How is John Ellis not in the Hall of Fame?

While we were watching the Boys U18 Singles final at the USA Racquetball (USAR) Junior Championships in Des Moines, Iowa on Sunday, which was a great match and you can check it out via the USA Racquetball Livestream channel, the commentator mentioned that the finalists Timmy Hansen and Julius Ellis are sons of former elite players: Tim Hansen and John Ellis, respectively. And in passing it was mentioned that Mr. Hansen is in the USAR Hall of Fame.

That made us think “wait, isn't John Ellis in the Hall of Fame?’ Which led us to “HOW IS JOHN ELLIS NOT IN THE HALL OF FAME???”

This is no disrespect to Mr Hansen, who seems fully deserving of being in the Hall of Fame, and was a Team USA member who won gold in Men’s Doubles (with Jim Floyd) at the 1991 Tournament of the Americas (Pan American Championships). But if the Hansen and Ellis fathers were to face off - as someone suggested in a comment on the boys match - we know who we’re betting on every day, and twice on Sundays, and it’s not Hansen.

John Ellis was in the International Racquetball Tour (IRT) top 10 for 10 straight seasons (1993-94 to 2002-03) including five consecutive seasons as the #3 player, which was generally behind two guys (Sudsy Monchik & Cliff Swain) who are both in the conversation for the best men’s player ever. Over his career, Ellis won 8 IRT titles and was runner up 18 times.

Ellis also was the US National Singles Champion in 1993, and won three US National Doubles titles: in 1991 and 1993 with Eric Muller and 2003 with Adam Karp. He won gold with Team USA in Men’s Singles at the 1995 Pan American Games.

If that’s not enough, Ellis has also run a very successful racquetball program in Stockton, California, which has produced several elite level players.

All of that begs the question: How is John Ellis not in the Hall of Fame?

Follow the bouncing ball….

2021 USA Racquetball Junior Championships - Summary

The USA Racquetball Junior Championships wrapped up on Sunday in Des Moines, Iowa, and the overall participation was 81 players, which significantly fewer than in recent years, but is likely due to the pandemic. However, the participation was almost evenly split between boys and girls. There were 44 boys and 38 girls (54% to 46%). We noted in our 2019 summary that there seemed to be more girls participating at the USA Junior Championships, and it’s nice to see that trend continuing even with the pandemic.

The Boys and Girls U18 Champions are Timmy Hansen (Wellington, FL) and Annie Roberts (Gresham, OR), respectively. But both finals were see-saw matches that needed a tie-breaker to decide the winner. Hansen beat Julius Ellis (Stockton, CA), 15-2, 6-15, 11-3, for the Boys title, while Roberts came back from a game down and 10-5 down in the breaker to narrowly defeat Erin Slutzky (Chesterfield, MO), 4-15, 15-8, 11-10.

Both were remarkable performances. The boys final was interesting, because there was a contrast in styles. Hansen is a smooth player, while Ellis is a bundle of energy bouncing around the court. Yet it was Hansen who was more emotional between rallies, especially in the breaker, while Ellis was calmer, but clearly disappointed after the match was over.

Roberts - we believe - played in her final Junior Championships, and ends her junior career having won singles in each of the last four competitions. She won Girls U16 Singles in 2019 and 2018 and Girls U14 Singles in 2017. That record bodes well for her future, if she’s interested in continuing to play racquetball. Roberts also competed in the Women’s National Team division in Des Moines and has entered some Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) events, so it does seem like she’s interested in pursuing a racquetball career.

Sometimes the U18 Singles champions win U18 Doubles as well, but that didn’t happen this year. Roberts didn’t play doubles, and Hansen and Andrew Gleason (Johnston, IA) lost the Boys U18 Doubles final to Vedant Chauhan (San Ramon, CA) and Josh Shea (Cortlandt Manor, NY), 15-8, 4-15, 11-8. There are a couple remarkable aspects to that result.

First, it was partially a successful title defense, as Shea won Boys U18 Doubles two years ago with Dylan Pruitt; 2019 being the last time the Junior Championships were held. That’s despite the fact that Shea was “playing up” in 2019 - competing in an older age division than necessary. We know that because in 2019 Shea and Chauhan won Boy’s U14 Doubles.

Moreover, Shea and Chauhan’s competing in U18 doubles this year was also playing up, as they competed in Boys U16 Singles and faced off in the semi-finals with Shea winning in two close games, 15-13, 15-12. But that’s not all.

Because players were allowed to play three divisions this year, Shea and Chauhan also entered Boys U16 Doubles, and they came 2nd! Seriously. It was a five team round robin, and in the deciding match Nikhil Prasad (Fremont, CA) and Gatlin Sutherland (Great Falls, MT) defeated them, 15-14, 15-11. Thus, Shea and Chauhan have won Boys U14 Doubles (in 2019) and Boys U18 Doubles (this year) and Shea has won Boys U18 Doubles twice, but they have yet to win Boys U16 Doubles. And they may never do so, if they age out of that division this year (that would happen if they turn 17 in 2021).

A couple of interesting stories on the girls side. One is Naomi Ros of San Antonio, who won Girl's U16 Singles, and did so convincingly, as she only gave up more than six points in one of the eight games she won en route to the title. Also, Ros, as the 5th seed, defeated the 1st, 2nd and 4th seeds to get the win. In the final, she defeated 2nd seed Ava Kaiser (Lake Elmo, MN), 15-5, 15-12, after beating top seed Heather Mahoney (Penngrove, CA), 15-6, 15-3, in the semi-finals.

What makes that all the more remarkable is that Ros didn’t play in 2019, and we’re not sure she’s ever played in the Junior Championships previously. She wasn’t in either the 2018 or 2017 Junior Championships. To win a competition your first time out is difficult, but to do it in such a convincing fashion is astonishing.

Although Mahoney will likely be disappointed in not being in a singles final this year after being in three in the previous two competitions, winning U14 in 2018 and 2019 as well as being U16 runner up in 2019, she did win Girl's U18 Doubles with long time partner Julia Stein (Murrysville, PA). But it wasn’t easy, as they needed tie-breakers to pull off wins in both the final and semi-final. They defeated Estefania Perez (Manteca, CA) and Erin Slutzky (Chesterfield, MO) in the final, 15-13, 6-15, 11-9, and got to the final with a comeback victory over Ros and Shane Diaz (San Antonio), 11-15, 15-12, 11-5.

