Longoria & Moscoso win Mixed Doubles at KWM Gutterman World Singles & Doubles Open Championships

Paola Longoria and Conrrado Moscoso, who had won their respective singles divisions, defeated 8th seeds Alan Natera and Carla Muñoz, 15-11, 15-5, in the Mixed Doubles final at the 2023 KWM Gutterman World Singles and Doubles Championships in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. Muñoz and Natera had a nice run in Colorado, but they met their match in Longoria and Moscoso.

Longoria is the #2 player on the Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) and Moscoso is #1 on the International Racquetball Tour (IRT). Moscoso took most of the shots for his side in the match, but Longoria certainly made contributions.

Longoria and Moscoso started well, going up 6-0 in game one. Technical difficulties interrupted the broadcast, but when the stream came back, Muñoz and Natera were ahead 10-8. That lead didn’t last, as Longoria and Moscoso tied the game at 11-11, and then went ahead 14-11.

They stalled there, as Muñoz and Natera got the serve back, but they couldn’t score, going two and out. Then on their third game point, Longoria and Moscoso closed it out with Moscoso hitting the game winning shot, a forehand pinch shot.

Game two wasn’t close at all, as Longoria and Mosocso went out to a 10-1 lead, and pushed on to win 15-4. Moscoso hit the matching winning shot, as he made a great get and rekilled a Nantera shot.

If you missed it, or want to see it again, the Mixed doubles final was streamed on the LPRT YouTube channel.

KWM Gutterman World Singles and Doubles Open Championships
Highlands Ranch, Colorado, August 10-13, 2023

Pro Mixed Doubles - Final - Sunday

2) Paola Longoria & Conrrado Moscoso d. 8) Alan Natera & Carla Muñoz, 15-11, 15-5

Follow the bouncing ball….

Longoria wins 2023 KWM Gutterman LPRT World Singles & Doubles Open Championships

Paola Longoria defeated Montserrat Mejia, 13-15, 15-3, 11-5, to win the 2023 Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) KWM Gutterman World Singles and Doubles Championships in Highlands Ranch, Colorado: the first event of the 2023-24 LPRT season. It was a battle of the new #1 Mejia versus the former #1, now #2, Longoria with the #2 coming out on top. This is the same result as the first event of last season, so the rankings shouldn’t change.

The short story of the match was that Mejia didn’t have her A game, and no one’s B game is going to beat Longoria, not even Mejia’s. Mejia’s shots were too loose, so she gave Longoria several extra chances that Longoria took advantage of.

Longoria might have won in two straight games, as it looked like she would win game one, with an early 3-0 lead, and also at 7-4. But Mejia battled back, and tied it at 9-9, and then went up 13-9.

Longoria switched to a backhand drive serve, and that helped her come back to tie the game at 13-13. But Mejia hit a backhand winner off Longoria’s next serve to get the serve back.

She then won the next two rallies on three shots. Mejia drove serve to the left side on both, and also finished them both with forehand down the line winners.

Game two was all Longoria, as she went up 11-0, and closed it out at 15-3 to force a tie-breaker. In the breaker, they were close early. Mejia led 3-1, then Longoria led 4-3, and they were tied at 5-5.

Longoria broke that tie, as Mejia skipped a backhand cross court shot. That was the start of five unanswered points that made the score 10-5. Meija used both her timeouts during that run, but to no avail.

She did fight off Longoria’s first match point by returning a half lob serve to the right side with a forehand back down the line. However, Longoria got the serve right back with a return winner of her own: a backhand cross court shot off a Mejia drive serve to the left side.

On the next rally, Mejia played a shot into the back wall that Longoria moved up into the front court to take early, hitting a backhand winner to seal the victory.

The next LPRT event won’t be until October, when the Turkey Shoot Pro-Am happens in Lombard, Illinois. With no US Open this year, and the Pan American Games in October, there’s a bit of a break in the LPRT schedule. If you missed any of the action from Colorado, check out the LPRT YouTube channel for recordings of the matches.

KWM Gutterman LPRT World Singles and Doubles Open Racquetball Championships
Highlands Ranch, Colorado - August 8-13, 2023

Final - Sunday

2) Paola Longoria d. 1) Montserrat Mejia, 13-15, 15-3, 11-5

Follow the bouncing ball….

Moscoso wins 2023 KWM Gutterman IRT World Singles & Doubles Open Championships

Conrrado Moscoso defeated Daniel De La Rosa, 3-15, 15-4, 11-7, to win the 2023 International Racquetball Tour (IRT) KWM Gutterman World Singles and Doubles Open Championships in Highlands Ranch, Colorado Sunday. Moscoso came back from a poor performance in game one to get the “W,” and by the end De La Rosa was running on fumes. He injured his leg earlier in the tournament, and it hampered his play in the final.

Game one was the first game Moscoso lost in the tournament, as De La Rosa was hot and Moscoso not. The script flipped in game two, as Moscoso came back to force a tie-breaker.

In the breaker, they were back and forth early. De La Rosa led 3-0, and Moscoso tied it at 3-3. De La Rosa went up 5-3, and Moscoso again tied it. When Moscoso broke that tie, and went up 8-5, De La Rosa called a timeout.

When Moscoso got a point coming out of the timeout, making the score 9-5, you had the sense that it was over. Yet De La Rosa kept battling despite clearly not being 100% physically. He got two points over the next ten rallies to get within two of Moscoso at 9-7.

Moscoso rekilled a De La Rosa shot with his backhand to get the serve back, and at that point Moscoso called a timeout.

When play resumed, De La Rosa skipped a forehand shot that put Moscoso on match point. He only needed the one opportunity, as Moscoso hit a backhand pinch winner from deep on the left side of the court to end the game at 11-7, and the match 2-1.

Moscoso has now won two of the three matches with De La Rosa this season, and the win solidifies him as the IRT’s #1 player. De La Rosa’s runner up finish should keep him as the #3 player on tour.

The next IRT event will be the Tracktown Open in Eugene, Oregon, August 31-September 3. If you missed any of the action from Colorado, check out the IRT media outlets - the IRT YouTube channel or the IRT Facebook page to watch matches you may have missed.

KWM Gutterman IRT World Singles and Doubles Open Championships
Highlands Ranch, Colorado, August 10-13, 2023

IRT Singles - Final - Sunday

1) Conrrado Moscoso d. 3) Daniel De La Rosa, 3-15, 15-4, 11-7

Follow the bouncing ball….

Muñoz & Natera reach Mixed Doubles final at 2023 KWM Gutterman World Singles & Doubles Open Championships

Doubles racquetball is slightly different from singles, so two players who work well together can defeat a pair of seemingly stronger players. Moreover, mixed doubles can be different again in that there’s a cliché that a mixed doubles team is all about the gal on the team and how well she plays.

That’s all a prelude to saying that it’s impressive that 8th seeded team of Carla Muñoz and Alan Natera have made it into the Mixed Doubles final at the 2023 KWM Gutterman World Singles and Doubles Championships in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. Moreover, Muñoz and Natera are married, so they are also breaking the cliché that it’s not a good idea to play doubles with your spouse / relationship partner.

