Acuña & Longoria win gold at The World Games 2022

Mexican Paola Longoria successfully continued her string of gold medals at The World Games, as she defeated Guatemalan Gabriela Martinez in the final of The World Games 2022 in Birmingham, Alabama, 15-2, 9-15, 15-8, 15-9, on Wednesday. Longoria first won gold at The World Games 2009 and then again in 2013, which were the last two times racquetball has been in The World Games.

In contrast, Andres Acuña became the first Costa Rican to win racquetball gold at The World Games, as he defeated Mexican Rodrigo Montoya, 15-12, 15-13, 15-14, in the men's final. It’s Acuña’s first international gold medal.

But what’s most amazing about Longoria's feat is that she accomplished it after suffering an ankle injury late in game of the match. Indeed, when she gingerly limped off the court, it wasn’t clear that she was going to be able to continue. However, with the medical attention that was on hand for The World Games, she had her ankle taped up and took some pain killers and was able to get back on court.

Asked afterwards how much it hurt on a scale of 1-10, Longoria said “6” in that post match moment with the medicine in her, but at the time of the injury “12.”

Longoria started the match almost flawlessly, steamrolling through game one, when Martinez only served twice. However, in game two Martinez never trailed, and led most of the game. When the injury happened, she was up 9-8.

Longoria took over 11 min of injury time before play continued, and she was clearly not 100% when it did. Martinez was able to close out game two without difficulty, 15-9.

However, in the third game Longoria was able to keep it close early, and then as is her signature move, she pulled away in the mid game, taking the score from 5-5 to 9-5 with three winners and an error by Martinez.

The Guatemalan maintained the same strategy against Longoria after the injury as before, which did work for the first half of game two. Yet, given that the Mexican’s movement was clearly impaired a change in strategy seemed appropriate. But none was forthcoming from Martinez.

Asked afterwards if she was surprised that Martinez didn’t change her strategy after the injury, Longoria said “yes, but I like it.”

Thus, Longoria was able to stand and shoot, as Martinez’s shots and serves were generally straight in and straight out, rather coming at an angle to her opponent. Also, Martinez was often trying to end rallies early rather than extending play, which would have stressed Longoria’s injury more than going to winners with every shot.

Longoria went on to win game three, 15-8, without Martinez getting closer than two points. Game four was more of the same, as Longoria never trailed, and was only tied at 3-3. It made for a relatively comfortable 15-9 win, and a remarkable gold medal performance.

Acuña got off to a great start in the men’s final, as he jumped out to a 7-1 lead on Montoya. But the Mexican battled back, and if he had any sluggishness at the start, it was gone by the end of game one. But that didn’t prevent Acuña from taking the first game, 15-12.

Game two was similar in that Acuña got a big lead at 10-6 and then 14-8. Montoya fought off five game points closing to within one at 14-13. It looked like Acuña won the game on a spectacular shot he hit facing the back wall that went for a pinch roll out. But Montoya showed that the ball was broken, so the rally was replayed. Acuña won game two when Montoya finally made an error, skipping a backhand shot.

Game three was close all the way, and it was Montoya who got to 14 first, as Acuña skipped a backhand shot. But he then denied Montoya the game point with a great backhand pinch serve return that he took out of the air just past the dashed line.

The rally at 14-14 was a slugfest, with balls being hit back and forth. It only ended when Acuña hit a forehand kill shot that rolled out, and was impossible for Montoya to return.

In the men’s bronze medal matches, Andree Parrilla of Mexico defeated Mario Mercado of Colombia, 15-13, 15-10, 15-11, so Mexican men won two medals at The World Games this year just as they did in 2013, the last time racquetball was in The World Games.

The women’s bronze medal was won by Bolivian Angelica Barrios, who defeated Mexican Samantha Salas, 15-4, 15-12, 9-15, 15-12. Barrios’s medal is the first for a Bolivian at The World Games.

The World Games 2022 - Birmingham, Alabama

Men’s Singles - Gold medal final - Wednesday July 13

2) Andres Acuña (Costa Rica) d. 8) Rodrigo Montoya (Mexico), 15-12, 15-13, 15-14

Men’s Singles - Bronze medal final - Wednesday July 13

5) Andree Parrilla (Mexico) d. 3) Mario Mercado (Colombia), 15-13, 15-10, 15-11

Women’s Singles - Gold medal final - Wednesday July 13

1) Paola Longoria (Mexico) d. 6) Gabriela Martinez (Guatemala), 15-2, 9-15, 15-8, 15-9

Women’s Singles - Bronze medal final - Wednesday July 13

5) Angelica Barrios (Bolivia) d. 7) Samantha Salas (Mexico), 15-4, 15-12, 9-15, 15-12

 Follow the bouncing ball….

Longoria defeats Barrios to reach final at The World Games 2022

Paola Longoria of Mexico will have a chance to win a gold at The World Games for a third time at The World Games 2022 in Birmingham, Alabama, as she defeated 5th seed Angelica Barrios of Bolivia in the semi-finals Wednesday, 15-12, 15-12, 15-9. Longoria first won gold at The World Games 2009 and then again in 2013, which were the last two times racquetball has been in The World Games.

