The team competition of the 22nd International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Championships in San Antonio, Texas began on Thursday with the Round of 16. The men’s and women’s team competition is a best of three matches: two singles matches and a doubles match. The order of the matches varies across the rounds, although the final is usually singles, singles and doubles, if necessary.
Players in the team competition can be different from who played in the individual competition. That is, the singles players in the individual competition need not play singles in the team competition, and ditto for the doubles players. For example, Canadians Samuel Murray and Coby Iwaasa are playing both singles and doubles in the men’s team competition, but neither of them played singles earlier in the week.
You would be forgiven in thinking that whoever won the individual competitions will win the team competitions too. However, it’s difficult to win both. In 1994, when Canadians Sherman Greenfeld and Mike Ceresia were in the Men’s Singles final, the USA won the Men’s Team event. Then in 1996, when Americans Todd O’Neill and Ruben Gonzalez were in the singles final, Canada won the team event. So winning one, doesn’t mean winning the other.
Mexico are the top seeds in the Women’s Team event, but they were pushed to a deciding doubles match bye 8th seeded Canada, as Canadian Frédérique Lambert defeated Paola Longoria, 11-9, 8-11, 11-8, 15-13, in the second match of the playoff, after Montserrat Mejia beat Danielle Ramsay, 11-9, 11-3, 11-7. Mejia and Alexandra Herrera won the deciding doubles match, defeating Lambert and Juliette Parent, 11-5, 11-3, 11-6.
In fact, all four of the women’s team quarterfinals needed three matches to decide the winner, although the higher seed won in each case. Mexico will play 4th seeds USA in the semi-finals, as the USA defeated Guatemala in the quarters. Michelle Key beat Maria Renee Rodriguez, 11-5, 11-6, 11-3, to give the US a 1-0 advantage, but Gabriela Martinez levelled the quarter by defeating Kelani Lawrence, 11-8, 5-11, 8-11, 11-9, 11-8. The USA’s Lawrence and Hollie Scott won the deciding doubles match defeating Martinez and Rodriguez in five games, 11-5, 8-11, 11-4, 9-11, 11-8. That was a reversal of when those teams met in the Women's Doubles quarterfinals, which Guatemala won in three straight games.
The other women’s semi-final will be #2 Argentina versus #3 Bolivia. The Argentines advanced with wins by Maria Jose Vargas over Merynanyelly Delgado, 11-6, 11-0, 11-9, and Vargas and Natalia Mendez over Maria Cespedes and Delgado, 6-11, 11-3, 13-15, 11-4, 11-7, after Cespedes defeated Valeria Centellas, 11-9, 11-5, 11-9, in the first match.
Bolivia defeated Chile in the other quarter. Angelica Barrios beat Paula Mansilla, 11-6, 11-2, 11-6, and then Carla Muñoz defeated Camila Rivero, 11-7, 11-5, 13-11, to level the quarter. But Bolivia came out on top, as Barrios and Jenny Daza beat Mansilla and Muñoz, 11-9, 11-7, 11-3.
Three of the men’s team quarterfinals were decided in two straight matches with the exception being an upset, as 6th seeded Canada defeated 3rd seeds Bolivia, 2-1. Samuel Murray came back from 2-1 down to defeat Carlos Keller, 11-5, 8-11, 6-11, 11-8, 11-9, in the first match. Then Conrrado Moscoso beat Coby Iwaasa, 11-9, 12-14, 11-6, 11-5, in the second match. Iwaasa and Murray won the deciding doubles match in three straight games, beating Kadim Carrasco and Moscoso, 11-9, 11-9, 11-5.
Canada will play 2nd seeds Mexico in the semi-finals, and the Mexicans will want some revenge for losing to Canada in the Men’s Doubles final yesterday. Mexico beat Guatemala, 2-0, in their quarterfinal, as Javier Mar defeated Edwin Galicia, 11-6, 11-9, 11-7, and Andree Parrilla beat Juan Salvatierra, 11-9, 11-7, 11-7.
On the top half of the draw, it’ll be top seeds United States versus 5th seeds Costa Rica in the other semi. The USA beat 9th seeds Ecuador, 2-0, with Jake Bredenbeck defeating Juan Francisco Cueva, 11-7, 11-8, 11-7, and Daniel De La Rosa beating Esteban De Janon, 11-1, 11-6, 11-5.