All in all, the 2021 USAR Junior Championships had some great matches and fun results. If you want to look back on some of the action, check out the USA Racquetball Livestream channel for the event, where over 40 matches are archived.

2021 USA Racquetball Junior Championships
July 14-18, 2021 - Des Moines, Iowa

Boy's U18 Singles - Final

Timmy Hansen (Wellington, FL) d. Julius Ellis (Stockton, CA), 15-2, 6-15, 11-3

3rd Place

Andrew Gleason (Johnston, IA) d. Kamahele Britos (Honolulu, HI), 15-3, 15-2

Semi-finals

Timmy Hansen (Wellington, FL) d. Kamahele Britos (Honolulu, HI), 15-4, 15-2
Julius Ellis (Stockton, CA) d. Andrew Gleason (Johnston, IA), 15-11, 15-14

Boy's U16 Singles - Final

Nikhil Prasad (Fremont, CA) d. Josh Shea (Cortlandt Manor, NY), 15-7, 8-15, 11-7

3rd Place

Vedant Chauhan (San Ramon, CA) d. Gatlin Sutherland (Great Falls, MT), 15-14, 15-3

Semi-finals

Nikhil Prasad (Fremont, CA) d. Gatlin Sutherland (Great Falls, MT), 15-14, 15-3
Josh Shea (Cortlandt Manor, NY) d. Vedant Chauhan (San Ramon, CA), 15-13, 15-12

Boy's U14 Singles - Final

Eshan Ali (Union City, CA) d. Joseph Marshall (Jackson, TN), 15-7, 15-4

3rd Place

Axel Lopez (Chicago) d. Alexander Pappas (Auburn, CA), 15-9, 15-2

Semi-finals

Joseph Marshall (Jackson, TN) d. Alexander Pappas (Auburn, CA), 15-4, 15-6
Eshan Ali (Union City, CA) d. Axel Lopez (Chicago), 15-7, 15-5

Girl's U18 Singles - Final

Annie Roberts (Gresham, OR) d. Erin Slutzky (Chesterfield, MO), 4-15, 15-8, 11-10

3rd Place

Shane Diaz (San Antonio, TX) d. Julia Stein (Murrysville, PA), 15-7, 15-3

Semi-finals

Annie Roberts (Gresham, OR) d. Julia Stein (Murrysville, PA), 15-7, 15-3
Erin Slutzky (Chesterfield, MO) d. Shane Diaz (San Antonio, TX), 15-8, 15-4

Girl's U16 Singles - Final

Naomi Ros (San Antonio) d. Ava Kaiser (Lake Elmo, MN), 15-5, 15-12

3rd Place

Heather Mahoney (Penngrove, CA) d. Kareena Mathew (Corvallis, OR), 15-12, 15-9

Semi-finals

Naomi Ros (San Antonio) d. Heather Mahoney (Penngrove, CA), 15-6, 15-3
Ava Kaiser (Lake Elmo, MN) d. Kareena Mathew (Corvallis, OR), 15-9, 15-8

Girl's U14 Singles - Final

Sonya Shetty (Fremont, CA) d. Andrea Perez-Picon (Manteca, CA), 15-10, 15-10

3rd Place

Aanshi Thakur (Tracy, CA) d. Jordan Ellis (Stockton, CA), 10-15, 15-13, 11-8

Semi-finals

Sonya Shetty (Fremont, CA) d. Jordan Ellis (Stockton, CA), 15-6, 15-7
Andrea Perez-Picon (Manteca, CA) d. Aanshi Thakur (Tracy, CA), 15-0, 15-3

Boy's U18 Doubles - Final

Vedant Chauhan (San Ramon, CA) & Josh Shea (Cortlandt Manor, NY) d. Andrew Gleason (Johnston, IA) & Timmy Hansen (Wellington, FL), 15-8, 4-15, 11-8

3rd Place

Iain Dunn (Simi Valley, CA) & Paul Saraceno (Simi Valley, CA) d. Kamahele Britos (Honolulu, HI) & Krish Thakur (Tracy, CA), 15-8, 6-15, 11-9

Semi-finals

Andrew Gleason (Johnston, IA) & Timmy Hansen (Wellington, FL) d. Iain Dunn (Simi Valley, CA) & Paul Saraceno (Simi Valley, CA), 15-8, 15-8
Vedant Chauhan (San Ramon, CA) & Josh Shea (Cortlandt Manor, NY) d. Kamahele Britos (Honolulu, HI) & Krish Thakur (Tracy, CA), 15-4, 15-5

Boy's U16 Doubles - Round Robin

1. Nikhil Prasad (Fremont, CA) & Gatlin Sutherland (Great Falls, MT)
2. Vedant Chauhan (San Ramon, CA) & Josh Shea (Cortlandt Manor, NY)
3. DJ Mendoza (San Antonio) & Paul Saraceno (Simi Valley, CA)
4. Benjamin Horner (Ankeny, IA) & Edwin Miller (St. Louis)
5. Cody Elkins (Los Angeles) & Omar Bawa (Rocklin, CA)

Boy's U14 Doubles - Standings (Round Robin)

1. Eshan Ali (Union City, CA) & Alexander Pappas (Auburn, CA)
2. Juan Herrera II (Freeport, IL) & Axel Lopez (Chicago)
3. Caleb Marshall (Jackson, TN) & Joseph Marshall (Jackson, TN)
4. Riley Edwards (Gresham, OR) & Joshua Tramm (New Brighton, MN)

Girl's U18 Doubles - Final

Heather Mahoney (Penngrove, CA) & Julia Stein (Murrysville, PA) d. Estefania Perez (Manteca, CA) & Erin Slutzky (Chesterfield, MO), 15-13, 6-15, 11-9

3rd Place

Shane Diaz (San Antonio) & Naomi Ros (San Antonio) d. Elena Mathew (Corvallis, OR) & Kareena Mathew (Corvallis, OR), 15-4, 15-9

