Day 1 results from 2019 Pan American Championships

On the first day of the 2019 Pan American Championships in Barranquilla, Colombia there have already been upsets, as the USA’s Rhonda Rajsich - the 2 times defending champion in Women’s Singles - lost to Colombian Cristina Amaya, 15-14, 14-15, 11-8, which could give her a tougher draw in the medal round en route to defending her title. Some other Women’s Singles results of note include Mexican Monserrat Mejia’s win over Maria Paz Muñoz of Ecuador, 15-9, 11-15, 11-4, and Mejia’s team-mate Paola Longoria defeated Argentina’s María José Vargas in two close games, 15-12, 15-13. Also, Maria Rene Rodriguez of Guatemala was also a close winner over Natalia Mendez of Argentina, 15-12, 15-13.

Chilean Francisco Troncoso almost had a big upset in Men’s Singles, as he had a match point against Mexican veteran Alvaro Beltran in game two of their match, but Beltran fought it off and forced the match into a tie-breaker, which he won, 12-15, 15-14, 11-3.

One of the premier matches on Day 1 was between Charles Pratt of the USA and Colombian Mario Mercado, two of the top players on the International Racquetball Tour (IRT). After a decisive win by Pratt in game one, Mercado came back to take game two and force a tie-breaker, which went Pratt’s way, 15-2, 9-15, 11-7.

Defending Men’s Singles champion, Carlos Keller of Bolivia got off to a successful start in his quest to defend the title by beating Fernando Rios of Ecuador, 15-13, 15-7. Keller’s team-mate Conrrado Moscoso (Bolivia), who won the most recent IRT event, also had a good start to the Championships, as he defeated Jose Daniel Ugalde of Ecuador, 15-5, 15-7.

There were a couple of 11-10 tie-breakers. In one, Venezuelan Roberto Leyes defeated Luis Perez of the Dominican Republic, 15-14, 3-15, 11-10. The other was in Men’s Doubles, as Bolivians Roland Keller and Moscoso held on to fend off Canadians Coby Iwaasa and Samuel Murray, 15-12, 13-15, 11-10.

The IRF will be live streaming matches from Barranquilla, look for the action via the IRF Website or the IRF Facebook page.

XXXII Pan American Racquetball Championships
Barranquilla, Colombia - April 12-20, 2019
Results Summary

Women's Singles - Saturday

Group A

Monserrat Mejia (Mexico) d. Maria Paz Muñoz (Ecuador), 15-9, 11-15, 11-4
Adriana Riveros (Colombia) - BYE

Group B

Cristina Amaya (Colombia) d. Rhonda Rajsich (USA), 15-14, 14-15, 11-8
Maria Jose Muñoz (Ecuador) - BYE

Group C

Paola Longoria (Mexico) d. María José Vargas (Argentina), 15-12, 15-13
Lilian Zea (Venezuela) - BYE

Group D

Kelani Bailey Lawrence (USA) d. Erin Geeraert (Canada), 15-1, 15-2
Carla Muñoz (Chile) d. Yurisleidis Alluie (Cuba), 15-7, 15-13

Group E

Maria Rene Rodriguez (Guatemala) d. Natalia Mendez (Argentina), 15-12, 15-13
Mariana Tobon (Venezuela) d. Alejandra Jimenez (Dominican Republic), 15-12, 15-11

Group F

Valeria Centellas (Bolivia) d. Michèle Morissette (Canada), 15-6, 15-6
Maria Regia Viera (Cuba) d. Josefina Toro (Chile), 15-1, 15-4

Group G

Angelica Barrios (Bolivia) d. Maria Gomar (Guatemala), 15-5, 15-4
Merynanyelly Delgado (Dominican Republic) d. Maricruz Ortiz (Costa Rica), 10-15, 15-3, 11-8

Women's Doubles - Saturday

Group A

Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas (Mexico) d. Danielle Drury & Jennifer Saunders (Canada), 15-4, 15-4
Yurisleidis Alluie & Maria Regla Viera (Cuba) - BYE

Group B

Natalia Mendez & Maria Jose Vargas (Argentina) d. Kelani Bailey Lawrence & Sheryl Lotts (USA), 15-8, 15-10
Cristina Amaya & Adriana Riveros (Colombia) - BYE

Group C

Maria Paz Muñoz & Ana Lucia Sarmiento (Ecuador) d. Josefa Parada & Carla Muñoz (Chile), 15-9, 15-14
Merynanyelly Delgado & Alejandra Jimenez (Dominican Republic) - BYE

Group D

Valeria Centellas & Yazmine Sabja (Bolivia) d. Maria Gomar & Maria Rene Rodriguez (Guatemala), 15-4, 15-10
Mariana Tobon & Lilian Zea (Venezuela) - BYE

Men's Singles - Saturday

Group A

Alejandro Landa (Mexico) d. Johan Igor (Chile), 15-1, 15-4
Edwin Galicia (Guatemala) - BYE

Group B

David Horn (USA) d. Andres Gomez (Colombia), 15-7, 15-2
Mykel Mollet (Cuba) - BYE

Group C

Alvaro Beltran (Mexico) d. Francisco Troncoso (Chile), 12-15, 15-14, 11-3
Juan Salvatierra (Guatemala) d. Sebastian Mendiguri (Peru), 15-1, 15-8

Group D

Charles Pratt (USA) d. Mario Mercado (Colombia), 15-2, 9-15, 11-7
Enier Chacon (Cuba) d. Jonathan Luque (Peru), 15-9, 15-0

Group E

Conrrado Moscoso (Bolivia) d. Jose Daniel Ugalde (Ecuador), 15-5, 15-7
Shai Manzuri (Argentina) d. Jesus Icaza (Honduras), 15-4, 15-2

Group F

Samuel Murray (Canada) d. Felipe Camacho (Costa Rica), 15-6, 15-9
Roberto Leyes (Venezuela) d. Luis Perez (Dominican Republic), 15-14, 3-15, 11-10

Group G

Carlos Keller (Bolivia) d. Fernando Rios (Ecuador), 15-13, 15-7
Fernando Kurzbard (Argentina) d. Carlos Medrano (Honduras), 15-13, 15-7

Group H

Andres Acuña (Costa Rica) d. Coby Iwaasa (Canada), 15-8, 15-7
Ramon De Leon (Dominican Republic) d. Luis Felipe Zea (Venezuela), 15-5, 15-7

Men's Doubles - Saturday

Group A

Javier Mar & Rodrigo Montoya (Mexico) d. Edwin Galicia & Christian Wer (Guatemala), 15-12, 15-10
Ramon De Leon & Luis Perez (Dominican Republic) - BYE

Group B

Jake Bredenbeck & Mauro Rojas (USA) d. Fernando Kurzbard & Shai Manzuri (Argentina), 15-10, 15-9
Andres Gomez & Mario Mercado (Colombia) d. Sebastian Mediguri & Oscar Navarro (Peru), 15-0, 15-1

Group C

Juan Francisco Cueva & Jose Daniel Ugalde (Ecuador) d. Andres Acuña & Felipe Camacho (Costa Rica), 15-12, 8-15, 11-5
Enier Chacon & Mykel Mollet (Cuba) d. Rafael Gatica & Francisco Troncoso (Chile), 15-5, 15-5

Group D

Roland Keller & Conrrado Moscoso (Bolivia) d. Coby Iwaasa & Samuel Murray (Canada), 15-12, 13-15, 11-10
Gregorio Machado & Luis Reveron (Venezuela) d. Jesus Icaza & Carlos Medrano (Honduras), 15-7, 7-15, 11-8

Follow the bouncing ball….