Doubles draws for XXX Pan American Championship

The doubles draws are out for the XXX Pan American Racquetball Championships in San Jose, Costa Rica, and the defending champion country of Mexico has the #1 seed in both Women’s Doubles and Men’s Doubles. Gold medalists from 2016, Paola Longoria and Samantha Salas (Mexico) are top in Women’s Doubles with Polo Gutierrez and Alejandro Landa top in Men’s Doubles. Landa won gold with Javier Moreno last year, so he has a good chance to defend his medal.

On the women’s side, Véronique Guillemette and Natalia Mendez of Argentina are the 2nd seeds with Veronica Sotomayor and Maria Paz Muñoz of Ecuador 3rd seeds and Sheryl Lotts and Rhonda Rajsich of the USA 4th.

In Men’s Doubles, following Gutierrez and Landa are the USA’s Jake Bredenbeck and David Horn as 2nd seed, then the host nation Costa Rica has the 3rd seeded team in Felipe Camacho and Teobaldo Fumero with Canadians Tim Landeryou and Pedro Castro as the 4th seeds.

Doubles has become very competitive over the last few years, so many of the matches could go either way depending on if a team gets hot. You would expect Mexico to be in both finals, but on the men’s side Gutierrez and Landa will likely have to face last year’s silver medalists - Fernando Rios and Jose Daniel Ugalde of Ecuador - in the quarterfinals, and then perhaps the Canadians, who were bronze medalists last year, so Mexico’s path to the final isn’t easy on the men’s side.

On the women’s side, Longoria and Salas would be the favorites to win, but they did lose at the International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Championships last year to the USA. But that USA team was Aimee Ruiz and Janel Tisinger, who aren’t in Costa Rica this time. Nonetheless, Longoria and Salas will likely have to play the USA team of Lotts and Rajsich in the semis, and then whoever comes out of the bottom of the draw, which is likely either Argentina or Ecuador with the Guatemala sister team of Gabriella and Andrea Martinez the dark horse on that side.

The Round of 16 will be Wednesday with the quarterfinals on Thursday, semi-finals Friday and finals on Saturday.

XXX Pan American Racquetball Championships
San Jose, Costa Rica - April 8-15, 2017

Women's Doubles - Round of 16

1) Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas (Mexico) - BYE
8) Carla Muñoz & Josefa Parada (Chile) v. 9) Maria Cespedes & Merynanyelly Delgado (Dominican Republic)

5) Stefanny Barrios & Jenny Daza (Bolivia) v. 12) Cristina Amaya & Carolina Gomez (Colombia)
4) Sheryl Lotts & Rhonda Rajsich (USA) v. 13) Paola Guerra & Mariana Tobon (Venezuela)

3) Veronica Sotomayor & Maria Paz Muñoz (Ecuador) - BYE
6) Yurisledis Araujo & Maria Viera (Cuba) v. 11) Maricruz Ortiz & Melania Sauma (Costa Rica)

7) Andrea Martinez & Gabriella Martinez (Guatemala) v. 10) Danielle Drury & Jennifer Saunders (Canada)
2) Véronique Guillemette & Natalia Mendez (Argentina) - BYE

Men's Doubles - Round of 16

1) Polo Gutierrez & Alejandro Landa (Mexico) - BYE
8) Fernando Rios & Jose Daniel Ugalde (Ecuador) v. 9) Francisco Troncoso & Rodrigo Salgado (Chile)

5) Luis Perez & Ramon De Leon (Dominican Republic) v. 12) Set Cubillos & Francisco Gomez (Colombia)
4) Tim Landeryou & Pedro Castro (Canada) v. 13) Maikel Mollet Suarez & Raul Gutierrez (Cuba)

3) Felipe Camacho & Teobaldo Fumero (Costa Rica) v. 14) Carlos Medrano & Sergio Ortega (Honduras)
6) Roland Keller & Conrado Moscoso (Bolivia) v. 11) Ricardo Gomez & Luis Felipe Zea (Venezuela)

7) Shai Mazuri & Fernando Kurzbard (Argentina) v. 10) Edwin Garcia & Christian Wer (Guatemala)
2) Jake Bredenbeck & David Horn (USA) - BYE

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