Paola Longoria and Samantha Salas will have a chance to win two finals on Sunday at the Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) Battle at the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas, as they won their respective singles semi-finals, and are in the doubles final together. This will be their first meeting on tour since last June in Chihuahua, Mexico, when Salas came back from two games down to defeat Longoria in the semi-finals. Salas went on to win the event for her 2nd LPRT title.
In the semi-finals, Longoria, the LPRT’s #1 player, defeated Maria Vargas in three games, 11-7, 11-9, 11-9, and Salas beat Natalia Mendez, 12-10, 11-4, 11-6.
Although Vargas had leads in both game two and three against Longoria, it didn’t really feel like she was going to win the match. In game two, Vargas was up 5-2, but Longoria tied it at 5-5 and went ahead 7-5. However, Vargas fought back, and tied it at 9-8.
Longoria tied it again at 9-9, but it took six rallies, which was indicative of how long game two was. They played 32 rallies to go from 5-5 to the end, which did come on Longoria’s first game point, as she hit a great forehand splat from deep in the court. It was the kind of shot that when you see it, you’re not sure if it was good, but know that if it was good it was great, as it rolled at the front wall.
Vargas was undaunted, as she took a 5-1 lead in game three. But again they played a lot of rallies - 22 in fact - to just have scored 6 points. Longoria worked her way back into the game, and tied Vargas at 7-7.
When Longoria got to 8-7, Vargas took a timeout. But four rallies later Longoria was on match point at 10-7. Characteristic for the match was that the end didn’t come quickly, as Vargas fought off two match points and closed the gap to one at 10-9.
Longoria called a timeout at that point, and got the serve back with a winning backhand pinch serve return off a poor 2nd serve lob to the left by Vargas. However, Vargas again fought off Longoria’s third match point with a backhand winner.
Longoria prevented Vargas from tying the match with a forehand winner, and then with her fourth match point, she hit a forehand winner to get to her 7th LPRT final this season. Longoria is undefeated this season. .
Salas, like Longoria, was tested in her match against Mendez, but always seemed like she was going to carry the day. Mendez had a chance to make it otherwise, as she had two game points in game one, but couldn’t finish get that last point, as Salas came back from 10-7 down to win 12-10.
In game two, Mendez had the early lead at 4-1, only to see Salas score 10 unanswered points. Again in game three, Mendez held the lead at 4-0 and 6-3, and Salas closed it out with 8 unanswered points to win 11-6.
Neither of the doubles semi-finals were close. Top seeds Longoria and Salas defeated Cristina Amaya and Adriana Riveros, 15-6, 15-9, and 2nd seeds Alexandra Herrera and Monserrat Mejia beat Ana Laura Flores and Jessica Parrilla, 15-4, 15-2, so it’ll be #1 versus #2 in the final.
The singles final will be Sunday at noon with the doubles final to follow. All times Central. Check out the LPRT Facebook page for the action or the LPRT LiveStream channel.
2018 Battle at the Alamo
San Antonio, Texas - April 20-22, 2018
LPRT Singles - Semi-finals - Saturday
1 Paola Longoria d. 12 Maria Vargas, 11-7, 11-9, 11-9
6 Samantha Salas d. 7 Natalia Mendez, 12-10, 11-4, 11-6
LPRT Singles - Final - Sunday
1 Paola Longoria v. 6 Samantha Salas - Noon
LPRT Doubles - Semi-finals - Saturday
1 Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas d. 4 Cristina Amaya & Adriana Riveros, 15-6, 15-9
2 Alexandra Herrera & Monserrat Mejia d. 3 Ana Laura Flores & Jessica Parrilla, 15-4, 15-2
LPRT Doubles - Final - Sunday
1 Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas v. 2 Alexandra Herrera & Monserrat Mejia - 1:05 PM
Follow the bouncing ball….
Sunday, April 22, 2018
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