Four countries have made the Men’s and Women’s Team competition finals at the 22nd International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Championships in San Antonio, Texas. Mexico will play Argentina in the Women’s Team final and the USA faces Canada in the Men’s Team final, in what has been the most frequent match up at Worlds.
Mexico beat the USA in the women’s semi-finals, 2-0. First, Montserrat Mejia defeated Michelle Key, 11-3, 11-6, 12-10, and then she teamed up with Alexandra Herrera to beat Kelani Lawrence and Hollie Scott in doubles, 11-5, 11-9, 11-6.
Mexico will face 2nd seeds Argentina in the final on Saturday. Argentina needed three matches to defeat 3rd seeds Bolivia, as Bolivia took the first match with Angelica Barrios beating Valeria Centellas, 11-4, 11-8, 11-8. Argentina levelled the semi at 1-1 with a doubles win. Maria Jose Vargas and Natalia Mendez defeated Barrios and Jenny Daza, 11-8, 12-10, 11-7. Vargas won it for Argentina by defeating Camila Rivero in four games, 11-6, 9-11, 11-2, 11-5.
On the mens’s side, top seeds the United States beat 5th seeds Costa Rica, 2-0. Jake Bredenbeck came back from a game down to beat Gabriel Garcia, 13-15, 11-6, 11-7, 11-7, and then Sebastian Fernandez and Adam Manilla came back from 1-0 and 2-1 down to defeat Garcia and Andrés Acuña, 6-11, 11-4, 6-11, 11-9, 11-6, and advance to Saturday’s final.
The final will be an old school showdown, as the USA will take on Canada, as the 6th seeded Canadians upset 2nd seeds Mexico in the other semi-final. Mexico won the first match, as Javier Mar beat Samuel Murray, 11-7, 11-5, 11-5. But Canada bounced back by winning the doubles match: Murray and Coby Iwaasa defeating Andree Parrilla and Eduardo Portillo, 9-11, 11-7, 11-6, 11-5. Then in the deciding match, Iwaasa pulled out a dramatic comeback from two games down versus Parrilla to win in five games, 5-11, 9-11, 12-10, 11-4, 12-10.
The USA and Canada were the main rivals in the early days of international competition, and only those countries won the men’s team title at Worlds until Mexico won it in 2018. Overall, the USA has won the men’s title 13 times and Canada 5 times, though Canada hasn’t won it since 2002.
The IRT will live stream all of the final matches for the team competition via the IRF YouTube channel. The finals will begin at 9 AM CDT Saturday.
22nd IRF World Championships
August 24-31, 2024 - San Antonio, Texas, United States
Men’s Team Competition - Semi-finals - Friday
1) United States d. 5) Costa Rica, 2-0
Match 1: Jake Bredenbeck d. Gabriel Garcia, 13-15, 11-6, 11-7, 11-7
Match 2: Sebastian Fernandez & Adam Manilla d. Andrés Acuña & Gabriela Garcia, 6-11, 11-4, 6-11, 11-9, 11-6
6) Canada d. 2) Mexico, 2-1
Match 1: Javier Mar d. Samuel Murray, 11-7, 11-5, 11-5
Match 2: Coby Iwaasa & Samuel Murray d. Andree Parrilla & Eduardo Portillo, 9-11, 11-7, 11-6, 11-5
Match 3: Coby Iwaasa d. Andree Parrilla, 5-11, 9-11, 12-10, 11-4, 12-10
Final - Saturday
1) United States v. 6) Canada - 9 AM, 10:30 AM, Noon
Women’s Team Competition - Semi-finals - Friday
1) Mexico d. 4) USA, 2-0
Match 1: Montserrat Mejia d. Michelle Key, 11-3, 11-6, 12-10
Match 2: Alexandra Herrera & Montserrat Mejia d. Kelani Lawrence & Hollie Scott, 11-5, 11-9, 11-6
2) Argentina d. 3) Bolivia, 2-1
Match 1: Angelica Barrios d. Valeria Centellas, 11-4, 11-8, 11-8
Match 2: Maria Jose Vargas & Natalia Mendez d. Angelica Barrios & Jenny Daza, 11-8, 12-10, 11-7
Match 3: Maria Jose Vargas d. Camila Rivero, 11-6, 9-11, 11-2, 11-5
Final - Saturday
1) Mexico v. 2) Argentina, 9:45 AM, 11:15 AM, 12:45 AM
Follow the bouncing ball....
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