Mexico sweeps team finals at 2022 IRF World Championships

Mexico won the Men’s and Women’s Team competitions on home soil at the 2022 International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Championships in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, confirming them as the #1 racquetball country in the world. The Mexican men defeated Canada in two straight matches, while the Mexican women needed all three matches to claim gold from Bolivia.

Although the Men’s Team final was over in two straight matches, both went to fifth game tie-breakers and could easily have gone in Canada’s favour, as the Canadians led in both matches. In the first, Canadian Coby Iwaasa was up 2-1 on Mexican Rodrigo Montoya, and had momentum after winning 11-3 the third game. But Montoya - a former World Champion in Men’s Singles and current World Champion in Mixed Doubles - regrouped and led all the way in games four and five, winning the match, 11-7, 9-11, 3-11, 11-6, 11-4.

Montoya’s win meant Canadian Samuel Murray needed to beat Mexican Daniel De La Rosa in the second match to push the final to a third and deciding match, which would have been doubles. Murray looked like he would do just that as he went up 2-0 on De La Rosa, winning game one 11-9 and game two 11-6.

However, De La Rosa is the #1 player on the International Racquetball Tour (IRT) and two time World Champion in Men’s Doubles for good reasons, and he was not going to roll over, especially in his hometown. De La Rosa led most of the way in game three, winning it 11-7, to begin his comeback.

But in game four, they were back and forth. When Murray tied it at 8–8, despite De La Rosa appealing that Murray’s cross court forehand shot from the back left corner had skipped - the call was upheld after video review, which is new for these championships - there was a sense that Murray would pull off the upset.

Yet De La Rosa hit three winners on successive rallies to win game four 11-8, and force a tie-breaker.

The breaker was back and forth early, leading to a tie at 6-6. De La Rosa got a couple of bounces to go his way on the next two rallies. He hit a ball high that took a big bounce into the front court, which should have led to a Murray winner, but the ball went right along the right side glass wall, which led to a error by the Canadian. On the next rally, De La Rosa’s drive serve to the left side bounced out and close to the side wall resulting in a service winner.

Murray called a timeout, and won the ensuing rally with a forehand down the left side, getting to within one of De La Rosa at 8-7. But again the Mexican’s quality shone through, as he hit winners on the next three rallies, finishing in style with a forehand reverse pinch to the front left corner for the match and the title.

In comparison, the Women’s Team final was not nearly as dramatic. Three matches were needed to decide it, but all three were over in three games, and none of the games was decided by fewer than three points.

Bolivian Angelica Barrios - the current Pan American Champion in Women’s Singles - defeated Mexican Alexandra Herrera, 11-6, 11-6, 11-7, in the first match. Then Mexican Paola Longoria - the current Women’s Singles World Champion, winning the title for a 5th time earlier this week - dispatched of Jenny Daza, 11-4, 11-8, 11-6. The deciding match saw Longoria and Samantha Salas - the current Women’s Doubles World Champions, winning that title for a 5th time together this week - beat Barrios and Daza, 11-4, 11-7, 11-3.

All of the Men’s and Women’s Team event final matches were live streamed by the IRF, and you can see them - the men’s matches are especially worth watching - by going to the IRF YouTube channel. The next event for the IRF is the World Junior Championships in Guatemala, December 2-10.

XXI International Racquetball Federation World Championships
San Luis Potosi, Mexico - August 19-27

Men’s Team - Final - Saturday

Mexico d. Canada

Rodrigo Montoya (Mexico) d. Coby Iwaasa (Canada), 11-7, 9-11, 3-11, 11-6, 11-4
Daniel De La Rosa (Mexico) d. Samuel Murray (Canada), 9-11, 6-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-7
Alvaro Beltran & Daniel De La Rosa (Mexico) v. Coby Iwaasa & Samuel Murray (Canada) - not played

Women’s Team - Final - Saturday

Mexico d. Bolivia

Angelica Barrios (Bolivia) d. Alexandra Herrera (Mexico), 11-6, 11-6, 11-7
Paola Longoria (Mexico) d. Jenny Daza (Bolivia), 11-4, 11-8, 11-6
Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas (Mexico) d. Angelia Barrios & Jenny Daza (Bolivia), 11-4, 11-7, 11-3

Follow the bouncing ball…..

Mexico in both finals of the team competitions at 2022 IRF World Championships

Men’s and Women’s Team competitions are the final part of the 2022 International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Championships in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. Team competitions were featured at World Championships in the past, but starting in 2014 the team winners were determined by simply adding up points countries earned from the individual events.

The team competition is a best of three matches consisting of two singles players facing off and a doubles match. The order of the matches varies from round to round, with one of the singles playing first and the doubles team playing second or third. If a country wins the first two matches, then the third match is not played.

In Friday’s Men’s Team quarterfinals, Bolivia defeated Argentina, Canada beat Ecuador, and on the bottom of the draw, the USA defeated Guatemala, and Mexico beat Cuba. Then in the semi-finals, Canada beat Bolivia in two straight matches, while Mexico and the USA went the distance with Mexican Daniel De La Rosa clinching the match by defeating Rocky Carson, 11-6, 11-6, 11-5.

The Women’s Team quarterfinals were won by Mexico over Colombia, USA defeated Guatemala, and then on the bottom of the draw, Bolivia beat Ecuador and Argentina defeated Canada.

In the semi-finals, Mexico defeated the USA, and Bolivia beat Argentina. The deciding match in the Bolivia-Argentina final was doubles: Angelica Barrios and Jenny Daza versus Valeria Centellas and Natalia Mendez with Bolivia winning in four games, 14-12, 8-11, 11-8, 11-4.

The team final begin at 1 PM CDT Saturday with the #2 singles players facing off, followed by the #1 singles players, then the doubles teams, if necessary. That order is same for both men’s and women’s teams. Check out the IRF Facebook page or the IRF YouTube channel for live streaming of matches.

XXI International Racquetball Federation World Championships
San Luis Potosi, Mexico - August 19-27

Men’s Team - Round of 16 - Thursday

Bolivia - BYE
Argentina d. Japan

Ecuador d. India
Canada - BYE

USA - BYE
Guatemala d. Chile

Cuba d. Costa Rica
Mexico - BYE

Quarterfinals - Friday

Bolivia d. Argentina
Canada d. Ecuador

USA d. Guatemala
Mexico d. Cuba

Semi-finals - Friday

Canada d. Bolivia, 2-0
Mexico d. USA, 2-1

Final - Saturday

Mexico v. Canada
1 PM - Rodrigo Montoya v. Coby Iwaasa
3 PM - Daniel De La Rosa v. Samuel Murray
5 PM - Alvaro Beltran & Daniel De La Rosa v. Coby Iwaasa & Samuel Murray - if necessary

Women’s Team - Round of 16 - Thursday

Mexico - BYE
Colombia d. Chile

Guatemala - BYE
USA - BYE

Bolivia - BYE
Ecuador - BYE

Canada d. Japan
Argentina - BYE

Quarterfinals - Friday

Mexico d. Colombia
USA d. Guatemala

Bolivia d. Ecuador
Argentina d. Canada

Semi-finals - Friday

Mexico d. USA

Bolivia d. Argentina, 2-0

Final - Saturday

Mexico v. Bolivia
2 PM - Alexandra Herrera v. Jenny Daza
4 PM - Paola Longoria v. Angelica Barrios
6 PM - Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas v. Angelia Barrios & Jenny Daza - if necessary

Follow the bouncing ball…..

Champions new & old at 2022 IRF World Championships

One new and one old champion were crowned in singles at the 2022 International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Championships in San Luis Potosi, Mexico Thursday. Bolivian Conrrado Moscoso is the new champion as he won Men’s Singles by defeating five time former champion American Rocky Carson, 8-11, 11-7, 11-4, 11-8. The “old” or repeat champion is Paola Longoria of Mexico, who won her 5th Women’s Singles title by beating Gabriela Martinez of Guatemala, 12-10, 11-7, 11-7. Longoria has won five of the last six women’s championships with the other one going to Martinez in 2018.

In his march to the title, Moscoso beat the three men who had won the last seven Men’s Singles titles: Alejandro Landa (USA), champion in 2021, Rodrigo Montoya (Mexico) - the 2018 champion - and Carson, who won the five times prior to Montoya.

Mexico swept the doubles divisions, but none of the matches were three straight games and two went to five games with one decided by just two points. The closest match was the Women’s Doubles final, which we would have predicted would not have been the closest, which is why we don’t gamble on sports.

But in a very closely contested Women’s Doubles final, defending champions Longoria and Samantha Salas of Mexico defeated a young Argentinian team of Valeria Centellas and Natalia Mendez, 11-6, 15-17, 11-9, 9-11, 12-10, to win their 5th championship together. The Argentines gave the Mexicans all they could handle, and when they forced the fifth game after being down 2-1, Argentina came out strong taking a 5-1 lead in the breaker.

They were still ahead at 9-6, after Salas skipped a forehand reverse pinch shot. Salas had looked shakey earlier in the match, but she was great down the stretch, as she scored four of the last six Mexican points, including a kill shot from deep in the court that was the match winner.

The Men’s Doubles also went the distance as veteran Alvaro Beltran and Daniel De La Rosa lost the first two games to Bolivians Roland Keller and Conrrado Moscoso, but came back to win it in five, 7-11, 12-14, 11-7, 11-5, 11-6. Needing to win game three, Beltran hit drive serves down the right side - rather than his usual lob serves - on the last three rallies, which led to three Mexican points, and extended the match.

Bolivia got the first point of game four, and then Mexico tied it at 1-1. The Mexicans never trailed from there on. Indeed, as they took a 5-0 lead to start game five, Beltran was playing it up to the capacity crowd.

When the match ended, there was much respect from the Bolivians to the Mexicans, especially the veteran Beltran, who won his 6th IRF World Championship - 5th in doubles to go with one in singles, which was the first of his championships way back in 2000. That was also won in San Luis Potosí. If Beltran, who’ll be 44 in October retires before the next World Championships in two years, this end will have seen his career come full circle.

Rodrigo Montoya and Samatha Salas added a World Championship to the Pan American Championship they won earlier this year, as they beat Canadians Frédérique Lambert and Samuel Murray in the final, 11-3, 9-11, 11-8, 11-9. They become the first Mixed Doubles Champions in IRF World Championships history, and Samantha Salas joins her women’s doubles partner Paola Longoria as the only players to have won two titles at the same World Championships. Also, Montoya becomes the first player to have won all three divisions: singles, doubles and mixed doubles, doing so in that order in consecutive World Championships.

Play continues Friday with the Men’s and Women’s Team Competition, which are best of 3 matches: 2 singles matches and 1 doubles match. Some of that began on Thursday.

If you missed any of Thursday’s finals, and want to see the matches - they were all good - check out the IRF YouTube channel.

XXI International Racquetball Federation World Championships
San Luis Potosi, Mexico - August 19-27

Men’s Singles - Medal Round - Final - Thursday

Conrrado Moscoso (BOL) d. Rocky Carson (USA), 8-11, 11-7, 11-4, 11-8

Women’s Singles - Medal Round - Final - Thursday

Paola Longoria (MEX) d. Gabriela Martinez (GUA), 12-10, 11-8, 11-7

Men’s Doubles - Final - Thursday

Alvaro Beltran & Daniel De La Rosa (MEX) v. Roland Keller & Conrrado Moscoso (BOL), 7-11, 12-14, 11-7, 11-5, 11-6

Women’s Doubles - Final - Thursday

Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas (MEX) d. Valeria Centellas & Natalia Mendez (ARG), 11-6, 15-17, 11-9, 9-11, 12-10

Mixed Doubles - Final - Thursday

Rodrigo Montoya & Samatha Salas (MEX) v. Frédérique Lambert & Samuel Murray (CAN), 11-3, 9-11, 11-8, 11-9

Follow the bouncing ball…..

Finals set for 2022 IRF World Championships

The singles finals at the 2022 International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Championships in San Luis Potosi, Mexico on Thursday will be a journey back in time, as both are rematches of past World Championship finals. The Men’s Singles final will be veteran American Rocky Carson versus Bolivian Conrrado Moscoso, who played in the final in 2014 (Carson won), while the Women’s Singles final is current champion Paola Longoria of Mexico versus Gabriela Martinez of Guatemala, which will be the third time in the last four World Championships that they will play for gold. Longoria won in 2016, and Martinez in 2018.

