2018 LPRT Teamroot.com Classic - Round of 16

The Teamroot.com Classic - last event of the 2017-18 Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT’s) - is on now in Overland Park, Kansas, and already there has been a significant upset, as 13th seed Gabriela Martinez defeated 4th seed Natalia Mendez, 11-4, 5-11, 11-3, 11-0. Mendez is coming off a week of racquetball at the South American Games in Cochabamba, Bolivia, so may not have recovered from that, and Martinez is a strong player, despite her seeding. Martinez will play 5th seed Samantha Salas in the quarterfinals on Saturday, as Salas beat 12th seed Maria Renee Rodriguez, 11-3, 11-2, 11-3.

There's a small draw in Overland Park, and a few of the top players aren't there. LPRT #3 Jessica Parrilla suffered an injury at the Mexico National Team event last weekend, so she's not there, and neither is LPRT #5 Alexandra Herrera or #9 Cristina Amaya, who like Mendez competed at the South American Games last week.

Nonetheless, LPRT #1 Paola Longoria is in Kansas, as is #2 Frédérique Lambert and #4 Rhonda Rajsich. They are also playing doubles, and Lambert is playing with Canadian Jen Saunders as a tune up for the International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Championships that will happen in August. They defeated Rajsich and Sheryl Lotts in two close games, 15-11, 15-13, and will play Longoria and Salas in the semi-finals on Saturday.

The match of the tournament may come in the quarterfinals, when Lambert faces 7th seed - but former LPRT #2 - Maria Jose Vargas. They both won their Round of 16 matches in three straight games. Lambert defeated 15th seed Masiel Rivera, 11-2, 12-10, 11-4, and Vargas beat Lotts, 11-5, 11-1, 11-5.

Watch the action live via the LPRT LiveStream channel. The singles quarterfinals are Saturday morning at 10 and 11 AM with the semi-finals at 4 and 5 PM. The doubles semis are at 6 and 7 PM Saturday. The singles final will be 11 AM Sunday with the doubles final to follow at noon.

2018 LPRT The Teamroot.com Classic, June 8-10, 2018
Overland Park, Kansas

Round of 16

1) Paola Longoria d. 16) Jen Saunders, 11-2, 11-5, 11-0
8) Adriana Riveros d. 9) Suasana Acosta, 11-4, 3-11, 11-1, 8-11, 11-2

5) Samantha Salas d. 12) Maria Renee Rodriguez, 11-3, 11-2, 11-3
13) Gabriela Martinez d. 4) Natalia Mendez, 11-4, 5-11, 11-3, 11-0

3) Rhonda Rajsich d. 14) Cassi Lee, 11-1, 11-5, 11-3
6) Nancy Enriquez d. 8) Adrienne Haynes, 11-4, 11-2, 15-13

7) Maria Jose Vargas d. 10) Sheryl Lotts, 11-5, 11-1, 11-5
2) Frédérique Lambert d. 15) Masiel Rivera, 11-2, 12-10, 11-4

Quarterfinals

1) Paola Longoria v. 8) Adriana Riveros - 11 AM
5) Samantha Salas v. 13) Gabriela Martinez - 11 AM

3) Rhonda Rajsich v. 6) Nancy Enriquez - 10 AM
2) Frédérique Lambert v. 7) Maria Jose Vargas - 10 AM

Doubles - Quarterfinals

1) Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas - BYE
5) Frédérique Lambert & Jen Saunders d. 4) Sheryl Lotts & Rhonda Rajsich, 15-11, 15-13

3) Natalia Mendez & Maria Jose Vargas d. 13) Gabriela Martinez & Maria Renee Rodriguez, 15-9, 8-15, 11-4
2) Masiel Rivera & Adriana Riveros d. 7) Adrienne Haynes & Cassi Lee, 15-8, 15-6

Doubles - Semi-finals

1) Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas v. 5) Frédérique Lambert & Jen Saunders - 7 PM
2) Masiel Rivera & Adriana Riveros v. 3) Natalia Mendez & Maria Jose Vargas - 6 PM

Follow the bouncing ball….