Semi-final results from the 2018 South American Games

Bolivia will have a chance for a gold medal sweep on home soil at the 2018 South American Games in Cochabamba, Bolivia, although they could also be shut out of the gold on Friday. In Men’s Singles, Bolivian Conrrado Moscoso beat Jose Daniel Ugalde of Ecuador, 15-4, 15-4, in the semi-finals, and will play Colombian Mario Mercado in the final, as Mercado defeated Carlos Keller of Bolivia in the other semi, 15-8, 15-14.

Maria Jose Vargas of Argentina is the woman to beat in Women’s Singles, but she needed three games to get past Carla Muñoz of Chile, 15-5, 13-15, 11-5, in the semi-finals. In what may be seen as an upset, Yasmine Sabja of Bolivia beat Colombian Cristina Amaya, 15-8, 15-10, in the other semi, as Amaya is the 9th ranked player on the Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) while Sabja is ranked 30th.

In the Women’s Doubles semis, Vargas was also a winner with Natalia Mendez, as Argentina beat an Ecuador team of two teenagers in Maria Jose Muñoz and Ana Lucia Sarmiento, 15-5, 15-4. They will play Bolivia in the final, after Stefanny Barrios and Jenny Daza defeated Amaya and Carolina Gomez of Colombia, 15-5, 15-13.

The Men’s Doubles competition has been a five team round robin, and Colombians Mario Mercado and Sebastian Franco and Bolivians Roland Keller and Kadim Carrasco are both undefeated in their first three matches, so gold will be on the line Friday, when they face off against each other.

The South American Games occur every 4 years, and is the first of two quadrennial events this year. In the summer, the Central American and Caribbean Games will take place in Barranquilla, Colombia from July 19 to August 3.

2018 South American Games - Cochabamba, Bolivia
May 26-June 3, 2018

WOMEN’S SINGLES

Semi-finals - Thursday

Maria Jose Vargas (Argentina) d. Carla Muñoz (Chile), 15-5, 13-15, 11-5
Yasmine Sabja (Bolivia) d. Cristina Amaya (Colombia), 15-8, 15-10

Final - Friday

Maria Jose Vargas (Argentina) v. Yasmine Sabja (Bolivia)

WOMEN’S DOUBLES

Semi-finals - Thursday

Natalia Mendez & Maria Jose Vargas (Argentina) d. Maria Jose Muñoz & Ana Lucia Sarmiento (Ecuador), 15-5, 15-4
Stefanny Barrios & Jenny Daza (Bolivia) d. Cristina Amaya & Carolina Gomez (Colombia), 15-5, 15-13

Final - Friday

Natalia Mendez & Maria Jose Vargas (Argentina) v. Stefanny Barrios & Jenny Daza (Bolivia)

MEN’S SINGLES

Semi-finals - Thursday

Mario Mercado (Colombia) d. Carlos Keller (Bolivia), 15-8, 15-14
Conrrado Moscoso (Bolivia) d. Jose Daniel Ugalde (Ecuador), 15-4, 15-4

Final - Friday

Conrrado Moscoso (Bolivia) v. Mario Mercado (Colombia)

MEN’S DOUBLES

Round 4 - Thursday

Mario Mercado & Sebastian Franco (Colombia) d. Juan Carlos Zamora & Oscar Navarro (Peru), 15-3, 15-0
Roland Keller & Kadim Carrasco (Bolivia) d. Juan Cueva & Jose Daniel Ugalde (Ecuador), 15-9, 15-6
Rodrigo Salgado & Francisco Troncoso (Chile) - BYE

Round 5 - Friday

Mario Mercado & Sebastian Franco (Colombia) v. Roland Keller & Kadim Carrasco (Bolivia)
Rodrigo Salgado & Francisco Troncoso (Chile) v. Juan Cueva & Jose Daniel Ugalde (Ecuador)
Juan Carlos Zamora & Oscar Navarro (Peru) - BYE

Standings

1) Mario Mercado & Sebastian Franco (Colombia) - 3-0
1) Roland Keller & Kadim Carrasco (Bolivia) - 3-0
3) Juan Cueva & Jose Daniel Ugalde (Ecuador) - 1-2
3) Rodrigo Salgado & Francisco Troncoso (Chile) - 1-2
5) Juan Carlos Zamora & Oscar Navarro (Peru) - 0-4

Follow the bouncing ball….