In the semi-finals on Wednesday, Carson came back from two games down to defeat Costa Rican Andres Acuña, 8-11, 7-11, 11-7, 12-10, 11-4, while Moscoso beat Mexican Rodrigo Montoya, 11-4, 11-2, 11-6. Carson will be going for a record extending 6th Men’s Singles World Championship Thursday, but Moscoso seems like a man on a mission, as he’s dispatched the last two champions in successive days without giving up more than 12 points in either match. He beat defending champion Alejandro Landa of the USA on Tuesday and Montoya - the 2018 champion - Wednesday.

Longoria, the four time women’s champion, actually had to play more games in the semi-finals than Martinez. Longoria defeated Bolivian Angelica Barrios - the current Pan American Champion, 11-9, 8-11, 11-5, 11-4, while Martinez beat Alexandra Herrera of Mexico in three straight games, 12-10, 11-6, 11-9.

Herrera led for all of game one versus Martinez, including at 8-5 and 9-7. But Martinez tied it at 9-9, which led to a Herrera timeout. Martinez got the first point out of the timeout, giving her game point at 10-9. Herrera hit a winning backhand serve return to tie it at 10-10, but a Martinez pinch shot got a second game point, which she converted to steal game one, 12-10.

Martinez led throughout game two, although they were tied at 5-5. From there Martinez outscored Herrera 6-1, including an off speed serve to the right side that cracked out for an ace.

Game three was a similar story, as Martinez led early. Herrera tied the game at 6-6, but after taking a timeout, Martinez then hit three winners make the score 9-6, and went on to win it 11-9.

Mexicans are the odds on favourites to win all the doubles titles, although nothing is assured. In Men’s Doubles, Alvaro Beltran and Daniel De La Rosa will be going for a second title together, and Beltran’s 6th overall (he currently has four doubles titles & one singles title).

They defeated the USA’s Sam Bredenbeck and Charles Pratt, 12-10, 11-9, 11-7, in one semi-final while Bolivians Roland Keller and Conrrado Moscoso beat Canadians Coby Iwaasa and Samuel Murray, 11-8, 11-6, 1-11, 11-9, in the other. It’s the second straight Worlds that the Bolivians have been in the Men’s Doubles final. They lost in the final last year to Mexicans Javier Mar and Rodrigo Montoya.

The Women’s Doubles final will be between Mexicans Paola Longoria and Samantha Salas and Argentina’s Valeria Centellas and Natalia Mendez. Longoria and Salas will be trying to win their fifth World Championship Thursday, while Centellas will be going for her second with a second different country. She won - with Yasmine Sabja - in 2018, when she represented Bolivia.

In the semi-finals, Longoria and Salas defeated Gabriela Martinez and Maria Renee Rodriguez of Guatemala, 11-4, 12-10, 11-9, while Centellas and Mendez beat Frédérique Lambert and Michèle Morissette, 11-6, 11-4, 11-2.

Finally, Rodrigo Montoya and Samatha Salas will have a chance to add a World Championship to the Pan American Championship they won earlier this year, as they beat Centellas and Diego Garcia, 11-7, 11-9, 11-7. If Montoya wins, he’ll have three different championships in three different divisions.

In the other semi-final, Canadians Frédérique Lambert and Samuel Murray defeated Bolivian, so Jenny Daza and Conrrado Moscoso, 11-9, 11-9, 12-10.

The finals will be streamed in succession beginning with the Women’s Singles final at 3 PM CDT Thursday. Check out the IRF Facebook page or the IRF YouTube channel for live stream.

XXI International Racquetball Federation World Championships
San Luis Potosi, Mexico - August 19-27

Men’s Singles - Medal Round - Semi-finals - Wednesday

Rocky Carson (USA) d. Andres Acuña (CRC), 8-11, 7-11, 11-7, 12-10, 11-4
Conrrado Moscoso (BOL) d. Rodrigo Montoya (MEX), 11-4, 11-2, 11-6

Final - Thursday

Rocky Carson (USA) v. Conrrado Moscoso (BOL) - 4 PM

Women’s Singles - Medal Round - Semi-finals - Wednesday

Paola Longoria (MEX) d. Angelica Barrios (BOL), 11-9, 8-11, 11-5, 11-4
Gabriela Martinez (GUA) d. Alexandra Herrera (MEX), 12-10, 11-6, 11-9

Final - Thursday

Paola Longoria (MEX) v. Gabriela Martinez (GUA) - 3 PM

Men’s Doubles - Semi-finals - Wednesday

Alvaro Beltran & Daniel De La Rosa (MEX) d. Sam Bredenbeck & Charles Pratt (USA), 12-10, 11-9, 11-7
Roland Keller & Conrrado Moscoso (BOL) d. Coby Iwaasa & Samuel Murray (CAN), 11-8, 11-6, 1-11, 11-9

Final - Thursday

Alvaro Beltran & Daniel De La Rosa (MEX) v. Roland Keller & Conrrado Moscoso (BOL) - 6 PM

Women’s Doubles - Semi-finals - Wednesday

Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas (MEX) d. Gabriela Martinez & Maria Renee Rodriguez (GUA), 11-4, 12-10, 11-9
Valeria Centellas & Natalia Mendez (ARG) d. Frédérique Lambert & Michèle Morissette (CAN), 11-6, 11-4, 11-2

Final - Thursday

Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas (MEX) v. Valeria Centellas & Natalia Mendez (ARG) - 5 PM

Mixed Doubles - Semi-finals - Wednesday

Rodrigo Montoya & Samatha Salas (MEX) d. Valeria Centellas & Diego Garcia (ARG), 11-7, 11-9, 11-7
Frédérique Lambert & Samuel Murray (CAN) d. Jenny Daza & Conrrado Moscoso (BOL), 11-9, 11-9, 12-10

Final - Thursday

Rodrigo Montoya & Samatha Salas (MEX) v. Frédérique Lambert & Samuel Murray (CAN) - 7 PM

Men’s Singles - Consolation Round - Semi-finals Wednesday

Diego Garcia (ARG) d. Fabian Balmori (ESP), 11-4, 11-6, 11-4
Markell Moyet (CUB) d. Tomas Oyhanart (ARG), 11-6, 11-6, 11-1

Final - Wednesday

Markell Moyet (CUB) d. Diego Garcia (ARG), forfeit

Women’s Singles - Consolation Round - Semi-finals Wednesday

Juliette Parent (CAN) d. Jazmin Elizabeth Aguilar Salvatierra (GUA), 11-7, 11-3, 11-7
Danielle Drury (CAN) d. Ana Lucia Sarmiento (ECU), 11-3, 11-5, 11-1

Final - Wednesday

Juliette Parent (CAN) d. Danielle Drury (CAN), forfeit

Follow the bouncing ball…..

Top seeds in doubles through to the semi-finals at 2022 IRF World Championships

The three Mexican top seeds in doubles all won their respective matches on Tuesday, as the medal round began at the 2022 International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Championships in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. In Men’s Doubles, the 2018 champions Alvaro Beltran and Daniel De La Rosa defeated Ecuador’s Juan Francisco Cueva and Jose Daniel Ugalde, 11-7, 11-8, 11-7. They’ll face the USA team of Sam Bredenbeck and Charles Pratt in the semi-finals on Wednesday, as the USA beat Cubans Yandy Espinosa and Maikel Moyet, 11-6, 12-10, 11-5, on Tuesday.

In Women’s Doubles, Mexicans Paola Longoria and Samantha Salas, who are the defending champions, are into the semis after defeating Bolivians Angelica Barrios and Jenny Daza, 11-5, 11-4, 11-4. Up next for them will be Guatemalans Gabriela Martinez and Maria Renee Rodriguez who defeated Colombians Cristina Amaya and Maria Paz Riquelme, 11-2, 13-11, 12-10.

The Pan American Champions in Mixed Doubles - Mexicans Rodrigo Montoya and Samatha Salas - beat Chileans Rodrigo Salgado Jr. and Carla Muñoz, 11-6, 11-5, 11-9, in the quarterfinals Tuesday. They’ll play Argentina’s Valeria Centellas and Diego Garcia, who defeated Maria Renee Rodriguez and Juan Salvatierra of Guatemala, 11-8, 11-9, 12-10.

The closest match in Mixed Doubles was between Canadians Frédérique Lambert and Samuel Murray and Americans Michelle De La Rosa and Alejandro Landa, which was understandable as the players are very familiar with each other from playing on the pro tours. Murray and Landa have often been doubles partners, and Lambert and De La Rosa played together as well. Thus, it wasn’t surprising that their match went five games with Canada coming on top, 8-11, 11-7, 12-10, 10-12, 11-5.

Canada’s win sets up a rematch with Bolivians Jenny Daza and Conrrado Moscoso in the semi-finals, as Bolivia beat Ecuador’s Josue Bermeo and Maria Paz Muñoz, 11-7, 11-9, 11-9. Bolivia defeated Canada in the group stage of play.

Finally, we believe the longest game in World Championship history was played in the Women’s Doubles match between Valeria Centellas and Natalia Mendez of Argentina and Hollie Scott and Kelani Lawrence of the USA. After splitting the first two games of their match, game three when into extra points, and wasn’t decided until they got to 20-18! Argentina won that game, and went on to win the match in four games, 8-11, 11-9, 20-18, 11-4.

Semi-final day begins at 11 AM CDT on Wednesday. Check out the IRF Facebook page or the IRF YouTube channel for live streaming of matches.

XXI International Racquetball Federation World Championships
San Luis Potosi, Mexico - August 19-27

Men’s Doubles - Tuesday

First round

Juan Francisco Cueva & Jose Daniel Ugalde (ECU) d. Edwin Galicia & Christian Wer (GUA), 8-11, 11-5, 5-11, 11-8, 11-8
Yandy Espinosa & Maikel Moyet (CUB) d. Tomas Oyhanart & Diego Garcia (ARG), 11-7, 8-11, 11-5, 11-7
Andres Acuña & Sergio Acuña (CRC) d. Ravi Ranjan & Vineet Singh (IND), 11-5, 11-3, 11-3
Diego Gatica & Jaime Mansilla (CHI) d. Hiroshi Shimizu & Yuki Nakano (JAP), 11-4, 14-12, 6-11, 6-11, 12-10

Quarterfinals

Alvaro Beltran & Daniel De La Rosa (MEX) d. Juan Francisco Cueva & Jose Daniel Ugalde (ECU), 11-7, 11-8, 11-7
Sam Bredenbeck & Charles Pratt (USA) d. Yandy Espinosa & Maikel Moyet (CUB), 11-6, 12-10, 11-5

Coby Iwaasa & Samuel Murray (CAN) d. Andres Acuña & Sergio Acuña (CRC), 11-3, 12-10, 11-8
Roland Keller & Conrrado Moscoso (BOL) d. Diego Gatica & Jaime Mansilla (CHI), 11-2, 11-7, 11-5

Semi-finals

Alvaro Beltran & Daniel De La Rosa (MEX) v. Sam Bredenbeck & Charles Pratt (USA) - 2 PM
Roland Keller & Conrrado Moscoso (BOL) v. Coby Iwaasa & Samuel Murray (CAN) - 4 PM

Women’s Doubles - Tuesday

First round

Angelica Barrios & Jenny Daza (BOL) d. Paula Mansilla & Carla Muñoz (CHI), 11-6, 11-3, 11-8
Valeria Centellas & Natalia Mendez (ARG) d. Yurisleidis Araujo & Maria Regla (CUB), forfeit
Ana Lucia Sarmiento & Maria Jose Muñoz (ECU) d. Maiko Sato & Naomi Wakimoto (JAP), 11-6, 11-7, 7-11, 11-6

Quarterfinals

Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas (MEX) d. Angelica Barrios & Jenny Daza (BOL), 11-5, 11-4, 11-4
Gabriela Martinez & Maria Renee Rodriguez (GUA) d. Cristina Amaya & Maria Paz Riquelme (COL), 11-2, 13-11, 12-10

Valeria Centellas & Natalia Mendez (ARG) d. Hollie Scott & Kelani Lawrence (USA), 8-11, 11-9, 20-18, 11-4
Frédérique Lambert & Michèle Morissette (CAN) d. Ana Lucia Sarmiento & Maria Jose Muñoz (ECU), 11-5, 11-6, 5-11, 13-11

Semi-finals

Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas (MEX) v. Gabriela Martinez & Maria Renee Rodriguez (GUA) - 3 PM
Frédérique Lambert & Michèle Morissette (CAN) v. Valeria Centellas & Natalia Mendez (ARG) - 5 PM

Mixed Doubles - Tuesday

First round

Rodrigo Salgado Jr. & Carla Muñoz (CHI) d. Harumi Kajino & Michimune Kono (JAP), 11-5, 11-3, 11-4
Josue Bermeo & Maria Paz Muñoz (ECU) d. Yurisleidis Araujo & Maikel Moyet (CUB), forfeit

Quarterfinals

Rodrigo Montoya & Samatha Salas (MEX) d. Rodrigo Salgado Jr. & Carla Muñoz (CHI), 11-6, 11-5, 11-9
Valeria Centellas & Diego Garcia (ARG) d. Maria Renee Rodriguez & Juan Salvatierra (GUA), 11-8, 11-9, 12-10

Frédérique Lambert & Samuel Murray (CAN) d. Michelle De La Rosa & Alejandro Landa (USA), 8-11, 11-7, 12-10, 10-12, 11-5
Jenny Daza & Conrrado Moscoso (BOL) d. Josue Bermeo & Maria Paz Muñoz (ECU), 11-7, 11-9, 11-9

Semi-finals - Wednesday

Rodrigo Montoya & Samatha Salas (MEX) v. Valeria Centellas & Diego Garcia (ARG) - 6 PM
Jenny Daza & Conrrado Moscoso (BOL) v. Frédérique Lambert & Samuel Murray (CAN) - 6 PM

Follow the bouncing ball…..

