De La Rosa upsets Lambert to advance to quarters at 2018 LPRT Christmas Classic

Michelle De La Rosa got the big upset of the Round of 16 at the Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) Christmas Classic in Laurel, Maryland, as she took out 2nd seed Frédérique Lambert in decisive fashion, winning in three straight games, 11-6, 11-4, 11-7. Lambert did fight off several match points in game three, but the writing was on the wall by the point, so it was just delaying the inevitable.

De La Rosa’s puts her in the quarterfinals on Saturday, when she’ll play 7th seed Cristina Amaya, who was also a straight game winner, beating Cassi Lee, 11-3, 11-9, 11-3.

The winner of De La Rosa and Amaya will play the winner of 3rd seed Alexandra Herrera and 6th seed Natalia Mendez. in the 16s, Herrera beat Laura Brandt, 11-1, 11-1, 11-0, and Mendez defeated Danielle Maddux - De La Rosa’s younger sister - 11-8, 11-4, 11-2. Maddux had a chance to avenge that defeat in doubles, as she and De La Rosa faced Mendez and Maria Jose Vargas, but it was not to be, as Mendez and Vargas came back from a game down to win, 13-15, 15-11, 11-4.

There were two more five game matches on the top of the singles draw, as two young players pushed two veterans into tie-breakers. But the vets didn’t crumble. Fourth seed Vargas came back from 0-2 down to defeat Lucia Gonzalez, 10-12, 10-12, 11-7, 11-7, 11-8, and 5th seed Rhonda Rajsich outlasted Masiel Rivera, 11-2, 11-6, 5-11, 6-11, 11-2.

Rajsich also played a tie-breaker in doubles, as she and Sheryl Lotts beat Cristina Amaya and Carla Muñoz, 6-15, 15-7, 11-5, which was a measure of revenge for Lotts, who had lost to Muñoz in singles, 12-10, 11-6, 10-12, 11-9.

The quarterfinals will be Saturday at 11 AM and noon, and you can watch the action from Laurel live via the LPRT LiveStream channel or the LPRT Facebook page. The singles semi-finals will be 4 and 5 PM followed by the doubles semis at 6 and 7 PM. The singles final will be noon Sunday with the doubles final at 1 PM. All times eastern.

2018 LPRT Christmas Classic Pro-Am, December 14-16, 2018
Laurel, Maryland

Round of 16 - Friday

1) Paola Longoria d. 16) Kelani Bailey Lawrence, 11-0, 11-4, 11-3
8) Carla Muñoz d. 9) Sheryl Lotts, 12-10, 11-6, 10-12, 11-9

5) Rhonda Rajsich d. 12) Masiel Rivera, 11-2, 11-6, 5-11, 6-11, 11-2
4) Maria Jose Vargas d. 13) Lucia Gonzalez, 10-12, 10-12, 11-7, 11-7, 11-8

3) Alexandra Herrera d. 19) Laura Brandt, 11-1, 11-1, 11-0
6) Natalia Mendez d. 22) Danielle Maddux, 11-8, 11-4, 11-2

7) Cristina Amaya d. 10) Cassi Lee, 11-3, 11-9, 11-3
15) Michelle De La Rosa d. 2) Frédérique Lambert, 11-6, 11-4, 11-7

Quarterfinals - Saturday

1) Paola Longoria v. 8) Carla Muñoz - Noon
4) Maria Jose Vargas v. 5) Rhonda Rajsich - Noon

3) Alexandra Herrera v. 6) Natalia Mendez - 11 AM
7) Cristina Amaya v. 15) Michelle De La Rosa - 11 AM

Doubles - Quarterfinals - Friday

1) Paola Longoria & Kelani Bailey Lawrence d. 8) Cassi Lee & Hollie Scott, 15-3, 15-6
5) Sheryl Lotts & Rhonda Rajsich d. 4) Cristina Amaya & Carla Muñoz, 6-15, 15-7, 11-5

3) Natalia Mendez & Maria Jose Vargas d. 6) Michelle De La Rosa & Danielle Maddux, 13-15, 15-11, 11-4
2) Alexandra Herrera & Frédérique Lambert d. 7) Valeria Centellas & Masiel Rivera, 15-2, 15-5

Doubles - Semi-finals - Saturday

1) Paola Longoria & Kelani Bailey Lawrence v. 5) Sheryl Lotts & Rhonda Rajsich - 7 PM
2) Alexandra Herrera & Frédérique Lambert v. 3) Natalia Mendez & Maria Jose Vargas - 6 PM

Follow the bouncing ball….