2018 Pan American Championships - Day 3

Paola Longoria of Mexico is not having her best tournament so far XXXI Pan American Championships in Temuco, Chile, as she’s lost twice, once in doubles and once in singles, which is two more times than she usually loses in a tournament. The doubles loss came on Saturday, and today she lost in Women’s Singles to Maria Jose Vargas, 12-15, 15-13, 11-9.

This was the last day of the group stage, so Longoria’s loss doesn’t mean that she’s eliminated, but Vargas’s win, combined with a win yesterday over Valeria Centallas of Bolivia, means that she won Group A, and will be the #1 seed for the elimination round. It’s uncertain where Longoria will fit into the draw, and could be on the same side of the draw as her team-mate, Samantha Salas, who won her last group stage match against Natalia Mendez of Argentina, 15-10, 15-6.

In other women’s action, Carla Muñoz of Chile won twice. She defeated Rhonda Rajsich (USA), 15-10, 12-15, 11-6, in Women’s Singles to win their group, and then teamed up with Josefa Parada to beat Maria Paz Muñoz and Ana Lucia Sarmiento of Ecuador, 10-15, 15-3, 11-5. For her part, Rajsich and Janel Tisinger got a win over Colombians Cristina Amaya and Adriana Riveros, 15-12, 15-11, to win their group.

On the men’s side, Maikel Mollet of Cuba continues to be a story, as Monday he upset Jose Daniel Ugalde of Ecuador, 15-7, 15-7, which means he’ll win that Group D even though he was the lowest seeded player in the group (based on Cuba’s performance in recent years). Also in Group D, Thomas Carter of the USA got his first win of the tournament by defeating Juan Jose Salvatierra of Guatemala, 15-13, 11-15, 11-9.

Tuesday will be an off day, as the players will prepare for the elimination round, which will begin on Wednesday.

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

Women's Singles

Group A

Maria José Vargas (Argentina) d. Paola Longoria (Mexico), 12-15, 15-13, 11-9
Valeria Centallas (Bolivia) - BYE

Group B

Maria Paz Muñoz (Ecuador) d. Jen Saunders (Canada), 15-1, 15-10
Maria Renee Rodriguez (Guatemala) - BYE

Group C

Samantha Salas (Mexico) d. Natalia Mendez (Argentina), 15-10, 15-6
Jasmine Sabja (Bolivia) - BYE

Group D

Gabriela Martinez (Guatemala) d. Yurisleidis Araujo (Cuba), 15-3, 15-6
Alexis Iwaasa (Canada) d. Maria José Muñoz (Ecuador), 15-7, 15-8

Group E

Carla Muñoz (Chile) d. Rhonda Rajsich (USA), 15-10, 12-15, 11-6
Maria Viera Gonzales (Cuba) d. Maria Paz Riquelme (Colombia), 15-2, 15-6

Group F

Cristina Amaya (Colombia) d. Maricruz Ortiz (Costa Rica), 15-7, 15-8
Janel Tisinger (USA) d. Josefa Parada (Chile), 15-3, 15-2

Women's Doubles

Group A

Alexandra Herrera & Paola Longoria (Mexico) d. Michèle Morissette & Christine Richardson (Canada), 15-5, 15-5
Gabriela Martinez & Maria Renee Rodriguez (Guatemala) - BYE

Group B

Rhonda Rajsich & Janel Tisinger (USA) d. Cristina Amaya & Adriana Riveros (Colombia), 15-12, 15-11
Stefanny Barrios & Jenny Daza (Bolivia) - BYE

Group C

Natalia Mendez & Maria José Vargas (Argentina) d. Yurisleidis Araujo & Maria Viera Gonzales (Cuba), 15-1, 15 8
Carla Muñoz & Josefa Parada (Chile) d. Maria Paz Muñoz & Ana Lucia Sarmiento (Ecuador), 10-15, 15-3, 11-5

Men's Singles

Group A

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

Group B

David Horn (USA) d. Edwin Galicia (Guatemala), 15-6, 11-15, 11-1
Christian Chavez (Ecuador) d. Enier Chacon Gomez (Cuba), 7-15, 15-3, 11-7

Group C

Andree Parrilla (Mexico) d. Set Cubillos (Colombia), 15-7, 15-3
Andres Acuña (Costa Rica) d. Carlos Medrano (Honduras), 15-6, 15-8

Group D

Maikel Mollet (Cuba) d. Jose Daniel Ugalde (Ecuador), 15-7, 15-7
Thomas Carter (USA) d. Juan Jose Salvatierra (Guatemala), 15-13, 11-15, 11-9

Group E

Carlos Keller (Bolivia) d. Fernando Kurzbard (Argentina), 15-6, 15-9
Trevor Webb (Canada) d. Rodrigo Salgado (Chile), 15-4, 15-3

Group F

Pedro Castro (Canada) d. Francisco Troncoso (Chile), 14-15, 15-14, 11-3
Kadim Carrasco (Bolivia) d. Shai Manzuri (Argentina), 15-0, 15-2

Men’s Doubles

Group A

Alvaro Beltran & Rodrigo Montoya (Mexico) d. Roland Keller & Conrrado Moscoso (Bolivia), 15-5, 13-15, 11-3
Fernando Kurzbard & Daniel Maggi (Argentina) d. Enier Chacon Gomez & Maikel Mollet (Cuba), 15-5, 11-15, 11-7

Group B

Juan Francisco Cueva & Jose Daniel Ugalde (Ecuador) d. Carlos Medrano & Marco Sarmiento (Honduras), 15-11, 15-3
Thomas Carter & David Horn (USA) d. Andres Gomez & Set Cubillos (Colombia), 15-4, 15-11

Group C

Nicolas Bousquet & Samuel Murray (Canada) d. Johan Igor & Francisco Troncoso (Chile), 15-11, 15-0
Felipe Camacho & Teobaldo Fumero (Costa Rica) d. Edwin Galicia & Christian Wer (Guatemala), 15-11, 15-7

Follow the bouncing ball....