Muñoz and Natera will face 2nd seeds Paola Longoria and Conrrado Moscoso in the final, which could be their stiffest test yet as Longoria is the #2 player on the Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) and Moscoso is #1 on the International Racquetball Tour (IRT). But both Longoria and Moscoso will have played in their respective singles finals Sunday prior to the mixed doubles final, while Muñoz and Natera will be fresh for the mixed final.

In the semi-finals, Muñoz and Natera defeated 4th seeds Javier Mar and Montserrat Mejia, 15-8, 6-9, injury forfeit, while Longoria and Moscoso beat 3rd seeds Alexandra Herrera and Eduardo Portillo, 15-10, 15-4.

Mar picked up an injury to his left leg, perhaps his ankle, and while he tried to play through it, in the middle of the second game, Mar decided it was best to withdraw. It was a sad end to an interesting match.

Both teams were playing in the standard mixed doubles formation with the man on the left side. But Mar and Mejia are both usually right side players, when they play men’s and women’s doubles, respectively: Mar with Rodrigo Montoya and Mejia with left-hander Alexandra Herrera.

It seemed that Mar and Mejia should have tried to switch it up and put Mejia on the left side. Mar is excellent on the right, as his re-kill ability helped make him a International Racquetball Federation World Champion in Men’s Doubles with Montoya in 2021.

Also, in the match there were times when Muñoz’s positioning put Mejia into an awkward spot that led her to not playing her best in game one, so moving Mar over to Muñoz’s side may have solved that. Muñoz’s variety of half lob serves to Mejia were also effective, as she was keeping them tight to the right wall. Mar, as a tall man, may have been able to take those serves early with overhead returns that could have decreased Muñoz’s service effectiveness.

In the tournament overall, Muñoz and Natera have given up slightly fewer points per game than Longoria and Moscoso. Muñoz and Natera’s average points per game against is 7.4 (67 points in 9 games), while Longoria and Moscoso’s is 8.7 (61 points in 7 games).

Mixed doubles final will be Sunday at 1:15 PM Mountain time (or shortly after the IRT final, which Moscoso is playing in), and will be streamed on the LPRT YouTube channel.

KWM Gutterman World Singles and Doubles Open Championships
Highlands Ranch, Colorado, August 10-13, 2023

Pro Mixed Doubles - Semi-finals - Saturday

8) Alan Natera & Carla Muñoz d. 4) Javier Mar & Montserrat Mejia, 15-8, 6-9, injury forfeit
2) Paola Longoria & Conrrado Moscoso d. 3) Alexandra Herrera & Eduardo Portillo, 15-10, 15-4

Pro Mixed Doubles - Final - Sunday

2) Paola Longoria & Conrrado Moscoso v. 8) Alan Natera & Carla Muñoz - 1:15 PM

Follow the bouncing ball….

Moscoso & De La Rosa reach final of 2023 KWM Gutterman IRT World Singles & Doubles Open Championships

Conrrado Moscoso and Daniel De La Rosa, the #1 and #3 players on the International Racquetball Tour (IRT), will play off in the final of the 2023 KWM Gutterman IRT World Singles and Doubles Open Championships in Highlands Ranch, Colorado on Sunday. Moscoso has yet to drop a game in Colorado, winning 8 straight games over 4 matches yielding only 6.5 points per game.

They played the quarterfinals and semi-finals on Saturday, and in the quarters Moscoso beat Adam Manilla, 15-11, 15-3, and then defeated Rodrigo Montoya in the semis, 15-11, 15-6.

In contrast, De La Rosa needed tie-breakers to win both his matches Saturday. He came back from a game down against Andree Parrilla, 8-15, 15-11, 11-6, and then held on to fend off IRT #2 Jake Bredenbeck, 15-8, 7-15, 11-7.

Sunday will be the 3rd meeting between Moscoso and De La Rosa, but the first since January. In that month, they split two meetings with De La Rosa winning in Texas and Moscoso winning in South Dakota.

The final will be Sunday at 12:15 PM MDT, and you can see it via the usual IRT media outlets: The IRT YouTube channel or the IRT Facebook page.

KWM Gutterman IRT World Singles and Doubles Open Championships
Highlands Ranch, Colorado, August 10-13, 2023

IRT Singles - Quarterfinals - Saturday

1) Conrrado Moscoso d. 8) Adam Manilla, 15-11, 15-3

4) Rodrigo Montoya d. 21) Diego Garcia, 10-15, 15-4, 11-2

3) Daniel De La Rosa d. 6) Andree Parrilla, 8-15, 15-11, 11-6
2) Jake Bredenbeck d. 23) Carlos Keller, 15-13, 15-12

IRT Singles - Semi-finals - Saturday

1) Conrrado Moscoso d. 4) Rodrigo Montoya, 15-11, 15-6
3) Daniel De La Rosa d. 2) Jake Bredenbeck, 15-8, 7-15, 11-7

IRT Singles - Final - Sunday

1) Conrrado Moscoso v. 3) Daniel De La Rosa - 12:15 PM

Follow the bouncing ball….

Mejia & Longoria face off in final of 2023 LPRT KWM Gutterman World Singles & Doubles Open Championships

Montserrat Mejia and Paola Longoria will face off in the final of the 2023 Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) KWM Gutterman World Singles and Doubles Championships in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. It will be the first opportunity for Longoria to try to regain the #1 ranking that Mejia took from her after 11 consecutive seasons.

This will also be just their third match in the last 12 months, and the first in 2023. Longoria won in the first event of last season, and Mejia won last fall. They’ve yet to meet since then despite being the top two players for most of the past year.

Both won their respective semi-final matches in two straight games. Mejia beat LPRT #5 Brenda Laime, 15-6, 15-12, while Longoria defeated LPRT #3 Alexandra Herrera, 15-10, 15-14.

Neither Laime or Herrera were sharp in the first games of their respective semis, yet both looked like they would push their semi to a breaker only to fall short, as the LPRT #1 and #2 held off the challengers.

The final will be Sunday at 11:15 AM MDT, and you can watch it via the LPRT YouTube channel.

KWM Gutterman LPRT World Singles and Doubles Open Racquetball Championships
Highlands Ranch, Colorado - August 8-13, 2023

Semi-finals - Saturday

1) Montserrat Mejia d. 5) Brenda Laime, 15-6, 15-12
2) Paola Longoria d. 3) Alexandra Herrera, 15-10, 15-14

Final - Sunday

1) Montserrat Mejia v. 2) Paola Longoria - 11:15 AM

Follow the bouncing ball….

Seedings hold in Mixed Doubles at the 2023 KWM Gutterman World Singles & Doubles Open Championships

The seedings for Mixed Doubles at the KWM Gutterman World Singles and Doubles Championships in Highlands Ranch, Colorado must be created with a bit of guess work, as it’s rare for players from the Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) and International Racquetball Tour (IRT) to play together. Yet there were no upsets by the seedings in the quarterfinals Friday.

