Mexico & Bolivia win doubles at 2019 Pan American Championships

Mexicans Paola Longoria and Samantha Salas won their 6th Pan American Championship Women’s Doubles title together Saturday at the 2019 Pan American Championships in Barranquilla, Colombia, as they defeated Colombians Cristina Amaya and Adriana Riveros, 15-8, 15-6. Six titles is a record for the most by one team. Overall, Longoria has won 7 Pan Am Women’s Doubles titles, including the last five straight years, and Salas now has 8 titles, which is one fewer than Jackie Paraiso (USA).

In Men’s Doubles, 4th seeds Roland Keller and Conrrado Moscoso of Bolivia came back from a game down to defeat 7th seeds Coby Iwaasa and Samuel Murray of Canada in three games, 2-15, 15-9, 11-2. The win is the 2nd for Keller, who joins his brother Carlos in being the only two South American men with two gold medals at Pan Am Championships. Also, it’s the first year Bolivians have won both Men’s Singles and Men’s Doubles, and the first time a country other than the USA or Mexico has done that.

In the women’s final, Mexico jumped out to a 9-0 lead in game one. Colombia came back and got within three trailing 10-7, which led to Mexico calling a timeout. Longoria got her side the serve back with a backhand pinch winner, and they ran the score up to 14-7.

Colombia fought off the first game point with a great backhand serve return by Adriana Riveros, but they were only able to get one point of their own before giving up serve again. Salas hit a pinch shot winner to end the first game, 15-8.

In game two, Colombia got the first two points, and then Salas got hot and hit four winners that helped get Mexico to a 5-2 lead. They ran that lead up to 10-2 before Colombia scored again. As in game one, Colombia had a bit of a comeback, as they cut the deficit to four at 10-6. But a Riveros backhand skip derailed the comeback, and Colombia wouldn’t serve again.

With the serve back, Mexico won it by hitting five winners over the next six rallies: three by Longoria and two by Salas. Longoria got the match winner, which was a strange one, as she hit a backhand cross court overhead shot that seemed like it was off the frame of her racquet but ended up hitting low on the front wall, so it was unreturnable.

In the men’s final, Canada charged out to a 8-2 lead in game one, and just kept piling on the points as they won it 15-2. While Canada played well, the Bolivians were not sharp.

That changed in game two, as the Bolivians took a 9-2 lead. Canada came back and got to within three at 10-7. But Bolivia ended it when Moscoso hit a winning backhand pinch shot to make it 15-9, and force a tie-breaker.

In the breaker, Bolivia once again took the early lead at 5-0. Canada called a timeout, and that led to two errors by the Bolivians that gave the serve back to Canada. Canada scored a point off an avoidable hinder call. Then the Moscoso took over the game.

There were 14 rallies from 5-1 to the end of the game, and Moscoso ended 10 of those rallies, hitting 8 winners (including one ace serve) and 2 skips. He also forced the match winning point, as he drove serve to the left, and Murray tried to return it with a backhand pinch shot, only to skip his shot.

If you missed the finals, check out the matches via theIRF Facebook page or the IRF YouTube channel for matches.

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

Women's Doubles - Final - Saturday

1) Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas (Mexico) d. 2) Cristina Amaya & Adriana Riveros (Colombia), 15-8, 15-6

Men's Doubles - Final - Saturday

4) Roland Keller & Conrrado Moscoso (Bolivia) d. 7) Coby Iwaasa & Samuel Murray (Canada), 2-15, 15-9, 11-2

Follow the bouncing ball….