Semi-finals

Estefania Perez (Manteca, CA) & Erin Slutzky (Chesterfield, MO) d. Elena Mathew (Corvallis, OR) & Kareena Mathew (Corvallis, OR), 15-4, 15-9
Heather Mahoney (Penngrove, CA) & Julia Stein (Murrysville, PA) d. Shane Diaz (San Antonio) & Naomi Ros (San Antonio), 11-15, 15-12, 11-5

Girl's U16 Doubles - Final

Ava Kaiser (Lake Elmo, MN) & Kareena Mathew (Corvallis, OR) d. Arya Cyril (Dublin, CA) & Esha Cyril (Dublin, CA), 15-4, 15-0

3rd Place

Brielle Fernando (Beaverton, OR) & Gabbie Roseman (Des Peres, MO) d. Kyla Davis (Wildwood, MO) & Riley Graven (Wildwood, MO), 15-0, 15-5

Semi-finals

Ava Kaiser (Lake Elmo, MN) & Kareena Mathew (Corvallis, OR) d. Kyla Davis (Wildwood, MO) & Riley Graven (Wildwood, MO), 15-1, 15-1
Arya Cyril (Dublin, CA) & Esha Cyril (Dublin, CA) d. Brielle Fernando (Beaverton, OR) & Gabbie Roseman (Des Peres, MO), 6-15, 15-0, 11-2

Girl's U14 Doubles - Standings (Round Robin)

1. Aarya Shetty (Fremont, CA) & Sonya Shetty (Fremont, CA)
2. Thea Mattfeldt (Glendale, AZ) & Montserrat Torres (Bellwood, IL)
3. Camila Canchola (Stockton, CA) & Jordan Ellis (Stockton, CA)

Follow the bouncing ball….

Carson & Rajsich win 2021 USA Racquetball Singles Championships

Rhonda Rajsich won Women’s Singles and Rocky Carson won Men’s Singles at the 2021 USA Racquetball (USAR) National Championships in Des Moines, Iowa Sunday. In the women’s final, Rajsich defeated Kelani Lawrence, 15-7, 15-14, to win her 12th USA Singles title, while Carson eked out a win over Alejandro Landa, 15-12, 15-13, for his 8th USA Singles title.

In comparing her 1st win to her 12th, Rajsich said they were similar in that the first was ”a big breakthrough” and this had a breakthrough type feeling after not playing last year because of the COVID pandemic. So, she was grateful to be there on a Sunday, and grateful that she’s earned another spot on Team USA, because it’s an “honor to represent the flag.”

Yet in both games of the women’s final, it seemed like it would go the other way, as Lawrence had big leads. She led 6-1 in game one, which caused Rajsich to call a timeout. Rajsich got a sideout when play resumed and then rolled off 12 unanswered points to lead 13-6, and was able to finish from there, winning game one 15-7.

Again in game two, Lawrence had the early lead at 8-3. But Rasjich came back to tie the game at 9-9. They were close after that with ties at 10-10 and 12-12. Then Lawrence went ahead with two winners that made it 14-12.

But Lawrence couldn’t finish it off. She had two chances to do so, but a great backhand kill shot return by Rajsich eliminated the first one, and a Rajisch forehand winner stopped the second. That opened the door, and Rajsich walked through it with two winners and an backhand error by Lawrence. The match ended on a classic three shot rally: a strong serve, led to a return that gave Rajsich an opportunity, which she took advantage of with a backhand down the line winner.

Lawrence described the match as “a serving game,” and that “Rhonda played amazing,” so “it just wasn’t my day.” Despite the loss, she’s excited to make Team USA, and play at the International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Championships later this year. She’s especially happy to do so, because that will give her an opportunity to qualify for the 2022 World Games in Birmingham, Alabama, as the World Games competition will only have singles play, not doubles, with the IRF Worlds serving as the qualifying event for the 2022 World Games.

In the men’s final, game one was close the entire way. They got to 12-12, and then Carson was able to execute just a little better down the stretch to win it 15-12, getting the last point with a backhand winner.

But Landa was undeterred, as he went out to 5-0 lead in game two, and maintained a lead up to 13-6. Then Carson changed his serve. He was using the hard Z serve to the left - Landa’s backhand - which is his “go to” serve, for much of the match, but in game two was searching for a better alternative. Carson found it when he began to hit lob kiss serves to Landa’s backhand.

He used that serve exclusively from 8-13, and won every rally. It may not be Carson’s favorite serve, but he recognized that it was the most effective one on the day.

Afterwards, Carson said it “feels great” to win his 8th title, although the “first is always great,” but whenever you’re winning it feels good.

However, he didn’t think his performance was always great. It was great at times, but also sloppy at times, according to Carson. But he’s excited to be representing the USA once again, as “it’s the ultimate privilege.”

Watching the action

If you missed any of the action from Des Moines, you can check out the USA Racquetball Facebook page for the National Team matches, and some of the junior play as well. Also, most of the junior matches that were streamed are available on the USA Racquetball Livestream channel, so check that out as well.

2021 USA Racquetball National Championships
Des Moines, Iowa
US National Team Divisions

Men's US Team Singles - Final - Sunday

1) Rocky Carson d. 2) Alejandro Landa, 15-12, 15-13

Women's US Team Singles - Final - Sunday

2) Rhonda Rajsich d. 4) Kelani Lawrence, 15-7, 15-14

Follow the bouncing ball....

Manilla & Rajsich, Carson & Pratt are USAR National Doubles Champions

Erika Manilla and Rhonda Rajsich are the 2021 USA Racquetball (USAR) Women’s Doubles National Champions having won the title on Saturday at the USAR National Championships in Des Moines, Iowa, where they defeated Michelle De La Rosa and Sheryl Lotts in the final, 15-8, 15-14. Rajsich said the win felt “amazing, absolutely amazing,” adding she “felt like myself” for the first time in a few years.

”My partner’s a beast!” said Manilla when asked about what it was like to play with the veteran Rajsich. They are good friends off the court, so Manilla said it was easy to play together. Manilla also seemed emotional late in the match, and said “I call it passion” when asked about it.