The 2nd seeds - Paola Longoria and Conrrado Moscoso - came back from a game down to defeat 7th seeds Daniel De La Rosa and Hollie Scott, 13-15, 15-4, 11-5. They’ll next face 3rd seeds Alexandra Herrera and Eduardo Portillo, who also needed three games to get past the brother-sister team of Andree and Jessica Parrilla, 11-15, 15-10, 11-7.

On the other side of the draw, 4th seeds Javier Mar and Montserrat Mejia defeated 5th seeds Adam Manilla and Erika Manilla, 15-6, 15-12, while 8th seeds Alan Natera and Carla Muñoz beat 16th seeds Edwin Galicia & Gabriela Martinez, 15-3, 15-7. Thus, Mar and Mejia will face off with Muñoz and Natera in the semi-finals.

Mixed doubles matches are being streamed on both the IRT media outlets: The IRT YouTube channel or the IRT Facebook page, and the LPRT YouTube channel, so check them both out to try and find the match that you want to see. The final will be Sunday at 1:15 PM Mountain time.

KWM Gutterman IRT World Singles and Doubles Open Championships
Highlands Ranch, Colorado, August 10-13, 2023

Pro Mixed Doubles - Quarterfinals - Friday

8) Alan Natera & Carla Muñoz d. 16) Edwin Galicia & Gabriela Martinez, 15-3, 15-7
4) Javier Mar & Montserrat Mejia d. 5) Adam Manilla & Erika Manilla, 15-6, 15-12

3) Alexandra Herrera & Eduardo Portillo d. 6) Andree Parrilla & Jessica Parrilla, 11-15, 15-10, 11-7
2) Paola Longoria & Conrrado Moscoso d. 7) Daniel De La Rosa & Hollie Scott, 13-15, 15-4, 11-5

Pro Mixed Doubles - Semi-finals - Saturday

4) Javier Mar & Montserrat Mejia v. 8) Alan Natera & Carla Muñoz - 1:15 PM
2) Paola Longoria & Conrrado Moscoso v. 3) Alexandra Herrera & Eduardo Portillo - 1:15 PM

Follow the bouncing ball….

Garcia into quarterfinals at 2023 IRT KWM Gutterman World Singles and Doubles Open Championships

Diego Garcia had the first big upset Friday at the 2023 International Racquetball Tour (IRT) KWM Gutterman IRT World Singles and Doubles Open Championships in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, as he defeated IRT #5 Eduardo Portillo, 7-15, 15-14, 11-5. Portillo had two chances to serve for the match in game two, but couldn’t finish it.

Garcia will play IRT #4 Rodrigo Montoya in the quarterfinals Saturday morning, as Montoya also needed three games to win on Friday, hanging on to defeat 20th seed Elias Nieto, 15-9, 13-15, 11-5.

All the other matches in the 16s were over in two straight games. IRT #1 Conrrado Moscoso defeated a former IRT #1 - Rocky Carson, 15-4, 15-5, and will play left-hander Adam Manilla in the quarters, as Manilla beat Samuel Murray, 15-7, 15-7.

On the bottom of the draw, there’ll be an all-Mexican batter between Daniel De La Rosa and Andree Parrilla, as De La Rosa beat Erick Trujillo, 15-8, 15-5, and Parrilla defeated Javier Mar, 15-14, 15-8.

Finally, IRT #2 Jake Bredenbeck, who won the last IRT event back in April, will take on Carlos Keller, a two time former Pan American Champion. Bredenbeck defeated Erick Cuevas Fernandez, 15-12, 15-3, and Keller beat Juan Francisco Cueva, 15-3, 15-6, in the Round of 16.

The quarterfinals will be Saturday morning at 10:15 and 11:15 AM with the semi-finals Saturday afternoon at 2:15 and 3:15 PM. You can see some of the IRT action via the usual IRT media outlets: The IRT YouTube channel or the IRT Facebook page. The final will be Sunday at 12:15 PM. All times Mountain.

KWM Gutterman IRT World Singles and Doubles Open Championships
Highlands Ranch, Colorado, August 10-13, 2023

IRT Singles - Round of 16 - Friday

1) Conrrado Moscoso d. 16) Rocky Carson, 15-4, 15-5
8) Adam Manilla d. 9) Samuel Murray, 15-7, 15-7

21) Diego Garcia d. 5) Eduardo Portillo, 7-15, 15-14, 11-5
4) Rodrigo Montoya d. 20) Elias Nieto, 15-9, 13-15, 11-5

3) Daniel De La Rosa d. 19) Erick Trujillo, 15-8, 15-5
6) Andree Parrilla d. 11) Javier Mar, 15-14, 15-8

23) Carlos Keller d. 26) Juan Francisco Cueva, 15-3, 15-6
2) Jake Bredenbeck d. 18) Erick Cuevas Fernandez, 15-12, 15-3

IRT Singles - Quarterfinals - Saturday

1) Conrrado Moscoso v. 8) Adam Manilla - 11:15 AM

4) Rodrigo Montoya v. 21) Diego Garcia - 11:15 AM

3) Daniel De La Rosa v. 6) Andree Parrilla - 10:15 AM
2) Jake Bredenbeck v. 23) Carlos Keller - 10:15 AM

Follow the bouncing ball….

Laime into semi-finals at 2023 LPRT KWM Gutterman World Singles & Doubles Championhips

The top three Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) players won their respective quarterfinal matches Friday at the 2023 LPRT KWM Gutterman World Singles and Doubles Championships in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, but LPRT #4 Erika Manilla lost to #5 Brenda Laime, 15-7, 15-10. Laime will play LPRT #1 Montserrat Mejia in the semi-finals Saturday, as Mejia came back to defeat LPRT #9 Natalia Mendez, 12-15, 15-3, 11-4.

LPRT #3 Alexandra Herrera ended the run of 11th seed Gabriela Martinez in two straight games, 15-13, 15-7, and will play LPRT #2 Paola Longoria in the other semi. Longoria beat Samantha Salas, the 10th seed, 15-1, 15-4.

The semi-finals will be at 10:15 AM and 12:15 AM Saturday, and you can watch the action via the LPRT YouTube channel. The final will be Sunday at 11:15 AM. All times Mountain.

KWM Gutterman LPRT World Singles and Doubles Open Racquetball Championships
Highlands Ranch, Colorado - August 8-13, 2023

Quarterfinals - Friday

1) Montserrat Mejia d. 9) Natalia Mendez, 12-15, 15-3, 11-4
5) Brenda Laime d. 4) Erika Manilla, 15-7, 15-10

3) Alexandra Herrera d. 11) Gabriela Martinez, 15-13, 15-7
2) Paola Longoria d. 10) Samantha Salas, 15-1, 15-4

Semi-finals - Saturday

1) Montserrat Mejia v. 5) Brenda Laime - 12:15 PM
2) Paola Longoria v. 3) Alexandra Herrera - 10:15 AM

Follow the bouncing ball….

Martinez wins in R16 at LPRT KWM Gutterman World Singles & Doubles Open Racquetball Championships

The top five seeds are into the quarterfinals at the 2023 Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) KWM Gutterman World Singles and Doubles Championships in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. The top seeds Montserrat Mejia and Paola Longoria both had straightforward wins in the Round of 16. LPRT #1 Mejia defeated 17th seed Nancy Enriquez, 15-8, 15-4, and LPRT #2 Longoria beat 15th seed Maria Paz Riquelme, 15-3, 15-0.

