Weekend round up: Wins for Natera, Riveros & Garay

Last weekend’s Battle at the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas was a Tier 4 event on the International Racquetball Tour (IRT). Sixth seed Alan Natera was the surprise winner, as he upset top seed Gerardo Franco in the final, 15-10, 15-5. In the semi-finals, Natera defeated 7th seed Alejandro Cardona, 15-12, 12-15, 11-10, and Franco beat 5th seed Erik Garcia, 15-3, 15-7.

Natera also got the better of Franco in the Pro Mixed Doubles Final in San Antonio, as he and Monserrat Mejia defeated Franco and Paola Longoria, 15-7, 15-7. In the semis, Natera and Mejia beat Javier Estrada and Alexandra Herrera, 15-3, 15-14, while Franco and Longoria defeated Ana Laura Flores and Raul Valadez, 15-8, 15-9.

Adriana Riveros won Women’s Open at The Battle at the Alamo, as she beat Susana Acosta, 15-12, 15-7. Both Riveros and Acosta needed three games to advance to the final, as Riveros went tie-breaker with Maria Renee Rodriguez in the semi-finals, winning 13-15, 15-4, 11-0, and Acosta hung on to upset 2nd seed Cristina Amaya, 15-12, 8-15, 11-6.

Over in Sarasota, Eduardo Garay won Men’s Open at the Florida Pro-Am, as Mike Harmon had to default in the tie-breaker of their match due to injury. Harmon had won the first game, Garay the second, and Garay was ahead in the breaker when Harmon had to call it quits, making the final scoreline, 12-15, 15-10, 5-1, injury default.

In the semi-finals, Garay defeated Mario Mercado, 11-15, 15-11, 11-2, and Harmon beat Andres Acuña, 15-10, 15-12.

Garay had a chance to win both Open Singles and Doubles in Sarasota, but he and Mercado fell to David Horn and Rodrigo Montoya in the doubles final, 15-10, 15-8.

The focus of the racquetball world will be on Syosset, New York this weekend, where the Syosset Open will happen. The Syosset Open is both an IRT event and an Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) event. It’s rare for both the IRT and LPRT to be at the same tournament, so it will be a special weekend. Moreover, they are playing Mixed Pro Doubles in Syosset, which should be fun.

There are 20 teams in Mixed Pro Doubles, with 21 players in the LPRT draw and 49 players in the IRT draw, making the Syosset Open one of the largest IRT’s draws this season. Play will begin on Thursday in Syosset.

2019 Battle at the Alamo
San Antonio, Texas - April 26-28

Women’s Open Final

1) Adriana Riveros d. 6) Susana Acosta, 15-12, 15-7

Semi-finals

1) Adriana Riveros d. 5) Maria Renee Rodriguez, 13-15, 15-4, 11-0
6) Susana Acosta d. 2) Cristina Amaya, 15-12, 8-15, 11-6

Men’s IRT Final

6) Alan Natera d. 1) Gerardo Franco, 15-10, 15-5

Semi-finals

1) Gerardo Franco d. 5) Erik Garcia, 15-3, 15-7
6) Alan Natera d. 7) Alejandro Cardona, 15-12, 12-15, 11-10

Pro Mixed Doubles Final

11) Monserrat Mejia & Alan Natera d. 1) Gerardo Franco & Paola Longoria, 15-7, 15-7

Semi-finals

1) Gerardo Franco & Paola Longoria d. 12) Ana Laura Flores & Raul Valadez, 15-8, 15-9
11) Monserrat Mejia & Alan Natera d. 7) Javier Estrada & Alexandra Herrera, 15-3, 15-14

Quarterfinals

1) Gerardo Franco & Paola Longoria d. 8) Alejandro Cardona & Maria Jose Vargas, 15-4, 8-15, 11-8
12) Ana Laura Flores & Raul Valadez d. 13) Nancy Enriquez & Jesus Quevedo, 15-5, 15-11

11) Monserrat Mejia & Alan Natera d. 3) Erik Garcia & Brenda Laime, 10-15, 15-10, 11-6
7) Javier Estrada & Alexandra Herrera d. 2) Yesid Bazoberry & Adriana Riveros, 15-3, 15-5

2019 Florida Pro-Am, April 25-27
Sarasota, Florida

Men’s Open Final

3) Eduardo Garay d. 9) Mike Harmon, 12-15, 15-10, 5-1, injury default

Semi-finals

9) Mike Harmon d. 4) Andres Acuña, 15-10, 15-12
3) Eduardo Garay d. 2) Mario Mercado, 11-15, 15-11, 11-2

Quarterfinals

9) Mike Harmon d. 1) Maurice Miller, 6-15, 15-13, 11-7
4) Andres Acuña d. 21) Kadim Carrasco, 15-11, 15-10

3) Eduardo Garay d. 11) Justus Benson, forfeit
2) Mario Mercado d. 10) Set Cubillos, 15-3, 15-1

Men’s Open Doubles Final

2) David Horn & Rodrigo Montoya d. 1) Eduardo Garay & Mario Mercado, 15-10, 15-8

Semi-finals

1) Eduardo Garay & Mario Mercado d. 4) Eduardo Portillo & Oscar Nieto, 15-13, 14-15, 11-7
2) David Horn & Rodrigo Montoya d. 6) Dylan Pruitt & Kyle Ulliman, 15-3, 15-5

Follow the bouncing ball….