2018 LPRT Battle of the Alamo - Preview

The Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) resumes its 2017-18 season this weekend at the Battle at the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas with one of its largest fields of the season: 31 players, including the top 13 players and 18 of the top 20. Leading the field, of course, is LPRT #1 Paola Longoria, who is undefeated this season.

However, there are two people in the field who have beat Longoria last month, as both 4th seed Rhonda Rajsich and 12th seed Maria Vargas defeated Longoria during the 2018 Pan American Championships in Temuco, Chile in March. Vargas also won the last LPRT event, which Longoria wasn’t at. Vargas’s relatively low seeding in San Antonio is due to her only playing three events this season, but she’s been as high as #2 on the LPRT in the past.

The top of the draw is loaded with Longoria, Rajsich and Vargas all on top, as well as LPRT #5 Alexandra Herrera and two former International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Champion silver medalists in Nancy Enriquez (2010) and Gabriela Martinez (2016).

Nonetheless, there are good players on the bottom of the draw too with LPRT #2 Frédérique Lambert, #3 Jessica Parrilla, and #6 Samantha Salas. But Salas will have a more difficult than usual first round match, as she’ll play Michelle De La Rosa - née Key - in the Round of 32 on Friday morning. De La Rosa is a former top 10 LPRT player, but who is only playing her second event this season.

They’ll also play doubles in San Antonio, and Longoria and Salas have reunited after not playing together at either the last LPRT event they both attended or at the Pan Am Championships last month in Temuco, where Longoria and Herrera teamed up and won gold in Women’s Doubles. It was a surprise when they weren’t playing together, so it’s a bit of surprise that they are back together.

Longoria and Salas could have their work cut out for each other, as they may play Gabriela Martinez and Maria Renee Rodriguez in their first match, and Martinez and Rodriguez beat Longoria and Herrera in Temuco during the preliminary round and then went tie-breaker with them in the final. But for that match to happen in San Antonio, Martinez and Rodriguez will have to first beat Montserrat Perez and Erin Rivera in the Round of 16 Friday.

The tournament starts Friday morning with the singles Round of 32 with the first round of doubles happening Friday afternoon followed by the singles Round of 16 Friday afternoon. The quarterfinals will be Saturday morning (10 AM & 11:05 AM) and semi-finals Saturday at 4:30 PM and 5:35 PM. The singles final will be Sunday at noon with the doubles final to follow. All times Central. Check out the LPRT YouTube channel for the action or the LPRT LiveStream channel.

2018 Battle at the Alamo
San Antonio, Texas - April 20-22, 2018

LPRT Singles - Round of 32 - Friday

1 Paola Longoria - BYE
16 Sheryl Lotts v. 17 Gabriela Martinez - 1:15 PM

9 Cristina Amaya v. 24 Carolina Rivera - 12:10 PM
8 Nancy Enriquez v. 25 Daniela Molina - 12:10 PM

5 Alexandra Herrera v. 28 Diana Aguilar - 10 AM
12 Maria Vargas v. 21 Lucia Gonzalez - 10 AM

13 Monserrat Mejia v. 20 Cassandra Lee - 10 AM
4 Rhonda Rajsich v. 29 Arrisa Hanson - 10 AM

3 Jessica Parrilla v. 30 Maria Paz Riquelme - 11:05 AM
14 Maria Renee Rodriguez v. 19 Montserrat Perez - 11:05 AM

11 Adriana Riveros v. 22 Brenda Laime - 11:05 AM
6 Samantha Salas v. 27 Michelle De La Rosa - 11:05 AM

7 Natalia Mendez v. 26 Masiel Rivera - 12:10 PM
10 Carla Muñoz v. 23 Ana Laura Flores - 12:10 PM

15 Adrianne Haynes v. 18 Erin Rivera - 1:15 PM
2 Frédérique Lambert v. Yasmine Sabja - 1:15 PM

LPRT Doubles - Round of 16 - Friday

1 Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas - BYE
8 Montserrat Perez & Erin Rivera v. 9 Gabriela Martinez & Maria Renee Rodriguez - 2:20 PM

5 Sheryl Lotts & Rhonda Rajsich - BYE
4 Cristina Amaya & Adriana Riveros - BYE

3 Frédérique Lambert & Jessica Parrilla - BYE
6 Michelle De La Rosa & Carla Muñoz v. 11 Daniela Molina & Masiel Rivera - 2:20 PM

7 Natalia Mendez & Maria Vargas v. 10 Nancy Enriquez & Brenda Laime - 2:20 PM
2 Alexandra Herrera & Monserrat Mejia - BYE

Follow the bouncing ball….