Mar & Montoya, Longoria & Salas win Mexican Doubles event & Carson won't be going to Worlds

The top seeds won both Mens’ and Womens’ Doubles on the weekend at the 2021 Campeonato Nacional Selectivo Dobles - the Mexican national team doubles selection event in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, with Javier Mar and Rodrigo Montoya winning Mens’ Doubles and Paola Longoria and Samantha Salas winning Womens’ Doubles, so they earn spots to represent Mexico at the International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Championships later this year in Guatemala.

On the Mens’ side, Mar and Montoya needed a tie-breaker to defeat 2nd seeds Alvaro Beltran and Daniel De La Rosa, 15-8, 9-15, 11-4, in the final. In the semi-finals, Mar and Montoya squeaked by 4th seeds Sebastian Hernandez and Erick Trujillo, 15-10, 14-15, 11-10, while Beltran and De La Rosa beat 3rd seeds Jordy Alonso and Erick Cuevas Fernandez in two straight games, 15-3, 15-10.

Hernandez and Trujillo won the 3rd place match by defeating Alonso and Cuevas Fernandez, 15-7, 11-15, 11-3.

In the Womens’ draw, Longoria and Salas also needed a tie-breaker to win the final, coming back to defeat 3rd seeds Jessica Parrilla and Montserrat Perez, 6-15, 15-13, 11-6. In the semis, Longoria and Salas beat 4th seeds Ximena Martinez and Daniela Rico, 15-7, 15-5, while Parrilla and Perez upset 2nd seeds Diana Aguilar and Alexandra Herrera, 15-8, 15-12.

Aguilar and Herrera beat Martinez and Rico, 15-6, 15-6, to take 3rd place.

Mexico had a singles championship in June, when Montoya and Longoria also came out on top. In those finals, Montoya beat Andree Parrilla and Longoria defeated doubles partner Salas. Thus, it seems that Montoya and Longoria double qualified for Worlds, so they could play both singles and doubles in Guatemala. The same goes for Salas, as a winner in doubles and runner up in singles.

Furthermore, this could mean that Alvaro Beltran and Daniel De La Rosa do not go to Worlds. They are the reigning Mens’ Doubles World Champions, but it seems they won’t have a chance to defend that title. Also, De La Rosa, who seems like the best player on the International Racquetball Tour at the moment, won’t be at Worlds, which is surprising. Yet it highlights the depth of talent that Mexico has.

In years past, only the USA had such depth.

There were some notable absences from the weekend’s action. Specifically, Parrilla and Eduardo Portillo, who have often played doubles together - including at the last month’s US Open - as well as Alan Natera and, on the womens’ side, Montserrat Mejia.

Carson to miss Worlds

Rocky Carson announced on Facebook that he won’t be going to the IRF World Championships citing the possibility of contracting COVID-19, and the resulting quarantine needed before being allowed back into the USA. He’s been on Team USA at every World Championship since 2004, winning Mens’ Singles a record five times. Overall, Carson has gone to Worlds 10 times and made the podium every time.

At 42, this may have been Carson’s last chance to play at Worlds, although Ruben Gonzalez played at Worlds at age 50, so it’s possible Carson could make a future Worlds team, especially as the USA doesn’t have the depth of talent like it used to and Mexico has now.

Campeonato Nacional Selectivo Dobles 2021
San Luis Potosi, Mexico - October 27-31, 2021

Women's Open Doubles

Final

1) Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas Solis d. 3) Jessica Parrilla & Montserrat Perez, 6-15, 15-13, 11-6

3rd Place

2) Diana Aguilar & Alexandra Herrera d. 4) Ximena Martinez & Daniela Rico, 15-6, 15-6

Semi-finals

1) Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas Solis d. 4) Ximena Martinez & Daniela Rico, 15-7, 15-5
3) Jessica Parrilla & Montserrat Perez d. 2) Diana Aguilar & Alexandra Herrera, 15-8, 15-12

Men's Open Doubles

Final

1) Javier Mar & Rodrigo Montoya d. 2) Alvaro Beltran & Daniel De La Rosa, 15-8, 9-15, 11-4

3rd Place

4) Sebastian Hernandez & Erick Trujillo d. 3) Jordy Alonso & Erick Cuevas Fernandez, 15-7, 11-15, 11-3

Semi-finals

1) Javier Mar & Rodrigo Montoya d. 4) Sebastian Hernandez & Erick Trujillo, 15-10, 14-15, 11-10
2) Alvaro Beltran & Daniel De La Rosa d. 3) Jordy Alonso & Erick Cuevas Fernandez, 15-3, 15-10

Quarterfinals

1) Javier Mar & Rodrigo Montoya d. 9) Alejandro Bear & Juan Carlos Castillo, 15-12, 15-8
4) Sebastian Hernandez & Erick Trujillo d. 5) Diego Gastelum & Guillermo Jesus Ortega Jr., 15-14, 15-3

3) Jordy Alonso & Erick Cuevas Fernandez d. 6) Emir Martinez & Carlos Alberto Ramierz, 15-5, 4-15, 11-6
2) Alvaro Beltran & Daniel De La Rosa d. 10) Oscar Elias Nieto Valadez & Elias Nieto, 11-15, 15-8, 11-2

Round of 16

1) Javier Mar & Rodrigo Montoya - BYE
9) Alejandro Bear & Juan Carlos Castillo d. 8) Nicolas Galindo & Marco De La Cruz, 15-13, 15-12

5) Diego Gastelum & Guillermo Jesus Ortega Jr. - BYE
4) Sebastian Hernandez & Erick Trujillo - BYE

3) Jordy Alonso & Erick Cuevas Fernandez - BYE
6) Emir Martinez & Carlos Alberto Ramierz d. 11) Gerardo Huerta & Pedro Zesati, 15-6, 15-2

10) Oscar Elias Nieto Valadez & Elias Nieto d. 7) Carlos Bacmeister & Elias Nieto, 5-15, 15-7, 11-7
2) Alvaro Beltran & Daniel De La Rosa - BYE

Follow the bouncing ball….