Upsets in singles at the 2022 IRF World Championships

There will be a new Men’s Singles International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Champion, as Bolivian Conrrado Moscoso beat reigning champion Alejandro Landa of the USA, 11-3, 11-2, 11-3, in the quarterfinals on Tuesday at the 2022 IRF World Championships in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. However, Mexican Paola Longoria is still on track to defend her Women’s Singles title, as she defeated Argentina’s Valeria Centellas, 11-2, 11-6, 12-10, in the quarters.

But the big surprise on Tuesday was Guatemalan Edwin Galicia taking out Mexican Daniel De La Rosa - the #1 player on the International Racquetball Tour (IRT) in the Round of 16, winning 12-10, 14-16, 9-11, 11-8, 11-7. Sadly, Galicia’s joy was short-lived, as he lost in the quarterfinals to Costa Rican Andres Acuña, 8-11, 11-4, 7-11, 11-5, 11-3.

The semi-finals of singles will be Wednesday. Check out the IRF Facebook page or the IRF YouTube channel for live streaming of matches.

XXI International Racquetball Federation World Championships
San Luis Potosi, Mexico - August 19-27

Men’s Singles - Round of 16

Rocky Carson (USA) - BYE
Carlos Keller (BOL) d. Lee Connell (CAN), 11-8, 11-8, 11-5

Edwin Galicia (GUA) d. Daniel De La Rosa (MEX), 12-10, 14-16, 9-11, 11-8, 11-7
Andres Acuña (CRC) d. Kurtis Cullen (CAN), 11-6, 11-6, 11-2

Alejandro Landa (USA) d. Juan Francisco Cueva (ECU), 11-8, 11-5, 4-11, 11-5
Conrrado Moscoso (BOL) d. Michimune Kono (JAP), 11-4, 11-4, 11-9

Rodrigo Montoya (MEX) d. Juan Salvatierra (GUA), 11-5, 11-8, 11-6
Jose Daniel Ugalde (ECU) - BYE

Quarterfinals

Rocky Carson (USA) d. Carlos Keller (BOL), 11-8, 11-5, 10-12, 11-4
Andres Acuña (CRC) d. Edwin Galicia (GUA), 8-11, 11-4, 7-11, 11-5, 11-3

Conrrado Moscoso (BOL) d. Alejandro Landa (USA), 11-3, 11-2, 11-3
Rodrigo Montoya (MEX) d. Jose Daniel Ugalde (ECU), 11-4, 13-11, 11-2

Semi-finals - Wednesday

Rocky Carson (USA) v. Andres Acuña (CRC) - 1 PM
Conrrado Moscoso (BOL) d. Rodrigo Montoya (MEX) - 11 AM

Men’s Singles - Consolation Round - Round of 16

Diego Garcia (ARG) - BYE
Ryoki Kamahara (JAP) d. Vineet Singh (IND), 11-4, 11-9, 11-13, 11-3

Fabian Balmori (ESP) d. Jaime Mansilla (CHI), 11-9, 13-11, 7-11, 11-8
Sergio Acuña (CRC) - BYE

Ramon De Leon (DOM) - BYE
Markell Moyet (CUB) d. Yandy Espinosa (CUB), 11-6, 11-3, 11-7

Rafael Gatica (CHI) d. Arun Bhaskaran (IND), 11-4, 12-10, 11-4
Tomas Oyhanart (ARG) - BYE

Quarterfinals - Tuesday

Diego Garcia (ARG) d. Ryoki Kamahara (JAP), 11-7, 11-7, 11-4
Sergio Acuña (CRC) d. Fabian Balmori (ESP), 11-7, 11-13, 11-9, 11-8

Markell Moyet (CUB) d. Ramon De Leon (DOM), 11-8, 11-5, 11-5
Tomas Oyhanart (ARG) d. Rafael Gatica (CHI), 11-8, 11-6, 11-9

Semi-finals - Wednesday

Diego Garcia (ARG) v. Fabian Balmori (ESP) - 11 AM
Tomas Oyhanart (ARG) v. Markell Moyet (CUB) - Noon

Women’s Singles - Medal Round - Round of 16

Erika Manilla (USA) - BYE
Angelica Barrios (BOL) d. Carla Muñoz (CHI), 11-9, 11-4, 11-3

Paola Longoria (MEX) d. Jenny Daza (BOL). 11-5, 11-7, 11-5
Valeria Centellas (ARG) - BYE

Rhonda Rajsich (USA) - BYE
Gabriela Martinez (GUA) d. Maria Paz Muñoz (ECU), 11-5, 11-8, 11-6

Alexandra Herrera (MEX) d. Cristina Amaya (COL), 11-8, 11-7, 11-7
Natalia Mendez (ARG) - BYE

Quarterfinals

Angelica Barrios (BOL) d. Erika Manilla (USA), 11-6, 11-9, 5-11, 11-7
Paola Longoria (MEX) d. Valeria Centellas (ARG), 11-2, 11-6, 12-10

Gabriela Martinez (GUA) d. Rhonda Rajsich (USA), 12-10, 11-5, 7-11, 12-10
Alexandra Herrera (MEX) d. Natalia Mendez (ARG), 11-8, 11-3, 11-8

Semi-finals - Wednesday

Paola Longoria (MEX) v. Angelica Barrios (BOL) - Noon
Gabriela Martinez (GUA) v. Alexandra Herrera (MEX) - Noon

Women’s Singles - Consolation Round - Quarterfinals

Jazmin Elizabeth Aguilar Salvatierra (GUA) d. Maria Paz Riquelme (COL), 11-7, 9-11, 8-11, 11-8, 12-10
Juliette Parent (CAN) d. Ayako Hanashi (JAP), 11-8, 11-3, 11-3

Ana Lucia Sarmiento (ECU) d. Harumi Kajino (JAP), 11-5, 11-5, 11-6
Danielle Drury (CAN) d. Paula Mansilla (CHI), 11-3, 11-7, 11-7

Semi-finals

Juliette Parent (CAN) v. Jazmin Elizabeth Aguilar Salvatierra (GUA) - 1 PM
Danielle Drury (CAN) v. Ana Lucia Sarmiento (ECU) - 2 PM

Follow the bouncing ball…..

Medal round draws for 2022 IRF World Championships

The draws are out for the medal rounds of the 2022 International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Championships in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, and we have them all for you below. Medal round matches begin early on Tuesday, and will run into Tuesday evening.

The top two players in each singles division qualified for the medal round, and the other players will be in a consolation playoff. All of the doubles teams qualified for the medal round.

The medal round begins Tuesday at 9 AM CDT. Check out the IRF Facebook page or the IRF YouTube channel for live streaming of matches.

XXI International Racquetball Federation World Championships
San Luis Potosi, Mexico - August 19-27

Men’s Singles - Round of 16

Rocky Carson (USA) - BYE
Carlos Keller (BOL) v. Lee Connell (CAN) - 9 AM

Daniel De La Rosa (MEX) v. Edwin Galicia (GUA) - 9 AM
Kurtis Cullen (CAN) v. Andres Acuña (CRC) - 9 AM

Alejandro Landa (USA) v. Juan Francisco Cueva (ECU) - 9 AM
Conrrado Moscoso (BOL) v. Michimune Kono (JAP) - 9 AM

Rodrigo Montoya (MEX) v. Juan Salvatierra (GUA) - 9 AM
Jose Daniel Ugalde (ECU) - BYE

Men’s Singles - Consolation Round - Round of 16

Diego Garcia (ARG) - BYE
Ryoki Kamahara (JAP) v. Vineet Singh (IND)

Jaime Mansilla (CHI) v. Fabian Balmori (ESP)
Sergio Acuña (CRC) - BYE

Ramon De Leon (DOM) - BYE
Markell Moyet (CUB) v. Yandy Espinosa (CUB)

Rafael Gatica (CHI) v. Arun Bhaskaran (IND)
Tomas Oyhanart (ARG) - BYE

Women’s Singles - Medal Round - Round of 16

Erika Manilla (USA) - BYE
Carla Muñoz (CHI) v. Angelica Barrios (BOL) - 9:45 AM

Paola Longoria (MEX) v. Jenny Daza (BOL) - 9:45 AM
Valeria Centellas (ARG) - BYE

Rhonda Rajsich (USA) - BYE
Gabriela Martinez (GUA) v. Maria Paz Muñoz (ECU) - 9:45 AM

Alexandra Herrera (MEX) v. Cristina Amaya (COL) - 9:45 AM
Natalia Mendez (ARG) - BYE

Women’s Singles - Consolation Round - Round of 16

Maria Paz Riquelme (COL) - BYE
Jazmin Elizabeth Aguilar Salvatierra (GUA) v. Maria Regla (CUB), forfeit

Ayako Hanashi (JAP) - BYE
Juliette Parent (CAN) - BYE

Ana Lucia Sarmiento (ECU) - BYE
Harumi Kajino (JAP) - BYE

Paula Mansilla (CHI) d. Yurisleidis Araujo (CUB), forfeit
Danielle Drury (CAN) - BYE

Quarterfinals

Maria Paz Riquelme (COL) v. Jazmin Elizabeth Aguilar Salvatierra (GUA) - 11:15
Juliette Parent (CAN) v. Ayako Hanashi (JAP) - 11:15

Ana Lucia Sarmiento (ECU) v. Harumi Kajino (JAP) - Noon
Danielle Drury (CAN) v. Paula Mansilla (CHI) - Noon

Men’s Doubles - Tuesday

First round

Juan Francisco Cueva & Jose Daniel Ugalde (ECU) v. Edwin Galicia & Christian Wer (GUA) - Noon
Tomas Oyhanart & Diego Garcia (ARG) v. Yandy Espinosa & Maikel Moyet (CUB) - Noon
Andres Acuña & Sergio Acuña (CRC) v. Ravi Ranjan & Vineet Singh (IND) - Noon
Hiroshi Shimizu & Yuki Nakano (JAP) v. Diego Gatica & Jaime Mansilla (CHI) - Noon

Quarterfinals

Alvaro Beltran & Daniel De La Rosa (MEX) v. Juan Francisco Cueva & Jose Daniel Ugalde (ECU) or Edwin Galicia & Christian Wer (GUA) - 3 PM
Sam Bredenbeck & Charles Pratt (USA) v. Tomas Oyhanart & Diego Garcia (ARG) or Yandy Espinosa & Maikel Moyet (CUB) - 3 PM

Coby Iwaasa & Samuel Murray (CAN) v. Andres Acuña & Sergio Acuña (CRC) or Ravi Ranjan & Vineet Singh (IND) - 3 PM
Roland Keller & Conrrado Moscoso (BOL) v. Hiroshi Shimizu & Yuki Nakano (JAP) or Diego Gatica & Jaime Mansilla (CHI) - 3 PM

