Singles semi-finals at 2018 IRF World Championships

Mexico will have a chance to sweep gold in Men’s and Women’s Singles on Saturday at the 19th International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Championships in San José, Costa Rica, as they have a player in both finals. Three time Women’s Singles Champion Paola Longoria of Mexico will have a chance to make it four, as she defeated Argentina’s Maria Jose Vargas in the semi-finals, 6-15, 15-2, 11-7. Longoria’s team-mate Rodrigo Montoya will have chance to win Men’s Singles, as he defeated David Horn of the USA in the semis, 15-9, 15-8.

In the Women’s Singles final, Longoria will play Ana Gabriela Martinez of Guatemala in what will be a repeat of the 2016 World Championship final that Longoria won. Martinez beat Natalia Mendez of Argentina, 15-8, 15-3, in the other semi-final. Longoria, who is now 29, used to be the younger than her opponents at previous World Championships, but she was the oldest player in the semi-finals, and is a decade older than Martinez.

Charlie Pratt of the USA will be Montoya’s opponent in the Men’s Singles final, as Pratt defeated Sebastian Franco of Colombia, 15-8, 15-13, in what was a battle of two players who won their first International Racquetball Tour (IRT) events this past season. The loss ends the Franco’s bid to become the 3rd man to win both Men’s Singles and Men’s Doubles at Worlds after American Todd O’Neill and Mexican Alvaro Beltran. He won the Men's Doubles World Championship in 2014 with Alejandro Herrera.

All of the finals will be live streamed on Saturday from 10 AM MDT via the IRF Facebook page.

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

Men's Singles - Semi-finals - Friday

4) Rodrigo Montoya (Mexico) d. 1) David Horn (USA). 15-9, 15-8
3) Charlie Pratt (USA) d. 10) Sebastian Franco (Colombia), 15-8, 15-13

Men's Singles - Final - Saturday

3) Charlie Pratt (USA) v. 4) Rodrigo Montoya (Mexico)

Women's Singles - Semi-finals - Friday

1) Paola Longoria (Mexico) d. 20) Maria Jose Vargas (Argentina), 6-15, 15-2, 11-7
6) Ana Gabriela Martinez (Guatemala) d. 7) Natalia Mendez (Argentina), 15-8, 15-3

Women's Singles - Final - Saturday

1) Paola Longoria (Mexico) v. 6) Ana Gabriela Martinez (Guatemala)

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