For the first time since 1995, the men’s and women’s singles finals at the Pan American Games will both be between team-mates. The 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile will see two Bolivians in the men’s final, and two Mexicans in the women’s final.
The men’s semi-finals were two Bolivia-Mexico battles. Top seed Conrrado Moscoso of Bolivia beat 4th seed Eduardo Portillo of Mexico, 11-3, 14-12, 12-10, in one semi, while his team-mate 2nd seed Carlos Keller came back from 2-1 down against 3rd seed Rodrigo Montoya of Mexico to win in five games, 6-11, 11-6, 11-13, 11-9, 11-8.
On the women’s side, 4th seed Montserrat Mejia of Mexico beat surprise semi-finalist Maricruz Ortiz of Costa Rica, 11-4, 11-7, 11-4, in one semi. The other was a re-match of the last two Pan Am Games finals with the same outcome, as Mexican Paola Longoria defeated Argentina’s Maria José Vargas, 11-7, 11-8, 6-11, 11-7, which gives Longoria a chance to win a 4th straight gold medal in Women’s Singles at a Pan American Games.
They played both the quarterfinals and semi-finals Monday, and there were some notable matches in the quarters. None more so that Ortiz’s win over Argentina’s Natalia Mendez, which was a five game affair with the 9th seed knocking off the #1 seed, 8-11, 11-9, 15-13, 10-12, 12-10.
Also of note, Vargas defeated Gabriela Martinez (Independent/Guatemala) in three close games, 13-11, 13-11, 12-10. Notable, because Martinez had game points in both game one and two, but she couldn’t close either of them out.
On the men’s side there were two tie-breakers in the quarters with one being about as close as possible, as Portillo eked by Daniel De La Rosa (USA), 10-12, 13-11, 12-10, 9-11, 14-12. Portillo’s team-mate also won in five games, but strangely none of the games were that close, as Montoya beat the USA’s Adam Manilla, 4-11, 11-2, 4-11, 11-5, 11-4.
Doubles
Big surprise in Women’s Doubles, as Mexico loses in the semi-finals, so misses out on a chance for gold for the first time since 1999. Mexico had won gold at the last four Pan American Games starting in 2003. It looked like they would be in another final, as Alexandra Herrera and Montserrat Mejia were up 2-1 on Argentina’s Natalia Mendez and Maria José Vargas 2-1, but the Argentines came back to win the fourth and fifth game and oust Mexico, winning 5-11, 13-11, 3-11, 11-7, 11-7.
Argentina will play Gabriela Martinez and Maria Renee Rodriguez (EAI), who reached the Women’s Doubles final for a second straight Pan American Games by defeating Bolivians Angelica Barrios and Jenny Daza, 11-13, 11-9, 12-10, 12-10. There was a long delay near the end of game three, as the building with the racquetball courts apparently lost power for a time (approximately 30 min?).
Bolivia led 10-7 at that point, but Martinez and Rodriguez came back to win game three with five straight points, 12-10. They then took a big lead in game four at 10-5 only to see Bolivia come back and tie it at 10-10. It looked like a fifth game might be needed until Martinez and Rodriguez won the next two points to close out the match in four games.
There was one tie-breaker in Men’s Doubles, as Canadians Coby Iwaasa and Samuel Murray needed five games to defeat Edwin Galicia and Juan Salvatierra (EAI), 11-9, 8-11, 11-7, 8-11, 11-7. They’ll be the first Canadians to play for Pan Am Games gold since 1999 when they take on Mexicans Javier Mar and Rodrigo Montoya Tuesday. Mar and Montoya are the defending Pan Am Games gold medalists in Men’s Doubles, and they reached the final by beating Costa Ricans Andrés Acuña and Gabriel Garcia in three straight games, 11-4, 11-7, 11-4.
Both Mixed Doubles semi-finals went to five games with both top seeds losing. The 4th seeded Argentina team of Diego Garcia and Maria José Vargas came back from a game down and then 9-4 down in the 5th game to beat current Pan American Champions Angelica Barrios and Conrrado Moscoso of Bolivia, 9-11, 11–8, 11-8, 10-12, 11-9. They’ll play the USA sibling team of Adam Manilla and Erica Manilla who ousted 2nd seeds Longoria and Portillo of Mexico, 11-9, 13-11, 6-11, 8-11, 11-7.
