Fourteen countries will be competing at the 2023 Pan American Racquetball Championships in Guatemala City that begin Saturday. The tournament begins with three days of group play. Those results will lead to seeding for the medal round beginning Tuesday. There are several strong groups, so matches will difficult right off the hop.
Mexico’s results last year were not great aside from winning Mixed Doubles, so their seedings in the groups is lower than you might expect. Both the Mexican women and men are in Group 5 and 6 for singles, so they can’t be higher than the 5th and 6th seeds come the Tuesday.
Part of Mexico’s below expectations performance last year was due to the absence of Paola Longoria - the 5 time International Racquetball Federation (IRF) Women’s Singles champion, but she’s in Guatemala. Longoria is in Group 5 for singles, so - at best - she can be the 5th seed for the medal round.
Longoria is in Guatemala partly due to the fact that this is the qualifying event for the 2023 Pan American Games to be held in October in Chile. The top three teams - plus Chile as the host nation - will be able to send 3 athletes to Chile. The next six teams will qualify to send 2 athletes. Thus, 24 men’s spots and 24 women’s spots will be assigned.
Note, the spots are tied to a country, not a player. If a country qualifies to send two athletes, those athletes do not have to be any of their athletes here in Guatemala.
Teams will earn points towards qualification based on how well they do in Guatemala. Points will be earned in the group stage as well as the playoff stage. In the playoff stage, all spots will be contested. With 14 countries competing at this Pan American Championship, there could be 28 singles players, and if so, then matches would be played to determine all 28 positions, so as to assign points towards Pan Am Games qualification.
Note, both semi-finalists will be bronze medalists, but for the purposes of Pan Am Games qualification, a “3rd place” match will be played. Similarly for those who lose in the quarterfinals, Round of 16 and Round of 32.
For draws, look to the Pan American Racquetball Confederation (PARC) website or the R2 Sports site. Also, some of the matches will be streamed. We’re not sure when streaming will begin, but check out the IRF Facebook page or the IRF YouTube channel for matches.
XXXIV Pan American Racquetball Championships
Guatemala City, Guatemala - April 1-8, 2023
Women's Singles
Group 1 - Saturday
Carla Muñoz (Chile) v. Anna Aguilar (Guatemala) - 11:30 AM
Angelica Barrios (Bolivia) - BYE
Group 2 - Saturday
Cristina Amaya (Colombia) v. Maria Jose Muñoz (Ecuador) - 12:15 PM
Natalia Mendez (Argentina) - BYE
Group 3 - Saturday
Yasmine Sabja (Bolivia) v. Samira Ferrer Marcilli (Cuba), 1 PM
Gabriela Martinez (Guatemala) v. Paula Manilla (Chile) - 12:15
Group 4 - Saturday
María José Vargas (Argentina) v. Jimena Gomez (Costa Rica) - 1 PM
Maria Paz Muñoz (Ecuador) v. Maria Paz Riquelme (Colombia) - 1 PM
Group 5 - Saturday
Paola Longoria (Mexico) v. Juliette Parent (Canada) - 12:15 PM
Rhonda Rajsich (USA) v. Marinelly Delgado (Dominican Republic) - 1 PM
Group 6 - Saturday
Erika Manilla (USA) v. Maricruz Ortiz (Costa Rica) - 12:15 PM
Montserrat Mejia (Mexico) v. Michèle Morissette (Canada) - 1 PM
Men's Singles
Group 1 - Saturday
Diego Garcia (Argentina) v. Edwin Galicia (Guatemala) - 10 AM
Carlos Keller (Bolivia) - BYE
Group 2 - Saturday
Juan Salvatierra (Guatemala) v. Fernando Kurzbard (Argentina) - 11:30 AM
Jake Bredenbeck (USA) - BYE
Group 3 - Saturday
Trevor Webb (Canada) v. Ramon De Leon (Dominican Republic) - 10 AM
Conrrado Moscoso (Bolivia) - BYE
Group 4 - Saturday
Thomas Carter (USA) v. Ronal Cardona (Honduras) - 10 AM
Jose Daniel Ugalde (Ecuador) v. Set Cubillos (Colombia) - 10:45
Group 5 - Saturday
Andres Acuña (Costa Rica) v. Abraham Mercado (Puerto Rico) - 10:45 AM
Samuel Murray (Canada) v. Diego Gatica (Chile) - 10:45 AM
Group 6 - Saturday
Eduardo Portillo (Mexico) v. Carlos Medrano (Honduras) - 10:45 AM
Juan Francisco Cueva (Ecuador) v. Maikel Moyet (Cuba) - 10 AM
Group 7 - Saturday
Gabriel Garcia (Costa Rica) v. Yandy Espinosa (Cuba) - 11:30 AM
Andree Parrilla (Mexico) v. Rafael Gatica (Chile) - 11:30 AM
Women's Doubles
Group 1 - Saturday
Michèle Morissette & Danielle Ramsay (Canada) v. Gabriela Martinez & Maria Renee Rodriguez (Guatemala) - 3:15 PM
Valeria Centellas & Natalia Mendez (Argentina) - BYE
Group 2 - Saturday
Michelle Key & Erika Manilla (USA) v. Paula Mansilla & Carla Muñoz (Chile) - 3:15 PM
Alexandra Herrera & Montserrat Mejia (Mexico) - BYE
Group 3 - Saturday
Cristina Amaya & Maria Paz Riquelme (Colombia) v. Jimena Gomez & Maricruz Ortiz (Costa Rica) - 3:15 PM
Angelica Barrios & Jenny Daza (Bolivia) v. v. Maria Jose Muñoz & Ana Sarmiento (Ecuador) - 3:15 PM
Men's Doubles
Group 1 - Saturday
Rodrigo Montoya & Eduardo Portillo (Mexico) v. Fernando Kurzbard & Daniel Maggi (Argentina) - 2:30 PM
Coby Iwaasa & Samuel Murray (Canada) - BYE
Group 2 - Saturday
Kadim Carrasco & Conrrado Moscoso (Bolivia) v. Ronal Cardona & Carlos Medrano (Honduras) - 2:30 PM
Jake Bredenbeck & Sam Bredenbeck (USA) v. Edwin Galicia & Christian Wer - 2:30 PM
Group 3 - Saturday
Juan Francisco Cueva & Jose Daniel Ugalde (Ecuador) v. Yandy Espinosa & Maikel Moyet (Cuba) - 2:30 PM
Andres Acuña & Gabriel Garcia (Costa Rica) v. Rafael Gatica & Rodrigo Salgado (Chile) - 2:30 PM
Mixed Doubles
Group 1 - Saturday
Paola Longoria & Rodrigo Montoya (Mexico) v. Mery Nanyely Delgado & Ramon De Leon (Dominican Republic) - 4:45 PM
Coby Iwaasa & Danielle Ramsay (Canada) v. Gabriela Martinez & Juan Salvatierra (Guatemala) - 4:45 PM
Group 2 - Saturday
Angelica Barrios & Conrrado Moscoso (Bolivia) v. Samira Ferrer Marcilli & Maikel Moyet (Cuba) - 4:45 PM
Jaime Mansilla & Carla Muñoz (Chile) v. Felipe Camacho & Maricruz Ortiz (Costa Rica) - 4:45 PM
Group 3 - Saturday
Sam Bredenbeck & Michelle Key (USA) v. Maria Paz Muñoz & Juan Francisco Cueva (Ecuador) - 5:30 PM
Maria Jose Vargas & Diego Garcia (Argentina) v. Cristina Amaya & Set Cubillos (Colombia) - 5:30 PM
Follow the bouncing ball….
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