After dominating in game one, Manilla and Rajsich continued to do so in game two, taking a 7-0 lead. But De La Rosa and Lotts worked their way back into the game to trail by just two at 7-5.

However, Manilla and Rajsich got the next seven points to lead 14-5, and it looked like an easy two game match. But De La Rosa and Lotts got the serve back at that point after Manilla was forced into skipping a shot. They got three points, but then surrendered the serve after De La Rosa tried a behind the back shot that failed.

Still, Manilla and Rajsich couldn’t get the last point, as Lotts hit a winning return and then Rajsich skipped a backhand shot. That led to five points for De La Rosa and Lotts, who got within one at 14-13, causing Manilla and Rajsich to call a timeout.

When play resumed, Rajsich hit a backhand return winner but then skipped a shot that put her opponents on game point at 14-14. The next rally ended when Manilla hit a forehand cross court that Lotts tried to let go past her, so she could play it off the back wall, but unfortunately the ball hit Lotts, resulting in a side out.

She and De La Rosa called a timeout to regroup, as they were going to face their 5th match point. When play resumed, Manilla started the rally with a lob serve down the right side to Lotts, who hit it wide angle cross court. A good strategy but the ball was high, so it gave Rajsich an opportunity off the back wall, and from the center of the court, she hit it to the right side, where it cracked out for the match winning point.

Manilla and Rajsich dedicated their win to Aimee Roehler Ruiz, who wasn’t in Iowa as she has been dealing with breast cancer having been diagnosed in the spring. Both Manilla and Rajsich have played doubles with Roehler Ruiz in the past.

The win is Manilla's second USA Women's Doubles title, as she won in 2019 with Roeler Ruiz. But the pandemic meant there weren't international events following that win, so she'll be on Team USA for the first time when she goes to Worlds this year. For Rajsich, the win means she double qualified, as she won her semi-final match in Women’s Singles earlier in the day. More on that below.

Men’s Doubles

Rocky Carson and Charlie Pratt won Men’s Doubles, as they defeated the brother team of Jake and Sam Bredenbeck, 12-15, 15-4, 11-8. After winning game two to force a tie-breaker, Carson and Pratt went up 10-0 in the breaker and looked like they would cruise to the win. The Bredenbecks had other ideas.

”They never gave up,” Pratt said afterwards, as the Bredenbecks went from 10-0 down to 10-8, fighting off three matches points in the process. There were some crazy great rallies towards the end, including one that ended when Jake Bredenbeck hit a behind the back winner that made it 10-8. It was a “oh, no you DIDN'T!” kind of moment.

Unfortunately, that was the last point they’d score, as Jake Bredenbeck skipped a shot on the next rally, which gave the serve back to Carson and Pratt. On the next rally, Carson ended it with a backhand reverse pinch, sealing the victory for his side.

”It comes and goes,” Pratt said after the match, when asked about playing with confidence. But he added that when it’s there, “you want to hit every ball.” Carson thought the match hinged on “execution,” which he and Pratt were able to do “when we needed to at the end.” Carson also lauded the Bredenbecks saying “they’re class acts on the court” and “fun to play,” adding that he’d be happy to play against them every day of his life.

Finally, Pratt credited their coach, Fran Davis, for her help, saying they “100% would not have won without Fran.” He added that they were thinking of Sudsy Monchik, who wasn’t able to compete this week as he tested positive for COVID 19.

Women’s Singles

In Women’s Singles, it’ll be veteran 2nd seed Rhonda Rajsich versus 4th seed Kelani Lawrence in the final Sunday, as the veteran was able to upset 3rd seed Hollie Scott, 10-15, 15-6, 11-5, in one semi-final with Lawrence upsetting top seed Erika Manilla, 15-13, 15-6, in the other.

Afterwards, Rajsich described herself “like the cockroach that won’t go away” before praising her fellow semi-finalists who are all about 20 years younger than her. She feels Team USA will be in good hands moving forward with Lawrence, Manilla and Scott on the scene. But for now Rajsich's win qualifies her for Team USA for the 27th time, tying Cheryl Gudinas for the most times on Team USA.

Asked whether she felt confident during her match, Rajsich said “yeah, I did,” and explained that confidence came from “trusting myself,” saying I “started my swing and finished my swing” without thinking about it, as she tried to “get my brain out of the way” and let her body do it.

In the other women’s semi, Lawrence led throughout game one, but they were tied a few times, at 6-6, 9-9, 10-10 and 12-12. Then Manilla went ahead 13-12, and it seemed like the game would slip through Lawrence’s fingers. But Lawrence got the serve back and scored three unanswered points to take game one, 15-13.

Lawrence played good defence in game one, but her offensive skills came to the fore in game two, as she stormed out to a 9-1 lead and never looked back. Credit Manilla for not giving up, but the closest she got was six points at 9-3 and 13-7. But it’s a tall task to come back when your opponent is two points from the win, and Manilla wasn’t able to complete that task against Lawrence today.

Men’s Singles

In Men’s Singles, #1 will play #2 in the final, as top seed Rocky Carson defeated 5th seed Charlie Pratt, 15-13, 15-9, in one semi-final and 2nd seed Alejandro Landa beat 3rd seed Jake Bredenbeck, 15-3, 15-11, in the other.

In both matches, the player who lost game one got off to a big lead in game two, yet neither match went to a tie-breaker. Pratt was up 8-2 on Carson in their match only to see Carson get 13 of the next 14 points, and Bredenbeck was up 7-0 and 11-6, but couldn’t score another point after that, as Landa got the 9 unanswered points to win.

Asked afterwards about playing aggressively, Carson answered “you have to play aggressive,” because if you don’t you aren’t going to be very successful. Also, he felt the difference in the match “came down to execution” with Pratt executing well early in the games with Carson executing better later in the games.

The finals

The National Team finals can be viewed via USA Racquetball Facebook page on Sunday at 11 AM for the Women’s Singles final and noon for the Men’s Singles final.