Longoria’s opponent in the final will be a familiar one: Gabriela Martinez of Guatemala, who defeated Mexican Samantha Salas, 12-15, 15-5, 15-11, 15-7, in the other semi-final Wednesday morning. These two players have met in two Women’s Singles finals at the International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Championships, and they spilt those finals: Longoria winning in 2016 and Martinez winning in 2018.

On the men’s side, Rodrigo Montoya came out on top of a Mexican showdown with Andree Parrilla, 15-9, 15-13, 11-15, 15-9. Montoya will face Costa Rican Andres Acuña, who’s outlasted Mario Mercado of Colombia, 14-15, 15-13, 15-10, 15-10.

Matches descriptions to follow later.

Today’s matches are being broadcast by the rights holders, which in the USA means CBS Sports. So, look to their website and channels for coverage. Also, it might be on the Olympic channel.

2022 World Games - Birmingham, Alabama

Men’s Singles - Semi-finals - Wednesday July 13

8) Rodrigo Montoya (Mexico) d. 5) Andree Parrilla (Mexico), 15-9, 15-13, 11-15, 15-9
2) Andres Acuña (Costa Rica) d. 3) Mario Mercado (Colombia), 14-15, 15-13, 15-10, 15-10

Men’s Singles - Gold medal final - Wednesday July 13

2) Andres Acuña (Costa Rica) v. 8) Rodrigo Montoya (Mexico) - 5 PM

Men’s Singles - Bronze medal final - Wednesday July 13

3) Mario Mercado (Colombia) v. 5) Andree Parrilla (Mexico) - 3 PM

Women’s Singles - Semi-finals - Wednesday July 13

1) Paola Longoria (Mexico) d. 5) Angelica Barrios (Bolivia), 15-12, 15-12, 15-9
6) Gabriela Martinez (Guatemala) d. 7) Samantha Salas (Mexico), 12-15, 15-5, 15-11, 15-7

Women’s Singles - Gold medal final - Wednesday July 13

1) Paola Longoria (Mexico) v. 6) Gabriela Martinez (Guatemala) - 4 PM

Women’s Singles - Bronze medal final - Wednesday July 13

5) Angelica Barrios (Bolivia) v. 7) Samantha Salas (Mexico) - 2 PM

 Follow the bouncing ball….

More upsets than not in the quarterfinals at The World Games 2022

Mexican Paola Longoria, a two time gold medal winner at The World Games, is on track for a third gold medal at The World Games 2022 in Birmingham, Alabama, as she beat Chilean Carla Muñoz, 15-11, 15-5, 15-4. But there were more upsets than not in the quarterfinals Tuesday.

Longoria led for most of game one, but Muñoz was tenacious. She tied the game at 11-11, as Longoria made one of an uncharacteristic number of errors: skipping a backhand pinch shot. However, Longoria held on, and won the last four rallies to win the first game, 15-11. In the next two games, they were close early, and then the Mexican imposed her will upon them and won a series of points. In game two, Longoria went from up 3-2 to 13-3, and then won 15-5. Similarly, in game three, they were tied at 2-2, and then it was 8-2 for Longoria, who went on to win 15-4.

Longoria will play 5th seed Angelica Barrios of Bolivia in the semi-finals Wednesday, as Barrios upset 4th seed Natalia Mendez of Argentina in a close four game match, 15-9, 7-15, 15-14, 15-9. Game three was the pivotal one for Barrios, as Mendez led for the second half of the game, including at 14-11. Yet, she couldn’t convert any of her four game points, as Barrios hit winners on those four rallies to win 15-14.

The two matches on the bottom of the women’s draw were both upsets by the seedings, although not surprises. In a battle of former International Racquetball Federation (IRF) Women’s Singles World Champions, 6th seed Gabriela Martinez of Guatemala got the best of 3rd seed Rhonda Rajsich from the USA, 15-8, 15-9, 15-8. Then in the first tie-breaker of the competition, 7th seed Samantha Salas of Mexico came back from 2-1 down to defeat the 2nd seed Kelani Lawrence of the USA, 15-14, 13-15, 10-15, 15-6, 11-9.

It looked like Lawrence was going to beat Salas after she won game three. But the Mexican had other ideas, and stormed out to a 10-0 lead in game four - a Lawrence timeout doing nothing to stop her run. Lawrence got some consolation points, but it was clear that a tie-breaker was going to be necessary.

The breaker had three swings. Salas led early at 4-1. Lawrence tied it at 4-4, and then led until a tie at 8-8. From that point, Salas regained the lead with a backhand wide angle shot to make it 9-8, so Lawrence called a timeout.

Salas hit another winner when play resumed. This time a forehand cross court shot, as she’s done a million times in her long career. That put Salas on match point at 10-8. A great backhand cross court shot by Lawrence denied her that opportunity, but Salas won it on the next rally with a backhand cross court shot from mid court.

On the men’s side, Mexican Rodrigo Montoya - a former IRF Men’s Singles World Champion upset the current Men's Singles World Champion and top seed American Alejandro Landa, 15-7, 15-8, 11-15, 15-10. Landa did not seem to have his A game on the day. In games, one, two and four, they were close until the middle of those games (Montoya led 8-7 in each), when Montoya stepped it up and finished it.

Yet even after two lacklustre games, when Landa won game three - leading from 4-4 on - you had a sense that he could actually turn it around and make a successful comeback. But it wasn’t to be.