In the quarterfinals, Mejia will face 9th seed Natalia Mendez, who upset 8th seed Carla Muñoz, 15-9, 15-14, while Longoria faces a familiar foe in her long time doubles partner Samantha Salas, as the 10th seed got the better of 7th seed Jessica Parrilla, 15-11, 15-8.

In what we highlighted as the marquee match of the the 16s, 11th seed Gabriela Martinez upset 6th seed Maria Jose Vargas, 15-9, 15-12. Martinez won this event two years ago, when this event was last held. She’ll need to win three more matches to equal that feat, and her next opponent is 3rd seed Alexandra Herrera, who beat 14th seed Hollie Scott in two straight games, 15-3, 15-7.

The quarterfinals begin at 3 PM, and you can watch the action via the LPRT YouTube channel. The semi-finals will be at 10:15 AM and 12:15 AM Saturday, and the final Sunday at 11:15 AM. All times Mountain.

KWM Gutterman LPRT World Singles and Doubles Open Racquetball Championships
Highlands Ranch, Colorado - August 8-13, 2023

Round of 16 - Friday

1) Montserrat Mejia d. 17) Nancy Enriquez, 15-8, 15-4
9) Natalia Mendez d. 8) Carla Muñoz, 15-9, 15-14

5) Brenda Laime d. 12) Kelani Lawrence, 15-10, 15-5
4) Erika Manilla d. 13) Cristina Amaya, 15-5, 15-8

3) Alexandra Herrera d. 14) Hollie Scott, 15-3, 15-7
11) Gabriela Martinez d. 6) Maria Jose Vargas, 15-9, 15-12

10) Samantha Salas d. 7) Jessica Parrilla, 15-11, 15-8
2) Paola Longoria d. 15) Maria Paz Riquelme, 15-3, 15-0

Quarterfinals - Friday

1) Montserrat Mejia v. 9) Natalia Mendez - 6 PM
4) Erika Manilla v. 5) Brenda Laime - 3 PM

3) Alexandra Herrera v. 11) Gabriela Martinez - 4 PM
2) Paola Longoria v. 10) Samantha Salas - 5 PM

Follow the bouncing ball….

Early rounds at 2023 IRT KWM Gutterman World Singles & Doubles Open Championships

There were no big surprises on day one of the 2023 International Racquetball Tour (IRT) KWM Gutterman IRT World Singles and Doubles Open Championships in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, but there was one disappointment. Kane Waselenchuk - the #1 player for 14 IRT seasons - forfeited his preliminary round match with DJ Mendoza. Thus, he won’t be playing in the main draw of 32.

We don’t know why Waselenchuk forfeited, although he did play two mixed doubles matches with Michelle Key, and this is his first tournament after his Achilles tendon injury last year. So perhaps that played a part in his decision to withdraw. It’s sad because many people would like to see him play again. “What’s happening with Kane?” has been one of the most frequent questions The Racquetball Blog staff have been asked over the past year.

The marquee match up in the Round of 32 on Friday should be 10th seed Andrés Acuña - the current World Games champion - versus 23rd seed Carlos Keller, who’s a two time Pan American Champion. But Thomas Carter, the veteran left hander, against young gun Diego Garcia should also be good.

The Round of 32 begins at 9 AM with the Round of 16 starting at 2 PM. You can see some of the IRT action via the usual IRT media outlets: The IRT YouTube channel or the IRT Facebook page. The quarterfinals will be Saturday morning at 10:15 and 11:15 AM with the semi-finals Saturday afternoon at 2:15 and 3:15 PM. The final will be Sunday at 12:15 PM. All times Mountain.

KWM Gutterman IRT World Singles and Doubles Open Championships
Highlands Ranch, Colorado, August 10-13, 2023

IRT Singles - Round of 128 - Thursday

Q1 - Kadim Carrasco - BYE
Q1 - Fernando Kurzbard d. Matias Arnez, 15-4, 15-5

Q16 - Jose Daniel Ugalde - BYE
Q16 - Mauricio Zelada - BYE

Q9 - Kane Waselenchuk - BYE
Q9 - DJ Mendoza - BYE

Q8 - Nicholas Riffel d. Ken Cheshire, 15-4, 15-2
Q8 - Juan Salvatierra - BYE

Q5 - Diego Garcia - BYE
Q5 - Esteban De Janon d. Ferd Samson, 15-10, 15-7

Q12 - Cole Sendrey - BYE
Q12 - Edwin Galicia - BYE

Q13 - Missing
Q13 - Cody Elkins - BYE

Q4 - Elias Neto d. Pedro Castro, 15-11, 15-1
Q4 - Sam Bredenbeck - BYE

Q3 - Erick Trujillo - BYE
Q3 - Roland Keller d. Jaime Mansilla, forfeit

Q14 - Diego Gatica - BYE
Q14 - Jim Douglas - BYE

Q11 - Anthony Martin - BYE
Q11 - Christian Wer - BYE

Q6 - Jacob Kingsford d. Sebastian Chevaile Sanchez, 15-6, 15-11
Q6 - Rodrigo Mendoza - BYE

Q7 - Carlos Keller - BYE
Q7 - Erik Garcia d. Kalyan Kosetty, forfeit

Q10 - Juan Francisco Cueva - BYE
Q10 - Carlos Ramirez - BYE

Q15 - Sebastian Fernandez - BYE
Q15 - Diego Gastelum - BYE

Q2 - Dylan Pruitt d. Naman Gauri, 15-1, 15-4
Q2 - Erick Cuevas Fernandez - BYE

IRT Singles - Round of 64 - Thursday

Q1 - Kadim Carrasco d. Fernando Kurzbard, 15-9, 14-15, 11-5
Q16 - Jose Daniel Ugalde d. Mauricio Zelada, forfeit

Q9 - DJ Mendoza d. Kane Waselenchuk, forfeit
Q8 - Nicholas Riffel d. Juan Salvatierra, 15-12, 7-15, 11-7

Q5 - Diego Garcia d. Ferd Samson, 15-3, 15-3
Q12 - Cole Sendrey d. Edwin Galicia, 15-8, 15-8

Q13 - Cody Elkins, forfeit winner
Q4 - Elias Neto d. Sam Bredenbeck, 12-15, 15-10, 11-1

Q3 - Erick Trujillo d. Roland Keller, 15-8, 15-14
Q14 - Jim Douglas d. Diego Gatica, forfeit

Q11 - Anthony Martin d. Christian Wer, 15-10, 15-8
Q6 - Jacob Kingsford d. Rodrigo Mendoza, 15-11, 15-4

Q7 - Carlos Keller d. Erik Garcia, 15-2, 15-14
Q10 - Juan Francisco Cueva d. Carlos Ramirez, 15-4, 15-2

Q15 - Diego Gastelum d. Sebastian Fernandez, forfeit
Q2 - Erick Cuevas Fernandez d. Dylan Pruitt, 15-11, 10-15, 11-4

