Team competiton begins at 2019 Pan American Games

The racquetball team competition began Wednesday at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru. All teams are involved, and the format has teams competing head to head in a best of three matches format: two singles matches and a doubles match. But the order of the matches changes from round to round. The Round of 16 has the #1 players playing singles first, then a doubles match, and if necessary, the #2 players face off to determine which country advances to the quarterfinals on Thursday.

In the Women’s Team event, Ecuador defeated Chile, 2-0, with Maria Paz Muñoz defeating Carla Muñoz, 15-8, 6-15, 11-5, and then Paz Muñoz and younger sister Maria José Muñoz beating Muñoz and Josefa Parada, 15-9, 15-12. Ecuador will play Mexico in the quarterfinals.

Similarly, Bolivia beat Cuba in two straight matches. Valeria Centellas defeated María Regla Viera, 15-7, 15-5, and then Angelica Barrios and Jenny Daza beat Loraine Felipe and Viera, 15-2, 15-8. Bolivia will play Guatemala in the quarters.

But one women’s tie did require three matches with Canada winning the two singles matches against the Dominican Republic, but losing the doubles match to advance, 2-1. Frédérique Lambert needed a tie-breaker against Merynanyelly Delgado to win the first match for Canada, 15-7, 8-15, 11-9. But then Delgado and Alejandra Jiménez beat Lambert and Jennifer Saunders, 15-12, 15-7. In the tie-breaking match, Saunders defeated Jiménez, 15-4, 15-5, so that Canada advances to the quarterfinals, when they will play Argentina.

In the Men’s Team event, two of the four match ups were settled in two matches, while the other two - between Ecuador and Cuba, and between Guatemala and Dominican Republic - needed a third match tie-breaker.

Colombia defeated the host country Peru in two straight matches. Sebastian Franco beat Jonathan Luque, 15-1, 15-3, and then he and Mario Mercado defeated Luque and Erik Mendoza, 15-2, 15-2. Also, Costa Rica beat Argentina, 2-0, with Andres Acuña a straight game winner over Shai Manzuri, 15-8, 15-2, and Acuña and Felipe Camacho defeating Fernando Kurzbard and Manzuri, 15-10, 15-13.

Eucador’s José Ugalde won the tie-breaking singles matches in two straight games over Enier Chacón of Cuba, 15-9, 15-6. Cuban Maykel Moyet won the first singles match versus Fernando Rios, 15-9, 15-11, but Rios and Ugalde won the doubles match against Chacón and Moyet, 15-12, 15-7, to level the score.

Finally, Guatemala defeated the Dominican Republic, 2-1, which must be considered a bit of an upset, as the two Dominican players were in the medal round, while neither Guatemalan player was. However, Guatemalan Edwin Galicia narrowly pulled out a tie-breaker in the final singles matches against Dominican Ramón De León, 15-7, 2-15, 11-9, after he and Juan Salvatierra won the doubles match against De León and Luis Pérez, 15-7, 8-15, 11-2. Pérez won the first singles match against Salvatierra, 15-4, 15-9.

The medal round continues Thursday, and the finals of the team competition will be Saturday. Look for some of the matches to be live streamed via the International Racquetball Federation page on Facebook.

2019 Pan American Games - Lima, Peru

TEAM COMPETITION

Men’s Teams - Round of 16

ECUADOR d. CUBA - 2-1

Maykel MOYET (Cuba) d. Fernando RÍOS (Ecuador), 15-9, 15-11
Fernando RÍOS & José UGALDE (Ecuador) d. Enier CHACÓN & Maykel MOYET (Cuba), 15-12, 15-7
José UGALDE (Ecuador) d. Enier CHACÓN (Cuba), 15-9, 15-6

COLOMBIA d. PERU - 2-0

Sebastian FRANCO (Colombia) d. Jonathan LUQUE (Peru), 15-1, 15-3
Sebastian FRANCO & Mario MERCADO (Colombia) d. Jonathan LUQUE & Erik MENDOZA (Peru), 15-2, 15-2
Mario MERCADO (Colombia) v. Erik MENDOZA (Peru) - not played

COSTA RICA d. ARGENTINA - 2-0

Andres ACUÑA (Costa Rica) d. Shai MANZURI (Argentina), 15-8, 15-2
Andres ACUÑA & Felipe CAMACHO (Costa Rica) d. Fernando KURZBARD & Shai MANZURI (Argentina), 15-10, 15-13
Felipe CAMACHO (Costa Rica) v. Fernando KURZBARD - not played

GUATEMALA d. DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - 2-1

Luis PÉREZ (Dominican Republic) d. Juan SALVATIERRA (Guatemala), 15-4, 15-9
Edwin GALICIA & Juan SALVATIERRA (Guatemala) d. Ramón DE LEÓN & Luis PÉREZ (Dominican Republic), 15-7, 8-15, 11-2
Edwin GALICIA (Guatemala) d. Ramón DE LEÓN (Dominican Republic), 15-7, 2-15, 11-9

Men’s Teams - Quarterfinals

MEXICO v. ECUADOR
CANADA v. COLOMBIA

USA v. COSTA RICA
BOLIVIA v. GUATEMALA

Women’s Teams - Round of 16

ECUADOR d. CHILE - 2-0

Maria Paz MUÑOZ (Ecuador) d. Carla MUÑOZ (Chile), 15-8, 6-15, 11-5
Maria José MUÑOZ & Maria Paz MUÑOZ (Ecuador) d. Carla MUÑOZ & Josefa PARADA (Chile), 15-9, 15-12

BOLIVIA d. CUBA - 2-0

Valeria CENTELLAS (Bolivia) d. María Regla VIERA (Cuba), 15-7, 15-5
Angelica BARRIOS & Jenny DAZA (Bolivia) d. Loraine FELIPE & María Regla VIERA (Cuba), 15-2, 15-8

CANADA d. DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - 2-1

Frédérique LAMBERT (Canada) d. Merynanyelly DELGADO (Dominican Republic), 15-7, 8-15, 11-9
Merynanyelly DELGADO & Alejandra JIMÉNEZ (Dominican Republic) d. Frédérique LAMBERT & Jennifer SAUNDERS (Canada), 15-12, 15-7
Jennifer SAUNDERS (Canada) d. Alejandra JIMÉNEZ (Dominican Republic), 15-4, 15-5

Women’s Teams - Quarterfinals

MEXICO v. ECUADOR
USA v. COLOMBIA

GUATEMALA v. BOLIVIA
ARGENTINA v. CANADA

Follow the bouncing ball….