Landa’s team-mate Jake Bredenbeck, the 4th seed, also lost to a Mexican: Andree Parrilla, the 5th seed, 15-8, 15-12, 15-10. Bredenbeck’s powerful shots were too often up, so Parrilla was able to clean up the loose balls and put them away.

Third seed Mario Mercado of Colombia defeated Jose Daniel Ugalde of Ecuador, 15-5, 15-14, 15-8. After Mercado dominated game one, Ugalde came out strong in game two, leading 6-2 and 7-3.

Mercado fought back and tied it at 8-8 with a drive serve ace to the right side. Yet Ugalde led most of the second half of the game, and had two game points, as he led 14-13. But Mercado hit a winning backhand serve return on the first one, and a backhand winner during the next rally to close out game two, 15-14.

In game three, he jumped out to a 8-1 lead. Ugalde dug in, and got within three points at 10-7, but he wouldn’t get another point until it was 14-7. Ugalde did fight off the first match point with a great diving get that he softly put into the front left corner.

Mercado will play 2nd seed Andres Acuña of Costa Rica, who outlasted 7th seed Juan Jose Salvatierra of Guatemala, 15-13, 15-14, 15-5.

No medals for the USA

The losses by the American players mean that no USA player will win a medal on home soil, and perhaps more significantly, no American will medal at The World Games for the first time ever. There were no USA players in either the women’s or men’s final in 2013 - the last time racquetball was in The World Games - but Americans won bronze in each division. Rajisch won the 3rd place match on the women’s side while Rocky Carson did so on the men’s side.

CORRECTION: The semi-finals and the finals will be on CBS Wednesday, not the IRF YouTube channel, so you'll have to search for the matches. They may show up on the Olympic.com channel at some point, but maybe not live.

2022 World Games - Birmingham, Alabama
All times Central

Men’s Singles - Quarterfinals - Tuesday July 12

8) Rodrigo Montoya (Mexico) d. 1) Alejandro Landa (USA), 15-7, 15-8, 11-15, 15-10
5) Andree Parrilla (Mexico) d. 4) Jake Bredenbeck (USA), 15-8, 15-12, 15-10

3) Mario Mercado (Colombia) d. 6) Jose Daniel Ugalde (Ecuador), 15-5, 15-14, 15-8
2) Andres Acuña (Costa Rica) d. 7) Juan Jose Salvatierra (Guatemala), 15-13, 15-14, 15-5

Men’s Singles - Semi-finals - Wednesday July 13

5) Andree Parrilla (Mexico) v. 8) Rodrigo Montoya (Mexico) - 11 AM
2) Andres Acuña (Costa Rica) v. 3) Mario Mercado (Colombia) - Noon

Women’s Singles - Quarterfinals - Tuesday July 12

1) Paola Longoria (Mexico) d. 9) Carla Muñoz (Chile), 15-11, 15-5, 15-4
5) Angelica Barrios (Bolivia) d. 4) Natalia Mendez (Argentina), 15-9, 7-15, 15-14, 15-9

6) Gabriela Martinez (Guatemala) d. 3) Rhonda Rajsich (USA), 15-8, 15-9, 15-8
7) Samantha Salas (Mexico) d. 2) Kelani Lawrence (USA), 15-14, 13-15, 10-15, 15-6, 11-9

Women’s Singles - Semi-finals - Wednesday July 13

1) Paola Longoria (Mexico) v. 5) Angelica Barrios (Bolivia) - 9 AM
6) Gabriela Martinez (Guatemala) v. 7) Samantha Salas (Mexico) - 10 AM

 Follow the bouncing ball….

Day 2 at The World Games 2022

American Kelani Lawrence, the women’s 2nd seed, got off to a great start Monday at The World Games 2022 in Birmingham, Alabama, as she beat Ireland’s Majella Haverty, 15-0, 15-8, 15-3. Lawrence was flawless in game one, hitting seven ace serves against the Irishwoman. To her credit, Haverty kept fighting and was close in game two, when the score was 8-7, and she had a brief lead early in game three at 2-1.

But game one put the writing on the wall, and it was just a matter of time before Lawrence came out on top. She is trying to follow in the footsteps of her mother, Malia Bailey, who was a silver medalist at The World Games in 1995 in The Hague.

Lawrence will face Mexican Samantha Salas in the quarterfinals on Tuesday, as Salas defeated Colombian Cristina Amaya, 15-9, 15-14, 15-11, on Monday. The loss denies Amaya a second World Games medal, as she was the silver medalist nine years ago in her hometown of Cali, Colombia.

American Rhonda Rajsich’s quest to win a third medal at The World Games remains on track, as she beat Ireland’s Aisling Hickey, 15-1, 15-2, 15-7. Rajsich’s next match will be against Gabriela Martinez of Guatemala, who was a straight game winner over Canadian Michèle Morissette, 15-6, 15-8, 15-4, in what will be a battle of former International Racquetball Federation (IRF) Women’s Singles World Champions.

Andres Acuña of Costa Rica, the men’s 2nd seed, also won his first match in three straight games against Korean Gunhee Lee, 15-7, 15-4, 15-6. He’ll play Juan Jose Salvatierra of Guatemala, who eked out a victory over Felipe Camacho of Costa Rica, 15-14, 15-14, 15-13.

