The surprise result Friday at the USA Racquetball National Doubles Championships on the campus of Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona came in Women’s Doubles, as 3rd seeds Da’monique Davis and Jacqueline Paraiso upset the 2nd seeds Rhonda Rajsich and Sheryl Lotts, 15-13, 15-10, in the semi-finals. Thus, they’ll go for the championship on Saturday against reigning USA and World Champions Aimee Ruiz and Janel Tisinger, who defeated 5th seeds Kelani Bailey and Sharon Jackson, 15-9, 15-2, in the other semi.
We believe this will be Davis’s first time in the final, although it’s old hat for the veteran Paraiso, who has 14 USA Women’s Doubles titles to her credit.
On the men’s side, it will be #1 versus #2, as top seeds Rocky Carson and Jose Diaz beat 5th seeds Robert Collins and David Horn, 15-10, 15-10, and 2nd seeds Marco Rojas and Jose Rojas defeated 3rd seeds Charlie Pratt and Jansen Allen in three games, 15-14, 5-15, 11-4.
Singles Play
There were no upsets in the quarterfinals of the Women’s Singles USA Team Qualifying division, but there were three tie-breakers. Top seed Rhonda Rajsich needed a breaker to fend off 8th seed Kelani Bailey, 15-14, 6-15, 11-7, but 2nd seed Sharon Jackson ousted 7th seed Da’monique Davis in two straight games, 15-8, 15-5.
Rajsich will face 4th seed Janel Tisinger in the semi-finals Saturday after Tisinger came back to beat 5th seed Cheryl Gudinas, 8-15, 15-11, 11-6. Jackson will be up against Paraiso in the other semi, as the veteran came back from a game down to defeat 6th seed Sheryl Lotts, 14-15, 15-13, 11-8.
In Men’s Singles, there was only one upset as 7th seed Robert Collins defeated 2nd seed Jake Bredenbeck, 15-12, 15-14, although Bredenbeck, a natural right-hander, was playing left-handed due to a right shoulder injury he suffered at last year’s US Open. Collins, who is left-handed, will play David Horn in the semi-finals, as Horn narrowly defeated Thomas Carter, 15-8, 7-15, 11-5.
They were close in the breaker, and tied at 5-5 when Horn went down after twisting his left knee. But after that Horn didn’t give up a point, scoring six unanswered to take the breaker 11-5, and win the match.
Top seed Rocky Carson will face 4th seed Charlie Pratt in the other semi, as both won their quarterfinal matches in two straight games. Carson’s win was by a wider margin, as he beat 8th seed Majeed Shahin, 15-2, 15-1, while Pratt defeated 5th seed Jose Diaz in two close games, 15-10, 15-13.
You can watch some of the action live from Tempe via the USA Racquetball Livestream channel.
2017 USA Racquetball National Doubles Championships
Tempe, Arizona
US National Team Divisions
Men's Doubles
Semi-finals - Friday
1) Jose Diaz & Rocky Carson d. 5) Robert Collins & David Horn, 15-10, 15-10
2) Marco Rojas & Jose Rojas d. 3) Charlie Pratt & Jansen Allen, 15-14, 5-15, 11-4
Final - Saturday
1) Jose Diaz & Rocky Carson v. 2) Marco Rojas & Jose Rojas - 4:10 PM
Women's Doubles
Semi-finals - Friday
1) Aimee Ruiz & Janel Tisinger d. 5) Kelani Bailey & Sharon Jackson, 15-9, 15-2
3) Da’monique Davis & Jacqueline Paraiso d. 2) Rhonda Rajsich & Sheryl Lotts, 15-13, 15-10
Final - Saturday
1) Aimee Ruiz & Janel Tisinger v. 3) Da’monique Davis & Jacqueline Paraiso - 3 PM
Men’s Singles
Quarterfinals - Friday
1) Rocky Carson d. 8) Majeed Shahin, 15-2, 15-1
4) Charlie Pratt d. 5) Jose Diaz, 15-10, 15-13
3) David Horn d. 6) Thomas Carter, 15-8, 7-15, 11-5
7) Robert Collins d. 2) Jake Bredenbeck, 15-12, 15-14
Semi-finals - Saturday
1) Rocky Carson v. 4) Charlie Pratt - 11:30 AM
3) David Horn v. 7) Robert Collins - 12:40 AM
Women's Singles
Quarterfinals - Friday
1) Rhonda Rajsich d. 8) Kelani Bailey, 15-14, 6-15, 11-7
4) Janel Tisinger d. 5) Cheryl Gudinas, 8-15, 15-11, 11-6
3) Jacqueline Paraiso d. 6) Sheryl Lotts, 14-15, 15-13, 11-8
2) Sharon Jackson d. 7) Da’monique Davis, 15-8, 15-5
Semi-finals - Saturday
1) Rhonda Rajsich v. 4) Janel Tisinger - 10:20 AM
2) Sharon Jackson v. 3) Jacqueline Paraiso - 10:20 AM
Follow the bouncing ball....
Friday, February 10, 2017
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