Women’s Doubles - Tuesday

First round

Angelica Barrios & Jenny Daza (BOL) v. Paula Mansilla & Carla Muñoz (CHI) - 1 PM
Valeria Centellas & Natalia Mendez (ARG) d. Yurisleidis Araujo & Maria Regla (CUB), forfeit
Ana Lucia Sarmiento & Maria Paz Muñoz (ECU) v. Maiko Sato & Naomi Wakimoto (JAP) - 1 PM

Quarterfinals

Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas (MEX) v. Angelica Barrios & Jenny Daza (BOL) or Paula Mansilla & Carla Muñoz (CHI) - 4 PM
Gabriela Martinez & Maria Renee Rodriguez (GUA) v. Cristina Amaya & Maria Paz Riquelme (COL) - 4 PM

Hollie Scott & Kelani Lawrence (USA) v. Valeria Centellas & Natalia Mendez (ARG) - 4 PM
Frédérique Lambert & Michèle Morissette (CAN) v. Ana Lucia Sarmiento & Maria Paz Muñoz (ECU) or Maiko Sato & Naomi Wakimoto (JAP) - 4 PM

Mixed Doubles - Tuesday

First round

Rodrigo Salgado Jr. & Carla Muñoz (CHI) v. Harumi Kajino & Michimune Kono (JAP) - 4:30 PM
Josue Bermeo & Maria Paz Muñoz (ECU) d. Yurisleidis Araujo & Maikel Moyet (CUB), forfeit

Quarterfinals

Rodrigo Montoya & Samatha Salas (MEX) v. Rodrigo Salgado Jr. & Carla Muñoz (CHI) or Harumi Kajino & Michimune Kono (JAP) - 7 PM
Valeria Centellas & Diego Garcia (ARG) v. Maria Renee Rodriguez & Juan Salvatierra (GUA) - 7 PM

Michelle De La Rosa & Alejandro Landa (USA) v. Frédérique Lambert & Samuel Murray (CAN) - 7 PM
Jenny Daza & Conrrado Moscoso (BOL) v. Josue Bermeo & Maria Paz Muñoz (ECU) - 7 PM

Follow the bouncing ball…..

Mexico secures top seeding in doubles at 2022 IRF World Championships

Mexico will be the top seeds in all three doubles divisions at the 2022 International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Championships in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, as each team won all of their respective group stage matches, including those on Monday. Alvaro Beltran and Daniel De La Rosa, who are looking to win a second Men’s Doubles World Championship, defeated Ecuadorans Juan Francisco Cueva and Jose Daniel Ugalde, 7-11, 11-4, 11-9, 11-7, in their last group stage match.

In Women’s Doubles, defending champions Paola Longoria and Samantha Salas beat Colombians Cristina Amaya and Maria Paz Riquelme, 11-6, 11-7, 11-4, and in Mixed Doubles Salas and Rodrigo Montoya defeated Josue Bermeo and Maria Paz Muñoz of Ecuador, 11-6, 8-11, 11-5, 11-5.

This concludes the group stage of competition, and the medal round will begin on Tuesday at 9 AM CDT. Check out the IRF Facebook page or the IRF YouTube channel for live streaming of matches.

XXI International Racquetball Federation World Championships
San Luis Potosi, Mexico - August 19-27

Men’s Doubles - Monday

Group 1

Alvaro Beltran & Daniel De La Rosa (MEX) d. Juan Francisco Cueva & Jose Daniel Ugalde (ECU), 7-11, 11-4, 11-9, 11-7
Andres Acuña & Sergio Acuña (CRC) d. Yandy Espinosa & Maikel Moyet (CUB), 11-0, 11-7, 11-1

Group 2

Roland Keller & Conrrado Moscoso (BOL) d. Tomas Oyhanart & Diego Garcia (ARG), 11-6, 11-9, 11-5
Hiroshi Shimizu & Yuki Nakano (JAP) d. Ravi Ranjan & Vineet Singh (IND), 11-5, 11-8, 11-6

Group 3

Edwin Galicia & Christian Wer (GUA) d. Diego Gatica & Jaime Mansilla (CHI), 11-6, 8-11, 11-6, 11-5
Coby Iwaasa & Samuel Murray (CAN) d. Sam Bredenbeck & Charles Pratt (USA), 11-9, 11-9, 11-6

Women’s Doubles - Monday

Group 1

Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas (MEX) d. Cristina Amaya & Maria Paz Riquelme (COL), 11-6, 11-7, 11-4
Ana Lucia Sarmiento & Maria Paz Muñoz (ECU) - BYE

Group 2

Angelica Barrios & Jenny Daza (BOL) d. Valeria Centellas & Natalia Mendez (ARG), 11-6, 6-11, 11-6, 11-8
Frédérique Lambert & Michèle Morissette (CAN) d. Yurisleidis Araujo & Maria Regla (CUB), forfeit

Group 3

Hollie Scott & Kelani Lawrence (USA) d. Gabriela Martinez & Maria Renee Rodriguez (GUA), 11-5, 11-8, 7-11, 11-9
Paula Mansilla & Carla Muñoz (CHI) d. Maiko Sato & Naomi Wakimoto (JAP), 15-13, 11-8, 12-10

Mixed Doubles - Monday

Group 1

Rodrigo Montoya & Samatha Salas (MEX) d. Josue Bermeo & Maria Paz Muñoz (ECU), 11-6, 8-11, 11-5, 11-5
Maria Renee Rodriguez & Juan Salvatierra (GUA) - BYE

Group 2

Jenny Daza & Conrrado Moscoso (BOL) d. Frédérique Lambert & Samuel Murray (CAN), 11-5, 12-10, 11-9
Rodrigo Salgado Jr. & Carla Muñoz (CHI) - BYE

Group 3

Michelle De La Rosa & Alejandro Landa (USA) d. Valeria Centellas & Diego Garcia (ARG), 11-9, 11-9, 13-11
Harumi Kajino & Michimune Kono (JAP) d. Yurisleidis Araujo & Maikel Moyet (CUB) - forfeit

Follow the bouncing ball…..

Some surprises as group play wraps up at the 2022 IRF World Championships

The group stage for singles has concluded at the 2022 International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Championships in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. There were some interesting results on the final day, although once again the defending champions were winners, and won their respective groups. Alejandro Landa of the USA - the defending Men’s Singles Champion - won Group 3 with a win over Edwin Galicia of Guatemala, 11-6, 11-5, 4-11, 11-8, and Mexican Paola Longoria won Group 5 by defeating Jazmin Elizabeth Aguilar Salvatierra of Guatemalan, 11-2, 11-2, 11-5, to begin her defence of her Women’s Singles title.

The big upset was in Group 2 of Men’s Singles, as Jose Daniel Ugalde of Ecuador eked out a win over Costa Rica’s Andres Acuña, 6-11, 12-10, 9-11, 11-7, 13-11. Acuña won gold at the World Games last month in Birmingham, Alabama, but might find himself in a tough draw for the medal round this week.

Ugalde led for much of the breaker, including at 7-4. Then Acuña tied it at 8-8, and they were lock step from there: 9-9, 10-10, 11-11, and then Acuña skipped a forehand shot to the front right corner to put Ugalde on match point at 12-11. Ugalde hit a drive serve down the right side, and Acuña’s forehand return skipped giving the Ecuadoran the victory.

The men’s “heavyweight” tussle Monday was between Mexican Rodrigo Montoya, a former IRF World Champion in Men’s Singles - and for a few days still one of the current World Champions in Men’s Doubles (with Javier Mar), against Bolivian Carlos Keller, a two time Pan American Champion in Men’s Singles. Keller took game one of the match, but Montoya won the next three to take the match, 9-11, 11-9, 11-1, 11-9.

We told you that Group 4 of Men’s Singles was a three way battle between Japan’s Michimune Kono, Costa Rican Sergio Acuña, and Canadian Kurtis Cullen. Cullen and Kono will advance to the medal round with Cullen finishing 1st and Kono 2nd. Cullen only needed one game against Acuña Monday to seal the outcome after Kono defeated Cuban Yandy Espinosa, 11-6, 11-3, 11-5, and Cullen got it, but only after losing the first two games to Acuña, who then forfeited, so that he could save some energy for doubles, which made the final scoreling 7-11, 7-11, 11-9, forfeit. Cullen is playing in his first international event, and he’s very pleased to be advancing to the medal round, especially as the group winner.

There were two close tie-breakers in women’s play, as Argentina’s Valeria Centellas held off Bolivia’s Angelica Barrios, who is the current Pan American Champion, 11-8, 11-9, 9-11, 8-11, 11-9, and Gutatemala’s Gabriela Martinez - a former IRF World Champion - came back from a game down to defeat Mexican Alexandra Herrera, 2-11, 11-7, 13-11, 3-11, 11-6. With those wins Centellas wins Group 4 and Martinez Group 6.

The Close Match That Only Lasted Three Games Award goes to Japan’s Harumi Kajino and Chile’s Paula Mansilla, who played extra points in each of their three games with Kajino coming out on top, 13-11, 14-12, 13-11.

The other big news in women’s play is that the Cuban women - Yurisleidis Araujo and Maria Regla - did not show up for their matches, as they have both defected from Cuba. We understand Araujo did so yesterday, which explains the Cuban losses yesterday in both Women’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles, and Regla did so today.

They are streaming matches San Luis Potosí, so check the IRF Facebook page or the IRF YouTube channel. Matches will begin at 10 AM CDT most of the tournament (Tuesday will be the exception with some matches at 9 AM), and run through until late afternoon.

XXI International Racquetball Federation World Championships
San Luis Potosi, Mexico - August 19-27

Men’s Singles - Saturday

Group 1

Rocky Carson (USA) d. Diego Garcia (ARG), 11-3, 11-8, 11-6
Juan Francisco Cueva (ECU) - BYE

Group 2

Jose Daniel Ugalde (ECU) d. Andres Acuña (CRC), 6-11, 12-10, 9-11, 11-7, 13-11
Tomas Oyhanart (ARG) - BYE

Group 3

Alejandro Landa (USA) d. Edwin Galicia (GUA), 11-6, 11-5, 4-11, 11-8
Ramon De Leon (DOM) d. Fabian Balmori (ESP), 11-5, 5-11, 11-7, 11-8

Group 4

Kurtis Cullen (CAN) d. Sergio Acuña (CRC), 7-11, 7-11, 11-9, forfeit
Michimune Kono (JAP) d. Yandy Espinosa (CUB), 11-2, 11-2, 11-5

Group 5

Daniel De La Rosa (MEX) d. Juan Salvatierra (GUA), 11-1, 11-3, 11-5
Jaime Mansilla (CHI) d. Arun Bhaskaran (IND), 11-2, 11-2, 11-5

Group 6

Conrrado Moscoso (BOL) d. Lee Connell (CAN), 11-2, 11-6, 11-6
Markell Moyet (CUB) d. Ryoki Kamahara (JAP), 11-4, 11-5, 11-7

Group 7

Rodrigo Montoya (MEX) d. Carlos Keller (BOL), 9-11, 11-9, 11-1, 11-9
Rafael Gatica (CHI) d. Vineet Singh (IND), 9-11, 11-7, 11-1, 13-11

Women’s Singles - Saturday

Group 1

Erika Manilla (USA) d. Maria Paz Riquelme (COL), 11-8, 11-4, 11-3
Maria Paz Muñoz (ECU) - BYE

Group 2

Natalia Mendez (ARG) d. Jenny Daza (BOL), 11-5, 13-11, 11-5
Danielle Drury (CAN) - BYE

Group 3

Rhonda Rajsich (USA) d. Cristina Amaya (COL), 11-8, 5-11, 11-8, 11-9
Ana Lucia Sarmiento (ECU) d. Yurisleidis Araujo (CUB), forfeit

Group4

Valeria Centellas (ARG) d. Angelica Barrios (BOL), 11-8, 11-9, 9-11, 8-11, 11-9
Juliette Parent (CAN) d. Maria Regla (CUB), forfeit

Group 5

Paola Longoria (MEX) d. Jazmin Elizabeth Aguilar Salvatierra (GUA), 11-2, 11-2, 11-5
Carla Muñoz (CHI) d. Ayako Hanashi (JAP), 11-2, 11-6, 11-6

Group 6

Gabriela Martinez (GUA) d. Alexandra Herrera (MEX), 2-11, 11-7, 13-11, 3-11, 11-6
Harumi Kajino (JAP) d. Paula Mansilla (CHI), 13-11, 14-12, 13-11

Follow the bouncing ball…..

