Mexico won both the Men’s and Women’s Team events on Saturday at the 2023 Central American and Caribbean Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, so they remain undefeated in the team competition at the Central American and Caribbean Games going back to 1990. The Mexican men defeated Costa Rica, and the women beat Guatemalan athletes competing as Centro Caribe Sport (CCS) due to an International Olympic Committee ban of Guatemala’s National Olympic Committee from international competitions.
The team competition has countries going head to head over three matches: two singles matches and doubles. The order of the matches can vary, and for the final it was the singles matches played first and then doubles, if necessary. However, doubles wasn’t necessary as Mexico won both of the singles matches in the finals.
In the Men’s final, Eduardo Portillo of Mexico defeated Costa Rica’s Felipe Camacho, 11-3, 11-4, 11-5, in the first match, but in the second match Andrés Acuña of Costa Rica almost forced a tie-breaking third match, as he came back from two games down against Rodrigo Montoya only to narrowly lose in the tie-breaker. Montoya won 11-9, 11-6, 8-11, 10-12, 12-10.
Montserrat Mejia won the first match of the Women’s Final for Mexico by defeating Anna Aguilar (CCS), 11-0, 11-4, 11-2. Then Paola Longoria clinched gold for Mexico with a close win over Gabriela Martinez (CCS), 14-12, 11-7, 8-11, 12-10. That was a repeat of the Women’s Singles final earlier in the week, which Longoria also won.
Mexico beat Cuba, 2 matches to 0, in the Men’s Team semi-finals, while Costa Rica needed three matches to see off the Centro Caribe Sports team, 2-1. In the Women’s Team semi-finals, Mexico defeated the Dominican Republic in two straight matches, and the Centro Caribe Sports team also won in two straight matches against Costa Rica.
The Central American and Caribbean Games are part of the Olympic cycle of games. They are smaller event that leads up to the Summer Olympics. The next event in the cycle is the Pan American Games, which will happen this year in Santiago, Chile from 20 October to 5 November 2023. Usually, the Central American and Caribbean Games happen the year prior to the Pan American Games, but they were pushed back a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
2023 Central American & Caribbean Games
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic - June 24 - July 1
Women’s Team Event - Final
Mexico d. Centro Caribe Sport, 2-0
Match 1 - Montserrat Mejia (Mexico) d. Anna Aguilar (CCS), 11-0, 11-4, 11-2
Match 2 - Paola Longoria (Mexico) d. Gabriela Martinez (Centro Caribe Sport), 14-12, 11-7, 8-11, 12-10
Semi-finals
Mexico d. Dominican Republic, 2-0
Match 1 - Montserrat Mejia (Mexico) d. Maria Cespedes (Dominican Republic), 11-6, 11-5, 11-0
Match 2 - Alexandra Herrera & Montserrat Mejia (Mexico) d. Merynanyelly Delgado & Alejandra Jiménez (Dominican Republic), 11-5, 11-9, 11-5
Centro Caribe Sport d. Costa Rica, 2-0
Match 1 - Anna Aguilar (CCS) d. Jimena Gomez (Costa Rica), 11-8, 12-10, 11-3
Match 2 - Gabriela Martinez & Maria Renee Rodriguez (Centro Caribe Sport) d. Jimena Gomez & Maricruz Ortiz (Costa Rica), 11-5, 11-9, 11-8
Men’s Team Event - Final
Mexico d. Costa Rica, 2-0
Match 1 - Eduardo Portillo (Mexico) d. Felipe Camacho (Costa Rica), 11-3, 11-4, 11-5
Match 2 - Rodrigo Montoya (Mexico) d. Andrés Acuña (Costa Rica), 11-9, 11-6, 8-11, 10-12, 12-10.
Semi-finals
Mexico d. Cuba, 2-0
Match 1 - Eduardo Portillo (Mexico) d. Maikel Moyet (Cuba), 11-8, 11-6, 11-8
Match 2 - Rodrigo Montoya & Eduardo Portillo (Mexico) d. Yandy Espinoza & Maikel Moyet (Cuba), 11-4, 11-7, 11-7
Costa Rica d. Caribe Centro Sports, 2-1
Match 1 - Edwin Galicia (Centro Caribe Sport) d. Felipe Camacho (Costa Rica), 11-4, 11-8, 11-3
Match 2 - Andrés Acuña & Gabriel Garcia (Costa Rica) d. Juan Salvatierra & Christian Wer (Centro Caribe Sport), 11-6, 11-9, 11-4
Match 3 - Andrés Acuña (Costa Rica) d. Juan Salvatierra (Centro Caribe Sport), 11-8, 11-5, 11-3
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