The 2021 UnitedHealthcare US Open begins Wednesday in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and we have the Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) draws for you below. There are 44 players in the LPRT singles division, including the top 20 players, and 15 teams in the LPRT doubles division, which is up from 13 teams in 2019, when the US Open was last held.
Paola Longoria, the #1 LPRT player and the 9 time defending US Open champion, is clearly the player to beat, and it would be long odds for anyone else to win. However, the US Open is the first LPRT event after two wins by players not named Longoria since March/April 2018, when Maria Jose Vargas and Samantha Salas won back to back. Before that you have to go back to December 2010 for a time when there were back to back wins by players other than Longoria. That’s how dominant she’s been, and why you shouldn’t bet against her.
The two most recent LPRT winners are Gabriela Martinez - seeded 4th - and Montserrat Mejia - the 5th seed. Martinez won in Colorado in August, when Longoria wasn’t there, while Mejia won in Kansas in June, when she beat Longoria in the final. That’s the second time Mejia has beaten Longoria, as she did so a couple of years back in the Mexican National Championships. Also, Martinez - from Guatemala - defeated Longoria in the Women’s Singles final of the 2018 International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Championships, so they have proven they can beat the best.
And if you want to be the best, you have to beat the best. So, maybe - maaaaaaybe - someone other Longoria will lift the US Open trophy next Sunday. But Longoria has never lost in Minneapolis, and we’re sure she doesn’t plan on doing so this week.
Other matches
Some interesting early matches should include two All-American showdowns. Erika Manilla will likely take on Michelle De La Rosa in the 2nd round of Qualifying (assuming De La Rosa defeats Stephanie Synhorst in the 1st round). The winner will play 5th seed Mejia in the Round of 32.
Also in the 32s, the Kelani Lawrence will play Sheryl Lotts in the Round of 32.
Veronica Sotomayor is playing in her first LPRT match in almost five years, but we still expect the former top 10 player to make it through qualifying. If she does, she’ll face 8th seed Jessica Parrilla in the Round of 32, which should be a good match.
The other player to watch out for from qualifying is Jenny Daza, and the veteran Bolivian would make for a tougher than your average Round of 32 match for 6th seed Natalia Mendez.
Finally, we’ll be interested to see how Brenda Laime does in Minneapolis. We’re interested in Laime, because she upset Mejia in the last LPRT event, so can she follow up that great performance with another one? She’s seeded 15th, and will play 18th seed Adriana Riveros in the 32s. If she wins that, she’ll likely play 2nd seed Alexandra Herrera in the Round of 16.
Doubles
We did a deep dive into doubles last week, but let’s highlight two qualifying brackets. The Q1 bracket will have two good matches. De La Rosa and Lotts will play Sotomayor and Maria Jose Vargas with the winner to face the Colombian team of Cristina Amaya and Adriana Riveros. Whoever comes out of that will take on Gabriela Martinez and Maria Renee Rodriguez in the quarterfinals.
Also, the Q3 bracket has Parrilla and Montserrat Perez facing the winner of Ana Laura Flores and Micaela Meneses versus Angelica Barrios and Jenny Daza. We wouldn’t be surprised if Barrios and Daza come out of that. Whoever wins will play Herrera and Mejia in the quarters.
