15-6, 15-10, and teamed up with Felipe Camacho to come back from a game down to win the doubles final against Rodrigo Montoya and Andree Parrilla, winning 12-15, 15-13, 11-4.

In the singles final, Landa and Cardona were close early in game one, but after they were tied at 4-4, Landa ran off six straight points to make it 10-4. Cardona did take a timeout during that run, but to no avail. Although it took 21 rallies to finish game one, that six point stretch got Landa an insurmountable advantage, as he won 15-6.

Game two was also close early, and again the move came after they were tied at 4-4. However, it was Cardona who edged ahead to lead 7-4, and 10-7. Cardona looked in control of the game, and it seemed like the match would go to a third game.

But Landa wasn’t have any of that. He held Cardona at 10, while scoring eight unanswered points to win the match in two straight games. Landa’s cause was helped by an avoidable against Cardona, which seemed appropriate, and an service encroachment call that put Landa on match point at 14-10. He won it on the next rally with a backhand cross court shot that Cardona got his racquet on, but couldn’t hit successfully.

Both Landa and Cardona were drive serving throughout the match, and varied serving to the left and right sides. Their second serves were generally lobs, and often to the right side: each player’s forehand side.

In the doubles final, Landa and Camacho got a good start in game one, as they went out to a 9-2 advantage. But Montoya and Parrilla worked their way back into the game, and tied it at 10-10.

A Landa backhand got him and Camacho the serve back, and they got two points, and each of them hit a winning forehand shot; Camacho’s was a pinch. But Camacho was then forced into a skip, and a Montoya backhand pinch got him and Parrilla the serve back at 12-10 for Landa and Camacho.

Montoya and Parrilla ran off four straight points on consecutive rallies, but then Landa hit a backhand winner to put them half down. There was some controversy at that point, 14-12, as Camacho hit a desperate forehand that wasn’t going very fast and seemed to not reach the front wall. But the referee’s view of the shot was blocked, so he had to call it good, as is what’s normally done when a referee’s view is obscured. Thus, Montoya and Parrilla were denied game winning point.

Yet Landa and Camacho couldn’t take advantage of the opportunity they were gifted, as Montoya hit a winning forehand pinch shot and then Landa skipped a backhand reverse pinch. On the next rally, Montoya hit a backhand shot that was a game winner.

After trying a variety of serves, Montoya and Parrilla settled into lob serves to Camacho. Parrilla’s were close to the right side wall, as he was the right side player, while Montoya’s were to the right side of center. Camacho often tried returning the ball by driving it down the right side to jam Parrilla, but Parrilla was generally able to handle the situation, sometimes with help from his partner.

Montoya and Parrilla got the early advantage in game two, as they led 3-0. But Landa and Camacho took over from there, as they scored seven unanswered points to lead 7-3. They maintained a lead until 11-11. From there it was back and forth with ties at 12-12 and 13-13, and 18 rallies played before it finished, 15-13 for Landa and Camacho.

After two close games, often the tie-breaker is not close, and that was the case Sunday, as Landa and Camacho won 11-4. But again it was close early with the teams tied at 4-4 after playing 29 rallies. However, from there Landa and Camacho won seven straight points to end the match.

The WRT ends its 2016 season in Texas, and that will where it begins the 2017 season, as they next WRT event is the 2017 Longhorn Open in Austin, Texas, January 13-16. That tournament will be followed two weeks later by the 2017 WRT West Coast Championship in Concord, California.

2016 WRT Alamo City Open
December 2-4 - San Antonio, Texas

Singles - Final Sunday

6) Alejandro Landa d. 1) Alejandro Cardona, 15-6, 15-10

Doubles - Final Sunday

5) Felipe Camacho & Alejandro Landa d. 2) Rodrigo Montoya & Andree Parrilla, 12-15, 15-13, 11-4

Follow the bouncing ball….

Landa has chance to defend title at 2016 WRT Alamo City Open

Some close games in the semi-finals of the World Racquetball Tour (WRT) Alamo City Open in San Antonio, Texas, but both matches were over in two straight games. Top seed Alejandro Cardona defeated 5th seed Rodrigo Montoya, 15-3, 15-13, and in what was a replay of last year’s Alamo City Open final, 6th seed Alejandro Landa upset 2nd seed Jaime Martell, 15-11, 15-13, which was also what happened last year.

Landa did the double last year in San Antonio, as won both singles and doubles - playing with Cardona, and he has a chance to do it again this year, although his chance came at Cardona’s expense, as Landa and Felipe Camacho defeated Cardona and Martell, 15-13, 15-10, in one semi-final, while Montoya and Andree Parrilla beat Gerardo Franco and Francisco Troncoso, 15-8, 15-9, in the other semi.

