2017 LPRT Torneo Milenio - Preview

The second event of the 2017-18 Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) season is this weekend, when the Torneo Milenio takes place in Tijuana, Mexico. In looking at the draw, we’re struck by how the women’s pro tour has changed in just a decade.

In 2007, the WPRO Pro Nationals in New Orleans had 19 players in the draw and only three of them were not from the USA: Paola Longoria, Samantha Salas and Angela Grisar. This weekend the draw is 23, and only two of those players are from the USA: Rhonda Rajsich and Adrienne Haynes. That is, US players have gone from the vast majority to a minority, which is astounding.

The majority of the field this weekend hail from Mexico, which speaks to the influence of Longoria, who has become the #1 LPRT player. Note, at that 2007 Pro Nationals Longoria was the 14th seed, but finished as the runner up to Rajsich. Of course, this weekend’s event is in Mexico, which is likely a contributing factor to the field having a large Mexican representation.

But in the last LPRT event in the US - the Battle at the Alamo in San Antonio in April - there were 9 US players (that’s counting Cecilia Pratt, who’s originally from Mexico but from the US by marriage) from a field of 26. So, US players were still a minority, even with the event on home soil.

Thus, if you were betting on who’s going to win this weekend, you’d likely pick a Mexican player, and probably Longoria, who as the #1 player has only lost a few times over the last several seasons. Two of the players she’s lost to aren’t in Tijuana: Salas is missing because she’s still recovering from shoulder surgery, and Frédérique Lambert is also missing. But Rajsich - the #1 player back in 2007 - is there and the 4th seed, so she’s a threat to win, especially as she defeated Longoria earlier this year at the 2017 Pan American Championships.

You can watch this weekend’s action live via the LPRT LiveStream channel or the LPRT YouTube 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 noon Sunday with the doubles final to follow.

2017 LPRT Torneo Milenio, August 23-27, 2017
Tijuana, Mexico

Round of 32

1) Paola Longoria - BYE
16) Maritza Franco v. 17) Angelica Barrios

9) Adriana Riveros - BYE
8) Susana Acosta - BYE

5) Cristina Amaya - BYE
12) Erin Rivera v. 21) Fernanda Ruiz

13) Montserrat Perez v. 20) Victoria Orozco
4) Rhonda Rajsich - BYE

3) Alexandra Herrera - BYE
14) Danisse Maldonado v. 19) Jocelyn Loredo

11) Nancy Enriquez v. 22) Delia Aguilar
6) Carla Muñoz - BYE

7) Natalia Mendez - BYE
10) Adrienne Haynes v. 23) Arantza Loredo

15) Jenny Daza v. 18) Brenda Laime
2) Jessica Parrilla - BYE

Doubles - Round of 16

1) Paola Longoria & Nancy Enriquez - BYE
8) Angelica Barrios & Jenny Daza v. 9) Arantza Loredo & Jocelyn Loredo

5) Susana Acosta & Brenda Laime - BYE
4) Alexandra Herrera & Natalia Mendez - BYE

3) Cristina Amaya & Adriana Riveros - BYE
6) Montserrat Perez & Erin Rivera - BYE

7) Maritza Franco & Danisse Maldonado v. 10) Delia Aguilar & Victoria Orozco
2) Carla Muñoz & Jessica Parrilla - BYE

Follow the bouncing ball….