WRT 2017 Midwest Championships - Rounds of 32 & 16

Score one for wily veterans as John Goth got the upset win over 4th seed and current Boy’s U18 World Junior Champion Christian Longoria, 15-10, 6-15, 11-9, at the World Racquetball Tour (WRT) Midwest Championships in Minneapolis, Minnesota Friday. Up next for Goth will be a former U18 World Junior Champion in Mario Mercado, who defeated 5th seed Gerardo Franco, 15-10, 15-3. Mercado won that World Junior Championship back in 2014 in his last year of junior eligibility.

The top three seeds all won their Round of 16 matches. Top seed Alejandro Cardona beat Darrin Prince, 15-5, 15-2, and will take on Mauro Rojas in the quarterfinals. Rojas defeated Felipe Camacho, 15-6, 15-11, in the 16s. Second seed David Horn defeated Fernando Kurzbard, 15-3, 15-4, and will take on Jake Bredenbeck in the quarters after Bredenbeck won a tie-breaker with Alexi David Cocco Hayes, 12-15, 15-5, 11-5. Finally, 3rd seed Jaime Martell needed a tie-breaker to fend off Shai Manzuri, 8-15, 15-3, 11-4. He’ll play Mauricio Zelada, who was an upset winner against Francisco Troncoso, 15-13, 15-2.

In doubles, there was a slight upset as 5th seeds Jaime Martell and Mario Mercado defeated 4th seeds Fernando Kurzbard and Shai Manzuri, 15-13, 15-5. Martell and Mercardo will face the top seeds Alejandro Cardona and Gerardo Franco in the semi-finals Saturday.

On the other side of the draw, 3rd seeds Felipe Camacho and Christian Longoria needed a tie-breaker to fend off the young American team of Jordan Barth and Justus Benson, 11-15, 15-6, 11-7. They’ll face 2nd seeds Jake Bredenbeck and David Horn, who comfortably defeated Victor Acosta and Mark Pelletier, 15-1, 15-3.

You can watch matches live from Minneapolis via the WRT website beginning with the quarterfinals on Saturday morning at 10 AM Central time. The semi-finals are scheduled to start at 5 and 6 PM Saturday with the final on Sunday at noon.

2017 WRT Midwest Championships
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Round of 32

1) Alejandro Cardona - BYE
17) Darrin Prince d. 16) Lee Meinerz, 15-5, 10-15, 11-4

9) Felipe Camacho - BYE
8) Mauro Rojas - BYE

5) Gerardo Franco - BYE
21) Mario Mercado d. 12) Justus Benson, 15-9, 15-3

13) John Goth d. 20) Jeff Jackson, 15-3, 15-1
4) Christian Longoria - BYE

3) Jaime Martell - BYE
14) Shai Manzuri d. 19) Joel Cassens, 15-2, 15-4

11) Mauricio Zelada - BYE
6) Francisco Troncoso - BYE

7) Jake Bredenbeck - BYE
10) Alexi David Cocco Hayes - BYE

15) Fernando Kurzbard d. 18) Jordan Barth, forfeit
2) David Horn - BYE

Round of 16

1) Alejandro Cardona d. 17) Darrin Prince, 15-5, 15-2
8) Mauro Rojas d. 9) Felipe Camacho, 15-6, 15-11

21) Mario Mercado d. 5) Gerardo Franco, 15-10, 15-3
13) John Goth d. 4) Christian Longoria, 15-10, 6-15, 11-9

3) Jaime Martell d. 14) Shai Manzuri, 8-15, 15-3, 11-4
11) Mauricio Zelada d. 6) Francisco Troncoso, 15-13, 15-2

7) Jake Bredenbeck d. 10) Alexi David Cocco Hayes, 12-15, 15-5, 11-5
2) David Horn d. 15) Fernando Kurzbard, 15-3, 15-4

Quarterfinals - Saturday

1) Alejandro Cardona v. 8) Mauro Rojas - 1 PM
13) John Goth v. 21) Mario Mercado - 12 PM

3) Jaime Martell v. 11) Mauricio Zelada - 10 AM
2) David Horn v. 7) Jake Bredenbeck - 11 AM

Doubles - Quarterfinals

1) Alejandro Cardona & Gerardo Franco - BYE
5) Jaime Martell & Mario Mercado d. 4) Fernando Kurzbard & Shai Manzuri, 15-13, 15-5

3) Felipe Camacho & Christian Longoria d. 6) Jordan Barth & Justus Benson, 11-15, 15-6, 11-7
2) Jake Bredenbeck & David Horn d. 7) Victor Acosta & Mark Pelletier, 15-1, 15-3

Doubles - Semi-finals Saturday

1) Alejandro Cardona & Gerardo Franco v. 5) Jaime Martell & Mario Mercado - 7 PM
2) Jake Bredenbeck & David Horn v. 3) Felipe Camacho & Christian Longoria - 7 PM

Follow the bouncing ball….