Day 2 of Doubles at the 2022 IRF World Championships

Day 2 of doubles at the 2022 International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Championships in San Luis Potosi, Mexico saw few surprises, although some eyebrows could have been raised at the win in Women’s Doubles by Canadians Frédérique Lambert and Michèle Morissette over Bolivians Angelica Barrios and Jenny Daza, 11-9, 11-5, 11-6. But Lambert was the #2 player on Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour not long ago, and on Sunday she showed plenty of the shot making ability that got her there.

In Men’s Doubles, the USA team of Sam Bredenbeck and Charles Pratt defeated Guatemalans Edwin Galicia and Christian Wer, 11-4, 11-3, 11-8, and Canadians Coby Iwaasa and Samuel Murray beat Chileans Diego Gatica and Jaime Mansilla, 11-2, 11-3, 11-5, so they will playoff for top spot in Group 3.

However, the top team of Group 3 will be seeded 3rd in the medal round with the 2nd team of Group 3 in 4th. But there will be a flip of the coin for whether the 3rd or 4th seed is on the top or the bottom of the draw, which effectively means that the USA-Canada winner may or may not end up as the 3rd seed. Each team has the same chance of being 3rd seed regardless of their match outcome tomorrow.

This situation arises, because there are only three groups in Men’s Doubles. If there were four groups, then the winner of Group 3 would be 3rd seed and the winner of Group 4 would be 4th seed - prior to the flip for the draw. But those teams would not be in the same group, so no “meaningless” match situation would occur.

Note that Guatemala and USA are in the same situation in Women’s Doubles, which also has three groups.

Finally, we note that the Cuban Women's and Mixed Doubles teams forfeited their matches, and apparently the reason is that Yurisleidis Araujo was an inexplicable no show for those matches.

The Group Stage matches wrap up on Monday after which the medal round will begin on Tuesday.

Live streaming of matches from Sam Luis Potosi began Sunday, so check out the IRF Facebook page or the IRF YouTube channel for matches. Matches begin at 10 AM CDT most of the tournament (Tuesday will be the exception with some matches at 9 AM), and run through until late afternoon.

XXI International Racquetball Federation World Championships
San Luis Potosi, Mexico - August 19-27

Men’s Doubles - Sunday

Group 1

Alvaro Beltran & Daniel De La Rosa (MEX) d. Andres Acuña & Sergio Acuña (CRC), 12-10, 11-2, 11-4
Juan Francisco Cueva & Jose Daniel Ugalde (ECU) d. Yandy Espinosa & Maikel Moyet (CUB), 11-5, 11-6, 11-2

Group 2

Roland Keller & Conrrado Moscoso (BOL) d. Hiroshi Shimizu & Yuki Nakano (JAP), 11-3, 13-11, 11-4
Tomas Oyhanart & Diego Garcia (ARG) d. Ravi Ranjan & Vineet Singh (IND), 11-5, 11-4, 12-10

Group 3

Sam Bredenbeck & Charles Pratt (USA) d. Edwin Galicia & Christian Wer (GUA), 11-4, 11-3, 11-8
Coby Iwaasa & Samuel Murray (CAN) d. Diego Gatica & Jaime Mansilla (CHI), 11-2, 11-3, 11-5

Women’s Doubles - Sunday

Group 1

Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas (MEX) d. Ana Lucia Sarmiento & Maria Paz Muñoz (ECU), 11-3, 11-5, 11-5
Cristina Amaya & Maria Paz Riquelme (COL) - BYE

Group 2

Frédérique Lambert & Michèle Morissette (CAN) d. Angelica Barrios & Jenny Daza (BOL), 11-9, 11-5, 11-6
Valeria Centellas & Natalia Mendez (ARG) d. Yurisleidis Araujo & Maria Regla (CUB), 11-0, 11-0, 11-0

Group 3

Hollie Scott & Kelani Lawrence (USA) d. Paula Mansilla & Carla Muñoz (CHI), 11-5, 11-8, 11-9
Gabriela Martinez & Maria Renee Rodriguez (GUA) d. Maiko Sato & Naomi Wakimoto (JAP), 11-6, 11-1, 11-5

Mixed Doubles - Sunday

Group 1

Rodrigo Montoya & Samatha Salas (MEX) d. Maria Renee Rodriguez & Juan Salvatierra (GUA), 11-8, 11-8, 6-11, 11-9
Josue Bermeo & Maria Paz Muñoz (ECU) - BYE

Group 2

Jenny Daza & Conrrado Moscoso (BOL) d. Rodrigo Salgado Jr. & Carla Muñoz (CHI), 14-12, 11-5, 11-9
Frédérique Lambert & Samuel Murray (CAN) - BYE

Group 3

Michelle De La Rosa & Alejandro Landa (USA) d. Harumi Kajino & Michimune Kono (JAP), 11-3, 11-8, 14-12
Valeria Centellas & Diego Garcia (ARG) d. Yurisleidis Araujo & Maikel Moyet (CUB), 11-0, 11-0, 11-0

Follow the bouncing ball…..

Day 2 singles results from 2022 IRF World Championships

Defending champions won again on day two of singles play at the 2022 International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Championships in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. Alejandro Landa (USA) - the defending Men’s Singles Champion - beat Ramon De Leon from the Dominican Republic, 11-5, 11-4, 11-8, and Mexican Paola Longoria, the defending Women’s Singles Champion, defeated Carla Muñoz, 11-6, 11-8, 11-4.

There were only a couple of close matches on Sunday. In Women’s Singles, Japan’s Ayako Hanashi came back from a game down to defeat Jazmin Elizabeth Aguilar Salvatierra of Guatemala, 8-11, 11-7, 11-6, 13-11.

In Men’s Singles, Japan’s Michimune Kono eked out a three game win over Costa Rican Sergio Acuña, 16-14, 11-6, 12-10. Acuña - the younger brother of Andres - was the top seed in Group 4, but now may not make it out of the group. He’ll need a win over Canadian Kurtis Cullen on Monday to have a chance. Cullen already has two wins, having beaten Kono on Saturday and Cuban Yandy Espinosa, 11-4, 11-2, 11-2, on Sunday. On Monday, if Kono beats Espinosa, and Acuña beats Cullen, they’ll all be 2-1 and the tie-breaker rules will be need to be applied to determine who advances.

Players will be closest seeding will face off on Monday - the last day of the group stage. Thus, the matches to determine who advances to the medal round should be very competitive.

They are streaming matches San Luis Potosí, so check the IRF Facebook page or the IRF YouTube channel. Matches will begin at 10 AM CDT most of the tournament (Tuesday will be the exception with some matches at 9 AM), and run through until late afternoon.

XXI International Racquetball Federation World Championships
San Luis Potosi, Mexico - August 19-27

Men’s Singles - Saturday

Group 1

Rocky Carson (USA) d. Juan Francisco Cueva (ECU) d., 11-8, 11-9, 11-2
Diego Garcia (ARG) - BYE

Group 2

Andres Acuña (CRC) d. Tomas Oyhanart (ARG), 11-2, 11-6, 11-2
Jose Daniel Ugalde (ECU) - BYE

Group 3

Alejandro Landa (USA) d. Ramon De Leon (DOM), 11-5, 11-4, 11-8
Edwin Galicia (GUA) d. Fabian Balmori (ESP), 11-7, 11-7, 11-5

Group 4

Michimune Kono (JAP) d. Sergio Acuña (CRC), 16-14, 11-6, 12-10
Kurtis Cullen (CAN) d. Yandy Espinosa (CUB), 11-4, 11-2, 11-2

Group 5

Daniel De La Rosa (MEX) d. Jaime Mansilla (CHI), 11-1, 11-8, 11-8
Juan Salvatierra (GUA) d. Arun Bhaskaran (IND), 11-1, 11-6, 11-5

Group 6

Conrrado Moscoso (BOL) d. Ryoki Kamahara (JAP), 11-6, 11-4, 11-9
Lee Connell (CAN) d. Markell Moyet (CUB), 11-8, 11-6, 12-10

Group 7

Rodrigo Montoya (MEX) d. Rafael Gatica (CHI), 11-2, 11-8, 11-5
Carlos Keller (BOL) d. Vineet Singh (IND), 11-8, 11-7, 11-6

Women’s Singles - Saturday

Group 1

Erika Manilla (USA) d. Maria Paz Muñoz (ECU), 11-6, 11-7, 11-2
Maria Paz Riquelme (COL) - BYE

Group 2

Natalia Mendez (ARG) d. Danielle Drury (CAN), 11-2, 11-4, 11-4
Jenny Daza (BOL) - BYE

Group 3

Rhonda Rajsich (USA) d. Ana Lucia Sarmiento (ECU), 11-5, 11-2, 11-2
Cristina Amaya (COL) d. Yurisleidis Araujo (CUB), 11-5, 11-6, 11-9

Group4

Valeria Centellas (ARG) d. Juliette Parent (CAN), 11-4, 11-2, 11-3
Angelica Barrios (BOL) d. Maria Regla (CUB), 11-6, 11-9, 11-4

Group 5

Paola Longoria (MEX) d. Carla Muñoz (CHI), 11-6, 11-8, 11-4
Ayako Hanashi (JAP) d. Jazmin Elizabeth Aguilar Salvatierra (GUA), 8-11, 11-7, 11-6, 13-11

Group 6

Gabriela Martinez (GUA) d. Harumi Kajino (JAP), 11-8, 11-1, 11-6
Alexandra Herrera (MEX) d Paula Mansilla (CHI), 11-3, 11-3, 11-4

Follow the bouncing ball…..

Doubles results from Day 1 at 2022 IRF World Championships

There were some near upsets in doubles on day one of the 2022 International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Championships in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. The biggest upset could have been Guatemala taking out Canada in Men’s Doubles, as Canadians Coby Iwaasa and Samuel Murray are the current Pan American Champions in Men’s Doubles. Yet Guatemalans Edwin Galicia and Christian Wer had them on the ropes after winning the first two games of the match. However, the Canadians won the next two to force a tie-breaker, and then won the breaker by a healthy margin, making the final score line, 9-11, 7-11, 11-7, 11-7, 11-1.

Mixed Doubles also had two almost upsets, as Americans Michelle De La Rosa and Alejandro Landa needed five games to fend off the feisty Cuban team of Yurisleidis Araujo and Maikel Moyet, 8-11, 11-8, 5-11, 11-9, 11-3, and the Argentina team of Valeria Centellas and Diego Garcia were also pushed to five games by Japan’s Harumi Kajino and Michimune Kono before winning 11-3, 6-11, 11-4, 12-14, 11-4.

The crazy score line of the tournament so far has to go to the Women’s Doubles match between Colombia and Ecuador. Colombians Cristina Amaya and Maria Paz Riquelme held off the Ecuadorans Ana Lucia Sarmiento and Maria Paz Muñoz, 14-12, 9-11, 11-9, 10-12, 11-3.

The Group Stage continues on Sunday and wraps up on Monday after which the medal round will begin on Tuesday.

We understand that the live streaming of matches from Sam Luis Potosi will begin on Sunday, so check out the IRF Facebook page or the IRF YouTube channel tomorrow for matches. Matches begin at 10 AM CDT most of the tournament (Tuesday will be the exception with some matches at 9 AM), and run through until late afternoon.

