Paola Longoria, the #1 player on the Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT), won both singles and doubles on Sunday at the 2020 LPRT Boston Open in Marlborough, Massachusetts. In the singles final, Longoria defeated Samantha Salas, 15-8, 15-3, and then she teamed up with Salas to win the doubles final over Natalia Mendez and Maria Jose Vargas, 15-10, 15-12. Longoria has won seven of the eight singles finals this LPRT season, and six of the eight doubles finals with Salas her partner for five of those wins.
In the singles final, Salas started strong, and had leads at 7-3 and 8-4. When Longoria got within one at 8-7, Salas took a timeout. But that didn’t slow Longoria down, as she continued to pile up the points. Salas took another timeout when Longoria had a 12-8 lead.
But again that didn’t have the desired effect, as Longoria continued to put up the points often hitting a drive Z serve to the left side to start the rallies. The last point came when Salas skipped a backhand serve return, and she seemed clearly frustrated as she left the court.
Nonetheless, Salas took the first two points of game two. However, Longoria tied it at 3-3, and then held Salas off the board, as she scored twelve unanswered points to win game two, 15-3, and take the match in two straight games.
In the doubles final, Longoria and Salas found themselves down early in game one to Mendez and Vargas, who took leads of 5-0 and 8-3.
Cue the comeback.
Longoria and Salas went from 8-3 down to up 9-8 and then 12-9. When the score was 13-10, Mendez and Vargas called a timeout, which did lead to a winning rally, but that was only half down for their opponents, who won the next two rallies to take the game, 15-10. Salas closed it out with a forehand cross court shot.
Early in game two, it looked like Longoria and Salas would roll to the victory, as they went up 7-1 and 10-4. But Mendez and Vargas came back to tie it at 11-11. Then they took the lead 12-11. Longoria and Salas called a timeout.
A Longoria backhand winner got her side the serve back, and she tied it at 12-12 with a forehand shot down the left side. Mendez and Vargas did get the serve back at that point, but they failed to score before Longoria and Salas took the serve back.
Salas got her side to match point at 14-12 with a forehand cross court winner, but again Mendez and Vargas got the serve back after a weird rally, where Longoria served to Mendez on the left side. Mendez returned it with a pinch, and walked to the service box, although Longoria hit the ball to the right side, where it seemed to bounce at least twice before Vargas reached it. Yet Mendez’s and Longoria’s shots happened in slow motion, as if they both thought the serve was short.
Much discussion ensued, and we’re not sure what exactly was called on the play. Yet the result was a sideout, so Mendez and Vargas got another chance to score. However, again they could not capitalize on the opportunity.
On their 3rd match point, Longoria hit a backhand cross court for the match winner, making the final 15-12.
If you missed any of the Boston Open action, check out the matches on the LPRT YouTube channel or the LPRT website (click “LPRT Live” at the top of the page). The LPRT will next be in action in San Antonio for the Battle at the Alamo, April 17-19, 2020.
2020 LPRT Boston Open, March 6-8, 2020
Marlborough, Massachusetts
Final - Sunday
1) Paola Longoria d. 3) Samantha Salas, 15-8, 15-3
Doubles - Final - Sunday
1) Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas d. 2) Natalia Mendez & Maria Jose Vargas, 15-10, 15-12
Follow the bouncing ball….
Sunday, March 8, 2020
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