Mejia v Martinez encore at 2018 IRF World Junior Championships

Montserrat Mejia of Mexico will have a chance to defend her Girl’s U18 International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Junior Racquetball Championship on Saturday, and she’ll face the same player she beat in last year's final: Guatemalan Gabriela Martinez. But when they meet in the final this year in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, Martinez will be coming in as the IRF World Champion in Women’s Singles, yet she lost to Mejia in the Group Stage of this year’s World Juniors, so Mejia maybe the kryptonite to Guatemala’s Supergirl.

In their respective semi-finals matches, Mejia defeated Angelica Barrios of Bolivia, 15-14, 15-8, and Martinez beat Ana Laura Flores of Mexico, 15-5, 15-3.

Mejia is the only Mexican in a girls singles final, although Mexicans will take home five of the six bronze medals in singles. In the Girl’s U16 final, Bolivian Valeria Centellas faces Costa Rican Maricruz Ortiz, and in Girl’s U14 final Micaela Meneses of Bolivia plays Heather Mahoney of the USA.

The Boy’s U18 final is an all-Mexican showdown between last year’s U18 finalist Eduardo Portillo and Sebastian Fernandez, the 2017 U16 gold medalist. They both defeated Bolivians in the semi-finals. Portillo took out the top seed Fernando Ruiz, 15-10, 15-10, and Fernandez beat Gerson Miranda, 15-10, 15-4.

In Boy’s U16, #1 seed Jose Ramos of Mexico will play #2 seed Diego Garcia of Bolivia, but the Boy’s U14 final sees 3rd Andrew Gleason of the USA take on 5th seed Luis Aguilar of Bolivia, as Gleason and Aguliar upset the 1st and 2nd seeds, respectively, in the semi-finals.

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

Semi-finals - Friday

4. Eduardo Portillo (Mexico) d. 1. Fernando Ruiz (Bolivia), 15-10, 15-10
2. Sebastian Fernandez (Mexico) d. 3. Gerson Miranda (Bolivia), 15-10, 15-4

Final - Saturday

2. Sebastian Fernandez (Mexico) v. 4. Eduardo Portillo (Mexico) - 1 PM

U16 Boy's Singles

Semi-finals - Friday

1. Jose Ramos (Mexico) d. 12. Guillermo Ortega (Mexico), 15-0, 15-10
2. Diego Garcia (Bolivia) d. 3. Juan Flores (Ecuador), 15-1, 15-2

Final - Saturday

1. Jose Ramos (Mexico) v. 2. Diego Garcia (Bolivia) - Noon

U14 Boy's Singles

Semi-finals - Friday

5. Luis Aguilar (Bolivia) d. 1. Timmy Hansen (USA), 15-9, 15-8
3. Andrew Gleason (USA) d. 2. Andres Ruelas (Mexico), 15-12, 15-4

Final - Saturday

3. Andrew Gleason (USA) v. 5. Luis Aguilar (Bolivia) - 11 AM

U18 Girl's Singles

Semi-finals - Friday

4. Gabriela Martinez (Guatemala) d. 1. Ana Laura Flores (Mexico), 15-5, 15-3
3. Montserrat Mejia (Mexico) d. 2. Angelica Barrios (Bolivia), 15-14, 15-8

Final - Saturday

3. Montserrat Mejia (Mexico) v. 4. Gabriela Martinez (Guatemala) - Noon

U16 Girl's Singles

Semi-finals - Friday

1. Valeria Centellas (Bolivia) d. 4. Guadalupe Griffin (Mexico), 15-5, 15-10
3. Maricruz Ortiz (Costa Rica) d. 2. Maria Gutierrez (Mexico), 15-8, 15-5

Final - Saturday

1. Valeria Centellas (Bolivia) v. 3. Maricruz Ortiz (Costa Rica) - Noon

U14 Girl's Singles

Semi-finals - Friday

4. Heather Mahoney (USA) d. 1. Daniela Rico (Mexico), 15-12, 12-15, 11-9
2. Micaela Meneses (Bolivia) d. 3. Karime Estrella (Mexico), 15-8, 15-5

Final - Saturday

2. Micaela Meneses (Bolivia) v. 4. Heather Mahoney (USA) - 11 AM

Follow the bouncing ball….