2021 USA Racquetball National Championships
Des Moines, Iowa
US National Team Divisions

Men's US Team Singles - Semi-finals - Saturday

1) Rocky Carson d. 5) Charlie Pratt, 15-13, 15-9
2) Alejandro Landa d. 3) Jake Bredenbeck, 15-3, 15-11

Men's US Team Singles - Final - Sunday

1) Rocky Carson v. 2) Alejandro Landa - Noon

Men's US Team Doubles - Final - Saturday

1) Rocky Carson & Charlie Pratt d. 2) Jake Bredenbeck & Sam Bredenbeck, 12-15, 15-6, 11-8

Women's US Team Singles - Semi-finals - Saturday

4) Kelani Lawrence d. 1) Erika Manilla, 15-13, 15-6
2) Rhonda Rajsich d. 3) Hollie Scott, 10-15, 15-6, 11-5

Women's US Team Singles - Final - Sunday

2) Rhonda Rajsich v. 4) Kelani Lawrence - 11 AM

Women's US Team Doubles - Final - Saturday

1) Erika Manilla & Rhonda Rajsich d. 3) Michelle De La Rosa & Sheryl Lotts, 15-8, 15-14

Follow the bouncing ball....

Some Friday surprises at 2021 USA Racquetball National Championships

On day two of the National Team competition at the 2021 USA Racquetball (USAR) National Championships in Des Moines, Iowa, there were a couple of notable upsets: one in men’s play and one in women’s play. In Men’s Singles, 5th seed Charlie Pratt defeated 4th seed Thomas Carter, 15-11, 15-9, in the quarterfinals, and will play his doubles partner Rocky Carson, who’s the top seed, in the semi-finals on Saturday. Carson beat Blake Hansen, 15-0, 15-1, on Friday.

On the other side of the Men’s Singles draw, 2nd seed Alejandro Landa beat 7th seed Sam Bredenbeck, 15-1, 15-5, in the quarters, and will face Sam’s brother Jake Bredenbeck in the semis Saturday, after Jake, the 3rd seed, outlasted 6th seed Maurice Miller, 15-2, 10-15, 11-6, in the quarters Friday.

The upset in women’s play came when 3rd seeds Michelle De La Rosa and Sheryl Lotts held on to defeat 2nd seeds Kelani Lawrence and Hollie Scott, 15-14, 12-15, 11-9, in the semi-finals of Women’s Doubles. The win puts them into the final against top seeds Erika Manilla and Rhonda Rajsich, who won their semi-final match against Linda Tyler and Lexi York in straight games, 15-6, 15-8.

Lawrence and Scott are likely thinking “what if?” after their semi, as they were up 14-11 in game one, only to see it slip away when De La Rosa hit a forehand winner down the left side on their first game point opportunity. The second game had a similar plot, as Lawrence and Scott were up 12-7 only to see De La Rosa and Lotts come back and tie it at 12-12. But this time Lawrence and Scott were able to finish the game and force a tie-breaker.

In the breaker, they were tied at 2-2, 4-4, 8-8 and 9-9. Indeed, the breaker was another “what if?” situation for Lawrence and Scott, as they got a late lead at 9-8. But they couldn’t close it out. The last point came when Lotts hit a drive Z serve to Scott on the left, and she put a backhand return into the floor. It was Lotts and De La Rosa’s first match point opportunity and they took advantage of it, which was the main difference as Lawrence and Scott left more opportunities on the table than their opponents, so they lost.

The Women’s Doubles final happens Saturday afternoon after the Women’s Singles semi-finals, which Manilla and Rajsich are playing in, but De La Rosa and Lotts are not, as they chose not to play singles in Des Moines. Will that choice be to their advantage?

It may if the semi-finals are close, and we expect them to be. Manilla is seeded 1st in Women’s Singles and plays Lawrence in one semi-final (scheduled for 10 AM) with the veteran Rajsich in the other semi against Scott at noon. Given Rajsich's age - 42, you would think she would need more recovery between a singles semi and the doubles final than her younger partner, Manilla who's in her early 20s, but she'll have less of it. That makes it more likely that De La Rosa and Lotts will have an advantage in terms of readiness based on amount of court time.

The situation on the men’s side is also curious, as doubles partners Carson and Pratt play each other in one semi. Carson is the more accomplished player, but at 42 is also older than Pratt, who’s 34. So, you’d think that if Pratt is going to beat Carson, he’ll need to work extra hard, which in turn would mean that Carson will have to work harder than he might otherwise. Will they want to do that?

Their semi is scheduled second on Saturday (at 1 PM), so their choice may hinge on what happens in the first semi scheduled for 11 AM between Landa and Jake Bredenbeck. Bredenbeck and his brother Sam will be in the doubles final against Carson and Pratt at 3 PM. Landa is the favoured player in the first semi, so if Bredenbeck is going to pull an upset, he’ll need to work hard to do it. And Bredenbeck is a power player, so he’s generally putting out a lot of effort in his matches.

If the Landa-Bredenbeck match is a long one - meaning Bredenbeck will have expended a lot of energy regardless of the outcome, then Carson and Pratt may feel that they have an advantage in the doubles final regardless of what happens in their singles semi. If the Landa-Bredenbeck match is not close, then Carson and Pratt may be concerned about how much effort to put into their semi-final.

The factor that may make things moot regarding concerns about how the Carson-Pratt match is going to be played is that a spot on the National Team rides on the outcome. The winner will qualify to play Men’s Singles on Team USA at the International Racquetball World Championships. They’ll both have a chance to qualify in Men’s Doubles as well, as they are in the final together, but there’s no guarantee that they’ll win that. Winning the singles semi-final isn’t something to be passed up.

Junior play

We’ll do a run down of what happened in the junior divisions after all the matches have been played. But let’s highlight some of the good matches that have happened so far. In the semi-finals of Girl’s U18 Doubles, Heather Mahoney and Julia Stein versus Shane Diaz and Naomi Ros was a very competitive match that went to a tie-breaker. Diaz and Ros took game one and were ahead late in game two, but Mahoney and Stein came back to win game two and then carried that momentum over into the breaker, which they also won, making the final 11-15, 15-12, 11-5.

On the boy’s side, the semi-final match between Josh Shea and Vedant Chauhan in Boy’s U16 Singles was very competitive with Shea coming out on top of two close games, 15-13, 15-12. This is especially remarkable, because Shea and Chauhan are doubles partners, and they are competing in both Boy’s U16 and U18 Doubles. They are in the U18 final, and won their first two matches in a five team round robin in U16. So, they have a chance to win both U16 and U18 Boy’s Doubles, which would be remarkable.