2021 UnitedHealthcare US Open Racquetball Championships
October 6-10, 2021 - Minneapolis, Minnesota
LPRT Singles - Qualifying Round 1 - Wednesday
Maria Riquelme - BYE
Sumin Lee v. Veronica Sotomayor - 10:40 AM
Linda Tyler - BYE
Camila Rivero - BYE
Montserrat Perez - BYE
Natalia Mita - BYE
Michelle De La Rosa v. Stephanie Synhorst - 3:20 PM
Erika Manilla - BYE
Graci Wargo - BYE
Jenny Daza v. Ava Kaiser - 4:30 PM
Maria Muñoz - BYE
Shane Diaz - BYE
Laura Brandt - BYE
Naomi Ros - BYE
Aisling Hickcy v. Maria Muñoz - 8 AM
Erin Groves - BYE
LPRT Singles - Qualifying Round 2 - Wednesday
Q1 - Maria Riquelme v. Sumin Lee or Veronica Sotomayor - 3:20 PM
Q8 - Camila Rivero v. Linda Tyler - 3:20 PM
Q5 - Montserrat Perez v. Natalia Mita - 10:40 AM
Q4 - Erika Manilla v. Michelle De La Rosa or Stephanie Synhorst - 9:10 PM
Q3 - Graci Wargo v. Jenny Daza or Ava Kaiser - 9:10 PM
Q6 - Maria Muñoz v. Shane Diaz - 1 PM
Q7 - Laura Brandt v. Naomi Ros - 10:40 PM
Q2 - Erin Groves v. Aisling Hickcy or Maria Muñoz - 1 PM
LPRT Singles - Round of 32 - Thursday
1) Paola Longoria v. Q8 - 12:50 PM
16) Kelani Lawrence v. 17) Sheryl Lotts - 12:50 PM
9) Valeria Centellas v. 24) Jessica Chen - 12:50 PM
8) Jessica Parrilla v. Q1 - 12:50 PM
5) Montserrat Mejia v. Q4 - 9:20 AM
12) Nancy Enriquez v. 21) Micaela Meneses - 9:20 AM
13) Carla Muñoz v. 20) Hollie Scott - 9:20 AM
4) Gabriela Martinez v. Q5 - 9:20 AM
3) Maria Jose Vargas v. Q6 - 10:30 AM
14) Cristina Amaya v. 19) Maria Renee Rodriguez - 10:30 AM
11) Rhonda Rajsich v. 22) Ana Laura Flores - 10:30 AM
6) Natalia Mendez - Q3
7) Samantha Salas v. Q2 - 11:40 AM
10) Angelica Barrios v. 23) Erin Slutzky - 11:40 AM
15) Brenda Laime v. 18) Adriana Riveros - 11:40 AM
2) Alexandra Herrera v. Q7 - 11:40 AM
LPRT Doubles - Qualifying Round 1 - Wednesday
Cristina Amaya & Adriana Riveros - BYE
Michelle De La Rosa & Sheryl Lotts v. Veronica Sotomayor & Maria Jose Vargas - 4:30 PM
Brenda Laime & Camila Rivero - BYE
Kelani Lawrence & Hollie Scott - BYE
Jessica Parrilla & Montserrat Perez - BYE
Ana Laura Flores & Micaela Meneses v. Angelica Barrios & Jenny Daza - 10:40 AM
Erika Manilla & Rhonda Rajsich v. Shane Diaz & Naomi Ros - 2:10 PM
Nancy Enriquez & Carla Muñoz - BYE
LPRT Doubles - Qualifying Round 2 - Wednesday
Q1 - Cristina Amaya & Adriana Riveros v. Michelle De La Rosa & Sheryl Lotts or Veronica Sotomayor & Maria Jose Vargas - 8 PM
Q4 - Kelani Lawrence & Hollie Scott v. Brenda Laime & Camila Rivero - 1 PM
Q3 - Jessica Parrilla & Montserrat Perez v. Ana Laura Flores & Micaela Meneses or Angelica Barrios & Jenny Daza - 3:20 PM
Q2 - Nancy Enriquez & Carla Muñoz v. 10) Erika Manilla & Rhonda Rajsich or Shane Diaz & Naomi Ros - 8 PM
LPRT Doubles - Quarterfinals - Thursday
1) Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas v. Q4 - 9 PM
4) Gabriela Martinez & Maria Renee Rodriguez v. Q1 - 7:50 PM
3) Valeria Centellas & Natalia Mendez v. Q2 - 7:50 PM
2) Alexandra Herrera & Montserrat Mejia v. Q3 - 9 PM
Follow the bouncing ball…..
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