Also notable is that the boy’s teams in the finals are the 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 8th and 9th seeds. In the girl’s finals, it’s #1 versus #2 in two of the finals, and #1 versus #3 in the other.
Let’s start with perhaps the most surprising finalists: Ireland’s Daniel Hanrahan and Keelan O’Gorman. In Boy’s U14, they defeated Colombians Juan Rodriguez and Duvan Torres in two close games, 15-14, 15-12, to become the first Irish players in a final at World Juniors since 1998 (according to a tweet by Racquetball Ireland).
So proud of our lads as they make the Boys U14 Doubles World Final at the 2019 @IRFRacquetball World Junior Championships in San Jose, Costa Rica! First time since 1998 that Team Ireland have an athlete in a World Junior Final!
— Racquetball Ireland (@racquetballire) November 16, 2019
🇮🇪☘️🇮🇪☘️#COYBIG #racquetball #racquetballireland https://t.co/XsVK5u7W4X
In the final, the Irish boys will play the 3rd seeded Mexicans Luis Renteria and Jorge Gutierrez, who needed three games to upset 2nd seeds Jhonatan Flores and Ezequiel Subieta of Bolivia, 15-5, 6-15, 11-5.
As with the quarterfinals in Boy’s U18, the semis were also close with both going tie-breaker and one ending in an upset. The 9th seeded Costa Ricans Pablo Freer and Tomas Sanchez caused that upset by holding off the 4th seeded Argentina team of Diego Garcia and Tomas Oyhanart, 15-3, 9-15, 11-8.
Thus, Freer and Sanchez will have a chance to win gold at home, when they play 6th seeds Esteban De Janon and Juan Flores of Ecuador on Saturday. Ecuador also won a close tie-breaker in defeating the 7th seeded Mexican team of Emir Martinez and Jose Ramos, 15-10, 8-15, 11-9.
When did we last see a final between the 6th seed and the 9th seed? Have we ever seen it?
In Boy’s U16, the 5th seeded USA team of Nikhill Prasad and Timothy Hansen upset the 1st seeds Sebastian Longoria and Erick Trujillo of Mexico by just about the closest scoreline possible: 15-14, 14-15, 11-8. The USA will play Bolivia in the final, as Hector Barrios and Adrian Jaldin of Bolivia defeated Josue Bermeo and Pablo Vera of Ecuador, 15-9, 15-13.
In Girl’s U18, top seeds Angelica Barrios and Valeria Centellas of Bolivia are in the final, as expected, as they beat 4th seeds Fabiana Landy and Ana Sarmiento of Ecuador, 15-1, 15-2. Bolivia will play the Mexicans Marifer Gutierrez and Anna Rivera, who were the only upset winners in girl’s doubles Friday, as they were seeded 3rd and defeated the 2nd seeded USA team of Nikita Chauhan and Erin Slutzky, 15-9, 15-6.
Also of note, Cubans Suniaris Rodriguez and Loraine Felipe were one game away from becoming the first Cuban team to be in a World Junior Final, as they went tie-breaker in the Girl’s U16 semi-finals, but ultimately fell to Mexicans Guadalupe Griffin and Ximena Martinez, 4-15, 15-8, 11-5. Mexico will play Bolivia in the final, as Bolivians Micaela Meneses and Camila Rivero defeated Costa Ricans Sofia Freer and Maricruz Ortiz, 15-13, 15-8.
The IRF will stream some of the finals live via its Facebook page). The times for the matches are central standard time.
31st IRF World Junior Racquetball Championships
San José, Costa Rica - November 9-16, 2019
U18 Boy's Doubles
Semi-finals - Friday
9) Pablo Freer & Tomas Sanchez (Costa Rica) d. 4) Diego Garcia & Tomas Oyhanart (Argentina), 15-3, 9-15, 11-8
6) Esteban De Janon & Juan Flores (Ecuador) d. 7) Emir Martinez & Jose Ramos (Mexico), 15-10, 8-15, 11-9
Final - Saturday
6) Esteban De Janon & Juan Flores (Ecuador) v. 9) Pablo Freer & Tomas Sanchez (Costa Rica) - 3 PM
U16 Boy's Doubles
Semi-finals - Friday
5) Nikhill Prasad & Timothy Hansen (USA) d. 1) Sebastian Longoria & Erick Trujillo (Mexico), 15-14, 14-15, 11-8
2) Hector Barrios & Adrian Jaldin (Bolivia) d. 3) Josue Bermeo & Pablo Vera (Ecuador), 15-9, 15-13
Final - Saturday
2) Hector Barrios & Adrian Jaldin (Bolivia) v. 5) Nikhill Prasad & Timothy Hansen (USA) - 2 PM
U14 Boy's Doubles
Semi-finals - Friday
8) Daniel Hanrahan & Keelan O’Gorman (Ireland) d. 4) Juan Rodriguez & Duvan Torres (Colombia), 15-14, 15-12
3) Luis Renteria & Jorge Gutierrez (Mexico) d. 2) Jhonatan Flores & Ezequiel Subieta (Bolivia), 15-5, 6-15, 11-5
Final - Saturday
3) Luis Renteria & Jorge Gutierrez (Mexico) v. 8) Daniel Hanrahan & Keelan O’Gorman (Ireland) - 1 PM
U18 Girl's Doubles
Semi-finals - Friday
1) Angelica Barrios & Valeria Centellas (Bolivia) d. 4) Fabiana Landy & Ana Sarmiento (Ecuador), 15-1, 15-2
3) Marifer Gutierrez & Anna Rivera (Mexico) d. 2) Nikita Chauhan & Erin Slutzky (USA), 15-9, 15-6
Final - Saturday
1) Angelica Barrios & Valeria Centellas (Bolivia) v. 3) Marifer Gutierrez & Anna Rivera (Mexico) - 3 PM
U16 Girl's Doubles
Semi-finals - Friday
1) Micaela Meneses & Camila Rivero (Bolivia) d. 4) Sofia Freer & Maricruz Ortiz (Costa Rica), 15-13, 15-8
2) Guadalupe Griffin & Ximena Martinez (Mexico) v. 3) Suniaris Rodriguez & Loraine Felipe (Cuba), 4-15, 15-8, 11-5
Final - Saturday
1) Micaela Meneses & Camila Rivero (Bolivia) v. 2) Guadalupe Griffin & Ximena Martinez (Mexico) - 2 PM
U14 Girl's Doubles
Semi-finals - Friday
1) Gisele Nieto & Angela Ortega (Mexico) d. 4) Ava Kaiser & Kareena Mathew (USA), 15-3, 15-1
2) Valeria Miranda & Krystin Salinas (Bolivia) d. 3) Anna Aguilar & Andrea Reyes (Guatemala), 15-6, 15-11
Final - Saturday
1) Gisele Nieto & Angela Ortega (Mexico) v. 2) Valeria Miranda & Krystin Salinas (Bolivia) - 1 PM
Follow the bouncing ball….
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