IRT Singles - Round of 32 - Friday

1) Conrrado Moscoso v. 32) Jose Daniel Ugalde - Noon
16) Rocky Carson v. 17) Kadim Carrasco - Noon

9) Samuel Murray v. 24) Nicholas Riffel - 1 PM
8) Adam Manilla v. 25) DJ Mendoza - 1 PM

5) Eduardo Portillo v. 28) Cole Sendrey - 10 AM
12) Thomas Carter v. 21) Diego Garcia - 10 AM

13) Alan Natera v. 20) Elias Neto - 9 AM
4) Rodrigo Montoya v. 29) Cody Elkins - 9 AM

3) Daniel De La Rosa v. 30) Jim Douglas - 9 AM
14) Jaime Martell v. 19) Erick Trujillo - 9 AM

11) Javier Mar v. 22) Jacob Kingsford - 11 AM
4) Andree Parrilla v. 27) Anthony Martin - 11 AM

7) Alejandro Landa v. 26) Juan Francisco Cueva - Noon
10) Andrés Acuña v. 23) Carlos Keller - Noon

15) Robert Collins v. 18) Erick Cuevas Fernandez - 11 AM
2) Jake Bredenbeck v. 31) Diego Gastelum - 11 AM

Follow the bouncing ball….

Early round action at 2023 LPRT KWM Gutterman World Singles & Doubles Championships

There was only one upset in the Round of 32 at the 2023 Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) KWM Gutterman World Singles and Doubles Championships in Highlands Ranch, Colorado on Thursday, as 17th seed Nancy Enriquez came back from a game down to defeat 16th seed Sheryl Lotts, 14-15, 15-10, 11-8.

Enriquez will play LPRT #1 Montserrat Mejia in the Round of 16 Friday, as Mejia beat 33rd seed Victoria Rodriguez, 15-2, 15-0, Thursday. Rodriguez got to the 32s by defeating 32nd seed Erica Williams, 5-15, 15-2, 15-2, in the only match in the Round of 64.

The marquee match in the 16s will be 6th seed Maria Jose Vargas - a former #2 player on tour - versus 11th seed Gabriela Martinez - a former International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Champion. Vargas beat 27th seed Veronica Sotomayor by perhaps a surprisingly wide margin, 15-3, 15-2, given Sotomayor is a former top 10 LPRT player, and Martinez was a winner over 22nd seed Maricruz Ortiz by forfeit.

The Round of 16 begins at 10 AM and you can watch some of the action via the LPRT YouTube channel. The quarterfinals will be Friday beginning at 3 PM with the semi-finals at 10:15 AM and 12:15 AM Saturday. The final will be Sunday at 11:15 AM. All times Mountain.

KWM Gutterman LPRT World Singles and Doubles Open Racquetball Championships
Highlands Ranch, Colorado - August 8-13, 2023

Round of 64 - Thursday

1) Montserrat Mejia - BYE
33) Victoria Rodriguez d. 32) Erica Williams, 5-15, 15-2, 11-2

17) Nancy Enriquez - BYE
16) Sheryl Lotts - BYE

9) Natalia Mendez - BYE
24) Shane Diaz - BYE

25) Khyathi Velpuri - BYE
8) Carla Muñoz - BYE

5) Brenda Laime - BYE
28) Adriana Riveros - BYE

21) Martina Katz - BYE
12) Kelani Lawrence - BYE

13) Cristina Amaya - BYE
20) Lexi York - BYE

29) Maria José Muñoz - BYE
4) Erika Manilla - BYE

3) Alexandra Herrera - BYE
30) Chanis Leon - BYE

19) Stephanie Synhorst - BYE
14) Hollie Scott - BYE

11) Gabriela Martinez - BYE
22) Maricruz Ortiz - BYE

27) Veronica Sotomayor - BYE
6) Maria Jose Vargas - BYE

7) Jessica Parrilla - BYE
26) Estephania Perez Picon - BYE

23) Naomi Ros - BYE
10) Samantha Salas - BYE

15) Maria Paz Riquelme - BYE
18) Sunshine Arterburn - BYE

31) Ana Sarmiento - BYE
2) Paola Longoria - BYE

Round of 32 - Thursday

1) Montserrat Mejia d. 33) Victoria Rodriguez, 15-2, 15-0
17) Nancy Enriquez d. 16) Sheryl Lotts, 14-15, 15-10, 11-8

9) Natalia Mendez d. 24) Shane Diaz, 15-9, 15-2
8) Carla Muñoz d. 25) Khyathi Velpuri, 15-3, 15-4

5) Brenda Laime d. 28) Adriana Riveros, 15-10, 15-7
12) Kelani Lawrence d. 21) Martina Katz, 15-5, 15-3

13) Cristina Amaya d. 20) Lexi York, 15-10, 15-9
4) Erika Manilla d. 29) Maria José Muñoz, 15-1, 15-9

3) Alexandra Herrera d. 30) Chanis Leon, 15-1, 15-1
14) Hollie Scott d. 19) Stephanie Synhorst, 15-1, 15-7

11) Gabriela Martinez d. 22) Maricruz Ortiz, forfeit
6) Maria Jose Vargas d. 27) Veronica Sotomayor, 15-3, 15-2

7) Jessica Parrilla d. 26) Estephania Perez Picon, 15-5, 15-0
10) Samantha Salas d. 23) Naomi Ros, 15-11, 15-10

15) Maria Paz Riquelme d. 18) Sunshine Arterburn, forfeit
2) Paola Longoria d. 31) Ana Sarmiento, 15-1, 15-1

Round of 16 - Friday

1) Montserrat Mejia v. 17) Nancy Enriquez - 1 PM
8) Carla Muñoz v. 9) Natalia Mendez - 1 PM

5) Brenda Laime v. 12) Kelani Lawrence - 10 AM
4) Erika Manilla v. 13) Cristina Amaya - 10 AM

3) Alexandra Herrera v. 14) Hollie Scott - 11 AM
6) Maria Jose Vargas v. 11) Gabriela Martinez - 11 AM

7) Jessica Parrilla v. 10) Samantha Salas - Noon
2) Paola Longoria v. 15) Maria Paz Riquelme - Noon

Follow the bouncing ball….

Mixed Doubles at the 2023 KWM Gutterman World Singles and Doubles Open Championships

An interesting aspect of the KWM Gutterman World Singles and Doubles Championships in Highlands Ranch, Colorado is the pro Mixed Doubles division that brings together the best players from the Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) and International Racquetball Tour (IRT). There are 28 teams competing in the division.

Some of the teams are those we’ll see at the 2023 Pan American Games later this year in Santiago, Chile. Adam Manilla and Erika Manilla will be representing the USA in Chile, and Frédérique Lambert and Samuel Murray will play for Canada. Also, we expect that Guatemala will be represented by Edwin Galicia and Gabriela Martinez, but we’re not sure about Mexico.

