Wednesday, March 1, 2017

2017 LPRT New Jersey Open - Preview

The Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) has its first (yes, 1st!) event of 2017 this weekend, when the New Jersey Open happens in Warren, New Jersey. There’s a good field for the event, as usual, and the field of 23 players is led by LPRT #1 Paola Longoria, who is undefeated this season. Trying to stop Longoria’s winning streak will be #2 Frédérique Lambert, who has beaten Longoria in New Jersey, doing so two years ago in the semi-finals of the 2015 New Jersey Open.

Ten of the top eleven players will be in New Jersey, where LPRT #4 Rhonda Rajsich will make her return to the tour for the first time since the unexpected death of her father late last year. Rajsich did play in the USA Racquetball National Doubles Championship last month, and won the US Team Qualifying Singles Division, although she and Sheryl Lotts lost in the semi-finals of the US Team Qualifying Doubles division.

Rajsich and Lotts will be in the doubles action this weekend, which has some interesting new teams. Longoria usually plays with Samantha Salas, but Salas isn’t playing this weekend, so Longoria has paired up with teen phenom Gabriella Martinez, the current World Junior U16 Champion and silver medalist at the World Championship last year, when she lost to Longoria in the final. They are seeded #1, and the 2nd seeds are also a new team, as Lambert has paired up with current US and World Women’s Doubles Champion Aimee Ruiz.

The Round of 32 will be on Friday morning and Round of 16 Friday afternoon. The quarterfinals are Saturday morning with the semi-finals Saturday afternoon. The singles final will be Sunday at 11 and doubles final at noon. All times are EST. Matches can be viewed via the LPRT Network LiveSteam channel.

LPRT New Jersey Open
March 3-5, 2017, Warren, New Jersey

Round of 32
(seedings)

1) Paola Longoria - BYE
16) Kelani Bailey v. 17) Jean Halahan

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

5) Alexandra Herrera - BYE
12) Natalia Mendez v. 21) Christina Vandling

13) Gabriela Martinez v. 20) Veronique Guillemette
4) Rhonda Rajsich - BYE

3) Jessica Parrilla - BYE
14) Sheryl Lotts v. 19) Andrea Martinez

11) Maria Renee Rodriguez v. 22) Angeles Sarria
6) Cristina Amaya - BYE

7) Susana Acosta - BYE
10) Adriana Riveros v. 23) Daniela Herrera

15) Laura Brandt v. 18) Jennifer Dering
2) Frédérique Lambert - BYE

LPRT Doubles

1) Paola Longoria & Gabriela Martinez - BYE
8) Andrea Martinez & Maria Renee Rodriguez v. 9) Veronique Guillemette & Natalia Mendez

5) Cristina Amaya & Adriana Riveros - BYE
4) Adrienne Haynes & Jessica Parrilla - BYE

3) Alexandra Herrera & Carla Muñoz - BYE
6) Sheryl Lotts & Rhonda Rajsich - BYE

7) Susana Acosta & Kelani Bailey - BYE
2) Frédérique Lambert & Aimee Ruiz - BYE

Follow the bouncing ball....

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