2018 Pan American Championships - Day 1 results

As play began Saturday at the XXXI Pan American Championships in Temuco, Chile, the big upsets were in Women’s Doubles, as the top three seeded countries all lost. Most significantly, Guatemalans Gabriela Martinez and Maria Renee Rodriguez beat top seeded Mexicans Alexandra Herrera and Paola Longoria (Mexico), 15-8, 15-12. It’s the first time Longoria is playing doubles at an international event with someone other than Samantha Salas.

The 2nd seeded USA team of Rhonda Rajsich and Janel Tisinger also lost, but narrowly, as Stefanny Barrios and Jenny Daza of Bolivia squeaked out the win, 15-10, 5-15, 11-10. Finally, 3rd seeds Maria Paz Muñoz and Ana Lucia Sarmiento of Ecuador were beaten by the Argentine team Natalia Mendez and Maria José Vargas, 15-9, 15-11.

No surprises in Women’s Singles, but there were three tie-breakers. In one Cristina Amaya of Colombia defeated Tisinger (USA), 15-0, 11-15, 11-8. In another Muñoz (Ecuador) got the better of Rodriguez (Guatemala), 15-3, 3-15, 11-6, and finally, Canadian Alexis Iwaasa outlasted Yrisleidis Araujo of Cuba, 15-6, 3-15, 11-9.

In contrast, there was only one tie-breaker in Men’s Singles, as Kadim Carrasco of Bolivia defeated Canadian Pedro Castro, 15-10, 4-15, 11-8. But there were a couple of upsets, and both came in Group D, where Jose Daniel Ugalde of Ecuador best Thomas Carter of the USA, 15-6, 15-13 and Cuban Maikel Mollet defeated Juan Jose Salvatierra of Guatemala, 15-13, 15-5.

Ecuador also got the better of the USA in Men’s Doubles Group B, as Ugalde and Juan Francisco Cueva won in a tie-breaker, 3-15, 15-12, 11-7. Also in Group B, Carlos Medrano and Marco Sarmiento of Honduras were surprise winners over Andres Gomez and Set Cubillos of Colombia, 15-14, 15-11.

Play in the group stage continues Sunday and Monday with the elimination round beginning on Thursday.

XXXI Pan American Racquetball Championships
Temuco, Chile - March 24-31, 2018

Women's Singles

Group A

Paola Longoria (Mexico) d. Valeria Centallas (Bolivia), 15-10, 15-8
Maria José Vargas (Argentina) - BYE

Group B

Maria Paz Muñoz (Ecuador) d. Maria Renee Rodriguez (Guatemala), 15-3, 3-15, 11-6
Jen Saunders (Canada) - BYE

Group C

Samantha Salas (Mexico) d. Jasmine Sabja (Bolivia), 15-11, 15-12
Natalia Mendez (Argentina) - BYE

Group D

Gabriela Martinez (Guatemala) d. Maria José Muñoz (Ecuador), 15-7, 15-2
Alexis Iwaasa (Canada) d. Yurisleidis Araujo (Cuba), 15-6, 3-15, 11-9

Group E

Rhonda Rajsich (USA) d. Maria Paz Riquelme (Colombia), 15-d, 15-4
Carla Muñoz (Chile) d. Maria Viera Gonzales (Cuba), 15-2, 15-10

Group F

Cristina Amaya (Colombia) d. Janel Tisinger (USA), 15-0, 11-15, 11-8
Maricruz Ortiz (Costa Rica) d. Josefa Parada (Chile), 15-1, 15-3

Women's Doubles

Group A

Gabriela Martinez & Maria Renee Rodriguez (Guatemala) d. Alexandra Herrera & Paola Longoria (Mexico), 15-8, 15-12
Michèle Morissette & Christine Richardson (Canada) - BYE

Group B

Stefanny Barrios & Jenny Daza (Bolivia) d. Rhonda Rajsich & Janel Tisinger (USA), 15-10, 5-15, 11-10
Cristina Amaya & Adriana Riveros (Colombia) - BYE

Group C

Natalia Mendez & Maria José Vargas (Argentina) d. Maria Paz Muñoz & Ana Lucia Sarmiento (Ecuador), 15-9, 15-11
Carla Muñoz & Josefa Parada (Chile) d. Yurisleidis Araujo & Maria Viera Gonzales (Cuba), 15-6, 15-11

Men's Singles

Group A

Rodrigo Montoya (Mexico) d. Gabriel Garcia (Costa Rica), 15-6, 15-7
Andres Gomez (Colombia) d. Marco Sarmiento (Honduras), 15-6, 15-0

Group B

David Horn (USA) d. Christian Chavez (Ecuador), 15-7, 15-10
Edwin Galicia (Guatemala) d. Enier Chacon Gomez (Cuba), 15-14, 15-11

Group C

Andree Parrilla (Mexico) d. Andres Acuña (Costa Rica), 15-7, 15-8
Set Cubillos (Colombia) d. Carlos Medrano (Honduras), 15-9, 15-1

Group D

Jose Daniel Ugalde (Ecuador) d. Thomas Carter (USA), 15-6, 15-13
Maikel Mollet (Cuba) d. Juan Jose Salvatierra (Guatemala), 15-13, 15-5

Group E

Carlos Keller (Bolivia) d. Trevor Webb (Canada), 15-12, 15-6
Fernando Kurzbard (Argentina) d. Rodrigo Salgado (Chile), 15-6, 15-13

Group F

Kadim Carrasco (Bolivia) d, Pedro Castro (Canada), 15-10, 4-15, 11-8
Francisco Troncoso (Chile) d. Shai Manzuri (Argentina), 15-2, 15-6

Men’s Doubles

Group A

Alvaro Beltran & Rodrigo Montoya (Mexico) d. Fernando Kurzbard & Daniel Maggi (Argentina), 15-5, 15-2
Roland Keller & Conrrado Moscoso (Bolivia) v. Enier Chacon Gomez & Maikel Mollet (Cuba), 15-6, 15-13

Group B

Juan Francisco Cueva & Jose Daniel Ugalde (Ecuador) d. Thomas Carter & David Horn (USA), 3-15, 15-12, 11-7
Carlos Medrano & Marco Sarmiento (Honduras) d. Andres Gomez & Set Cubillos (Colombia), 15-14, 15-11

Group C

Felipe Camacho & Teobaldo Fumero (Costa Rica) d. Nicolas Bousquet & Samuel Murray (Canada), 15-14, 1-15, 11-4
Edwin Galicia & Christian Wer (Guatemala) d. Johan Igor & Francisco Troncoso (Chile), 15-11, 15-5

Follow the bouncing ball....