The draws for the 20th International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Championships in Guatemala City, Guatemala have been released, and we have them for you below. As expected, the competition has three days of group play with the results being used to seed players for a medal round with all the players making the medal round.
To limit players "jockeying for position" by perhaps losing a match that would put them in a better position in the medal round, the group play starts with the closest seeds playing off. Seeding is done by country, not player, and is based on each country's two best performances from the last three World Championships.
Moreover after the group stage, the top two seeds will be on opposite sides of the draw. But whether the 3rd seed is on the top or bottom of the draw will be determined randomly with the 4th seed on the other side. So if 3rd seed is determined to be on the top of the draw, the 4th seed will be on the bottom (and vice versa). This will also be done for the 5th & 6th seeds, 7th & 8th seeds, and so on.
Previously, there were two draw possibilities made up ahead of time with one being chosen at random after the group matches were done. But that could still lead to some "jockeying" so all seeding after 1 and 2 will now be put on top or bottom of the draw as described.
Also, as we have mentioned previously, the top 16 players in Women’s and Men’s Singles will qualify to compete at the 2022 World Games in Birmingham, Alabama. The spots go to the players, not their countries. So, if a top 16 player can’t go to the World Games, the spot would go to the 17th finisher, rather than have that player’s country send a substitute player. Thus, there will be matches to determine who finishes in each singles spot.
Normally, once a player loses in singles, the player is done playing. But for World Games seeding, players will continue to play until their exact placing is determined, so that can be used for seeding players.
Also, to aid in the global growth of the sport and the likelihood of its inclusion in the 2025 World Games in Chengdu, China, two spots are have been granted to the highest placed finishers from both Europe and Asia. So, the other 12 places are what are up for grabs from the rest of the world (i.e., the Americas).
Who’s on first?
Because of the closest seeds playing each other approach, there are some good matches right off the bat on Monday. That's highlighted by defending Men's Singles World Champion Rodrigo Montoya of Mexico taking on Andres Acuña of Costa Rica in Group B. It's a battle of #16 & #17 on the International Racquetball Tour (IRT), although it's Montoya who is 17th and Acuña 16th.
There are several interesting matches in Women's Singles on Monday. In Group B, Maria Jose Vargas of Argentina faces the USA's Kelani Lawrence, and in Group C Samantha Salas of Mexico squares off with Bolivia's Angelica Barrios.
Both matches in Group D of Women's Singles are notable. Natalia Mendez of Argentina plays American veteran and two time Women's Singles World Champion Rhonda Rajsich, while Colombian Cristina Amaya is up against Ireland's Aisling Hickey, who has shown some good play in recent Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) events.
Headlining Women's Doubles action Monday will be the match of three time Women's Doubles World Champions Paola Longoria and Samantha Salas of Mexico facing the hometown team of Gabriela Martinez and Maria Renee Rodriguez. The winner of that match will likely claim top spot in the medal round, which would be quite an advantage.
Because no players get eliminated from the results of the group matches, there is no "Group of Death," as in soccer's World Cup. However, Group B of Women's Doubles might be a "Group of Difficulty," as it includes half of the defending Women's Doubles World Championship team in Valeria Centellas, who won it for Bolivia three years ago, but is now playing for Argentina, and Natalia Mendez, currently the #5 player on the LPRT. The other two teams in Group B are Americans Rajsich and Erika Manilla, who played great at last month's US Open, and Canadians Frédérique Lambert - former #2 player on the LPRT - and Alexis Iwaasa, and those two teams will face each other on Monday afternoon.
Men's doubles has become very competitive in the last few years, and there are several teams that could get on the podium in Guatemala. Two of those teams will face each other Monday, when Bolivians Roland Keller and Conrrado Moscoso take on Canadians Coby Iwaasa and Samuel Murray.
The other men's doubles teams that are real threats to get on top of the podium are Javier Mar and Rodrigo Montoya of Mexico and Americans Alejandro Landa and Charlie Pratt. Also, the home nation's Edwin Galicia and Christen Wer (Guatemala) could cause a surprise or two if they get hot, and - as a dark horse - the team of veteran Shai Manzuri of Argentina playing with young up and comer Diego Garcia could do well also.
We haven't seen anyone setting up for live streaming of matches, so that might not happen until the medal round. But check with the IRF website or their social media outlets (IRF on Facebook and @IRFRacquetball on Twitter) for updates.