Paola Longoria and Eduardo Portillo played for Mexico at the Central American and Caribbean Games in June, but they aren’t playing together in Colorado. Longoria is playing with Conrrado Moscoso (a Mexico-Bolivia team) and Portillo with Alexandra Herrera (all Mexico). Moreover, the current International Racquetball Federation (IRF) Mixed Doubles World Champions are Mexicans Rodrigo Montoya and Samantha Salas, who are the top seeds this weekend. Then there's also Javier Mar and Montserrat Mejia and the sibling team of Andree Parrilla and Jessica Parrilla. Thus, Mexico has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to picking a mixed doubles team for the Pan Am Games.

There are other fun teams competing this weekend, including Michelle Key and Kane Waselenchuk, Alvaro Beltran and Natalia Mendez, Veronica Sotomayor and Jose Daniel Ugalde, Daniel De La Rosa and Hollie Scott, Thomas Carter and Kelani Lawrence, and Andrés Acuña and Maricruz Ortiz.

Alan Natera and Carla Muñoz are doing what we’ve always been told not to do: play doubles with your spouse. Yet it’s working for them, as they’ve won both their matches so far, including a win over Key and Waselenchuk, 15-2, 11-15, 11-9.

Natera and Muñoz will face Galicia and Martinez in the quarterfinals Friday night, as the Guatemalans knocked off the top seeds of Montoya and Salas, 8-15, 15-14, 11-8, in the Round of 16 Thursday.

The Manillas also won in the 16s, as they held on to defeat 12th seeds Diego Garcia & Maria Jose Vargas, 15-2, 11-15, 11-9. They’ll play 4th seeds Mar and Mejia, who were winners over 13th seeds Cristina Amaya and Jaime Martell, 15-8, 15-1.

The Parrillas beat 11th seeds Jake Bredenbeck and Naomi Ros, 15-12, 15-5, and will play the winners of 3rd seeds Herrera and Portillo versus 19th seeds Veronica Sotomayor & Jose Daniel Ugalde. Also, Longoria and Moscoso defeated 15th seeds Beltran and Mendez, 15-14, 15-9. They’ll play one of 7th seeds Daniel De La Rosa and Hollie Scott, 10th seeds Thomas Carter and Kelani Lawrence or 23rd seeds Lambert and Murray.

Mixed doubles matches are being streamed on both the IRT media outlets: The IRT YouTube channel or the IRT Facebook page, and the LPRT YouTube channel, so check them both out to try and find the match that you want to see. The final will be Sunday at 1:15 PM Mountain time.

KWM Gutterman IRT World Singles and Doubles Open Championships
Highlands Ranch, Colorado, August 10-13, 2023

Pro Mixed Doubles - Round of 32 - Thursday

1) Rodrigo Montoya & Samantha Salas - BYE
16) Edwin Galicia & Gabriela Martinez d. 17) Sam Bredenbeck & Lexi York, 15-8, 15-11

24) Michelle Key & Kane Waselenchuk d. 9) Kadim Carrasco & Brenda Laime, 15-10, 15-10
8) Alan Natera & Carla Muñoz d. 25) Nancy Enriquez & Jordan Walters, 15-5, 15-9

5) Adam Manilla & Erika Manilla d. 28) Esteban De Janon & Ana Sarmiento, 15-4, 15-2
12) Diego Garcia & Maria Jose Vargas d. 21) Iain Dunn & Estefania Perez Picon, 15-3, 15-0

13) Cristina Amaya & Jaime Martell d. 20) Erik Garcia & Adriana Riveros, 15-8, 12-15, 11-10
4) Javier Mar & Montserrat Mejia - BYE

3) Alexandra Herrera & Eduardo Portillo - BYE
19) Veronica Sotomayor & Jose Daniel Ugalde d. 14) Andrés Acuña & Maricruz Ortiz, 7-15, 15-8, 11-8

11) Jake Bredenbeck & Naomi Ros d. 22) Dylan Pruitt & Sheryl Lotts, 14-15, 15-3, 11-9
6) Andree Parrilla & Jessica Parrilla d. 27) Martine Katz & Fernando Kurzbard, 15-4, 15-7

7) Daniel De La Rosa & Hollie Scott d. 26) Juan Francisco Cueva & Maria José Muñoz, 15-11, 15-2
10) Thomas Carter & Kelani Lawrence v. 23) Frédérique Lambert & Samuel Murray - 7:45

15) Alvaro Beltran & Natalia Mendez d. 18) Destry Everhart & Erica Williams, 15-7, 15-8
2) Paola Longoria & Conrrado Moscoso - BYE

Pro Mixed Doubles - Round of 16 - Thursday

16) Edwin Galicia & Gabriela Martinez d. 1) Rodrigo Montoya & Samantha Salas, 8-15, 15-14, 11-8
8) Alan Natera & Carla Muñoz d. 24) Michelle Key & Kane Waselenchuk, 15-2, 11-15, 11-9

5) Adam Manilla & Erika Manilla d. 12) Diego Garcia & Maria Jose Vargas, 15-2, 11-15, 11-9
4) Javier Mar & Montserrat Mejia d. 13) Cristina Amaya & Jaime Martell, 15-8, 15-1

3) Alexandra Herrera & Eduardo Portillo d. 19) Veronica Sotomayor & Jose Daniel Ugalde, 15-4, 15-12
6) Andree Parrilla & Jessica Parrilla d. 11) Jake Bredenbeck & Naomi Ros, 15-12, 15-5

7) Daniel De La Rosa & Hollie Scott v. 10) Thomas Carter & Kelani Lawrence - 1 PM Friday
2) Paola Longoria & Conrrado Moscoso d. 15) Alvaro Beltran & Natalia Mendez, 15-14, 15-9

Pro Mixed Doubles - Quarterfinals - Friday

16) Edwin Galicia & Gabriela Martinez v. 8) Alan Natera & Carla Muñoz - 8 PM
4) Javier Mar & Montserrat Mejia v. 5) Adam Manilla & Erika Manilla - 8 PM

3) Alexandra Herrera & Eduardo Portillo v. 6) Andree Parrilla & Jessica Parrilla - 8 PM
2) Paola Longoria & Conrrado Moscoso v. 7) Daniel De La Rosa & Hollie Scott or 10) Thomas Carter & Kelani Lawrence - 8 PM

Follow the bouncing ball….

2023 LPRT KWM Gutterman World Singles & Doubles Championships

The 2023-24 Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) begins today with the LPRT KWM Gutterman World Singles and Doubles Championships in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. There are 33 players in the draw, led by LPRT #1 Montserrat Mejia, who dethroned Paola Longoria last season. Longoria is also in Colorado as the #2 seed, which is the first time she’s been in that position since 2011. Rounding out the top four are Alexandra Herrera at #3 and Erika Manilla at #4.

This event happens at an odd time of the year for racquetball, as it’s in the summer period that is traditionally the off season. Thus, there’s some question as to whether all the players are match fit this weekend, so it might be an opportunity for an unexpected player to win. That is what happened two years ago, when Gabriela Martinez, seeded 10th, won the event, defeating Herrera in the final, and Maria Jose Vargas in the semi-finals (note: Longoria wasn’t at that event).

