Laime into 1st LPRT final at the 2022 LPRT at the Beach tournament

Brenda Laime is into her 1st career Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) final, as she came back to defeat 4th seed Erika Manilla, 3-15, 15-9, 11-9, in the semi-finals of the LPRT at the Beach presented by INVICTA tournament in Chesapeake, Virginia Friday. Laime will face LPRT #2 Alexandra Herrera in the final Saturday, as Herrera beat 6th seed Carla Muñoz, 15-6, 15-7, in the other semi-final.

Manilla was on fire in the first game against Laime, playing fast, and taking 13-0 lead before Laime got on the board. But after dropping game one, Laime found her groove in game two, and was able to force Manilla into a tie-breaker by winning game two, 15-9.

In the breaker, they were close - never separated by more than three points, and Manilla led late at 9-6. But she wouldn’t score another point.

There was a bit of controversy at 9-9, as the referee called a hinder, when Manilla believed it should have been an avoidable hinder, as there was some contact as she was taking her backswing. The situation was similar to what happened late in the tie-breaker earlier in the day between Laime and Paola Longoria, which did result in an avoidable for Longoria.

But here the referee stuck with her initial call of a hinder, and there were no line judges for the match for Manilla to appeal to.

On the ensuing play, Laime hit a backhand lob serve to the right side, and Manilla took the return early, skipping the ball to put her opponent on match point at 10-9, which was Laime's first lead of the game. Manilla shouted for a timeout, clearly still frustrated by the hinder call.

When play resumed, Laime again hit a backhand lob serve, though this time down the left side, which is a glass side wall. Manilla tried to shoot the ball on the return, and skipped the shot. Thus, Laime won the breaker 11-9, and the match, two games to one.

In the other semi-final, Herrera and Muñoz were close in game one, and actually tied at 6-6. Then Herrera ran 9 unanswered points to win it 15-6. Game two had a similar storyline: close early, and then Herrera took over, and won the match in two relatively comfortable games.

Laime and Manilla also faced off in doubles, with Laime again coming out on top. She and Muñoz defeated Manilla and Natalia Mendez, 15-4, 15-13. They’ll play top seeds Herrera and Jessica Parrilla in the semi-finals on Saturday.

In Friday’s other doubles match, Kelani Lawrence and Hollie Scott came back to beat Cristina Amaya and Maria Renee Rodriguez, 8-15, 15-3, 11-1. Lawrence and Scott will play 2nd seeds are Valeria Centellas and Paola Longoria in the other semi Saturday.

You can watch the action from Chesapeake live via the LPRT YouTube channel. The singles final is 5 PM Saturday. The doubles semi-finals are Saturday at 11 AM and noon, and the final at 6 PM. All times EDT.

2022 LPRT at the Beach presented by INVICTA, September 8-11, 2022
Chesapeake, Virginia

Semi-finals - Friday

8) Brenda Laime d. 4) Erika Manilla, 3-15, 15-9, 11-9
2) Alexandra Herrera d. 6) Carla Muñoz, 15-6, 15-7

Final - Saturday

2) Alexandra Herrera v. 8) Brenda Laime - 5 PM

Doubles - Quarterfinals - Friday

1) Alexandra Herrera & Jessica Parrilla - BYE
4) Kelani Lawrence & Hollie Scott d. 5) Cristina Amaya & Maria Renee Rodriguez, 8-15, 15-3, 11-1

6) Brenda Laime & Carla Muñoz d. 3) Erika Manilla & Natalia Mendez, 15-4, 15-13
2) Valeria Centellas & Paola Longoria - BYE

Doubles - Semi-finals - Saturday

1) Alexandra Herrera & Jessica Parrilla v. 4) Kelani Lawrence & Hollie Scott - Noon
2) Valeria Centellas & Paola Longoria v. 6) Brenda Laime & Carla Muñoz - 11 AM

Follow the bouncing ball….