The Dominican Republic will have a chance to win gold in the Women’s Team event at the XXXV Pan American Championships in Guatemala City on Saturday, as they defeated Chile in the semi-finals on Friday. We believe this is the first time the Domincan has been in a team final. The Dominican’s opponent in the final will be top seeds Argentina. The Men’s Team final will be between two long time racquetball rivals: Mexico and the USA.
Both the Dominican and Argentinian women won their semi-finals in two straight matches. The 3rd seeded Dominican defeated 2nd seeds Chile, while Argentina beat the 4th seeded USA team.
In one semi-final, Dominican Alejandra Jimenez defeated Chilean Paula Mansilla, 11-5, 11-3, 6-11, 11-8, and then Merynanyelly Delgado and Maria Cespedes took out Mansilla and Carla Muñoz, 11-7, 8-11, 11-4, 11-6. In the other semi, Argentina’s Natalia Mendez defeated American Lexi York, 11-8, 11-5, 9-11, 11-5, and then she and Maria Jose Vargas beat Naomi Ros and York, 11-4, 11-5, 11-5, which was the score line we were expecting when those two teams met in the Women’s Doubles final on Thursday, but which went to a tie-breaker before Argentina prevailed.
On the men’s side, both semi-finals needed three matches to decide the winner. In the Mexico-Canada semi, Mexican Sebastian Hernández somehow prevailed over Canadian Coby Iwaasa, 9-11, 11-7, 11-6, 16-14, 11-4, because it looked like Hernández was running on fumes in the second half of that match. Yet he fought off five match points in the fourth game to force a deciding fifth, which he won.
Iwaasa recovered and helped Samuel Murray beat Hernandez and Rodrigo Montoya in doubles, 11-3, 11-7, 11-7, and Canada never trailed in that match. The deciding match was between Montoya and Kurtis Cullen, who were meeting for the second time this tournament, having played in the group stage. This result was the same, as Montoya won in three straight games, 11-7, 11-8, 11-6.
Team USA veteran Charlie Pratt did his job by holding on to defeat Costa Rican Gabriel Garcia, 11-7, 7-11, 11-5, 7-11, 11-9, in the first match of their semi-final. But Garcia and Andrés Acuña defeated brothers Jake and Sam Bredenbeck, 11-7, 11-9, 11-8, in the doubles match to set up a deciding singles match between Jake Bredenbeck and Acuña. Acuña won the first game, but Bredenbeck won the next three, finishing off the match with a drive serve ace to the right side, to win it, 6-11, 11-4, 11-9, 11-5.
One men’s quarterfinal needed three matches, as Canada and Guatemala went the distance with Iwaasa and Murray defeating Edwin Galicia and Juan Salvatierra, 11-7, 13-11, 12-10.
In the women’s quarters, both Dominican Republic versus Costa Rica and Chile versus Guatemala needed three matches to decide the winner. In the deciding doubles matches, Dominicans Delgado and Cespedes beat Costa Ricans Larissa Faeth and Jimena Gomez, 11-9, 11-7, 11-6, while Chileans Paula Mansilla and Carla Muñoz defeated Anna Aguilar and Jazmin Aguilar, 11-8, 9-11, 11-5, 11-7.
The team event begins at 10 AM Friday with the Men’s Team event going first. For draws, look to the R2 Sports website. Also, some of the matches are being streamed live, so check out the IRF Facebook page or the IRF YouTube channel for matches.
