Teams with the top women players are into semis of Mixed Doubles at 2021 Arizona Open

A wise man told us that a mixed doubles team is all about the woman, and that seems to be bearing out at the Arizona Open Racquetball Championships in Tempe, Arizona, as the top three players on the Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) and their International Racquetball Tour (IRT) playing partners are through to the semi-finals. The fourth team has the IRT’s #1 player.

Top seeds Paola Longoria - the LPRT’s #1 player - and Alejandro Landa won their quarterfinal match in two straight games, 15-1, 15-10. LPRT #2 Maria Jose Vargas and Andres Acuña also won in two games, though their games were close against the brother/sister side of Andree and Jessica Parrilla, with Vargas and Acuña winning 15-11, 15-12. Longoria and Landa will play Vargas and Acuña in the semis Saturday afternoon.

On the bottom of the draw, LPRT #3 Alexandra Herrera and Sebastian Fernandez came back from a game down to defeat the 2nd seeded team of Alvaro Beltran and Natalia Mendez, 12-15, 15-9, 11-7. In the semis, they’ll take on husband and wife team Daniel and Michelle De La Rosa, who also needed three games to get past the brother/sister side of Adam and Erika Manilla, winning 15-11, 11-15, 11-1.

That wise man also advised against playing mixed doubles with your spouse, but perhaps if you’re the IRT’s #1 player - as Daniel De La Rosa is, that doesn’t matter.

The Mixed Doubles semi-finals will be at 2 PM Saturday with the final at 1:15 PM Sunday. All times are Mountain. Look for the action via the LPRT and IRT YouTube channels (LPRT YouTube channel & IRT YouTube.), as well as their respective Facebook pages.

Arizona Open Racquetball Championships
November 11-14, 2021 - Tempe, Arizona

Mixed Doubles - Quarterfinals - Friday

1) Alejandro Landa & Paola Longoria d. 8) Jake Bredenbeck & Kelani Lawrence, 15-1, 15-10
12) Andres Acuña & Maria Jose Vargas d. 4) Andree Parrilla & Jessica Parrilla, 15-11, 15-12

11) Daniel De La Rosa & Michelle De La Rosa d. 14) Adam Manilla & Erika Manilla, 15-11, 11-15, 11-1
10) Sebastian Fernandez & Alexandra Herrera d. 2) Alvaro Beltran & Natalia Mendez, 12-15, 15-9, 11-7

Mixed Doubles - Semi-finals - Saturday

1) Alejandro Landa & Paola Longoria v. 12) Andres Acuña & Maria Jose Vargas - 2 PM
10) Sebastian Fernandez & Alexandra Herrera v. 11) Daniel De La Rosa & Michelle De La Rosa - 2 PM

Follow the bouncing ball….