Third seed Mario Mercado of Colombia beat 14th seed Ken Cottrell of Ireland, 15-2, 15-7, 15-7, and will play Jose Daniel Ugalde in the quarterfinals, as Ugalde came out on top of an all Ecuador showdown with Juan Francisco Cueva, 15-11, 15-13, 15-9.

You can watch the action from Birmingham via the IRF YouTube channel, or catch up on the action if you missed it the first time.

2022 World Games - Birmingham, Alabama

Men’s Singles - Round of 16 - Sunday & Monday July 10 & 11

1) Alejandro Landa (USA) d. 16) Eoin Tynan (Ireland), 15-8, 15-9, 15-4
8) Rodrigo Montoya (Mexico) d. 9) Diego Garcia (Argentina), 15-14, 15-14, 12-15, 15-8

5) Andree Parrilla (Mexico) d. 12) Ramon De Leon (Dominican Republic), 15-6, 15-7, 15-13
4) Jake Bredenbeck (USA) d. 13) Lee Connell (Canada), 15-14, 15-5, 15-12

3) Mario Mercado (Colombia) d. 14) Ken Cottrell (Ireland), 15-2, 15-7, 15-7
6) Jose Daniel Ugalde (Ecuador) d. 11) Juan Francisco Cueva (Ecuador), 15-11, 15-13, 15-9

7) Juan Jose Salvatierra (Guatemala) d. 10) Felipe Camacho (Costa Rica), 15-14, 15-14, 15-13
2) Andres Acuña (Costa Rica) d. 15) Lee Gunhee (South Korea), 15-7, 15-4, 15-6

Men’s Singles - Quarterfinals - Tuesday July 12

1) Alejandro Landa (USA) v. 8) Rodrigo Montoya (Mexico) - 11 AM
5) Andree Parrilla (Mexico) v. 4) Jake Bredenbeck (USA) - 5 PM

3) Mario Mercado (Colombia) v. 6) Jose Daniel Ugalde (Ecuador) - 9 AM
2) Andres Acuña (Costa Rica) v. 7) Juan Jose Salvatierra (Guatemala) - 3 PM

Women’s Singles - Round of 16 - Sunday & Monday July 10 & 11

1. Paola Longoria (Mexico) d. 16) Ayako Hanashi (Japan), 15-1, 15-5, 15-6
9) Carla Muñoz (Chile) d. 8) Maria Renee Rodriguez (Guatemala), 14-15, 15-7, 15-8, 15-13

5. Angelica Barrios (Bolivia) d. 12. Micaela Meneses (Bolivia), 15-9, 15-13, 15-11
4) Natalia Mendez (Argentina) d. 13) Sumin Lee (South Korea), 15-8, 15-4, 15-2

3) Rhonda Rajsich (USA) d. 14) Aisling Hickey (Ireland), 15-1, 15-2, 15-7
6) Gabriela Martinez (Guatemala) d. 11) Michèle Morissette (Canada), 15-6, 15-8, 15-4

7) Samantha Salas (Mexico) d. 10) Cristina Amaya (Colombia), 15-9, 15-14, 15-11
2) Kelani Lawrence (USA) d. 15) Majella Haverty (Ireland), 15-0, 15-8, 15-3

Women’s Singles - Quarterfinals - Tuesday July 12

1. Paola Longoria (Mexico) v. 9) Carla Muñoz (Chile) - Noon
4) Natalia Mendez (Argentina) v. 5. Angelica Barrios (Bolivia) - 10 AM

3) Rhonda Rajsich (USA) v. 6) Gabriela Martinez (Guatemala) - 4 PM
2) Kelani Lawrence (USA) v. 7) Samantha Salas (Mexico) - 6 PM

 Follow the bouncing ball….

Day 1 at The World Games 2022

Mexican Paola Longoria’s quest for a 3rd consecutive gold medal at The World Games got off to a successful start Sunday at The World Games 2022 in Birmingham, Alabama, where she beat Ayako Hanashi of Japan in three straight games, 15-1, 15-5, 15-6. She hit 15 ace serves in the match, which helped Longoria close it out in straight games. Longoria will play 9th seed Carla Muñoz of Chile on Tuesday in the quarterfinals, as Muñoz came from a game down to defeat 8th seed Maria Renee Rodriguez of Guatemala, 14-15, 15-7, 15-8, 15-13, in the Round of 16.

Muñoz and Rodriguez were close the entire way in game one of their match with the biggest difference being 3 points, when Rodriguez was up 11-8. Muñoz got to 14 first with a great forehand pinch shot, but didn’t convert her game point opportunity as she made an unforced error by skipping a backhand shot that put Rodriguez on 14. The Guatemalan didn’t make an error on her game point opportunity winning game one with a backhand pinch shot.

Muñoz was undeterred though, as she controlled games two and three, winning them comfortably. Game four was like game one, as they were neck and neck, although Rodriguez had a small lead most of the way. She got her biggest leads at 12-9 and 13-10.

But Muñoz won the next two rallies to get within one at 13-12. Rodriguez called a timeout, yet that didn’t help her, as Muñoz won the next three rallies with winning shots: two forehand pinch shots and then a backhand cross court on match point.

Perhaps the highlight match of the day was the Men’s 8/9 match between former International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Champion Rodrigo Montoya of Mexico - the 8th seed - and 9th seed Diego Garcia of Argentina. After two games, only two points separated them with Montoya ahead by two, winning both games by the same 15-14 score.