Watch the action?

So, USAR has streamed junior matches from Des Moines via their USA Racquetball Livestream channel, but none of the National Team matches, even though the set up is very good. National Team matches are on the USA Racquetball Facebook page, which is more awkward in terms of looking back at the matches.

We hope that the six National Team matches on Saturday (4 singles semis and 2 doubles finals) will be shown on the Livestream channel, but we’re doubtful whether that's going to happen. Maybe it’s just that we’re not big fans of using Facebook so much, as doing so is creating more content for FB rather than for easy use by fans or by the organization.

USA Racquetball has a YouTube channel, and putting matches on there could generate some revenue for USAR via online ads. Also, YouTube channels - like Livestream channels - are easy to search, and YouTube content shows up more easily in general web searches.

2021 USA Racquetball National Championships
Des Moines, Iowa
US National Team Divisions

Men's US Team Singles - Quarterfinals - Friday

1) Rocky Carson d. 8) Blake Hansen, 15-0, 15-1
5) Charlie Pratt d. 4) Thomas Carter, 15-11, 15-9

3) Jake Bredenbeck d. 6) Maurice Miller, 15-2, 10-15, 11-6
2) Alejandro Landa d. 7) Sam Bredenbeck, 15-1, 15-5

Men's US Team Singles - Semi-finals - Saturday

1) Rocky Carson v. 5) Charlie Pratt - 1 PM
2) Alejandro Landa v. 3) Jake Bredenbeck - 11 AM

Men's US Team Singles - Semi-finals - Friday

1) Rocky Carson & Charlie Pratt d. 4) John Goth & Blake Hansen, 15-5, 15-7
2) Jake Bredenbeck & Sam Bredenbeck d. 3) Maurice Miller & Troy Warigon, 15-6, 7-15, 11-8

Men's US Team Singles - Final - Saturday

1) Rocky Carson & Charlie Pratt v. 2) Jake Bredenbeck & Sam Bredenbeck - 3 PM

Women's US Team Singles - Quarterfinals - Friday

1) Erika Manilla d. 8) Annie Roberts, 15-7, 15-2
4) Kelani Lawrence d. 5) Linda Tyler, forfeit

3) Hollie Scott d. 6) Lexi York, 15-1, 15-7
2) Rhonda Rajsich v. 7) Graci Wargo, 15-5, 15-1

Women's US Team Singles - Semi-finals - Saturday

1) Erika Manilla v. 4) Kelani Lawrence - 10 AM

2) Rhonda Rajsich v. 3) Hollie Scott - Noon

Women's US Team Doubles - Semi-finals - Friday

1) Erika Manilla & Rhonda Rajsich d. 4) Linda Tyler & Lexi York, 15-6, 15-8
3) Michelle De La Rosa & Sheryl Lotts d. 2) Hollie Scott & Kelani Lawrence, 15-14, 12-15, 11-9

Women's US Team Doubles - Final - Saturday

1) Erika Manilla & Rhonda Rajsich v. 3) Michelle De La Rosa & Sheryl Lotts - 2 PM

Follow the bouncing ball....

Thursday results from 2021 USA Racquetball National Championships

No surprises on the first day of National Team competition at the 2021 USA Racquetball (USAR) National Championships in Des Moines, Iowa, as all the higher seeded players won their matches.

In Men’s Singles, 5th seed Charlie Pratt defeated 12th seed John Goth, 15-8, 15-8, and will face 4th seed Thomas Carter in the quarterfinals on Friday. Top seed Rocky Carson will play 8th seed Blake Hansen in the quarters, as Hansen beat 9th seed Carson Marshall, 15-2, 15-4, Thursday.

Second seed Alejandro Landa faces 7th seed Sam Bredenbeck in the quarters, as Bredenbeck beat 10th seed Charles Rankin, 15-2, 15-1, on Thursday. Sam’s brother, Jake, is the 3rd seed, and will play 6th seed Maurice Miller Friday after Miller defeated 11th seed Alex Zamudio, 15-3, 15-3.

There was really only one match Thursday on the women’s side, when Annie Roberts, the 8th seed, defeated 9th seed Jessica Chen, 15-13, 15-5, to set up a showdown with top seed Erika Manilla in Friday’s quarterfinals.

The other women’s match that was scheduled for Thursday between 7th seed Graci Wargo and 10th seed Stephanie Synhorst was a walkover win for Wargo, as Synhorst defaulted. Wargo will play 2nd seed Rhonda Rajsich in the quarters on Friday.

Watch the action

USAR will be streaming matches from Des Moines via their USA Racquetball Livestream channel. So check that out! The Junior Championships are also going on in Des Moines.

2021 USA Racquetball National Championships
Des Moines, Iowa
US National Team Divisions

Men's US Team Singles - Round of 16 - Thursday

1) Rocky Carson - BYE
8) Blake Hansen d. 9) Carson Marshall, 15-2, 15-4

5) Charlie Pratt d. 12) John Goth, 15-8, 15-8
4) Thomas Carter - BYE

3) Jake Bredenbeck - BYE
6) Maurice Miller d. 11) Alex Zamudio, 15-3, 15-3

7) Sam Bredenbeck d. 10) Charles Rankin, 15-2, 15-1
2) Alejandro Landa - BYE

Men's US Team Singles - Quarterfinals - Friday

1) Rocky Carson v. 8) Blake Hansen - 1 PM
4) Thomas Carter v. 5) Charlie Pratt - 11 AM

3) Jake Bredenbeck v. 6) Maurice Miller - 3 PM
2) Alejandro Landa v. 7) Sam Bredenbeck - 2 PM

Men's US Team Singles - Semi-finals - Friday

1) Rocky Carson & Charlie Pratt v. 4) John Goth & Blake Hansen - 7 PM
2) Jake Bredenbeck & Sam Bredenbeck v. 3) Maurice Miller & Troy Warigon - 5 PM