Landa and Martell was a battle of two power players with Landa having the edge, as they both drove serve on first serve, primarily doing so to the left, but hitting the occasional serve to the right side. Cardona is also a power player, and on Saturday he had too much power for Montoya, who seems to be more of a control player.

The singles final is set for Sunday at 12:30 PM CST with the doubles final to follow immediately afterwards. You can watch the final live via the WRT website.

2016 WRT Alamo City Open
December 2-4 - San Antonio, Texas

Singles - Semi-finals Saturday

1) Alejandro Cardona d. 5) Rodrigo Montoya, 15-3, 15-13
6) Alejandro Landa d. 2) Jaime Martell, 15-11, 15-13

Singles - Final Sunday

1) Alejandro Cardona v. 6) Alejandro Landa - 12:30 PM

Doubles - Semi-finals Saturday

5) Felipe Camacho & Alejandro Landa d. 1) Alejandro Cardona & Jaime Martell, 15-13, 15-10
2) Rodrigo Montoya & Andree Parrilla d. 3) Gerardo Franco & Francisco Troncoso, 15-8, 15-9

Doubles - Final Sunday

2) Rodrigo Montoya & Andree Parrilla v. 5) Felipe Camacho & Alejandro Landa

Follow the bouncing ball….

Quarterfinal upsets at 2016 WRT Alamo City Open

Two quarterfinals over at the World Racquetball Tour (WRT) Alamo City Open in San Antonio, Texas, and there have been two upsets. Sixth seed Alejandro Landa defeated 3rd seed Andree Parrilla, 15-12, 15-11, and 5th seed Rodrigo Montoya beat 4th seed David Horn, 15-10, 15-6.

Landa and Montoya will play in the semi-finals Saturday night. Landa will face top seed Alejandro Cardona, who beat Francisco Troncoso, 15-1, 15-7, while Montoya plays 2nd seed Jaime Martell, who needed a tie-breaker to defeat Gerardo Franco, 15-10, 13-15, 11-6.

The quarterfinals continue Saturday afternoon with the semi-finals Saturday evening at 6:05 and 7:10 PM. The final is set for Sunday at 12:30 PM. You can watch the action live on Saturday and Sunday via the WRT website.

2016 WRT Alamo City Open
December 2-4 - San Antonio, Texas

Singles - Quarterfinals Saturday

1) Alejandro Cardona d. 8) Francisco Troncoso, 15-1, 15-7
5) Rodrigo Montoya d. 4) David Horn, 15-10, 15-6

6) Alejandro Landa d. 3) Andree Parrilla, 15-12, 15-11
2) Jaime Martell d. 7) Gerardo Franco, 15-10, 13-15, 11-6

Singles - Semi-finals Saturday

1) Alejandro Cardona v. 5) Rodrigo Montoya - 7:10 PM
2) Jaime Martell v. 6) Alejandro Landa - 6:05 PM

Doubles - Semi-finals Saturday

1) Alejandro Cardona & Jaime Martell v. 5) Felipe Camacho & Alejandro Landa - 8:15 PM
2) Rodrigo Montoya & Andree Parrilla v. 3) Gerardo Franco & Francisco Troncoso - 8:15 PM

Follow the bouncing ball….

Top 8 seeds through to quarterfinals at 2016 WRT Alamo City Open

The top 8 seeds are all through to the quarterfinals at the World Racquetball Tour (WRT) Alamo City Open in San Antonio, Texas, so no surprises in the Round of 16. But there was a close call, as the 4th seed David Horn needed a tie-breaker to defeat 20th seed Alejandro Almada, 15-14, 14-15, 11-10.

Horn faces 5th seed Rodrigo Montoya in the quarterfinals on Saturday, as Montoya beat Ross Smith Jr., 15-9, 15-1, in the 16s.

On the other side of the draw, the anticipated quarterfinal match between Andree Parrilla and Alejandro Landa is on, as they both won their respective Round of 16 matches. Parrilla defeated Felipe Camacho in two straight games, 15-10, 15-6, and Landa beat Sebastian Fernandez, 15-6, 15-6.

The quarterfinals start Saturday morning at 10:30 AM with the semi-finals Saturday evening at 6:05 and 7:10 PM. The final is set for Sunday at 12:30 PM. You can watch the action live on Saturday and Sunday via the WRT website.