The LPRT is coming off a season which saw four different winners: Mejia, Longoria, Herrera and Martinez. Will one of them capture the winner’s circle this weekend or will it be another player? Vargas, perhaps, who has five wins in her career but none since 2019? Or Brenda Laime, who was in more finals last year than anyone but Mejia and Longoria?

Last season was one of the most competitive and exciting ever, and the quality of the LPRT players means that this could be just as good, and potentially better. That’s a high bar, and we are excited to see if the standard that was set that season can be met, or surpassed.

It all kicks off in Colorado today.

You can watch the action live from Colorado via the LPRT YouTube channel. Play begins Thursday with the Round of 64 (one match) and Round of 32, and continues through to the final on Sunday at 11:15 AM. All times Mountain.

KWM Gutterman LPRT World Singles and Doubles Open Racquetball Championships
Highlands Ranch, Colorado - August 8-13, 2023

Round of 64 - Thursday

1) Montserrat Mejia - BYE
32) Erica Williams v. 33) Victoria Rodriguez - 11:35 AM

17) Nancy Enriquez - BYE
16) Sheryl Lotts - BYE

9) Natalia Mendez - BYE
24) Shane Diaz - BYE

25) Khyathi Velpuri - BYE
8) Carla Muñoz - BYE

5) Brenda Laime - BYE
28) Adriana Riveros - BYE

21) Martina Katz - BYE
12) Kelani Lawrence - BYE

13) Cristina Amaya - BYE
20) Lexi York - BYE

29) Maria José Muñoz - BYE
4) Erika Manilla - BYE

3) Alexandra Herrera - BYE
30) Chanis Leon - BYE

19) Stephanie Synhorst - BYE
14) Hollie Scott - BYE

11) Gabriela Martinez - BYE
22) Maricruz Ortiz - BYE

27) Veronica Sotomayor - BYE
6) Maria Jose Vargas - BYE

7) Jessica Parrilla - BYE
26) Estephania Perez Picon - BYE

23) Naomi Ros - BYE
10) Samantha Salas - BYE

15) Maria Paz Riquelme - BYE
18) Sunshine Arterburn - BYE

31) Ana Sarmiento - BYE
2) Paola Longoria - BYE

Round of 32 - Thursday

1) Montserrat Mejia v. 32) Erica Williams or 33) Victoria Rodriguez - 6:35 PM
16) Sheryl Lotts v. 17) Nancy Enriquez - 5:25 PM

9) Natalia Mendez v. 24) Shane Diaz - 12:45 PM
8) Carla Muñoz v. 25) Khyathi Velpuri - 5:25 PM

5) Brenda Laime v. 28) Adriana Riveros - 4:15 PM
12) Kelani Lawrence v. 21) Martina Katz - 6:35 PM

13) Cristina Amaya v. 20) Lexi York - 11:35 AM
4) Erika Manilla v. 29) Maria José Muñoz - 5:25 PM

3) Alexandra Herrera v. 30) Chanis Leon - 6:35 PM
14) Hollie Scott v. 19) Stephanie Synhorst - 4:15 PM

11) Gabriela Martinez v. 22) Maricruz Ortiz - 4:15 PM
6) Maria Jose Vargas v. 27) Veronica Sotomayor - 6:35 PM

7) Jessica Parrilla v. 26) Estephania Perez Picon - 5:25 PM
10) Samantha Salas v. 23) Naomi Ros - 12:45 PM

15) Maria Paz Riquelme d. 18) Sunshine Arterburn, forfeit
2) Paola Longoria v. 31) Ana Sarmiento - 5:25 PM

Follow the bouncing ball….

2023 IRT KWM Gutterman World Singles and Doubles Open Championships

The 2023 International Racquetball Tour (IRT) season resumes this weekend with the 2023 KWM Gutterman IRT World Singles and Doubles Open Championships in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. There’s a large field of 55 players, including the top 13 and 21 of the top 22. Leading the field is IRT #1 Conrrado Moscoso, along with IRT #2 Jake Bredenbeck, #3 Daniel De La Rosa, and #4 Rodrigo Montoya.

This is the first IRT event since the SoCal Open in April, when Bredenbeck defeated Moscoso in the final.

It is also the first IRT event Kane Waselenchuk has entered since he suffered an Achilles injury last September. He’ll be coming through qualifying, and could face 8th seed Adam Manilla in the Round of 32. The last time Waselenchuk had to qualify for an IRT event he won it.

But that was in 2008, when he was 26. Waselenchuk’s now 41, and coming off a major injury, so it would be a big ask for him to win the first time out now. Yet, he has won more IRT events than anyone else, so there’s certainly a chance Waselenchuk could do it. But it would be a surprise, and an impressive one.

It will be interesting to see what happens this weekend, not just for Waselenchuk, but in general, as August is not the prime time of the racquetball season, so we’re interested to see who is match fit and who isn’t.

You can see some of the IRT action via the usual IRT media outlets: The IRT YouTube channel or the IRT Facebook page. Singles play begins Thursday with two rounds, and then the Round of 32 will start on Friday morning. The final will be Sunday at 12:15 PM. All times Mountain.

KWM Gutterman IRT World Singles and Doubles Open Championships
Highlands Ranch, Colorado, August 10-13, 2023

IRT Singles - Round of 128 - Thursday

Q1 - Kadim Carrasco - BYE
Q1 - Matias Arnez v. Fernando Kurzbard - 12:45 PM

Q16 - Jose Daniel Ugalde - BYE
Q16 - Mauricio Zelada - BYE

Q9 - Kane Waselenchuk - BYE
Q9 - DJ Mendoza - BYE

Q8 - Nicholas Riffel d. Ken Cheshire, 15-4, 15-2
Q8 - Juan Salvatierra - BYE

Q5 - Diego Garcia - BYE
Q5 - Ferd Samson v. Esteban De Janon - 12:45 PM

Q12 - Cole Sendrey - BYE
Q12 - Edwin Galicia - BYE

Q13 - Missing
Q13 - Cody Elkins - BYE

Q4 - Elias Neto d. Pedro Castro, 15-11, 15-1
Q4 - Sam Bredenbeck - BYE

Q3 - Erick Trujillo - BYE
Q3 - Roland Keller d. Jaime Mansilla, forfeit

Q14 - Diego Gatica - BYE
Q14 - Jim Douglas - BYE

Q11 - Anthony Martin - BYE
Q11 - Christian Wer - BYE

Q6 - Jacob Kingsford d. Sebastian Chevaile Sanchez, 15-6, 15-11
Q6 - Rodrigo Mendoza - BYE

Q7 - Carlos Keller - BYE
Q7 - Erik Garcia d. Kalyan Kosetty, forfeit

Q10 - Juan Francisco Cueva - BYE
Q10 - Carlos Ramirez - BYE

Q15 - Sebastian Fernandez - BYE
Q15 - Diego Gastelum - BYE

Q2 - Dylan Pruitt v. Naman Gauri - 1:55 PM
Q2 - Erick Cuevas Fernandez - BYE

IRT Singles - Round of 64 - Thursday

Q1 - Kadim Carrasco v. Matias Arnez or Fernando Kurzbard - 12:45 PM
Q16 - Jose Daniel Ugalde d. Mauricio Zelada, forfeit