Costa Rica advanced with a 2-0 win over 4th seeds Argentina, although Andrés Acuña had to come back from two games down to defeat Diego Garcia, 1-11, 6-11, 11-6, 11-9, 11-9, in the second match of the quarter to prevent a deciding doubles match after Gabriel Garcia beat Gerson Miranda Martinez, 11-13, 11-8, 11-9, 11-5, in the opening match.
There were no surprises in the Round of 16 on Thursday. The only upset by the seedings was in the men’s 8/9 match, as 9th seed Ecuador defeated 8th seed Japan.
The IRT is continuing to live stream matches during the team competition, so check out the IRF YouTube channel for the action.
22nd IRF World Championships
August 24-31, 2024 - San Antonio, Texas, United States
Men’s Team Competition - Round of 16 - Thursday
1) United States d. 16) Germany
9) Ecuador d. 8) Japan
5) Costa Rica d. 12) Chile
4) Argentina d. 13) Colombia
3) Bolivia d. 14) Dominican Republic
6) Canada d. 11) Korea
7) Guatemala d. 10) India
2) Mexico d. 15) Ireland
Quarterfinals - Friday
1) United States d. 9) Ecuador, 2-0
Match 1: Jake Bredenbeck d. Juan Francisco Cueva, 11-7, 11-8, 11-7
Match 2: Daniel De La Rosa d. Esteban De Janon, 11-1, 11-6, 11-5
5) Costa Rica d. 4) Argentina, 2-0
Match 1: Gabriel Garcia d. Gerson Miranda Martinez, 11-13, 11-8, 11-9, 11-5
Match 2: Andrés Acuña d. Diego Garcia, 1-11, 6-11, 11-6, 11-9, 11-9
6) Canada d. 3) Bolivia, 2-1
Match 1: Samuel Murray d. Carlos Keller, 11-5, 8-11, 6-11, 11-8, 11-9
Match 2: Conrrado Moscoso d. Coby Iwaasa, 11-9, 12-14, 11-6, 11-5
Match 3: Coby Iwaasa & Samuel Murray d. Kadim Carrasco & Conrrado Moscoso, 11-9, 11-9, 11-5
2) Mexico d. 7) Guatemala, 2-0
Match 1: Javier Mar d. Edwin Galicia, 11-6, 11-9, 11-7
Match 2: Andree Parrilla d. Juan Salvatierra, 11-9, 11-7, 11-7
Semi-finals - Friday
1) United States v. 5) Costa Rica
2) Mexico v. 6) Canada
Women’s Team Competition - Round of 16 - Thursday
1) Mexico - BYE
8) Canada d. 9) Ecuador
5) Guatemala d. 12) Ireland
4) USA d. 13) Japan
3) Bolivia - BYE
6) Chile d. 11) Costa Rica
7) Dominican Republic d. 10) Korea
2) Argentina - BYE
Quarterfinals - Friday
1) Mexico d. 8) Canada, 2-1
Match 1: Montserrat Mejia d. Danielle Ramsay, 11-9, 11-3, 11-7
Match 2: Frédérique Lambert d. Paola Longoria, 11-9, 8-11, 11-8, 15-13
Match 3: Montserrat Mejia & Alexandra Herrera d. Frédérique Lambert & Juliette Parent, 11-5, 11-3, 11-6
4) USA d. 5) Guatemala, 2-1
Match 1: Michelle Key d. Maria Renee Rodriguez, 11-5, 11-6, 11-3
Match 2: Gabriella Martinez d. Kelani Lawrence, 11-8, 5-11, 8-11, 11-9, 11-8
Match 3: Kelani Lawrence & Hollie Scott d. Gabriella Martinez & Maria Renee Rodriguez, 11-5, 8-11, 11-4, 9-11, 11-8
3) Bolivia d. 6) Chile, 2-1
Match 1: Angelica Barrios d. Paula Mansilla, 11-6, 11-2, 11-6
Match 2: Carla Muñoz d. Camila Rivero, 11-7, 11-5, 13-11
Match 3: Angelica Barrios & Jenny Daza d. Paula Mansilla & Carla Muñoz, 11-9, 11-7, 11-3
2) Argentina d. 7) Dominican Republic, 2-1
Match 1: Maria Cespedes d. Valeria Centellas, 11-9, 11-5, 11-9
Match 2: Maria Jose Vargas d. Merynanyelly Delgado, 11-6, 11-0, 11-9
Match 3: Maria Jose Vargas & Natalia Mendez d. Maria Cespedes & Merynanyelly Delgado, 6-11, 11-3, 13-15, 11-4, 11-7
Semi-finals - Friday
1) Mexico v. 4) USA
2) Argentina v. 3) Bolivia
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