2016 WRT Alamo City Open
December 2-4 - San Antonio, Texas

Singles - Round of 16

1) Alejandro Cardona d. 16) Eddie Sada, 15-3, 15-5
8) Francisco Troncoso d. 24) Daniel Neri, 15-9, 15-9

5) Rodrigo Montoya d. 21) Ross Smith Jr, 15-9, 15-1
4) David Horn d. 20) Alejandro Almada, 15-14, 14-15, 11-10

3) Andree Parrilla d. 14) Felipe Camacho, 15-10, 15-6
6) Alejandro Landa d. 11) Sebastian Fernandez, 15-6, 15-6

7) Gerardo Franco d. 10) Miguel Rodriguez Jr, 15-6, 15-4
2) Jaime Martell d. 18) Cesar Delgado, 15-4, 15-1

Singles - Quarterfinals Saturday

1) Alejandro Cardona v. 8) Francisco Troncoso - 1:45 PM
4) David Horn v. 5) Rodrigo Montoya - 11:35 AM

3) Andree Parrilla v. 6) Alejandro Landa - 10:30 AM
2) Jaime Martell v. 7) Gerardo Franco - 12:40 PM

Doubles - Round of 16

1) Alejandro Cardona & Jaime Martell - BYE
9) A. J. Fernandez & Sam Hojat d. 8) William Craig & Luis Molina, 15-14, 15-5

5) Felipe Camacho & Alejandro Landa - BYE
4) Sebastian Fernandez & Miguel Rodriguez Jr - BYE

3) Gerardo Franco & Francisco Troncoso - BYE
6) Alejandro Almada & Justus Benson d. 11) George Bustos & Ross Smith Jr, 15-10, 7-15, 11-4

10) Mike Cantu & Erik Mendoza d. 7) Arturo Burrel & Kenny Green Jr, forfeit
2) Rodrigo Montoya & Andree Parrilla - BYE

Doubles - Quarterfinals

1) Alejandro Cardona & Jaime Martell d. 9) A. J. Fernandez & Sam Hojat, 15-8, 15-5
5) Felipe Camacho & Alejandro Landa d. 4) Sebastian Fernandez & Miguel Rodriguez Jr, 13-15, 15-12, 11-7

3) Gerardo Franco & Francisco Troncoso d. 6) Alejandro Almada & Justus Benson, 15-14, 15-12
2) Rodrigo Montoya & Andree Parrilla d. 10) Mike Cantu & Erik Mendoza, 15-7, 15-12

Doubles - Semi-finals Saturday

1) Alejandro Cardona & Jaime Martell v. 5) Felipe Camacho & Alejandro Landa - 8:15 PM
2) Rodrigo Montoya & Andree Parrilla v. 3) Gerardo Franco & Francisco Troncoso - 8:15 PM

Follow the bouncing ball….

2016 WRT Alamo City Open - Round of 32

The Round of 32 is over at the World Racquetball Tour (WRT) Alamo City Open in San Antonio, Texas, and there’s been no real surprises, although there were a couple of tie-breakers and the lower seeded player won both.

In one, 18th seed Cesar Delgado came back from a game down to beat 15th seed Erik Mendoza by the narrowest of margins, 5-15, 15-12, 11-10. In the other, 21st seed Ross Smith Jr defeated 12th seed Arturo Burruel, 15-11, 10-15, 11-7.

Delgado’s win puts him into the Round of 16 against WRT #2 Jaime Martell, while Smith will play 4th seed Rodrigo Montoya.

As anticipated, WRT #3 Andre Parrilla will face Felipe Camacho in the 16s, as Camacho beat A. J. Fernandez, 15-8, 15-5, in the Round of 32.

The Round of 16 begins later Friday afternoon with the quarterfinals starting Saturday morning at 10:30 AM with the semi-finals Saturday evening at 6:05 and 7:10 PM. The final is set for Sunday at 12:30 PM. You can watch the action live on Saturday and Sunday via the WRT website.

2016 WRT Alamo City Open
December 2-4 - San Antonio, Texas

Singles - Round of 32

1) Alejandro Cardona - BYE
16) Eddie Sada d. 17) Lorenzo Valdez, forfeit

24) Daniel Neri d. 9) Luis Avila, forfeit
8) Francisco Troncoso d. 25) Jose Salas, 15-6, 15-3

5) Rodrigo Montoya d. 28) John Casey, 15-3, 15-4
21) Ross Smith Jr d. 12) Arturo Burruel, 15-11, 10-15, 11-7

20) Alejandro Almada d. 13) Justus Benson, 15-8, 15-14
4) David Horn - BYE

3) Andree Parrilla - BYE
14) Felipe Camacho d. 19) A. J. Fernandez, 15-8, 15-5

11) Sebastian Fernandez d. 22) Sam Hojat, 15-6, 15-7
6) Alejandro Landa d. 27) Brady Yelverton, 15-0, 15-6

