One upset in the semi-finals at the 2022 Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) Boston Open in Marlborough, Massachusetts, and it’s a big one, as Americans Kelani Lawrence and Hollie Scott, the 6th seeds, upset 2nd seeds Alexandra Herrera and Montserrat Mejia of Mexico, 8-15, 15-2, 11-6, in the semis and put themselves in their first pro final together. In the final, they’ll play another Mexican team - the top seeds Paola Longoria and Samantha Salas, who beat 4th seeds Gabriela Martinez and Maria Renee Rodriguez from Guatemala in two straight games, 15-4, 15-11.
Lawrence and Scott turned their match around, because they found a serve that Herrera and Mejia had trouble with. Early in game two, Scott - playing on the left side - began hitting a backhand drive serve to the right side that jammed off the right wall. Thus, it was difficult for Mejia - on the right side - to play it, and it was coming to the left handed Herrera at an angle that made it difficult for her to play it also.
They went from 2-2 in game two to 15-2, and then 8-1 in game three, outscoring their opponents 21 to 1 over that stretch. Herrera and Mejia did get back in game three, and were within three points at 9-6, but Lawrence and Scott got a side out at that point, and then finished off the match on the next two rallies. Scott got the match winner: a forehand reverse pinch from the middle of the back court, which was just the last of several great shots she and Lawrence hit in the match.
The singles final will be LPRT #1 Longoria versus #2 Herrera, as the singles semi-finals were pretty straightforward. Longoria never trailed in her match against 5th seed Natalia Mendez of Argentina, winning 15-7, 15-5, and the story was similar for Herrera, who beat 6th seed Angelica Barrios of Bolivia, 15-6, 15-5.
This is the second consecutive LPRT event with Longoria and Herrera in the final, and two weeks ago in Vero Beach, Florida Herrera beat Longoria for the first time in her career to get her first LPRT title. Can she do it again? If Herrera does win back to back singles titles, she would be the first women to do so - not named Longoria - in 11 1/2 years.
However, Longoria has not lost back to back events on tour since December 2010, so she’ll certainly be trying to continue that bounce back streak on Sunday.
The singles final is Sunday at noon with doubles final to follow at 1 PM. All times Eastern. Look for the action via the LPRT YouTube channel, as well as the LPRT Facebook page.
LPRT Boston Open
March 4-6, 2022 - Marlborough, Massachusetts
LPRT Singles - Semi-finals - Saturday
1) Paola Longoria d. 5) Natalia Mendez, 15-7, 15-5
2) Alexandra Herrera d. 6) Angelica Barrios, 15-6, 15-5
LPRT Singles - Final - Sunday
1) Paola Longoria v. 2) Alexandra Herrera - Noon
LPRT Doubles - Semi-finals - Saturday
1) Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas d. 4) Gabriela Martinez & Maria Renee Rodriguez, 15-4, 15-11
6) Kelani Lawrence & Hollie Scott d. 2) Alexandra Herrera & Montserrat Mejia, 8-15, 15-2, 11-6
LPRT Doubles - Final - Sunday
1) Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas v. 6) Kelani Lawrence & Hollie Scott - 1 PM
Follow the bouncing ball….
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