Women's US Team Singles - Round of 16 - Thursday

1) Erika Manilla - BYE
8) Annie Roberts d. 9) Jessica Chen - 15-13, 15-5

5) Linda Tyler - BYE
4) Kelani Bailey Lawrence - BYE

3) Hollie Scott - BYE
6) Lexi York - BYE
7) Graci Wargo d. 10) Stephanie Synhorst - forfeit
2) Rhonda Rajsich - BYE

Women's US Team Singles - Quarterfinals - Friday

1) Erika Manilla v. 8) Annie Roberts - Noon
4) Kelani Bailey Lawrence v. 5) Linda Tyler - 10 AM

3) Hollie Scott v. 6) Lexi York - 4 PM
2) Rhonda Rajsich v. 7) Graci Wargo - 2 PM

Women's US Team Doubles - Quarterfinals - Thursday

1) Erika Manilla & Rhonda Rajsich - BYE
4) Linda Tyler & Lexi York d. 5) Jessica Chen & Graci Wargo, 15-13, 15-3

3) Michelle De La Rosa & Sheryl Lotts - BYE
2) Hollie Scott & Kelani Lawrence - BYE

Women's US Team Doubles - Semi-finals - Friday

1) Erika Manilla & Rhonda Rajsich v. 4) Linda Tyler & Lexi York - 6 PM
2) Hollie Scott & Kelani Lawrence v. 3) Michelle De La Rosa & Sheryl Lotts - 1 PM

Follow the bouncing ball....

2021 USA Racquetball National Championship Draws

The USA Racquetball (USAR) National Championships are underway in Des Moines, Iowa beginning on Wednesday, July 14 and running through Sunday July 18. The junior competition began on Wednesday, and the National Team Divisions will begin on Thursday with a few early round matches with the top seeds in action on Friday.

The big news is that the 2020 champions in Men’s Doubles are now not in the draw. Alejandro Landa and Sudsy Monchik won last year, and they were entered as of the weekend, but now Monchik is not there. Landa is competing in Men’s Singles, hoping to make Team USA for the first time since he changed allegiance from Mexico.

Monchik’s absence makes Rocky Carson and Charlie Pratt the top seeds in Men’s Doubles, so that increases the odds that Carson will make Team USA from what we’d thought earlier. He’s also the top seed in Men’s Singles with Landa as the 2nd seed.

On the women’s side, Erika Manilla is the top seed in Women’s Singles with Rhonda Rajsich as the 2nd seed. Manilla and Rajsich are the top seeds in Women’s Doubles with Hollie Scott and Kelani Lawrence 2nd seeds. Rajsich, like Carson, is trying to keep her Team USA streak going.

Junior play

We’ll talk more about the juniors as they get further in the competition, but one thing to note is the size of the draws. They’re a little down from a normal year, which isn’t surprising. But the largest draw is Boy’s U18 (with 17 players), and usually it’s Boy’s U16 (which has 14 players this year). There are seven players in Boy’s U14.

The turnout for girls has double digits in both U18 (10 players) and U16 (14 players) with seven players in Girl’s U14.

Watch the action

USAR will be streaming matches from Des Moines via their USA Racquetball Livestream channel. So check that out! The Junior Championships are underway in Des Moines also.

2021 USA Racquetball National Championships
Des Moines, Iowa
US National Team Divisions

Men's US Team Singles - Round of 16 - Thursday

1) Rocky Carson - BYE
8) Blake Hansen v. 9) Carson Marshall - 5 PM

5) Charlie Pratt v. 12) John Goth - 3 PM
4) Thomas Carter - BYE

3) Jake Bredenbeck - BYE
6) Maurice Miller v. 11) Alex Zamudio

7) Sam Bredenbeck v. 10) Charles Rankin
2) Alejandro Landa - BYE

Men's US Team Singles - Semi-finals - Friday

1) Rocky Carson & Charlie Pratt v. 4) John Goth & Blake Hansen - 7 PM
2) Jake Bredenbeck & Sam Bredenbeck v. 3) Maurice Miller & Troy Warigon - 5 PM

Women's US Team Singles - Round of 16 - Thursday

1) Erika Manilla - BYE
8) Annie Roberts v. 9) Jessica Chen - 11 AM

5) Linda Tyler - BYE
4) Kelani Bailey Lawrence - BYE

3) Hollie Scott - BYE
6) Lexi York - BYE
7) Graci Wargo d. 10) Stephanie Synhorst - forfeit
2) Rhonda Rajsich - BYE

Women's US Team Doubles - Quarterfinals - Thursday

1) Erika Manilla & Rhonda Rajsich - BYE
4) Linda Tyler & Lexi York v. 5) Jessica Chen & Graci Wargo - 5 PM

3) Michelle De La Rosa & Sheryl Lotts - BYE
2) Hollie Scott & Kelani Lawrence - BYE

Follow the bouncing ball....

Preview of 2021 USA Racquetball Championships

This week will see the first USA Racquetball (USAR) National Championships since February 2020, because, well, you know. USAR is putting on both the singles and doubles championships as well as their junior championships in Des Moines, Iowa beginning on Wednesday, July 14 and running through Sunday July 18.

The 2020 USA National Doubles Championships were the only USAR Championship held last year, as that went off in February prior to the COVID pandemic shutting down most sporting activities beginning in March. The 2020 National Doubles Champions were Erika Manilla and Aimee Roehler Ruiz on the women’s side and Alejandro Landa and Sudsy Monchik on the men’s side.

Landa and Monchik will be in Des Moines, as will Manilla, but not Roehler Ruiz, who announced in April that she’s been diagnosed with breast cancer. She had hoped to be ready to compete, but it seems that she’s not there yet. That’s led to Manilla teaming up with Rhonda Rajsich for doubles.

The team of Rocky Carson and Charlie Pratt could be Landa and Monchik’s greatest opponent. The two teams faced off in 2020 with Landa and Monchik eking out a win via an 11-9 tie-breaker. The other men’s team to watch will be brothers Jake and Sam Bredenbeck. Jake Bredenbeck and Jose Diaz were runners up to Landa and Monchik last year, and - like Carson and Pratt - lost an 11-9 breaker.