XXI International Racquetball Federation World Championships
San Luis Potosi, Mexico - August 19-27

Men’s Doubles - Saturday

Group 1

Alvaro Beltran & Daniel De La Rosa (MEX) d. Yandy Espinosa & Maikel Moyet (CUB), 11-4, 11-2, 11-7
Andres Acuña & Sergio Acuña (CRC) d. Juan Francisco Cueva & Jose Daniel Ugalde (ECU), 11-4, 11-5, 8-11, 11-8

Group 2

Roland Keller & Conrrado Moscoso (BOL) d. Ravi Ranjan & Vineet Singh (IND), 11-2, 11-6, 11-3
Tomas Oyhanart & Diego Garcia (ARG) d. Hiroshi Shimizu & Yuki Nakano (JAP), 11-4, 11-7, 11-6

Group 3

Sam Bredenbeck & Charles Pratt (USA) d. Diego Gatica & Jaime Mansilla (CHI), 11-2, 11-4, 11-6
Coby Iwaasa & Samuel Murray (CAN) d. Edwin Galicia & Christian Wer (GUA), 9-11, 7-11, 11-7, 11-7, 11-1

Women’s Doubles - Saturday

Group 1

Cristina Amaya & Maria Paz Riquelme (COL) d. Ana Lucia Sarmiento & Maria Paz Muñoz (ECU), 14-12, 9-11, 11-9, 10-12, 11-3
Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas (MEX) - BYE

Group 2

Angelica Barrios & Jenny Daza (BOL) d. Yurisleidis Araujo & Maria Regla (CUB), 11-6, 9-11, 11-3, 11-5
Valeria Centellas & Natalia Mendez (ARG) d. Frédérique Lambert & Michèle Morissette (CAN), 11-4, 6-11, 11-7, 11-9

Group 3

Hollie Scott & Kelani Lawrence (USA) d. Maliki Sato & Naomi Wakimoto (JAP), 11-6, 11-7, 11-6
Gabriela Martinez & Maria Renee Rodriguez (GUA) d. Paula Mansilla & Carla Muñoz (CHI), 12-10, 11-4, 10-12, 11-7

Mixed Doubles - Saturday

Group 1

Maria Renee Rodriguez & Juan Salvatierra (GUA) d. Josue Bermeo & Maria Paz Muñoz (ECU), 13-15, 12-10, 11-4, 11-5
Rodrigo Montoya & Samatha Salas (MEX) - BYE

Group 2

Frédérique Lambert & Samuel Murray (CAN) d. Rodrigo Salgado Jr. & Carla Muñoz (CHI), 11-7, 11-7, 7-11, 11-8
Jenny Daza & Conrrado Moscoso - BYE

Group 3

Michelle De La Rosa & Alejandro Landa (USA) d. Yurisleidis Araujo & Maikel Moyet (CUB), 8-11, 11-8, 5-11, 11-9, 11-3
Valeria Centellas & Diego Garcia (ARG) d. Harumi Kajino & Michimune Kono (JAP), 11-3, 6-11, 11-4, 12-14, 11-4

Follow the bouncing ball…..

Singles results from day 1 at 2022 IRF World Championships

No surprises through the singles matches on day one of the 2022 International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Championships in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. Defending Men’s Singles Champion Alejandro Landa of the USA did lose his first game to Spain’s Fabian Balmori, but then won the next three to take the match in four games, 9-11, 11-3, 11-7, 11-2. Similarly, Mexican Paola Longoria, the defending Women’s Singles Champion, won her first match, defeating Ayako Hanashi of Japan, 11-2, 11-1, 11-4.

A reminder that matches are best of five games each game played to 11 points, and you have to win by two points to win the game. Under this format, games seem to be taking about 9 min on average.

We understand that steaming of matches will begin on Sunday, so look for the action on the IRF Facebook page or the IRF YouTube channel. Matches will begin at 10 AM CDT most of the tournament (Tuesday will be the exception with some matches at 9 AM), and run through until late afternoon.

XXI International Racquetball Federation World Championships
San Luis Potosi, Mexico - August 19-27

Men’s Singles - Saturday

Group 1

Juan Francisco Cueva (ECU) d. Diego Garcia (ARG), 11-4, 8-11, 11-4, 11-9
Rocky Carson (USA) - BYE

Group 2

Jose Daniel Ugalde (ECU) d. Tomas Oyhanart (ARG), 11-3, 10-12, 11-3, 11-3
Andres Acuña (CRC) - BYE

Group 3

Alejandro Landa (USA) d. Fabian Balmori (ESP), 9-11, 11-3, 11-7, 11-2
Edwin Galicia (GUA) d. Ramon De Leon (DOM), 11-8, 11-7, 11-4

Group 4

Sergio Acuña (CRC) d. Yandy Espinosa (CUB), 11-3, 11-8, 11-6
Kurtis Cullen (CAN) d. Michimune Kono (JAP), 11-4, 11-4, 7-11, 11-4

Group 5

Daniel De La Rosa (MEX) d. Arun Bhaskaran (IND), 11-1, 11-4, 11-6
Juan Salvatierra (GUA) d. Jaime Mansilla (CHI), 11-13, 7-11, 11-9, 11-6, 11-7

Group 6

Conrrado Moscoso (BOL) d. Markell Moyet (CUB), 11-1, 11-4, 11-4
Lee Connell (CAN) d. Ryoki Kamahara (JAP), 11-6, 11-7, 11-7

Group 7

Rodrigo Montoya (MEX) d. Vineet Singh (IND), 11-4, 11-3, 11-3
Carlos Keller (BOL) d. Rafael Gatica (CHI), 12-10, 12-10, 11-8

Women’s Singles - Saturday

Group 1

Maria Paz Muñoz (ECU) d. Maria Paz Riquelme (COL), 3-11, 11-13, 11-9, 11-8
Erika Manilla (USA) - BYE

Group 2

Jenny Daza (BOL) d. Danielle Drury (CAN), 11-5, 11-5, 11-5
Natalia Mendez (ARG) - BYE

Group 3

Rhonda Rajsich (USA) d. Yurisleidis Araujo (CUB), 11-4, 11-9, 11-4
Cristina Amaya (COL) d. Ana Lucia Sarmiento (ECU), 11-9, 6-11, 11-4, 11-4

Group 4

Valeria Centellas (ARG) d. Maria Regla (CUB), 11-3, 11-8, 11-3
Angelica Barrios (BOL) d. Juliette Parent (CAN), 11-5, 11-9, 11-6

Group 5

Paola Longoria (MEX) d. Ayako Hanashi (JAP), 11-2, 11-1, 11-4
Carla Muñoz (CHI) d. Jazmin Elizabeth Aguilar Salvatierra (GUA), 11-2, 11-8, 11-8

Group 6

Gabriela Martinez (GUA) v. Paula Mansilla (CHI), 11-5, 11-2, 11-4
Alexandra Herrera (MEX) v. Harumi Kajino (JAP), 11-9, 11-2, 11-2

Follow the bouncing ball…..

2022 IRF World Championships - Preliminary groups

The 2022 International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Championships begin tomorrow in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, and run until August 27. The XXI IRF World Championships start with individual competitions in Men’s and Women’s Singles and Doubles, as well as Mixed Doubles for the first time. After three days of group stage matches, there will be three days of medal round competition, which will begin Tuesday August 23 and conclude Thursday August 25. In singles, only the top two players from each group will advance to the medal round, so every group stage match matters.

There will also be a team event beginning on August 25 and ending Saturday August 27. The team event will be a best of three matches: two singles matches and a doubles match. The order of the matches will vary. Also, a country can change its line up from the individual events to the team event. That is, the players who were in singles or doubles in the first part of week may or may not play those events in the team event.

Seedings for the group stage of the competition are based on each country’s past results, so some of the groupings may be surprising. We’re especially surprised how the Mexicans are in Group 5 and 6 in Women’s Singles, so current Women's Singles World Champion Paola Longoria and team-mate Alexandra Herrera in those groups, rather than Group 1 and 3 (players from the same country are put in groups such that if they win all of their group round matches they will be on opposite sides of the draw for the medal round).

Veteran presence

Among the field of players this year are two veterans: Fabian Balmori and Hiroshi Shimizu. Balmori is one of the most decorated racquetball players in Central American and Caribbean Games history, when he played for Venezuela, but is in Mexico representing Spain, where he was born. Balmori lived in Venezuela in the 1990s and early 2000s and is now living in the USA. He first played at Worlds in 1996.

Shimizu first played at Worlds in 2000, when the tournament was also in San Luis Potosí. He played doubles then, and is playing doubles again this year.

There are other veteran players, who are nonetheless podium threats. The USA’s Rocky Carson and Mexico’s Alvaro Beltran - both over 40 - will be in action. Both have won gold in Men’s Singles - Carson five times and Beltran once, but Beltran has four Men’s Doubles World Championships. Carson will play singles again this year, and Beltran doubles with Daniel De La Rosa.

Matches will be streamed from Sam Luis Potosi, but we’re not sure when that will begin. Check out the IRF Facebook page for an updates, or the IRF YouTube channel for matches. Matches will begin at 10 AM CDT most of the tournament (Tuesday will be the exception with some matches at 9 AM), and run through until late afternoon.

XXI International Racquetball Federation World Championships
San Luis Potosi, Mexico - August 19-27

Men’s Singles - Saturday

Group 1

Diego Garcia (ARG) v. Juan Francisco Cueva (ECU)
Rocky Carson (USA) - BYE

Group 2

Jose Daniel Ugalde (ECU) v. Tomas Oyhanart (ARG)
Andres Acuña (CRC) - BYE

Group 3

Alejandro Landa (USA) v. Fabian Balmori (ESP)
Edwin Galicia (GUA) v. Ramon De Leon (DOM)

Group 4

Sergio Acuña (CRC) v. Yandy Espinosa (CUB)
Kurtis Cullen (CAN) v. Michimune Kono (JAP)

Group 5

Daniel De La Rosa (MEX) v. Arun Bhaskaran (IND)
Juan Salvatierra (GUA) v. Jaime Mansilla (CHI)

Group 6

Conrrado Moscoso (BOL) v. Markell Moyet (CUB)
Lee Connell (CAN) v. Ryoki Kamahara (JAP)

Group 7

Rodrigo Montoya (MEX) v. Vineet Singh (IND)
Carlos Keller (BOL) v. Rafael Gatica (CHI)

Women’s Singles - Saturday

Group 1

Maria Paz Riquelme (COL) v. Maria Paz Muñoz (ECU)
Erika Manilla (USA) - BYE

Group 2

Jenny Daza (BOL) v. Danielle Drury (CAN)
Natalia Mendez (ARG) - BYE

Group 3

Rhonda Rajsich (USA) v. Yurisleidis Araujo (CUB)
Cristina Amaya (COL) v. Ana Lucia Sarmiento (ECU)

Group 4

Valeria Centellas (ARG) v. Maria Regla (CUB)
Angelica Barrios (BOL) v. Juliette Parent (CAN)

Group 5

Paola Longoria (MEX) v. Ayako Hanashi (JAP)
Jazmin Elizabeth Aguilar Salvatierra (GUA) v. Carla Muñoz (CHI)

Group 6

Gabriela Martinez (GUA) v. Paula Mansilla (CHI)
Alexandra Herrera (MEX) v. Harumi Kajino (JAP)

Men’s Doubles - Saturday

Group 1

Alvaro Beltran & Daniel De La Rosa (MEX) v. Yandy Espinosa & Maikel Moyet (CUB)
Juan Francisco Cueva & Jose Daniel Ugalde (ECU) v. Andres Acuña & Sergio Acuña (CRC)

Group 2

Roland Keller & Conrrado Moscoso (BOL) v. Ravi Ranjan & Vineet Singh (IND)
Tomas Oyhanart & Diego Garcia (ARG) v. Hiroshi Shimizu & Yuki Nakano (JAP)

Group 3

Sam Bredenbeck & Charles Pratt (USA) v. Diego Gatica & Jaime Mansilla (CHI)
Coby Iwaasa & Samuel Murray (CAN) v. Edwin Galicia & Christian Wer (GUA)

Women’s Doubles - Saturday

Group 1

Cristina Amaya & Maria Paz Riquelme (COL) v. Ana Lucia Sarmiento & Maria Paz Muñoz (ECU)
Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas (MEX) - BYE

Group 2

Angelica Barrios & Jenny Daza (BOL) v. Yurisleidis Araujo & Maria Regla (CUB)
Valeria Centellas & Natalia Mendez (ARG) v. Frédérique Lambert & Michèle Morissette (CAN)

Group 3

Hollie Scott & Kelani Lawrence (USA) v. Maliki Sato & Naomi Wakimoto (JAP)
Gabriela Martinez & Maria Renee Rodriguez (GUA) v. Paula Mansilla & Carla Muñoz (CHI)

Mixed Doubles - Saturday

Group 1

Josue Bermeo & Maria Paz Muñoz (ECU) v. Maria Renee Rodriguez & Juan Salvatierra (GUA)
Rodrigo Montoya & Samatha Salas (MEX) - BYE

Group 2

Frédérique Lambert & Samuel Murray (CAN) v. Rodrigo Salgado Jr. & Carla Muñoz (CHI)
Jenny Daza & Conrrado Moscoso - BYE

Group 3

Michelle De La Rosa & Alejandro Landa (USA) v. Yurisleidis Araujo & Maikel Moyet (CUB)
Valeria Centellas & Diego Garcia (ARG) v. Harumi Kajino & MIchimune Kono (JAP)

Follow the bouncing ball…..

