2018 Pan American Championships - Day 2

On the second day of competition at the XXXI Pan American Championships in Temuco, Chile perhaps the biggest result is Maikel Mollet of Cuba upsetting Thomas Carter of the USA, 15-14, 5-15, 11-9. Cuba does not have a big tradition in racquetball, but they have four players in Temuco, and they look to be doing well.

Mollet has a good forehand, but a suspect backhand, yet he was able to squeak out the first game against Carter, 15-14.Carter, a left-hander playing in his first international event for Team USA, fought back well in game two, winning 15-5, and he had the lead early in game three, 5-2. But Mollet came back and tied it 8-8.

They tied again at 9-9, and then Mollet got the 10th point with a strong forehand down the left side that Carter dove to get, but was called two bounces. On the next rally, Mollet drove serve to the left - Carter’s forehand - and Carter returned it down the line, but it was away from the wall, so Mollet could get a racquet on it, and he flicked it to the front wall for a roll out. Mollet could do that 10 times and skip 5 of them, but on that one - the one that counted - it rolled, and that was the match winner.

But Carter did get a W in Men’s Doubles with partner David Horn, as they beat Carlos Medrano and Marco Sarmiento of Honduras, 15-1, 15-6.

It was a good day for Chilean Francisco Troncoso, because he beat Kadim Carrasco of Bolivia, 15-8, 15-8, and won his in Men’s Doubles match with Johan Igor over Costa Ricans Felipe Camacho and Teobaldo Fumero, 15-5, 14-15, 11-4.

Play in the group stage continues Monday with the elimination round beginning on Wednesday.

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

Women's Singles

Group A

Maria José Vargas (Argentina) d. Valeria Centallas (Bolivia), 15-7, 15-9
Paola Longoria (Mexico) - BYE

Group B

Jen Saunders (Canada) d. Maria Renee Rodriguez (Guatemala), 15-12, 15-1
Maria Paz Muñoz (Ecuador) - BYE

Group C

Natalia Mendez (Argentina) d. Jasmine Sabja (Bolivia), 5-15, 15-8, 11-3
Samantha Salas (Mexico) - BYE

Group D

Gabriela Martinez (Guatemala) d. Alexis Iwaasa (Canada), 15-2, 15-5
Yurisleidis Araujo (Cuba) d. Maria José Muñoz (Ecuador), 15-8, 14-15, 11-6

Group E

Rhonda Rajsich (USA) d. Maria Viera Gonzales (Cuba), 15-4, 15-3
Carla Muñoz (Chile) d. Maria Paz Riquelme (Colombia), 15-9, 15-8

Group F

Cristina Amaya (Colombia) d. Josefa Parada (Chile), 15-0, 15-2
Janel Tisinger (USA) d. Maricruz Ortiz (Costa Rica), 15-3, 15-9

Women's Doubles

Group A

Gabriela Martinez & Maria Renee Rodriguez (Guatemala) d. Michèle Morissette & Christine Richardson (Canada), 15-3, 15-6
Alexandra Herrera & Paola Longoria (Mexico) - BYE

Group B

Stefanny Barrios & Jenny Daza (Bolivia) d. Cristina Amaya & Adriana Riveros (Colombia), 15-3, 15-3
Rhonda Rajsich & Janel Tisinger (USA) - BYE

Group C

Natalia Mendez & Maria José Vargas (Argentina) d. Carla Muñoz & Josefa Parada (Chile), 15-6, 15-8
Maria Paz Muñoz & Ana Lucia Sarmiento (Ecuador) d. Yurisleidis Araujo & Maria Viera Gonzales (Cuba), 15-14, 11-15 11-4

Men's Singles

Group A

Rodrigo Montoya (Mexico) d. Marco Sarmiento (Honduras), 15-4, 15-3
Gabriel Garcia (Costa Rica) d. Andres Gomez (Colombia), 10-15, 15-4, 11-3

Group B

David Horn (USA) d. Enier Chacon Gomez (Cuba), 15-2, 15-6
Edwin Galicia (Guatemala) d. Christian Chavez (Ecuador), 15-6, 15-10

Group C

Andree Parrilla (Mexico) d. Carlos Medrano (Honduras), 15-5, 15-5
Andres Acuña (Costa Rica) d. Set Cubillos (Colombia), 15-13, 15-4

Group D

Maikel Mollet (Cuba) d. Thomas Carter (USA), 15-14, 5-15, 11-9
Jose Daniel Ugalde (Ecuador) d. Juan Jose Salvatierra (Guatemala), 0-15, 15-4, 11-4

Group E

Carlos Keller (Bolivia) d. Rodrigo Salgado (Chile), 15-4, 15-2
Trevor Webb (Canada) d. Fernando Kurzbard (Argentina), 15-4, 15-8

Group F

Francisco Troncoso (Chile) d. Kadim Carrasco (Bolivia), 15-8, 15-8
Pedro Castro (Canada) d. Shai Manzuri (Argentina), 15-1, 15-8

Men’s Doubles

Group A

Alvaro Beltran & Rodrigo Montoya (Mexico) d. Enier Chacon Gomez & Maikel Mollet (Cuba), 15-7, 15-6
Roland Keller & Conrrado Moscoso (Bolivia) d. Fernando Kurzbard & Daniel Maggi (Argentina), 15-2, 15-10

Group B

Juan Francisco Cueva & Jose Daniel Ugalde (Ecuador) d. Andres Gomez & Set Cubillos (Colombia), 15-13, 6-15, 11-9
Thomas Carter & David Horn (USA) v. Carlos Medrano & Marco Sarmiento (Honduras), 15-1, 15-6

Group C

Johan Igor & Francisco Troncoso (Chile) d. Felipe Camacho & Teobaldo Fumero (Costa Rica), 15-5, 14-15, 11-4
Nicolas Bousquet & Samuel Murray (Canada) d. Edwin Galicia & Christian Wer (Guatemala), 15-10, 15-3

Follow the bouncing ball....