2023 Pan American Games - Santiago, Chile
Note: all times are Chilean time, which is one hour earlier than Eastern time in North America.
Men’s Singles - Quarterfinals - Monday
1) Conrrado Moscoso (Bolivia) d. 9) Andrés Acuña (Costa Rica), 11-1, 11-6, 15-13
4) Eduardo Portillo (Mexico) d. 5) Daniel De La Rosa (USA), 10-12, 13-11, 12-10, 9-11, 14-12
3) Rodrigo Montoya (Mexico) d. 6) Adam Manilla (USA), 4-11, 11-2, 4-11, 11-5, 11-4
2) Carlos Keller (Bolivia) d. 7) Samuel Murray (Canada), 11-9, 11-13, 14-12, 11-6
Men’s Singles - Semi-finals - Monday
1) Conrrado Moscoso (Bolivia) d. 4) Eduardo Portillo (Mexico), 11-3, 14-12, 12-10
2) Carlos Keller (Bolivia) d. 3) Rodrigo Montoya (Mexico), 6-11, 11-6, 11-13, 11-9, 11-8
Men’s Singles - Final - Tuesday
1) Conrrado Moscoso (Bolivia) v. 2) Carlos Keller (Bolivia) - 11 AM
Women’s Singles - Quarterfinals - Monday
9) Maricruz Ortiz (Costa Rica) d. 1) Natalia Mendez (Argentina), 8-11, 11-9, 15-13, 10-12, 12-10
4) Montserrat Mejia (Mexico) d. 5) Angelica Barrios (Bolivia), 11-8, 8-11, 11-2, 13-11
3) Paola Longoria (Mexico) d. 11) Erika Manilla (USA), 11-3, 11-5, 11-9
2) Maria José Vargas (Argentina) d. 7) Gabriela Martinez (EAI), 13-11, 13-11, 12-10
Women’s Singles - Semi-finals - Monday
4) Montserrat Mejia (Mexico) d. 9) Maricruz Ortiz (Costa Rica), 11-4, 11-7, 11-4
3) Paola Longoria (Mexico) v. 2) Maria José Vargas (Argentina), 11-7, 11-8, 6-11, 11-7
Women’s Singles - Final - Tuesday
3) Paola Longoria (Mexico) v. 4) Montserrat Mejia (Mexico) - 10 AM
Men’s Doubles - Semi-finals - Monday
1) Javier Mar & Rodrigo Montoya (Mexico) d. 4) Andrés Acuña & Gabriel Garcia (Costa Rica), 11-4, 11-7, 11-4
6) Coby Iwaasa & Samuel Murray (Canada) d. 7) Edwin Galicia & Juan Salvatierra (EAI), 11-9, 8-11, 11-7, 8-11, 11-7
Men’s Doubles - Final - Tuesday
1) Javier Mar & Rodrigo Montoya (Mexico) v. 6) Coby Iwaasa & Samuel Murray (Canada) - 2 PM
Women’s Doubles - Semi-finals - Monday
4) Natalia Mendez & Maria José Vargas (Argentina) d. 1) Alexandra Herrera & Montserrat Mejia (Mexico), 5-11, 13-11, 3-11, 11-7, 11-7
2) Gabriela Martinez & Maria Renee Rodriguez (EAI) d. 3) Angelica Barrios & Jenny Daza (Bolivia), 11-13, 11-9, 12-10, 12-10
Women’s Doubles - Final - Tuesday
2) Gabriela Martinez & Maria Renee Rodriguez (EAI) v. 4) Natalia Mendez & Maria José Vargas (Argentina) - 1 PM
Mixed Doubles - Semi-finals - Monday
4) Diego Garcia & Maria José Vargas (Argentina) d. 1) Angelica Barrios & Conrrado Moscoso (Bolivia), 9-11, 11–8, 11-8, 10-12, 11-9
3) Adam Manilla & Erica Manilla (USA) d. 2) Paola Longoria & Eduardo Portillo (Mexico), 11-9, 13-11, 6-11, 8-11, 11-7
Mixed Doubles - Final - Tuesday
3) Adam Manilla & Erica Manilla (USA) v. 4) Diego Garcia & Maria José Vargas (Argentina) - 3 PM
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