XXXV Pan American Racquetball Championships
Guatemala City, Guatemala - March 23-31, 2024
Women's Team Event - Quarterfinals Friday
1) Argentina d. 8) Cuba, 2-0
Natalia Mendez d. Samira Ferrer Marcilli, 11-5, 11-3, 11-2
Maria Jose Vargas d. Kylie Lardner, 11-5, 11-2, 11-3
4) USA d. 5) Canada, 2-0
Lexi York d. Juliette Parent, 8-11, 11-3, 11-7, 11-6
Michelle Key d. Danielle Ramsay, 8-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-5, 12-10
Dominican Republic d. Costa Rica, 2-1
Larissa Faeth d. Alejandra Jimenez, 11-8, 11-6, 9-11, 11-7
Merynanyelly Delgado d. Jimena Gomez, 11-9, 11-2, 11-3
Delgado & Maria Cespedes d. Faeth & Gomez, 11-9, 11-7, 11-6
Chile d. Guatemala, 2-1
Paula Mansilla d. Jazmin Aguilar, 12-14, 14-12, 11-8, 11-3
Carla Muñoz d. Andrea Reyes, 11-4, 11-4, 10-12, 11-2
Paula Mansilla & Carla Muñoz d. Anna Aguilar & Jazmin Aguilar, 11-8, 9-11, 11-5, 11-7
Women's Team Event - Semi-finals Friday
1) Argentina d. 4) USA, 2-0 Natalia Mendez d. Lexi York, 11-8, 11-5, 9-11, 11-5 Mendez & Maria Jose Vargas d. Naomi Ros & York, 11-4, 11-5, 11-5
Dominican Republic d. Chile, 2-0 Alejandra Jimenez d. Paula Mansilla, 11-5, 11-3, 6-11, 11-8 Merynanyelly Delgado & Maria Cespedes d. Mansilla & Carla Muñoz, 11-7, 8-11, 11-4, 11-6
Women's Team Event - Final Saturday
1) Argentina v. 3) Dominican Republic 1st - Natalia Mendez v. Alejandra Jimenez 2nd - Maria Jose Vargas v. Merynanyelly Delgado 3rd - Mendea & Vargas v. Delgado & Maria Cespedes
Men's Team Event - Quarterfinals Friday
1) Mexico d. 8) Cuba - 2-0
Sebastian Hernández d. Maikel Moyet, 11-8, 11-8, 11-7
Rodrigo Montoya d. Yandy Espinosa, 11-6, 11-6, 11-6
4) Canada d. 5) Guatemala - 2-1
Coby Iwaasa d. Juan Salvatierra, 10-12, 11-6, 8-11, 11-3, 11-7
Edwin Galicia d. Kurtis Cullen, 11-5, 11-8, 7-11, 13-11
Iwaasa & Samuel Murray d. Galicia & Salvatierra, 11-7, 13-11, 12-10
3) USA d. 6) Chile - 2-0 Charlie Pratt d. Rafael Gatica, 15-13, 11-7, 11-4 Jake Bredenbeck d. Jaime Mansilla, 9-11, 11-9, 11-4, 11-5
2) Costa Rica d. 7) Dominican Republic - 2-0 Gabriel Garcia d. Ramon De Leon, 11-6, 11-8, 11-7 Andrés Acuña d. Jean Marco Pumarol, 11-8, 11-4, 11-1
Men's Team Event - Semi-finals Friday
1) Mexico d. 4) Canada - 2-1 Sebastian Hernández d. Coby Iwaasa, 9-11, 11-7, 11-6, 16-14, 11-4 Iwaasa & Samuel Murray d. Hernandez & Rodrigo Montoya, 11-3, 11-7, 11-7 Rodrigo Montoya d. Kurtis Cullen, 11-7, 11-8, 11-6
3) USA d. 2) Costa Rica, 2-1 Charlie Pratt d. Gabriel Garcia, 11-7, 7-11, 11-5, 7-11, 11-9 Andrés Acuña & Gabriel Garcia d. Jake Bredenbeck & Sam Bredenbeck, 11-7, 11-9, 11-8 Jake Bredenbeck d. Andrés Acuña, 6-11, 11-4, 11-9, 11-5
Men's Team Event - Final Saturday
1) Mexico v. 3) USA 1st - Sebastian Hernández v. Charlie Pratt 2nd - Rodrigo Montoya v. Jake Bredenbeck 3rd - Hernández & Montoya v. Jake & Sam Bredenbeck
Follow the bouncing ball….
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