Q9 - Kane Waselenchuk v. DJ Mendoza - 4:15 PM
Q8 - Juan Salvatierra v. Nicholas Riffel - 6:35 PM

Q5 - Diego Garcia v. Ferd Samson v. Esteban De Janon - 6:35 PM
Q12 - Edwin Galicia v. Cole Sendrey - 4:15 PM

Q13 - Cody Elkins, forfeit winner
Q4 - Sam Bredenbeck v. Elias Neto - 5:25 PM

Q3 - Erick Trujillo v. Roland Keller - 5:25 PM
Q14 - Jim Douglas d. Diego Gatica, forfeit

Q11 - Anthony Martin v. Christian Wer - 3:05 PM
Q6 - Rodrigo Mendoza v. Jacob Kingsford - 3:05 PM

Q7 - Carlos Keller v. Erik Garcia - 6:35 PM
Q10 - Carlos Ramirez v. Juan Francisco Cueva - 5:25 PM

Q15 - Diego Gastelum d. Sebastian Fernandez, forfeit
Q2 - Erick Cuevas Fernandez v. Dylan Pruitt or Naman Gauri - 1:55 PM

IRT Singles - Round of 32 - Friday

1) Conrrado Moscoso v. 32) Jose Daniel Ugalde - Noon
16) Rocky Carson v. Q1 - Noon

9) Samuel Murray v. Q8 - 1 PM
8) Adam Manilla v. Q9 - 1 PM

5) Eduardo Portillo v. Q12 - 10 AM
12) Thomas Carter v. Q5 - 10 AM

13) Alan Natera v. Q4 - 9 AM
4) Rodrigo Montoya v. 29) Cody Elkins - 9 AM

3) Daniel De La Rosa v. 30) Jim Douglas - 9 AM
14) Jaime Martell v. Q3 - 9 AM

11) Javier Mar v. Q6 - 11 AM
4) Andree Parrilla v. Q11 - 11 AM

7) Alejandro Landa v. Q10 - Noon
10) Andrés Acuña v. Q7 - Noon

14) Robert Collins v. Q2 - 11 AM
2) Jake Bredenbeck v. 31) Diego Gastelum - 11 AM

Follow the bouncing ball….

LPRT 2022-23 Season Recap - What a year!

The 2023-24 Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) kicks off Friday in Colorado with the KWM Gutterman World Singles and Doubles Championships. But before that happens, let’s review the 2022-23 LPRT season, which was one of the most remarkable women’s pro seasons ever.

Remarkably, Montserrat Mejia finished as the #1 LPRT player for the first time. She dethroned Paola Longoria, who had been the #1 player for 11 consecutive seasons. Mejia did so by winning 5 of the 10 events last season, while Longoria won 3 with Alexandra Herrera and Gabriela Martinez winning one each.

Four different winners on tour hadn’t happened since 2007-08, when Cheryl Gudinas, Rhonda Rajsich, Christie Huczek (née Van Hees) and Longoria won. Moreover, four is the most winners there’s ever been in a women’s pro racquetball season.

Mejia and Longoria were in the most finals last season, six and four times, respectively. But the player with the third most finals was Brenda Laime, who was in three finals, more than either Herrera (two) or Martinez (one).

Yet if you count appearances in both the semi-finals and finals, Erika Manilla is 3rd (with 5), not Laime, Herrera or Martinez, and behind only Mejia (7) and Longoria (6).

Moreover, Maria Jose Vargas was in two finals and two semi-finals in the five events she played after returning to the tour following the birth of her 3rd child. She hasn’t won on tour since 2019, but almost did so in the last event of this past season.

All of this indicates how remarkable 2022-23 was, and we think 2023-24 could be even better. Longoria will want to regain the #1 ranking, and Mejia will want to show that winning that ranking was no fluke. Presumably, Vargas will play the whole season, so she’ll be a threat at every event, rather than just half of them.

Moreover, Herrera, Martinez, Laime and Manilla aren’t going away. Then there’s Angelica Barrios, Natalia Mendez, Jessica Parrilla and Carla Muñoz to contend with.

We never saw elite women’s racquetball in the 1980s and 1990s, but this could be the best it has ever been. The depth of the field is that great.

Thus, there is a lot to look forward to in the 2023-24 LPRT season, and we're excite to see how it’s all going to unfold.

You can watch the action live from Colorado via the LPRT YouTube channel. Play begins Thursday with the Round of 64 (one match) and Round of 32, and continues through to the final on Sunday at 11:15 AM. All times Mountain.

2022-23 LPRT Results Summary
Players who reached at least one quarterfinal

Montserrat Mejia - 5 wins, 1 final, 1 semi-final, 1 quarterfinal
Paola Longoria - 3 wins, 1 F, 2, SF, 2 QF, 2 Round of 16
Alexandra Herrera - 1 win, 1 F, 2 SF, 3 QF, 2 R16
Gabriela Martinez - 1 win, 5 R16

Brenda Laime - 3 F, 2 QF, 4 R16
Maria Jose Vargas - 2 F, 2 SF, 1 QF
Erika Manilla - 1 F, 4 SF, 2 QF, 3 R16
Angelica Barrios - 1 F, 3 SF, 1 QF, 3 R16

Jessica Parrilla - 2 SF, 3 QF, 5 R16
Natalia Mendez - 2 SF, 3 QF, 5 R16
Carla Muñoz - 1 SF, 5 QF, 4 R16
Samantha Salas - 1 SF, 4 QF, 3 R16

Kelani Lawrence - 5 QF, 4 R16
Valeria Centellas - 4 QF, 6 R16
Hollie Scott - 2 QF, 5 R16
Sheryl Lotts - 1 QF, 4 R16
Nancy Enriquez - 1 QF, 2 R16, 3 R32

2022-23 LPRT Final Rankings

Singles

1) Montserrat Mejia
2) Paola Longoria
3) Alexandra Herrera
4) Erika Manilla
5) Brenda Laime

6) Angelica Barrios
7) Maria Jose Vargas
8) Jessica Parrilla
9) Carla Muñoz
10) Natalia Mendez

11) Samantha Salas
12) Gabriela Martinez
13) Valeria Centellas
14) Kelani Lawrence
15) Cristina Amaya

16) Hollie Scott
17) Maria Paz Riquelme
18) Sheryl Lotts
19) Maria Renee Rodriguez
20) Nancy Enriquez

Doubles

1) Paola Longoria
2) Samantha Salas
3) Alexandra Herrera
4) Natalia Mendez
5) Montserrat Mejia

6) Erika Manilla
7) Valeria Centellas
8) Kelani Lawrence
9) Jessica Parrilla
10) Brenda Laime

11) Maria Renee Rodriguez
12) Carla Muñoz
13) Hollie Scott
14) Gabriela Martinez
15) Angelica Barrios

16) Maria Jose Vargas
17) Cristina Amaya
18) Maria Paz Riquelme
19) Rhonda Rajsich
20) Nancy Enriquez

Follow the bouncing ball….