Garcia had three game points in the first two games, and didn’t convert them. In game three, he failed to convert two more, but then did get it done to win game two, 15-12.

Game four was the same as the first three games, as they were close early, and tied at 3-3, 4-4 and 6-6. But from 6-6, Montoya got the next eight rallies to reach match point at 14-6. Garcia fended off two match points - the first when the ball cracked out at the back wall. However, Montoya won it with the next rally, as he hit a great backhand serve return, pinching the ball into the front left corner for a 15-8 win.

Montoya will play top seed Alejandro Landa of the USA in the quarterfinals Tuesday, as Landa beat 16th seed Eoin Tynan of Ireland, 15-8, 15-9, 15-4, Sunday. The Landa-Montoya match should be great, as it will be a battle of the current IRF Men’s Singles World Champion versus the former IRF Men’s Singles World Champion, respectively.

Also on the men’s side, 4th seed Jake Bredenbeck defeated Canadian Lee Connell, 15-14, 15-5, 15-12. Connell had a 14-12 lead in game one but he couldn’t get that last point. Then in game two, Bredenbeck jumped out to a 9-0 lead, helping go up 2-0 in the match. They were close again in game three, and Connell led 9-7. But Bredenbeck tied it at 9-9, and never trailed after that.

Mexican Andree Parrilla will play Bredenbeck in the quarterfinals Tuesday, as Parrilla beat Ramon De Leon from the Dominican Republic on Sunday, 15-6, 15-7, 15-13.

You can watch the action from Birmingham via the IRF YouTube channel. It's the next best thing to being here.

2022 World Games - Birmingham, Alabama

Men’s Singles - Round of 16 - Sunday & Monday July 10 & 11

1) Alejandro Landa (USA) d. 16) Eoin Tynan (Ireland), 15-8, 15-9, 15-4
8) Rodrigo Montoya (Mexico) d. 9) Diego Garcia (Argentina), 15-14, 15-14, 12-15, 15-8

5) Andree Parrilla (Mexico) d. 12) Ramon De Leon (Dominican Republic), 15-6, 15-7, 15-13
4) Jake Bredenbeck (USA) d. 13) Lee Connell (Canada), 15-14, 15-5, 15-12

3) Mario Mercado (Colombia) v. 14) Ken Cottrell (Ireland) - Monday 4 PM
6) Jose Daniel Ugalde (Ecuador) v. 11) Juan Francisco Cueva (Ecuador) - Monday 3 PM

7) Juan Jose Salvatierra (Guatemala) v. 10) Felipe Camacho (Costa Rica) - Monday Noon
2) Andres Acuña (Costa Rica) v. 15) Lee Gunhee (South Korea) - Monday 11 AM

Men’s Singles - Quarterfinals - Tuesday July 12

1) Alejandro Landa (USA) v. 8) Rodrigo Montoya (Mexico) - 11 AM
5) Andree Parrilla (Mexico) v. 4) Jake Bredenbeck (USA) - 5 PM

3) Mario Mercado (Colombia) or 14) Ken Cottrell (Ireland) v. 6) Jose Daniel Ugalde (Ecuador) or 11) Juan Francisco Cueva (Ecuador) - 9 AM
7) Juan Jose Salvatierra (Guatemala) or 10) Felipe Camacho (Costa Rica) v. 2) Andres Acuña (Costa Rica) or 15) Lee Gunhee (South Korea) - 3 PM

Women’s Singles - Round of 16 - Sunday & Monday July 10 & 11

1. Paola Longoria (Mexico) d. 16) Ayako Hanashi (Japan), 15-1, 15-5, 15-6
9) Carla Muñoz (Chile) d. 8) Maria Renee Rodriguez (Guatemala), 14-15, 15-7, 15-8, 15-13

5. Angelica Barrios (Bolivia) d. 12. Micaela Meneses (Bolivia), 15-9, 15-13, 15-11
4) Natalia Mendez (Argentina) d. 13) Sumin Lee (South Korea), 15-8, 15-4, 15-2

3) Rhonda Rajsich (USA) v. 14) Aisling Hickey (Ireland) - Monday 6 PM
6) Gabriela Martinez (Guatemala) v. 11) Michèle Morissette (Canada) - Monday 5 PM

7) Samantha Salas (Mexico) v. 10) Cristina Amaya (Colombia) - Monday 10 AM
2) Kelani Lawrence (USA) v. 15) Majella Haverty (Ireland) - Monday 9 AM

Women’s Singles - Quarterfinals - Tuesday July 12

1. Paola Longoria (Mexico) v. 9) Carla Muñoz (Chile) - Noon
4) Natalia Mendez (Argentina) v. 5. Angelica Barrios (Bolivia) - 10 AM

3) Rhonda Rajsich (USA) or 14) Aisling Hickey (Ireland) v. 6) Gabriela Martinez (Guatemala) or 11) Michèle Morissette (Canada) - 4 PM
7) Samantha Salas (Mexico) or 10) Cristina Amaya (Colombia) v. 2) Kelani Lawrence (USA) or 15) Majella Haverty (Ireland) - 6 PM

 Follow the bouncing ball….

Draws for The World Games 2022

The draws for The World Games 2022 in Birmingham, Alabama are out, and we have them for you below. Half of each field will play on Sunday and half on Monday, which is different from what is stated on The World Games website. Also, there is one change in the men’s draw from what we anticipated, as Lee Connell of Canada has replaced Conrrado Moscoso of Bolivia.

