Weekend Round Up - Franco & Mar both win twice

Gerardo Franco was a double winner this past weekend at the 41st Lewis Drug Pro-Am, as he won both Men’s Open Singles and Doubles. In the singles final, Franco squeaked out the win over Tim Landeryou, 12-15, 15-10, 11-10. It was Landeryou’s 4th tie-breaker in as many matches in Sioux Falls, and his 2nd 11-10 result. He’d beaten Sebastian Fernandez 11-10 in the quarterfinals. In the semi-finals, Franco beat Mario Mercado, 15-10, 15-9, and Landeryou defeated Adam Manilla, 4-15, 15-13, 11-8.

Franco won Men’s Open Doubles with Fernandez, as the young Mexican team beat USA veterans John Goth & Brent Walters, 15-10, 15-12. In the semi-finals, Franco and Fernandez beat a pair of former International Racquetball Federation (IRF) Men's Doubles World Champions in Doug Ganim and Alejandro Herrera, 15-5, 15-8. Ganim won Men’s Doubles at Worlds three times: 1988, 1990 (both with Dan Obremski) and 1992 (Eric Muller), while Herrera won the title in 2014 with Sebastian Franco (no relation to Gerardo).

World Racquetball Tour

It’s been awhile since we’d heard anything from the World Racquetball Tour (WRT), but they began their 2019 season last weekend with the Longhorn Open in Austin, Texas. Javier Mar won Men’s Singles by defeating Eduardo Garay, 15-12, 15-11, in the final. Garay had knocked off #1 seed Jaime Martell, 15-10, 13-15, 11-6, in the semi-finals, while Mar beat 2nd seed Alejandro Cardona in two close games, 15-14, 15-11.

Like Franco in Sioux Falls, Mar was a double winner in Austin, as he and Garay teamed up to win the WRT Doubles title. They got the better of Jordy Alonso and Javier Estrada in the final, winning in a tie-breaker 5-15, 15-10, 11-8. In the semis, Garay and Mar defeated Cardona and Shai Manzuri, 15-13, 15-12, while Alonso and Estrada narrowly upset the #1 seeded team of Martell and Alan Natera, 15-13, 15-14.

In Women’s Open, Adriana Riveros beat Brenda Laime, 15-6, 15-6.

LPRT - Sweet Caroline Open

The Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) is be front and center this weekend, as they visit Greenville, South Carolina for the 2019 Sweet Caroline Open. Twenty seven players are in the field, including Riveros and Laime, as well as LPRT #1 Paola Longoria, #2 Samantha Salas, #3 Alexandra Herrera and #4 Maria Jose Vargas.

41st Lewis Drug IRT Pro-Am, January 17-20 2019
Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Men’s Open Final

3) Gerardo Franco d. 5) Tim Landeryou, 12-15, 15-10, 11-10

Semi-finals

5) Tim Landeryou d. 1) Adam Manilla, 4-15, 15-13, 11-8
3) Gerardo Franco d. 2) Mario Mercado, 15-10, 15-9

Quarterfinals

1) Adam Manilla d. 9) Christian Longoria, 15-10, 9-15, 11-1
5) Tim Landeryou d. 4) Sebastian Fernandez, 11-15, 15-10, 11-10
3) Gerardo Franco d. 6) Felipe Camacho, 14-15, 15-7, 11-8
2) Mario Mercado d. 23) Cesar Castillo, 15-4, 15-9

Men’s Open Doubles Final

4) Sebastian Fernandez & Gerardo Franco d. 2) John Goth & Brent Walters, 15-10, 15-12

Semi-finals

4) Sebastian Fernandez & Gerardo Franco d. 1) Doug Ganim & Alejandro Herrera, 15-5, 15-8
2) John Goth & Brent Walters d. 3) Lee Connell & Lee Meinerz, 15-4, 15-6

WRT Longhorn Open, January 18-20 2019
Austin, Texas

WRT - Men’s Final

6) Javier Mar d. 4) Eduardo Garay, 15-12, 15-11

Semi-finals

4) Eduardo Garay d. 1) Jaime Martell, 15-10, 13-15, 11-6
6) Javier Mar d. 2) Alejandro Cardona, 15-14, 15-11

WRT - Men’s Doubles Final

2) Eduardo Garay & Javier Mar d. 5) Jordy Alonso & Javier Estrada, 5-15, 15-10, 11-8

Semi-finals

5) Jordy Alonso & Javier Estrada d. 1) Jaime Martell & Alan Natera, 15-13, 15-14
2) Eduardo Garay & Javier Mar d. 3) Alejandro Cardona & Shai Manzuri, 15-13, 15-12

Women’s Open Final

Adriana Riveros d. Brenda Laime, 15-6, 15-6

Semi-finals

Adriana Riveros d. Julienne Arnold, 15-0, 15-3
Brenda Laime d. Adrienne Haynes, 15-12, 15-4

Follow the bouncing ball….