Day 1 at 2018 IRF World Championships

Play began at the 19th International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Championships on Saturday in San José, Costa Rica, and already there have been some great matches. The best might be Colombian Mario Mercado’s comeback win over Canadian Coby Iwaasa, 11-15, 15-10, 11-10, in Men’s Singles.

One of the anticipated matches in Women’s Singles went to the silver medalist from two years ago, Gabriela Martinez of Guatemala, who defeated Maria Jose Vargas of Argentina, 15-9, 15-6. It was a strange match, as Vargas was up 7-1 in game one, and playing well. Then the tables totally switched, and Martinez won 29 of the next 37 points.

Also of significance, Martinez’s Guatemalan team-mate Maria Rene Rodriguez was a winner over the USA’s Sheryl Lotts, 8-15, 15-6, 11-4. The significance of the win is that Rodriguez can claim the #4 seeding by winning the group, and Lotts was her strongest opponent in the group.

But the Player of the Day was Yasmine Sabja of Bolivia, as she caused two upsets in women’s play. First in Women’s Singles, she defeated Canadian Frédérique Lambert, 15-9, 15-13, which was a surprise, as Lambert is the 2nd ranked player on the Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT). Then in Women’s Doubles, Sabja and Valeria Centellas got the better of Canadians Lambert and Jen Saunders in Women’s Doubles, 12-15, 15-12, 11-8. A good day for Sabja coupled with a bad day for Lambert.

Surprise result in Group B of Men’s Doubles, as Argentine veterans Fernando Kurzbard and Shai Manzuri defeat Sebastian Franco and Mario Mercado of Colombia, 15-11, 10-15, 11-7. The win gives Argentina the advantage in earning the 2nd seed for the playoff round, as that seeding will go to the winner of Group B.

The IRF is live streaming some of the matches from San José via their Facebook page.

18th IRF World Championships
August 10-18, 2018
San José, Costa Rica

Men's Singles

Group A

David Horn (USA) d. Luis Perez (Dominican Republic), 15-5, 15-7
Moon Gyun Kim (South Korea) - BYE

Group B

Daniel De La Rosa (Mexico) d. Daeyong Kwon (South Korea), 15-3, 15-7
Ramon De Leon (Dominican Republic) - BYE

Group C

Charlie Pratt (USA) d. Felipe Camacho (Costa Rica), 15-5, 15-9
Luis Felipe Zea (Venezuela) d. Johnny O’keeney (Ireland), 15-7, 15-3

Group D

Rodrigo Montoya (Mexico) d. Ryoki Kamahara (Japan), 15-4, 15-1
Fernando Kurzbard (Argentina) d. Alberto Rojas (Switzerland), 15-3, 15-4

Group E

Conrado Moscoso (Bolivia) d. Andres Acuña (Costa Rica), 15-6, 15-4
Ricardo Gomez (Venezuela) d. Mark Murphy (Ireland), 11-15, 15-10, 11-8

Group F

Samuel Murray (Canada) d. Kono Michimune (Japan), 15-2, 15-12
Shai Manuzi (Argentina) d. Alok Mehta (India), 15-6, 151-2

Group G

Carlos Keller (Bolivia) d. Christian Chavez (Ecuador), 15-2, 15-9
Edwin Galicia (Guatemala) d. Johan Igor (Chile), 15-5, 15-11

Group H

Mario Mercado (Colombia) d. Coby Iwaasa (Canada), 11-15, 15-10, 11-10
Aaron Booker (Puerto Rico) d. Yash Doshi (India), 15-1, 15-0

Group I

Sebastian Franco (Colombia) d. Jose Daniel Ugalde (Ecuador), 15-9, 15-10
Francisco Troncoso (Chile) d. Christian Wer (Guatemala), 15-11, 15-3

Women's Singles

Group A

Paola Longoria (Mexico) d. Harumi Kajino (Japan), 15-1, 15-3
Jin Seok (South Korea) - BYE

Group B

Rhonda Rajsich (USA) d. Young Ock Lee (Korea), 15-2, 15-4
Naomi Wakimoto (Japan) - BYE

Group C

Samantha Salas (Mexico) d. Jenny Daza (Bolivia), 15-3, 12-15, 11-1
Carla Muñoz (Chile) d. Donna Ryder (Ireland), 15-5, 15-10

Group D

Aisling Hickey (Ireland) d. Lilian Zea (Venezuela), 15-6, 15-4
Maria Rene Rodriguez (Guatemala) d. Sheryl Lotts (USA), 8-15, 15-6, 11-4

Group E

Yasmine Sabja (Bolivia) d. Frédérique Lambert (Canada), 15-9, 15-13
Alejandra Jiménez (Dominican Republic) d. Josefa Parada (Chile), 15-2, 15-6

Group F

Ana Gabriela Martinez (Guatemala) d. Maria Jose Vargas (Argentina), 15-9, 15-6
Adriana Riveros (Colombia) d. Maricruz Ortiz (Costa Rica), 15-9, 15-5

Group G

Natalia Mendez (Argentina) d. Jen Saunders (Canada), 15-7, 15-3
Cristina Amaya (Colombia) d. Merynanyelly Delgado (Dominican Republic), 15-6, 15-7

Men's Doubles

Group A

Alvaro Beltran & Daniel De La Rosa (Mexico) d. Edwin Galicia & Christian Wer (Guatemala), 15-9, 15-7
Yuki Nakano & Hiroshi Shimizu (Japan) d. Alok Mehta & Thirumurugan Thyagarajan (India), 15-7, 15-0

Group B

Fernando Kurzbard & Shai Manzuri (Argentina) d. Sebastian Franco & Mario Mercado (Colombia), 15-11, 10-15, 11-7
Gabriel Garcia & Alexander Pirie (Costa Rica) d. Rodrigo Salgado & Francisco Troncoso (Chile), 15-10, 13-15, 11-4

Group C

Rocky Carson & Sudsy Monchik (USA) d. Juan Francisco Cueva & Jose Daniel Ugalde (Ecuador), 15-14, 15-2
Ricardo Gomez & Luis Felipe Zea (Venezuela) d. Ken Cottrell & Eoin Tynan (Ireland), 15-4, 15-6

Group D

Roland Keller & Conrrado Moscoso (Bolivia) d. Tim Landeryou & Samuel Murray (Canada), 7-15, 15-8, 11-6
Luis Perez & Ramon De Leon (Dominican Republic) d. Daeyong Kwon & Moon Gyun Kim (South Korea), 15-0, 15-11

Women's Doubles

Group A

Monserrat Mejia & Alexandra Herrera (Mexico) d. Natalia Mendez & Maria Jose Vargas (Argentina), 15-1, 10-15, 11-5
Alejandra Jimenez & Merynanyelly Delgado (Dominican Republic) - BYE

Group B

Sheryl Lotts & Rhonda Rajsich (USA) d. Maiko Sato & Naomi Wakimoto (Japan), 15-10, 15-4
Jin Seok & Mi Ok An (South Korea) - BYE

Group C

Maria Paz Muñoz & Veronica Sotomayor (Ecuador) d. Carla Muñoz & Josefa Parada (Chile), 15-6, 15-4
Maria Renee Rodriguez & Gabriela Martinez (Guatemala) - BYE

Group D

Valeria Centellas & Yasmine Sabja (Bolivia) d. Frédérique Lambert & Jen Saunders (Canada), 12-15, 15-12, 11-8
Cristina Amaya & Adriana Riveros (Colombia) d. Majella Haventry & Katie Kenny (Ireland), 15-6, 15-1

Follow the bouncing ball....