Connell is seeded 13th will play the USA’s Jake Bredenbeck - the 4th seed - in what could be one of the more interesting matches in the Round of 16 on men’s side with the winner to face the winner of Mexican Andree Parrilla and the Dominican Republic’s Ramon De Leon in the quarterfinals on Tuesday.

Two other interesting matches in the 16s should be Rodrigo Montoya of Mexico against Argentina’s Diego Garcia with the winner likely facing top seed and current International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Champion Alejandro Landa of the USA in the quarters, and Juan Jose Salvatierra of Guatemala taking on veteran Felipe Camacho of Costa Rica with the winner likely playing 2nd seed Andres Acuña of Costa Rica in the quarterfinals.

On the women’s side, two time defending World Games gold medalist Paola Longoria of Mexico will be the player to beat. She’ll play Japan’s Ayako Hanashi in the Round of 16 with the winner facing the winner of 8th seed Maria Renee Rodriguez of Guatemala and 9th seed Carla Muñoz of Chile, which should be one of the better matches in the 16s.

Mexican Samantha Salas versus Colombia Cristina Amaya should also be a good match between two veteran players. Amaya was the silver medalist at World Games 9 years ago in her hometown of Cali, Colombia, where she lost to Longoria in the final. The Salas-Amaya winner will play the winner of 2nd seed Kelani Lawrence (USA) and 15th seed Majella Havertz (Ireland) in the quarters.

It’s always a bit unfortunate when players from the same country have to face off prior to the final, and there are two such matches in the Round of 16. On the women’s side, Bolivians Angelica Barrios - the current Pan American Champion - will play Micela Meneses - the current IRF World Junior U18 Champion. On the men’s side, Ecuador’s Jose Daniel Ugalde plays team-mate Juan Francisco Cueva in the 16s.

2022 World Games - Birmingham, Alabama

Men’s Singles - Round of 16 - Sunday & Monday July 10 & 11

1) Alejandro Landa (USA) v. 16) Eoin Tynan (Ireland) - Sunday 6 PM
8) Rodrigo Montoya (Mexico) v. 9) Diego Garcia (Argentina) - Sunday 5 PM

5) Andree Parrilla (Mexico) v. 12) Ramon De Leon (Dominican Republic) - Sunday 9 AM
4) Jake Bredenbeck (USA) v. 13) Lee Connell (Canada) - Sunday 10 AM

3) Mario Mercado (Colombia) v. 14) Ken Cottrell (Ireland) - Monday 4 PM
6) Jose Daniel Ugalde (Ecuador) v. 11) Juan Francisco Cueva (Ecuador) - Monday 3 PM

7) Juan Jose Salvatierra (Guatemala) v. 10) Felipe Camacho (Costa Rica) - Monday Noon
2) Andres Acuña (Costa Rica) v. 15) Lee Gunhee (South Korea) - Monday 11 AM

Women’s Singles - Round of 16 - Sunday & Monday July 10 & 11

1. Paola Longoria (Mexico) v. 16) Ayako Hanashi (Japan) - Sunday 11 AM
8) Maria Renee Rodriguez (Guatemala) v. 9) Carla Muñoz (Chile) - Sunday Noon

5. Angelica Barrios (Bolivia) v. 12. Micaela Meneses (Bolivia) - Sunday 4 PM
4) Natalia Mendez (Argentina) v. 13) Sumin Lee (South Korea) - Sunday 3 PM

3) Rhonda Rajsich (USA) v. 14) Aisling Hickey (Ireland) - Monday 6 PM
6) Gabriela Martinez (Guatemala) v. 11) Michèle Morissette (Canada) - Monday 5 PM

7. Samantha Salas (Mexico) v. 10. Cristina Amaya (Colombia) - Monday 10 AM
2. Kelani Lawrence (USA) v. 15) Majella Haverty (Ireland) - Monday 9 AM

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Preview of Racquetball at The World Games 2022

The 2022 edition of The World Games begins later this week in Birmingham, Alabama, with the racquetball competition to begin on Sunday July 10. Sixteen men and sixteen women will compete for gold in Birmingham, and they qualified based on results from the 2021 International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Championships in Guatemala. These games were supposed to take place last year, but were pushed back because of the COVID pandemic.

Racquetball was included in the first World Games back in 1981 in Santa Clara, California, and 2022 marks the first time The World Games have been back in the USA or even in North America since then. Racquetball has been in The World Games five times previously with the last time being nine years ago in Cali, Colombia, which was just the second time The World Games have been in the Americas.

The USA has won more racquetball medals at The World Games than any other nation, including 7 of the 10 gold medals, although none of the finalists from 9 years ago were American. Two Mexicans faced off in the men’s final with Polo Gutierrez defeating Gilberto Mejia, 11-10, in the tie-breaker, while fellow Mexican Paola Longoria also needed a tie-breaker to win World Games gold for the 2nd time, and ruin the Cinderella story of Colombian Cristina Amaya, who was playing at home and got to the final despite being the 15th seed.

Longoria will be the top seed again in the women’s draw, which will also include Amaya. But Gutierrez and Mejia have retired from competition. Indeed, only one man from 2013 will be in the 2022 draw: Felipe Camacho of Costa Rica. Two other women from 2013 are in the draw with Longoria and Amaya: American Rhonda Rajsich and Chilean Carla Muñoz.