20th IRF World Championships
November 29-December 6 - Guatemala City, Guatemala
Men's Singles
Group A
Monday
Alejandro Landa (USA) v. Ramon De Leon (Dominican Republic) - 10 AM
Felipe Camacho (Costa Rica) - BYE
Group B
Monday
Rodrigo Montoya (Mexico) v. Andres Acuña (Costa Rica) - 11 AM
Shai Manzuri (Argentina) - BYE
Group C
Monday
Jake Bredenbeck (USA) v. Juan Francisco Cueva (Ecuador) - 11 AM
Kim Mingyu (South Korea) - BYE
Group D
Monday
Andree Parrilla (Mexico) v. Francis Guillemette (Canada) - 11 AM
Diego Garcia (Argentina) v. Eoin Tynan (Ireland) - 10 AM
Group E
Monday
Conrrado Moscoso (Bolivia) v. Jose Daniel Ugalde (Ecuador) - 10 AM
Lee Gunhee (South Korea) v.Ken Cottrell (Ireland) - 11 AM
Group F
Monday
Mario Mercado (Bolivia) v. Lee Connell (Canada) - 10 AM
Juan Jose Salvatierra (Guatemala) v. Rodrigo Salgado (Chile) - 11 AM
Group G
Monday
Luis Aguilar (Bolivia) v. Set Cubillos (Colombia) - 11 AM
Pedro Castro (Chile) v. Javier Martinez (Guatemala) - 10 AM
Women's Singles
Group A
Monday
Paola Longoria (Mexico) v. Miceala Meneses (Bolivia) - 1 PM
Maria Paz Muñoz (Ecuador) - BYE
Group B
Monday
Maria Jose Vargas (Argentina) v. Kelani Lawrence USA) - Noon
Lee Sumin (South Korea)
Group C
Monday
Samantha Salas (Mexico) v. Angelica Barrios (Bolivia) - Noon
Maria Jose Muñoz (Ecuador) v. Majella Haverty (Ireland) - Noon
Group D
Monday
Natalia Mendez (Argentina) v. Rhonda Rajsich (USA) - 1 PM
Cristina Amaya (Colombia) v. Aisling Hickey (Ireland) - 1 PM
Group E
Monday
Juliette Parent (Canada) v. Maria Renee Rodriguez (Guatemala) - 1 PM
Carla Muñoz (Chile) v. Merynanyelly Delagdo (Dominican Republic) - 1 PM
Group F
Monday
Gabriela Martinez (Guatemala) v. Michèle Morissette (Canada) - Noon
Maria Paz Riquelme (Colombia) v. Ayako Hanashi (Japan) - Noon
Men's Doubles
Group A
Monday
Javier Mar & Rodrigo Montoya (Mexico) v. Gabriel Garro & Felipe Segreda (Costa Rica) - 3 PM
Edwin Galicia & Christen Wer (Guatemala) - BYE
Group B
Monday
Set Cubillos & Mario Mercado (Colombia) v. Diego Garcia & Shai Manzuri (Argentina) - 3 PM
Lee Gunhee & Kim Mingyu (South Korea) - BYE
Group C
Monday
Alejandro Landa & Charlie Pratt (USA) v. Juan Francisco Cueva & Jose Daniel Ugalde (Ecuador) - 3 PM
Ken Cottrell & Eoin Tynan (Ireland) - BYE
Group D
Monday
Coby Iwaasa & Samuel Murray (Canada) v. Roland Keller & Conrrado Moscoso (Bolivia) - 3 PM
Pedro Castro & Rafael Gatica (Chile) - BYE
Women's Doubles
Group A
Monday
Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas (Mexico) v. Maria Renee Rodriguez & Gabriela Martinez (Guatemala) - 4 PM
Carla Muñoz & Paula Mansilla (Chile) - BYE
Group B
Monday
Erika Manilla & Rhonda Rajsich (USA) v. Frédérique Lambert & Alexis Iwaasa (Canada) - 4 PM
Valeria Centellas & Natalia Mendez (Argentina) - BYE
Group C
Monday
Angelica Barrios & Micaela Meneses (Bolivia) v. Maria Paz Muñoz & Ana Lucia Sarmiento (Ecuador) - 4 PM
Cristina Amaya & Maria Paz Riquelme (Colombia) v. Katie Keany & Antonia Neary (Ireland) - 4 PM
Follow the bouncing ball....
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