Martinez on track at 2018 IRF World Junior Championships

Guatemalan Gabriela Martinez won her first match in the medal round of Girl’s U18 at the 30th edition of the International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Junior Racquetball Championships in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, as she defeated Canadian Alexis Iwaasa in the quarterfinals Thursday, 15-9, 15-5. Martinez will face top seed Ana Laura Flores of Mexico in the semi-finals, as Flores beat Maria Jose Muñoz of Ecuador, 15-3, 15-2, in the quarters.

Martinez is trying to become the first girl to win a World Junior Championship in singles in the same year she won the Women’s Singles World Championship, which she did in August. However, even if she does win gold in Girl’s U18 Singles, Martinez may not be the only female to win both IRF World Championships and Junior World Championships in the same year, as Bolivian Valeria Centellas won Women’s Doubles at Worlds this year, and is the top seed in Girl’s U16 Singles and Doubles (Martinez isn’t playing doubles).

In Boy’s U18, Eduardo Portillo of Mexico beat Nathan Martinez of Guatemala, 15-3, 15-2, in the quarterfinals to take a step towards getting back to the final for a second consecutive year. He’ll play Bolivian Fernando Ruiz in the semis, as Ruiz survived a tie-breaker against Dane Elkins of the USA, 15-4, 8-15, 11-5.

You can watch some of the action from San Luis Potosi via the IRF Facebook page.

30th IRF World Junior Racquetball Championships
San Luis Potosi, Mexico - November 3-10, 2018

U18 Boy's Singles

Quarterfinals - Thursday

1. Fernando Ruiz (Bolivia) d. 9. Dane Elkins (USA), 15-4, 8-15, 11-5
4. Eduardo Portillo (Mexico) d. 12. Nathan Martinez (Guatemala), 15-3, 15-2

3. Gerson Miranda (Bolivia) d. 11. Ricardo Diaz (USA), 15-13, 15-12
2. Sebastian Fernandez (Mexico) d. 7. Sergio Acuña (Costa Rica), 13-1, injury forfeit

Semi-finals - Friday

1. Fernando Ruiz (Bolivia) v. 4. Eduardo Portillo (Mexico)
2. Sebastian Fernandez (Mexico) v. 3. Gerson Miranda (Bolivia)

U16 Boy's Singles

Quarterfinals - Thursday

1. Jose Ramos (Mexico) d. 8. Cayden Akins (USA), 15-3, 15-8
12. Guillermo Ortega (Mexico) d. 4. Adrian Jaldin (Bolivia), 4-15, 15-3, 11-9

3. Juan Flores (Ecuador) d. 6. Shail Thakur (USA), 3-15, 15-9, 11-2
2. Diego Garcia (Bolivia) d. 10. Esteban Janon (Ecuador), 15-3, injury forfeit

Semi-finals - Friday

1. Jose Ramos (Mexico) v. 12. Guillermo Ortega (Mexico)
2. Diego Garcia (Bolivia) v. 3. Juan Flores (Ecuador)

U14 Boy's Singles

Quarterfinals - Thursday

1. Timmy Hansen (USA) d. 8. Juan Rodriguez (Colombia), 15-14, 15-6
5. Luis Aguilar (Bolivia) d. 4. Sebastian Hernandez (Mexico), 15-8, 15-7

3. Andrew Gleason (USA) d. 6. Mateo Claros (Bolivia), 15-3, 15-10
2. Andres Ruelas (Mexico) d. 7. Bruno Vasquez (Ecuador), 15-12, 15-14

Semi-finals - Friday

1. Timmy Hansen (USA) v. 5. Luis Aguilar (Bolivia)
2. Andres Ruelas (Mexico) v. 3. Andrew Gleason (USA)

U18 Girl's Singles

Quarterfinals - Thursday

1. Ana Laura Flores (Mexico) d. 9. Maria Jose Muñoz (Ecuador), 15-3, 15-2
4. Gabriela Martinez (Guatemala) d. 5. Alexis Iwaasa (Canada), 15-9, 15-5

3. Montserrat Mejia (Mexico) d. 11. Elyse Duffie (USA), 15-2, 15-0
2. Angelica Barrios (Bolivia) d. 7. Graciana Wargo (USA), 15-1, 15-2

Semi-finals - Friday

1. Ana Laura Flores (Mexico) v. 4. Gabriela Martinez (Guatemala)
2. Angelica Barrios (Bolivia) v. 3. Montserrat Mejia (Mexico)

U16 Girl's Singles

Quarterfinals - Thursday

1. Valeria Centellas (Bolivia) d. 8. Juliette Parent (Canada), 15-0, 15-9
4. Guadalupe Griffin (Mexico) d. 5. Ana Lucia Sarmiento (Ecuador), 15-9, 15-6

3. Maricruz Ortiz (Costa Rica) d. 6. Cassie Prentice (Canada), 15-2, 15-4
2. Maria Gutierrez (Mexico) d. 10. Annie Roberts (USA), 15-12, 15-10

Semi-finals - Friday

1. Valeria Centellas (Bolivia) v. 4. Guadalupe Griffin (Mexico)
2. Maria Gutierrez (Mexico) v. 3. Maricruz Ortiz (Costa Rica)

U14 Girl's Singles

Quarterfinals - Thursday

1. Daniela Rico (Mexico) d. 9. Jasmin Aguilar (Guatemala), 15-4, 15-9
4. Heather Mahoney (USA) d. 5. Julia Stein (USA), 15-5, 15-3

3. Karime Estrella (Mexico) d. 6. Paula Mansilla (Chile), 15-0, 15-1
2. Micaela Meneses (Bolivia) d. 10. Tamara Wilscam (Canada), 15-0, 15-0

Semi-finals - Friday

1. Daniela Rico (Mexico) v. 4. Heather Mahoney (USA)
2. Micaela Meneses (Bolivia) v. 3. Karime Estrella (Mexico)

Follow the bouncing ball….