There should be some great matches in Birmingham, especially as the tournament progresses. Of the last eight matches in 2013 - the semi-finals, 3rd place and final matches for both men and women - six of them went to a tie-breaker: all four of the men’s matches and two of the women’s matches went breaker. In the two women’s matches that didn’t go to a tie-breaker, the second game was 15-14. Hopefully, we’ll see matches that close in Birmingham.

Event format

The men’s Round of 16 will be on July 10 with the women’s 16s on July 11. Then the quarterfinals and semi-finals will be July 12 and the finals on July 13. We believe there will be 3rd place matches as well on the 13th.

The main court from the US Open will be used for the event, and all matches will be played on that court. Also, we understand that video replay rather than line judges will be used for all appeals. It will be interesting to see how well that works.

The World Games match format will be the same as for the 2022 Pan American Championships: best of 5 games with the first four games to 15 points, win by 1, and the fifth game, if necessary, will be played to 11 points, win by 2. Rally scoring - every rally results in a point for a player - will used.

2022 World Games Qualifiers - Men’s Singles
Seedings unofficial

1. Alejandro Landa (USA)
2. Andres Acuña (Costa Rica)
3. Mario Mercado (Colombia)
4. Conrrado Moscoso (Bolivia)
5. Jake Bredenbeck (USA)
6. Andree Parrilla (Mexico)
7. Jose Daniel Ugalde (Ecuador)
8. Juan Jose Salvatierra (Guatemala)
9. Rodrigo Montoya (Mexico)
10. Diego Garcia (Argentina)
11. Felipe Camacho (Costa Rica)
12. Ramon De Leon (Dominican Republic)
13. Juan Francisco Cueva (Ecuador)
14. Ken Cottrell (Ireland)
15. Lee Gunhee (South Korea)
16. Eoin Tynan (Ireland)

2022 World Games Qualifiers - Women’s Singles
Seedings unofficial

1. Paola Longoria (Mexico)
2. Kelani Lawrence (USA)
3. Rhonda Rajsich (USA)
4. Natalia Mendez (Argentina)
5. Angelica Barrios (Bolivia)
6. Gabriela Martinez (Guatemala)
7. Samantha Salas (Mexico)
8. Maria Renee Rodriguez (Guatemala)
9. Carla Muñoz (Chile)
10. Cristina Amaya (Colombia)
11. Michèle Morissette (Canada)
12. Micaela Meneses (Bolivia)
13. Sumin Lee (South Korea)
14. Aisling Hickey (Ireland)
15. Majella Haverty (Ireland)
16. Ayako Hanashi (Japan)

 Follow the bouncing ball….

2021-22 LPRT Season Summary

Paola Longoria finished as the #1 player on the Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) for the 13th time - and 11th consecutive season. Those are LPRT records, far surpassing Michelle Gould’s seven #1s, six of which were consecutive. Longoria won 6 of the 9 LPRT events this season, and she continues to be the dominant player on the LPRT.

And yet 2021-22 was a remarkable season for other players as well. Gabriela Martinez and Alexandra Herrera both won their first LPRT titles. Indeed, Herrera won back to back events, defeating Longoria in each final, which was most impressive.

Erika Manilla also had a breakthrough season, going from #37 in 2020-21 to #6 this season, which included two semi-finals and three quarterfinals. Notably, Manilla became the highest ranked USA player not named Rhonda Rajsich since 2005, when Cheryl Gudinas finished above Rajsich.

To her credit, Rajisch, helped by four quarterfinal finishes, did finish in the top 10 this season, which was her 22nd season in the top 10, breaking the record set by Gudinas of 21 top 20 seasons.

Overall, twelve players reached the semi-finals or better in one or more of the 9 LPRT events this season. Six of those players were in more than one semi-final (or better). A further six players made it to the quarterfinals at least once.

Doubles

Paola Longoria and Samantha Salas won three of the seven LPRT doubles titles this season, and Longoria won another with Maria Jose Vargas. But Alexandra Herrera also won three titles, and did so with three different partners: Montserrat Mejia, who is her usual partner, as well as Jessica Parrilla and Erika Manilla.

Those results led to Herrera finishing as the #1 LPRT Doubles player ahead of Longoria. Salas, who missed a few events, was #3 with Manilla and Mejia #4 and #5, respectively.

Maria Renee Rodriguez, who is a strong right side doubles player, finished the season as the 6th ranked LPRT doubles player with Kelani Lawrence 7th. Natalia Mendez and Valeria Centellas, who are frequent doubles partners on the LPRT as well as for Argentina internationally, were the 8th and 9th ranked players with Jessica Parrilla rounding out the top 10.

If you sum the singles and doubles rankings to create an overall ranking, Longoria and Herrera are joint #1, as they were 1 and 2 or vice versa in the rankings. Manilla comes out 3rd overall with ranks that sum to 10 (6th in singles + 4th in doubles) with Mendez 4th (12 = 4 + 8) and Mejia 5th (15 = 10 + 5).

Best ever?

We didn’t see much of the women’s pros in years gone by, but we know that the best of them were great, so we’re hesitant to call Paola Longoria the best player ever. However, this does seem to be the best era of women’s racquetball.