On the women’s side, Manilla and Rajsich will be most challenged for the title by the teams of Hollie Scott and Kelani Lawrence, and Michelle De La Rosa and Sheryl Lotts. De La Rosa and Lotts are only playing doubles, so they are throwing their chance to get a spot on Team USA for the 2021 International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Championships on doubles alone.

In men’s singles, we can only imagine that the USAR rankings will be used to seed players, as the common USAR practice of seeding last year’s champions and runners-up 1st and 2nd doesn’t really apply, because there wasn’t an event last year. Going back to 2019 seems too long ago, but they might do that.

If they use rankings, then Carson should be the #1 seed, but if they go by 2019 results, then he’d probably be #3, as he didn’t compete in National Singles in 2019 since he’d already won doubles with Pratt. Jake Bredenback was the 2019 National Singles champion, beating David Horn in the final.

Horn won’t be in Iowa, but Pratt, who was 3rd in 2019, will be. So, if they use 2019 results, maybe Jake Bredenbeck will be 1st seed, Pratt 2nd and Carson 3rd with Landa 4th? Using current rankings would put Carson #1, Landa #2, Bredenbeck #3 and Thomas Carter #4 with Pratt #5. Regardless of exact seeding, those are the most likely contenders to be the 2021 USAR Men’s Singles Champion.

There’s similar uncertainty on the women’s side, as the 2019 winner was Lawrence with Scott runner up. But in the current rankings, Manilla is highest with Rajsich 2nd, Scott 3rd and Lawrence 4th. Those are the four most likely candidates to be 2021 USAR Women’s Singles Champion with Linda Tyler and Lexi York having outside chances for the title, but perhaps more importantly Tyler and York could be more likely to cause an upset early depending on who they face based on how the seedings are determined.

Will streaks end?

Rocky Carson and Rhonda Rajsich have represented the USA at every Worlds since 2000 and 2002, respectively. Will those streaks come to an end this year? Both are former World Champions in singles: Carson five times and Rajsich twice. But both are now 42 (though Rajsich will turn 43 later this year), and as they say, Father Time is undefeated. Will this be the year Time defeats them?

There are likely three opponents in singles for both Carson and Rajsich who could keep them off the team, and they will probably only play two of them at most, so it may not be likely for them to miss out on Worlds, but it’s certainly a possibility.

In doubles, Carson is playing with Charlie Pratt, and they will likely play the Bredenbeck brothers, Jake and Sam, in the semis. They’ll be favoured in that match, but they Bredenbecks are no slouches, so it will be a test. If they pass that, defending champions Landa and Monchik likely await them in the final. The champs would be favoured, but were narrow winners last year, so Carson has a decent chance to keep his Worlds streak alive by winning doubles with Pratt.

Rajisch and Manilla played together at last month’s Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour event in Kansas, although not successfully, as they lost their first round match to Cristina Amaya and Adriana Riveros. De La Rosa and Lotts also played in Kansas with a similar fate, but Scott and Lawrence won their first match before losing to top seeds Paola Longoria and Samantha Salas. If Rajsich is going to qualify for Worlds in doubles, she and Manilla will need to beat at least one of those teams, and maybe both. That could be a tall task, though not impossible.

If they do qualify for Team USA, Carson will be wearing “USA” on his back for the 19th time and Rajsich for the 27th time, which would put Rajsich into a tie with Cheryl Gudinas for most appearances on Team USA.

Shouldn’t there be more players?

One aspect of these championships that may be surprising is that the fields are not large, and several players are missing. Some absences may be due to the pandemic with players not feeling like they have had adequate time to prepare depending on court availability in their area.

Still several young players on the men’s side from 2019, when the Singles Championship was last held, won’t be in Iowa, including 2019 finalist David Horn, and semi-finalist Adam Manilla, as well as Robert Collins, Dylan Reid, Jose Diaz and Nicholas Riffel. What up, boys?

The Wimbledon tennis championship concluded Sunday, and commentators were bemoaning the lack of US men of enough quality to be contenders to win a tennis Grand Slam event, like Wimbledon. Similar things seem to be happening in US men’s racquetball, which does not bode well for the USA at international competitions. Reminder that the 2018 IRF World Championships was just the 2nd Worlds that did not have USA winning gold in men’s singles or doubles (1st was in 2000).

We’ve noted the small size of the women’s field at US Nationals for several years (e.g., in 2014), and it bears repeating. However, this year is a bit different from even five or six years ago, as in this year’s women’s field the ages of the players is lower. In 2014, two of the eight players in the doubles draw were under 30, but this year six of the 10 players in singles are under 30 (we are uncertain of some players’ ages, so it may be more than six). That is moving in correct direction for developing new Team USA players.

Watch the action

USAR will be streaming matches from Des Moines via their USA Racquetball Facebook page. So check that out beginning Wednesday.

2021 USA Racquetball National Championships
Des Moines, Iowa
US National Team Divisions

Men's US Team Singles - Field*

1) Rocky Carson
2) Alejandro Landa
3) Jake Bredenbeck
4) Thomas Carter
5) Charlie Pratt
6) Maurice Miller
7) Sam Bredenbeck
8) John Goth
9) Blake Hansen
x) Charles Rankin
x) Alex Zamudio
x) Carson Marshall

Men's US Team Singles - Field*

1) Alejandro Landa & Sudsy Monchik
2) Rocky Carson & Charlie Pratt
3) Jake Bredenbeck & Sam Bredenbeck
4) Maurice Miller & Troy Warigon
5) John Goth & Blake Hansen

Women's US Team Singles - Field*

1) Erika Manilla
2) Rhonda Rajsich
3) Hollie Scott
4) Kelani Bailey Lawrence
5) Linda Tyler
6) Lexi York
7) Graci Wargo
8) Annie Roberts
9) Jessica Chen
10) Stephanie Synhorst

Women's US Team Doubles - Field*

1) Erika Manilla & Rhonda Rajsich
2) Hollie Scott & Kelani Lawrence
3) Michelle De La Rosa & Sheryl Lotts
4) Linda Tyler & Lexi York
5) Jessica Chen & Graci Wargo

* - Note: seedings in the singles fields are based on USAR rankings. The doubles rankings are an estimate. Thus, they are all unofficial, as the brackets have not been released yet.

Follow the bouncing ball....