Angelica Barrios and Jenny Daza won the first match in the Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) doubles draw at the 2021 UnitedHealthcare US Open in Minneapolis, Minnesota, as they defeated Ana Laura Flores and Micaela Meneses, 15-6, 15-11, in the first round of qualifying. Barrios and Daza will play Jessica Parrilla and Montserrat Perez Wednesday afternoon for as spot in Thursday's quarterfinals against 2nd seeds Alexandra Herrera and Montserrat Mejia, who are the defending US Open LPRT Doubles Champions.
Also, Kelani Lawrence and Hollie Scott played very well in defeating Brenda Laime and Camila Rivero, 15-3, 15-5, and claim the Q4 spot in the draw, which puts them against top seeds Paola Longoria and Samantha Salas in the quarters on Thursday night.
The new team of Veronica Sotomayor and Maria Jose Vargas were successful in their first match, as they beat the US team of Michelle De La Rosa and Sheryl Lotts, 15-13, 15-13. Game one was close the entire way, with a tie at 13-13 before a couple of Sotomayor winners closed it out.
Game two began with six points from Sotomayor and Vargas, but the American team responded with six of their own to tie it 6-6. No big leads after that, and they tied again at 12-12.
De La Rosa and Lotts went from 9-12 down to 13-12 up on Vargas skipping serve returns. Two jam serves by Lotts that came over to Vargas on the right side started it, but she two more after that. Then Sotomayor and Vargas called a time out.
On the next serve, Lotts hit it to Vargas's side, but it came off the back wall and into the middle where Sotomayor hit a winning return. Problem solved. They got the serve back when Lotts skipped a shot, where perhaps there could have been a hinder as the players were bunched together in the middle of the court. The referee didn't think so though, so Sotomayor and Vargas got the serve back down one at 13-12.
Vargas tied it at 13-13 with a great forehand pinch shot. Lotts was then forced into skipping a ball that Sotomayor hit cross court, which made it 14-13. The end came on the next rally as the ball came over to the right side. It looked like De La Rosa was intent on taking it, but she backed off. The ball did come off the back wall, so Lotts a decent chance to hit a good shot. But instead she put the ball into the floor, which ended the game at 15-13, and the match in two straight games.
The crazy thing is that Sotomayor and Vargas had to play another match to reach the quarters. They faced Cristina Amaya and Adriana Riveros, the top seeds in qualifying, Wednesday night for a chance to face the Guatemalans Gabriela Martinez and Maria Renee Rodriguez in the quarters. Again, Sotomayor and Vargas were victorious, as they defeated Cristina Amaya and Adriana Riveros, 15-10, 15-13.
And from We Had That Dept, Angelica Barrios and Jenny Daza won their two matches to reach the quarterfinals, where they'll face 2nd seeds - and defending champions - Alexandra Herrera and Montserrat Mejia. In their second round qualifying match, they had to hold off a tenacious team in Jessica Parrilla and Montserrat Perez, winning in a tie-breaker, 15-12, 12-15, 11-7.
Lastly, Erika Manilla and Rhonda Rajsich - the recently appointed USA team for Women's Doubles at the 2021 International Racquetball Federation (IRF) came back from a game down to narrowly beat Nancy Enriquez and Carla Muñoz, 14-15, 15-12, 11-5.
2021 UnitedHealthcare US Open Racquetball Championships
October 6-10, 2021 - Minneapolis, Minnesota
LPRT Doubles - Qualifying Round 1 - Wednesday
Cristina Amaya & Adriana Riveros - BYE
Veronica Sotomayor & Maria Jose Vargas d. Michelle De La Rosa & Sheryl Lotts, 15-13, 15-13
Brenda Laime & Camila Rivero - BYE
Kelani Lawrence & Hollie Scott - BYE
Jessica Parrilla & Montserrat Perez - BYE
Angelica Barrios & Jenny Daza d. Ana Laura Flores & Micaela Meneses, 15-6, 15-11
Erika Manilla & Rhonda Rajsich d. Shane Diaz & Naomi Ros, 15-7, 15-3
Nancy Enriquez & Carla Muñoz - BYE
LPRT Doubles - Qualifying Round 2 - Wednesday
Q1 - Veronica Sotomayor & Maria Jose Vargas d. Cristina Amaya & Adriana Riveros, 15-10, 15-13
Q4 - Kelani Lawrence & Hollie Scott d. Brenda Laime & Camila Rivero, 15-3, 15-5
Q3 - Angelica Barrios & Jenny Daza d. Jessica Parrilla & Montserrat Perez, 15-12, 12-15, 11-7
Q2 - Erika Manilla & Rhonda Rajsich d. Nancy Enriquez & Carla Muñoz, 14-15, 15-12, 11-5
LPRT Doubles - Quarterfinals - Thursday
1) Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas v. Kelani Lawrence & Hollie Scott - 9 PM
4) Gabriela Martinez & Maria Renee Rodriguez v. Veronica Sotomayor & Maria Jose Vargas - 7:50 PM
3) Valeria Centellas & Natalia Mendez v. Erika Manilla & Rhonda Rajsich - 7:50 PM
2) Alexandra Herrera & Montserrat Mejia v. Angelica Barrios & Jenny Daza - 9 PM
Follow the bouncing ball…..
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