Several players are threats to reach the semi-finals. Yet if Longoria is in the draw, it’s difficult to pick anyone but her to win it. That does suggest that she’s the best ever, because Longoria continues to dominant the tour when it seems to be its strongest.

Much of her primary competition are young. Just as Longoria was much younger than the elite pros, like Rajsich and Gudinas, when she arrived on the scene, so are players like Herrera, Martinez, Manilla and Barrios younger than Longoria, who’ll be 33 later this month, and is now in the role of veteran. It will be interesting to see how the youngsters fare against Longoria and each other over the next few years.

That’s why we feel that the 2022-23 LPRT season can’t come soon enough!

LPRT 2021-22 Season Ending Rankings - Singles

Rank - Name - Country - Points

1 Paola Longoria (Mexico) - 1976
2 Alexandra Herrera (Mexico) - 1321.5
3 Maria Jose Vargas (Argentina) - 1019.5
4 Natalia Mendez (Argentina) - 602
5 Gabriela Martinez (Guatemala) - 579

6 Erika Manilla (USA) - 522.25
7 Angelica Barrios (Bolivia) - 465
8 Jessica Parrilla (Mexico) - 449.5
9 Rhonda Rajsich (USA) - 444
10 Montserrat Mejia (Mexico) - 436.25

11 Carla Muñoz (Chile) - 406.75
12 Kelani Lawrence (USA) - 401
13 Brenda Laime (Colombia) - 371
14 Samantha Salas (Mexico) - 367.5
15 Valeria Centellas (Argentina) - 294.5

16 Hollie Scott (USA) - 286
17 Maria Renee Rodriguez (Guatemala) - 223.75
18 Sheryl Lotts (USA) - 210.25
19 Nancy Enriquez (Mexico) - 192.25
20 Cristina Amaya (Colombia) - 171.25

LPRT 2021-22 Season Results Summary - Singles
Player - Wins - Finals - Semi-finals - Quarterfinals

Paola Longoria - 6 - 2 - 0 - 0
Alexandra Herrera - 2 - 3 - 2 - 0
Gabriela Martinez - 1 - 0 - 1 - 2
Maria Jose Vargas - 0 - 3 - 2 - 2
Montserrat Mejia - 0 - 1 - 0 - 2

Natalia Mendez - 0 - 0 - 3 - 3
Erika Manilla - 0 - 0 - 2 - 3
Angelica Barrios - 0 - 0 - 2 - 1
Jessica Parrilla - 0 - 0 - 1 - 3
Samantha Salas - 0 - 0 - 1 - 3

Kelani Lawrence - 0 - 0 - 1 - 2
Hollie Scott - 0 - 0 - 1 - 0
Rhonda Rajsich - 0 - 0 - 0 - 4
Carla Muñoz - 0 - 0 - 0 - 4
Brenda Laime - 0 - 0 - 0 - 4

Valeria Centellas - 0 - 0 - 0 - 1
Nancy Enriquez - 0 - 0 - 0 - 1
Jenny Daza - 0 - 0 - 0 - 1

LPRT 2021-22 Season Ending Rankings - Doubles

Rank - Name - Country - Points

1 Alexandra Herrera (Mexico) - 240.5
2 Paola Longoria (Mexico) - 219.21
3 Samantha Salas (Mexico) - 170.6
4 Erika Manilla (USA) - 146.78
5 Montserrat Mejia (Mexico) - 141.61

6 Maria Renee Rodriguez (Guatemala) - 124.22
7 Kelani Lawrence (USA) - 106.95
8 Natalia Mendez (Argentina) - 112.34
9 Valeria Centellas (Argentina) - 100.68
10 Jessica Parrilla (Mexico) - 99.29

11 Gabriela Martinez (Guatemala) - 93.68
12 Hollie Scott (USA) - 89.43
13 Maria Jose Vargas (Argentina) - 78.69
14 Carla Muñoz (Chile) - 70.45
15 Rhonda Rajsich (USA) - 65.4

16 Brenda Laime (Colombia) - 55.12
17 Sheryl Lotts (USA) - 49.19
18 Veronica Sotomayor (Ecuador) - 42.76
19 Montserrat Perez (Mexico) - 36.7
20 Adriana Riveros (Colombia) - 27.4

LPRT 2021-22 Season Ending Rankings - Combined
Rank - Name - Country - Score (Singles rank + Doubles rank)

1 Paola Longoria (Mexico) - 3 (1+2)
1 Alexandra Herrera (Mexico) - 3 (2+1)
3 Erika Manilla (USA) - 10 (6+4)
4 Natalia Mendez (Argentina) - 12 (4+8)
5 Montserrat Mejia (Mexico) - 15 (10+5)

6 Maria Jose Vargas (Argentina) - 16 (3+13)
6 Gabriela Martinez (Guatemala) - 16 (5+11)
8 Samantha Salas (Mexico) - 17 (14+3)
9 Jessica Parrilla (Mexico) - 18 (8+10)
10 Kelani Lawrence (USA) - 19 (12+7)

11 Maria Renee Rodriguez (Guatemala) - 23 (17+6)
12 Valeria Centellas (Argentina) - 24 (15+9)
13 Rhonda Rajsich (USA) - 24 (9+15)
14 Carla Muñoz (Chile) - 25 (11+14)
15 Hollie Scott (USA) - 28 (16+12)

Follow the bouncing ball....