7) Gerardo Franco d. 26) Brennan Jennings, 15-3, 15-6
10) Miguel Rodriguez Jr d. 23) Miguel Garuea, 15-3, 15-9

18) Cesar Delgado d. 15) Erik Mendoza, 5-15, 15-12, 11-10
2) Jaime Martell - BYE

Singles - Round of 16

1) Alejandro Cardona v. 16) Eddie Sada
8) Francisco Troncoso v. 24) Daniel Neri

5) Rodrigo Montoya v. 21) Ross Smith Jr
4) David Horn v. 20) Alejandro Almada

3) Andree Parrilla v. 14) Felipe Camacho
6) Alejandro Landa v. 11) Sebastian Fernandez

7) Gerardo Franco v. 10) Miguel Rodriguez Jr
2) Jaime Martell v. 18) Cesar Delgado

Doubles - Round of 16

1) Alejandro Cardona & Jaime Martell - BYE
8) William Craig & Luis Molina v. 9) A. J. Fernandez & Sam Hojat

5) Felipe Camacho & Alejandro Landa - BYE
4) Sebastian Fernandez & Miguel Rodriguez Jr - BYE

3) Gerardo Franco & Francisco Troncoso - BYE
6) Alejandro Almada & Justus Benson v. 11) George Bustos & Ross Smith Jr

7) Arturo Burrel & Kenny Green Jr v. 10) Mike Cantu & Erik Mendoza
2) Rodrigo Montoya & Andree Parrilla - BYE

Follow the bouncing ball….

2016 WRT Alamo City Open - Preview

The World Racquetball Tour (WRT) is back in action this weekend with their last tournament of 2016: the Alamo City Open in San Antonio, Texas. Alejandro Cardona is the #1 WRT player, but he hasn’t won a WRT event since the WRT Midwest Championships back in May. Since then WRT tournaments have been won by Javier Mar, Andre Parrilla, Rodrigo Montoya and, most recently, Jaime Martell.

Nonetheless, it looks like Cardona will finish the 2016 season at #1, as he’s well ahead of #2 Martell in the rankings (8222 points to 6174). However, Martell is only four points ahead of Parrilla at #3, so this weekend’s tournament will determine who closes out 2016 as #2. Martell and Parrilla are seeded 2nd and 3rd, respectively, in the draw, so they would meet in the semi-finals.

But Parrilla will have a tougher time getting there, as in his part of the draw are both Felipe Camacho, seeded 14th, and 6th seed Alejandro Landa, who could be Parrilla’s opponents in the Round of 16 and quarterfinals, respectively. Advantage Martell.

If Cardona’s going to get to the final, he’ll likely have to defeat the winner of 4th seed David Horn and 5th seed Montoya.

Thus, the WRT looks like it is ending 2016 with a bang.

The Round of 32 will begin Friday morning with the Round of 16 to follow late Friday afternoon and evening. The quarterfinals begin Saturday morning at 10:30 AM with the semi-finals Saturday evening at 6:05 and 7:10 PM. The final is set for Sunday at 12:30 PM. You can watch the action live on Saturday and Sunday via the WRT website.

2016 WRT Alamo City Open
December 2-4 - San Antonio, Texas

Singles - Round of 32

1) Alejandro Cardona - BYE
16) Eddie Sada v. 17) Lorenzo Valdez

9) Luis Avila v. 24) Daniel Neri
8) Francisco Troncoso v. 25) Jose Salas

5) Rodrigo Montoya v. 28) John Casey
12) Arturo Burruel v. 21) Ross Smith Jr

13) Justus Benson v. 20) Alejandro Almada
4) David Horn - BYE

3) Andree Parrilla - BYE
14) Felipe Camacho v. 19) A. J. Fernandez

11) Sebastian Fernandez v. 22) Sam Hojat
6) Alejandro Landa v. 27) Brady Yelverton

7) Gerardo Franco v. 26) Brennan Jennings
10) Miguel Rodriguez Jr v. 23) Miguel Garuea

15) Erik Mendoza v. 18) Cesar Delgado
2) Jaime Martell - BYE

Doubles - Round of 16

1) Alejandro Cardona & Jaime Martell - BYE
8) William Craig & Luis Molina v. 9) A. J. Fernandez & Sam Hojat

5) Felipe Camacho & Alejandro Landa - BYE
4) Sebastian Fernandez & Miguel Rodriguez Jr - BYE

3) Gerardo Franco & Francisco Troncoso - BYE
6) Alejandro Almada & Justus Benson v. 11) George Bustos & Ross Smith Jr

7) Arturo Burrel & Kenny Green Jr v. 10) Mike Cantu & Erik Mendoza
2) Rodrigo Montoya & Andree Parrilla - BYE

Follow the bouncing ball….