Longoria wins singles, Herrera & Mejia doubles at 1st LPRT event of 2022-23 season

Paola Longoria defeated Montserrat Mejia, 15-12, 11-15, 11-10, to win the Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) Paola Longoria Grand Slam in Aguascalientes, Mexico on Sunday. It was the first event of the 2022-23 LPRT season. It was the second consecutive final that Longoria and Mejia had played, as they were in the TeamRoot.com SuperMax Slam final in June, when Longoria was also the winner.

However, Mejia didn’t leave Aguascalientes empty handed, as she and Alexandra Herrera won doubles by defeating Longoria and Samantha Salas, 15-7, 15-7, in the final.

Mejia will likely rue the singles loss, as she had leads late in all three games, but only won one of them. She was up 7-1 and 11-8 in game one, but down the stretch it was Longoria who won 7 points while holding Mejia to just one, and won 15-12.

Mejia was also up 7-1 in game two, and this time went on to win 15-11, forcing a tie-breaker. Mejia hit some backhand winners down the stretch, as she won the last two points with her backhand after earlier getting a sideout following a great backhand shot while on the run.

In the breaker, Longoria never led until the end. They were tied at 2-2 and 4-4, but not again until 10-10. Mejia led 10-7 after Longoria skipped a forehand pinch shot. But Longoria fought off Mejia’s match point with a well measured backhand.

Cue the comeback.

With the serve back, Longoria hit Z serves to the right side - Mejia’s forehand - which had been effective throughout the match. She hit a great forehand to make it 10-8. Then Mejia tried to take two of the Z serves early, and skipped both returns, making the score 10-10.

On match point, Longoria again hit a Z serve to the right, which Mejia returned with a ceiling ball on the right side. Longoria hit a good forehand that Mejia got to, but her shot came big off the back wall, so Longoria was able to move into the front court and hit a forehand pinch for a winner.

The win is Longoria’s first of 2022-23, but the 108th of her career, which is far and away the most career LPRT wins, and more than the combined wins of Lynn Adams (47) and Michelle Gould (43), who are the next two players on the most career wins list.

In doubles, the teams were close early in both games, and were tied at 4-4 in each. But from there Mejia and Herrera pulled away both times. In game one, they ran off 10 unanswered points to lead 14-4. In game two, they went up 10-5, and they ran off five straight points without surrendering the serve to go from 10-7 to 15-7, culminating in a Mejia backhand reverse for the 15th point.

The next event on the LPRT calendar is the LPRT at the Beach event in Chesapeake, Virginia, September 8-10. Of course, many of the players who were in Aguascalientes will be at the International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Championships beginning next Saturday August 20 in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, so you can see them there also. If you missed any of the action from this weekend, go to the LPRT YouTube channel to see it.

2022 LPRT Paola Longoria Grand Slam, August 12-14, 2022
Aguascalientes, Mexico

Final - Sunday

1) Paola Longoria d. 7) Montserrat Mejia, 15-12, 11-15, 11-10

Doubles - Final - Sunday

2) Alexandra Herrera & Montserrat Mejia d. 1) Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas, 15-7, 15-7

Follow the bouncing ball….

Longoria & Mejia will play two finals Sunday at 2022 LPRT Paola Longoria Grand Slam

Paola Longoria and Montserrat Mejia will face off twice on Sunday at the Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) Paola Longoria Grand Slam in Aguascalientes, Mexico, as they won their respective semi-final matches in both singles and doubles on Saturday. Longoria, the LPRT’s #1 player, beat 5th seed Angelica Barrios, 15-3, 15-6, in one semi-final, and Mejia, the 7th seed, was an upset winner over 6th seed Jessica Parrilla, 15-5, 15-6.

In doubles, Mejia and Alexandra Herrera defeated Erika Manilla and Parrilla, 15-4, 15-9, and Longoria and Samantha Salas beat Carla Muñoz and Maria Renee Rodriguez, 15-3, 15-13.

The Longoria and Salas v. Muñoz and Rodriguez match was the last of the day, and it looked like it would be as lopsided as the other matches after Longoria and Salas won the first game 15-3. They were down 3-0, and then got 15 unanswered points.

But in game two, Muñoz and Rodriguez got up 6-2, so Longoria and Salas called a timeout. That didn’t have much impact, as Muñoz and Rodriguez extended the lead to 9-3.

Longoria and Salas came back to 10-7, so Muñoz and Rodriguez called a timeout. They were able to extend their lead after that to 12-8.

But Longoria and Salas - the three time International Racquetball Federation (IRF).Women’s Doubles World Champions - dug in and kept coming. They tied the game at 12-12.

But Muñoz and Rodriguez got a sideout, and again took the lead at 13-12, as Rodriguez hit a great forehand reverse pinch shot. However, they lost the serve as Muñoz skipped a ceiling ball, and then Longoria hit a wide angle pass to the right side that Rodriguez couldn’t catch up to.

Muñoz did put Longoria and Salas half down with a backhand winner, but Longoria then tied it at 13-13 with a forehand winner. Longoria and Salas got to match point after Muñoz skipped a backhand. They won it as Longoria hit a drive serve ace to the left side that cracked out off the side wall.

You can watch the finals from Aguascalientes live via the LPRT YouTube channel. The singles final is Sunday at noon with the doubles final on Sunday at 1 PM after the singles final. All times central.

2022 LPRT Paola Longoria Grand Slam, August 12-14, 2022
Aguascalientes, Mexico

Semi-finals - Saturday

1) Paola Longoria d. 5) Angelica Barrios, 15-3, 15-6
7) Montserrat Mejia d. 6) Jessica Parrilla, 15-5, 15-6

Final - Sunday

1) Paola Longoria v. 7) Montserrat Mejia - Noon

Doubles - Semi-finals - Saturday

1) Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas d. 5) Carla Muñoz & Maria Renee Rodriguez, 15-3, 15-13
2) Alexandra Herrera & Montserrat Mejia d. 3) Erika Manilla & Jessica Parrilla, 15-4, 15-9

Doubles - Final - Sunday

1) Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas v. 2) Alexandra Herrera & Montserrat Mejia - 1 PM

Follow the bouncing ball….

Mejia & Parrilla upset their opponents at 2022 Paola Longoria Grand Slam

Two upsets in the quarterfinals of the Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT), but Paola Longoria, the LPRT’s #1 player, stayed the course, as she defeated Samantha Salas, 15-8, 15-4, to move on to the semi-finals Saturday afternoon. Longoria will play 5th seed Angelica Barrios in the semis, as Barrios beat 13th seed Nancy Enriquez, 15-11, 15-5.

The upsets happened on the bottom of the draw, and the scores were not close. Seventh seed Montserrat Mejia got the better of her doubles partner and the LPRT’s #2 player Alexandra Herrera, 15-7, 15-5, in one quarterfinal, while 6th seed Jessica Parrilla beat 3rd seed Natalia Mendez, 15-9, 15-3.

Three winners of the four quarterfinal matches - Longoria, Mejia and Parrilla - only gave up 12 points each. That makes Barrios’s 16 points against look large, though it really wasn’t.

You can watch the action from Aguascalientes live via the LPRT YouTube channel. The singles semi-finals are at 5 and 6 PM, and the final on Sunday at noon. The doubles semis will be Saturday night at 7 and 8 PM and the final on Sunday at 1 PM after the singles final. All times central.

2022 LPRT Paola Longoria Grand Slam, August 12-14, 2022
Aguascalientes, Mexico

Quarterfinals - Saturday

1) Paola Longoria d. 8) Samantha Salas, 15-8, 15-4
5) Angelica Barrios d. 13) Nancy Enriquez, 15-11, 15-5

6) Jessica Parrilla d. 3) Natalia Mendez, 15-9, 15-3
7) Montserrat Mejia d. 2) Alexandra Herrera, 15-7, 15-5

Semi-finals - Saturday

1) Paola Longoria v. 5) Angelica Barrios - 6 PM
6) Jessica Parrilla v. 7) Montserrat Mejia - 5 PM

Doubles - Semi-finals - Saturday

1) Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas v. 5) Carla Muñoz & Maria Renee Rodriguez - 8 PM
2) Alexandra Herrera & Montserrat Mejia v. 3) Erika Manilla & Jessica Parrilla - 7 PM

Follow the bouncing ball….

Longoria gets a strong start to the 2022-23 LPRT season

Paola Longoria, the #1 player on the Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) got her 2022-23 season off to a good start Friday at a tournament that bears her name: the Paola Longoria Grand Slam in Aguascalientes, Mexico. She beat Maria Paz Riquelme, 15-2, 15-0, in singles, and then, with partner Samantha Salas, defeated Jazmin Elizabeth Aguilar and Paula Aguilar, 15-4, 15-3.

On Saturday, Longoria will play Salas in the quarterfinals, as Salas beat Carla Muñoz, 15-5, 15-13, on Friday in the Round of 16. In the doubles semi-finals, Longoria and Salas will play Muñoz and Maria Renee Rodriguez, who upset the 4th seeds Natalia Mendez and Valeria Centellas, 15-5, 15-14, in the quarterfinals Friday.

LPRT #2 Alexandra Herrera had an equally successful day on Friday, as she beat veteran Susana Acosta, 15-4, 15-7, in a battle of left handed players. Herrera will play doubles partner Montserrat Mejia in the quarterfinals Saturday, as Mejia came back to defeat Valeria Centellas, 13-15, 15-4, 11-0, in the Round of 16.

In doubles, Herrera and Mejia, the 2nd seeds, defeated the Colombian team of Cristina Amaya and Maria Paz Riquelme, 15-4, 15-6, Friday, and will play 3rd seeds Erika Manilla and Jessica Parrilla, who came back to defeat 6th seeds Nancy Enriquez and Sheryl Lotts, 11-15, 15-14, 11-5.

The big upset Friday was the 13th seed Nancy Enriquez beating 4th seed Erika Manilla in two straight games, 15-10, 15-4. Manilla had a breakthrough season last year, finishing in the top 10 for the first time, but 2022-23 hasn’t started so well for her.

Enriquez will play 5th Angelica Barrios in the quarterfinals, as Barrios held on to narrowly defeat 12th seed Sheryl Lotts, 15-10, 10-15, 11-10.

Finally, 3rd seed Natalia Mendez defeated 14th seed Cristina Amaya, 15-11, 15-11, Friday, and on Saturday will play 6th seed Jessica Parrilla, who needed a tie-breaker to get past 11th seed Maria Renee Rodriguez, 15-7, 13-15, 11-7.

You can watch the action from Aguascalientes live via the LPRT YouTube channel. The singles quarterfinals begin Saturday at 9 AM with the semi-finals at 5 and 6 PM, and the final on Sunday at noon. The doubles semis will be Saturday night at 7 and 8 PM and the final on Sunday at 1 PM after the singles final. All times central.

2022 LPRT Paola Longoria Grand Slam, August 12-14, 2022
Aguascalientes, Mexico

Round of 32 - Friday

1) Paola Longoria - BYE
17) Maria Paz Riquelme d. 16) Joselin Arevalo, 13-15, 15-5, 11-5

8) Samantha Salas - BYE
9) Carla Muñoz - BYE

5) Angelica Barrios - BYE
12) Sheryl Lotts d. 21) Yanna Salazar, 15-10, 15-11

13) Nancy Enriquez d. 20) Andrea Martinez, forfeit
4) Erika Manilla - BYE

3) Natalia Mendez - BYE
14) Cristina Amaya d. 19) Jazmin Elizabeth Aguilar, 15-0, 15-3

11) Maria Renee Rodriguez - BYE
6) Jessica Parrilla - BYE

7) Montserrat Mejia - BYE
10) Valeria Centellas - BYE

15) Susana Acosta v. 18) Paula Aguilar, 15-6, 15-11
2) Alexandra Herrera - BYE

Round of 16 - Friday

1) Paola Longoria d. 17) Maria Paz Riquelme, 15-2, 15-0
8) Samantha Salas d. 9) Carla Muñoz, 15-5, 15-13

5) Angelica Barrios d. 12) Sheryl Lotts, 15-10, 10-15, 11-10
13) Nancy Enriquez d. 4) Erika Manilla, 15-10, 15-4

3) Natalia Mendez d. 14) Cristina Amaya, 15-11, 15-11
6) Jessica Parrilla d. 11) Maria Renee Rodriguez, 15-7, 13-15, 11-7

7) Montserrat Mejia d. 10) Valeria Centellas, 13-15, 15-4, 11-0
2) Alexandra Herrera d. 15) Susana Acosta, 15-4, 15-7

Quarterfinals - Saturday

1) Paola Longoria v. 8) Samantha Salas - 1 PM
5) Angelica Barrios v. 13) Nancy Enriquez - 9 AM

3) Natalia Mendez v. 6) Jessica Parrilla - 10 AM
2) Alexandra Herrera v. 7) Montserrat Mejia - Noon

Doubles - Quarterfinals - Friday

1) Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas d. 8) Jazmin Elizabeth Aguilar & Paula Aguilar, 15-4, 15-3
5) Carla Muñoz & Maria Renee Rodriguez d. 4) Natalia Mendez & Valeria Centellas, 15-5, 15-14

3) Erika Manilla & Jessica Parrilla d. 6) Nancy Enriquez & Sheryl Lotts, 11-15, 15-14, 11-5
2) Alexandra Herrera & Montserrat Mejia d. 7) Cristina Amaya & Maria Paz Riquelme, 15-4, 15-6

Doubles - Semi-finals - Saturday

1) Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas v. 5) Carla Muñoz & Maria Renee Rodriguez - 8 PM
2) Alexandra Herrera & Montserrat Mejia v. 3) Erika Manilla & Jessica Parrilla - 7 PM

Follow the bouncing ball….

The LPRT 2022-23 season kicks off in Mexico

The 2022-23 Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) season kicks off Friday with the Paola Longoria Grand Slam in Aguascalientes, Mexico. The tournament namesake - Paola Longoria - is in the draw, playing both singles and doubles - the latter with her fellow World Champion partner Samantha Salas.

Longoria won six of the nine LPRT events last season, and finished as the #1 player for the 13th time. But she did lose twice to Alexandra Herrera, and did so in back to back events.

Those were in tournament finals, so Herrera won twice last season. Those were her first wins on tour, and helped her finish #2 behind Longoria in the season ending LPRT rankings.

Eight of the top 11 LPRT players will play in Aguascalientes, and many players are likely looking to fine tune their games ahead of the 2022 International Racquetball Federation (IRF)World Championships that will begin on August 20 in San Luis Potosi, Mexico - a city not far from Aguascalientes.

You can watch the action from Aguascalientes live via the LPRT YouTube channel. Play begins Friday morning with the Round of 32. The Round of 16 will be later on Friday with the quarterfinals and semi-finals on Saturday, and the final on Sunday at noon. The doubles quarterfinals are Friday night with the doubles semis Saturday night and the final on Sunday at 1 PM after the singles final. All times central.

2022 LPRT Paola Longoria Grand Slam, August 12-14, 2022
Aguascalientes, Mexico

Round of 32 - Friday

1) Paola Longoria - BYE
16) Joselin Arevalo v. 17) Maria Paz Riquelme - 11 AM

8) Samantha Salas - BYE
9) Carla Muñoz - BYE

5) Angelica Barrios - BYE
12) Sheryl Lotts v. 21) Yanna Salazar - 10 AM

13) Nancy Enriquez v. 20) Andrea Martinez - 10 AM
4) Erika Manilla - BYE

3) Natalia Mendez - BYE
14) Cristina Amaya v. 19) Jazmin Elizabeth Aguilar - 11 AM

11) Maria Renee Rodriguez - BYE
6) Jessica Parrilla - BYE

7) Montserrat Mejia - BYE
10) Valeria Centellas - BYE

15) Susana Acosta v. 18) Paula Aguilar - 11 AM
2) Alexandra Herrera - BYE Doubles - Quarterfinals - Friday

1) Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas v. 8) Jazmin Elizabeth Aguilar & Paula Aguilar - 8 PM
4) Natalia Mendez & Valeria Centellas v. 5) Carla Muñoz & Maria Renee Rodriguez - 8 PM

3) Erika Manilla & Jessica Parrilla v. 6) Nancy Enriquez & Sheryl Lotts - 7 PM
2) Alexandra Herrera & Montserrat Mejia v. 7) Cristina Amaya & Maria Paz Riquelme - 7 PM Follow the bouncing ball….

Team Canada & Team Mexico for 2022 IRF World Championships

The 2022 International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Championships begin in San Luis Potosi, Mexico on August 20, and we’ll review the Canadian and Mexican teams today. Eight Canadians and six Mexicans will compete in San Luis Potosi.

Team Canada

The Canadian team is led by the current Men’s Doubles Pan American Champions: Coby Iwaasa and Samuel Murray. They qualified for the team through their performances at a Racquetball Canada National Team Selection Svent as well as the 2022 Canadian National Championships. Murray won both those events with Iwaasa as the runner up both times, so they are the top men’s qualifiers.

Joining Iwaasa and Murray on the team will be veteran Lee Connell, who’ll make his fourth appearance on Team Canada, and Kurtis Cullen, who’s on the team for the first time. But Cullen has considerable international experience, as he’s been a referee at several IRF events, including the recent World Games in Birmingham, Alabamba and the Pan American Championships earlier this year in Bolivia.

Iwaasa and Murray will play doubles, hoping to add a World title to their Pan American one, and Connell and Cullen will play singles. Murray will also play Mixed Doubles with Frédérique Lambert.

Lambert, the current Canadian Champion in both Women’s Singles and Doubles, will play doubles in Mexico with Michèle Morissette, who she won the Canadian title with in May. Danielle Drury and Juliette Parent will play singles.

Supporting Team Canada in San Luis Potosi will be Head Coach Michel Gagnon, Assistant Coach Evan Pritchard, Therapist Amy Barrette and Team Manager Jen Saunders.

Team Mexico

More than half of the six Mexican team has won a IRF World Championship, and half the team are currently World Champions. Paola Longoria leads the team, and comes in as the IRF World Champion in both Women’s Singles and Doubles with Samantha Salas, who will be in San Luis Potosi to help Longoria defend that title. Alexandra Herrera rounds out the women’s side, and she’ll be the other player in Women’s Singles.

All three of the Mexican men have been World Champions, and Rodrigo Montoya won Men’s Doubles at Worlds last year with Javier Mar. However, this year he’ll play singles with the 2018 Men's Doubles World Champions Daniel De La Rosa and Alvaro Beltran there to try to win again. De La Rosa - the #1 player on the International Racquetball Tour (IRT) - will also play singles. Montoya and Salas will be the Mexican team for Mixed Doubles, and they won mixed at this year’s Pan American Championships.

Mexican controversy

It’s great that Mexico will have such a strong team at Worlds. However, some controversy will surround the team, as the Mexican racquetball federation has issued released a press release, which was reportedly printed in a Mexican national newspaper, stating that it’s not receiving financial support from their national sport body to compete at Worlds. The lack of support is surprising given the success of the Mexican team in recent years and the popularity of the sport in the country.

The Mexican sport funding body CONADE, issued a press release in response. They contend that the Mexican racquetball federation has not complied with several requirements for funding. Moreover, CONADE believes that it is owed over 400,000 pesos (over US$20,000) by the Mexican racquetball federation, and almost 4 million pesos (almost US$200,000) by nine racquetball people, including Longoria, Salas, Beltran and De La Rosa.

The Mexican racquetball federation has responded to CONADE’s release in which they dispute some of the non-compliance issues, as well as whether any funds are owed by the organization. Apparently, there was former Mexican racquetball federation that should be responsible for some of those funds.

Clearly, there’s some “he said / she said” going on here as the racquetball federation and CONADE argue back and forth about these issues. Such conflict is never good for a team preparing for a competition, as it can be a complete distraction.

Veteran players like those on Team Mexico are less likely to be distracted than rookies, so perhaps this won’t matter too much. However, four of the six players on the team are specifically named by CONADE as owing money. That could be difficult to ignore. While the players might try to ignore it, they will undoubtedly be asked by the media about this situation during the World Championships, as the event is happening in Mexico.

There are 9 days until Worlds begins in San Luis Potosi. We’d like to think there will be a resolution to this conflict by then. However, the wheels of government rarely work that quickly, so it would be a surprise if they did in this case.

Tournament format

The XXI IRF World Championships begin Saturday August 20 in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. There will be three days of group stage matches follow by three days of medal round competition beginning Tuesday August 23 and concluding Thursday August 25. Only the top two players from each group will advance to the medal round, so every group stage match matters. There will also be a team event beginning on August 25 and ending Saturday August 27.

The team event will be a best of three matches: two singles matches and a doubles match. The order of the matches may vary, so, for example, the doubles match may be the first, second or third match between the teams. Player positions may change from the individual events to the team event, so the players who played doubles, for example, in the individual events need not be the players to play doubles in the team event. But once a team roster is set, it can’t change from one round to the next. Team rosters will be determined after the individual events are over.

Follow the bouncing ball…..

Team USA for the 2022 IRF World Championships

USA Racquetball (USAR) is sending a team of 9 players to the 2022 International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Championships in San Luis Potosi, Mexico that begin on August 20. Supporting the players will be coach Jim Durham and athletic trainer Rodger Fleming.

Leading the team will be veterans Rocky Carson and Rhonda Rajsich, both of whom are playing singles. How veteran are Carson and Rajsich? Carson first played for Team USA in 1998, and Rajsich in 2002. Since their debuts, Carson has played 18 times for the USA - the most by a man - and Rajsich 28 times - the most by any player. That's a lot of racquetball experience, which has included playing on four continents: North and South America as well as Europe and Asia.

How much more experience do they have than their team-mates? By our unofficial count of the players who have played for Team USA beginning with the first World Championships in 1981, Carson was the 64th player to play for Team USA and Rajsich the 69th. The rest of this year’s team have three digit numbers, including rookie Hollie Scott, who by our count will be the 110th player to wear USA on her back in international competition.

Scott will play Women’s Doubles with Kelani Lawrence, who’s making her 6th appearance on the team. Erika Manilla, on the team for the 3rd time, will be the other singles player with Rajsich. Michelle De La Rosa will be making her 4th appearance on Team USA and first since 2016. De La Rosa will play Mixed Doubles with Alejandro Landa.

Landa, the reigning Men’s Singles World Champion, will also try to defend his title on his 3rd Team USA appearance. The USA Men’s Doubles team will be Charlie Pratt and Sam Bredenbeck, who we don’t think have played together. Pratt played with Carson and Bredenbeck with his brother Jake at the USA National Championships. So, it’s a roll of the dice putting a new team out at Worlds, but both have international experience. Pratt will be making his 6th team appearance, though it will be just Bredenbeck’s 2nd time on the team. He played doubles with his brother at the Pan American Championships earlier this year in Bolivia, where they were bronze medalists.

We suggested that the USA would get two or three medals at Worlds last year in Guatemala, and they came away from there with five: Landa’s gold medal in Men’s Singles, as well as silvers in Women’s Singles and Women’s Doubles, earned by Lawrence and the team of Manilla and Rajsich, respectively. Rajsich also got a bronze medal in singles and Landa and Pratt got bronze in Men’s Doubles. Thus, Team USA outperformed expectations (at least ours) last year, and it will be interesting to see how they do this year with many of the same players on the team.

The XXI IRF World Championships begin Saturday August 20 in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. There will be three days of group stage matches follow by three days of medal round competition beginning Tuesday August 23 and concluding Thursday August 25. Only the top two players from each group will advance to the medal round, so every group stage match matters. There will also be a team event beginning on August 25 and ending Saturday August 27.

The team event will be a best of three matches: two singles matches and a doubles match. The order of the matches may vary, so, for example, the doubles match may be the first, second or third match between the teams. Player positions may change from the individual events to the team event, so the players who played doubles, for example, in the individual events need not be the players to play doubles in the team event. But once a team roster is set, it can’t change from one round to the next. Team rosters will be determined after the individual events are over.

Follow the bouncing ball…..