Mexican Eduardo Portillo claimed the first bronze medal in racquetball at the 2025 World Games in Chengdu, China, as he held on to defeat Guatemala’s Edwin Galicia, 19-17, 11-9, 10-12, 8-11, 11-9, in Men’s Singles. Portillo was also a bronze medalist at last year’s International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Championships.
The first game of that match lasted 25 min, and it ended on the 9th game point. Prior to that, Portillo had five game points and Galicia three, including at 17-16. But Portillo got the last three points to end it, with the last coming from Galicia backhand skip off a Portillo Z serve to the left.
In the breaker, Portillo was up 7-3, only to see Galicia come back to tie it 7-7. Portillo took another lead at 10-7, and Galicia fought off two game points to get within one at 10-9 before Portillo won it with a backhand pinch shot off a lob serve that came off the left wall early allowing Portillo the opportunity to kill it, and he did.
As expected, Gabriela Martinez claimed bronze in Women’s Singles by default, as Bolivian Angelica Barrios was injured in her semi-final match against Mexican Paola Longoria. Martinez now has two World Games medals, having got silver in Birmingham in 2022 after losing to Longoria in the final.
Canadians Coby Iwaasa and Frédérique Lambert won bronze in Mixed Doubles by defeating Japan’s Michimune Kono and Harumi Kajino, 11-3, 11-7, 7-11, 11-4. It’s the first Canadian medal at the World Games since 2009, when Vincent Gagnon got bronze in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
The Canadians and Japanese played for bronze after losing the semi-finals earlier on Saturday. Americans Jake Bredenbeck and Naomi Ros came back from 2-1 down to defeat Iwaasa and Lambert, 9-11, 11-5, 8-11, 11-9, 11-9. The Canadians got to 9 first in both game four and five, but the Americans held them at 9 in each game in coming back to win the match.
Argentinians Maria Jose Vargas and Diego Garcia beat Kono and Kajino, 11-4, 11-7, 11-7, in the other semi-final.
Final matches
The finals will be on Sunday at 10 AM for Women’s Singles, 11:15 AM for Men’s Singles and 12:30 PM for Mixed Doubles. The finals live from China via The World Games Live website. Note: those times above are Chengdu times, and, as reference, 6 PM in Chengdu is 6 AM in New York.
2025 World Games - Chengdu, China - August 13-17, 2025
Men’s Singles - 3rd place match - Saturday
2) Eduardo PORTILLO (Mexico) d. 8) Edwin GALICIA (Guatemala), 19-17, 11-9, 10-12, 8-11, 11-9
Men’s Singles - Final - Sunday
3) Conrrado MOSCOSO (Bolivia) v. 4) Diego GARCIA (Argentina) - 11:15 AM
Women’s Singles - 3rd place match - Saturday
2) Ana Gabriela MARTINEZ (Guatemala) d. 5) Angélica BARRIOS (Bolivia), injury forfeit
Women’s Singles - Final - Sunday
1) Paola LONGORIA (Mexico) v. 3) Maria Jose VARGAS (Argentina) - 10 AM
Mixed Doubles - Semi-finals - Saturday
1) Jake BREDENBECK & Naomi ROS (USA) d. 5) Coby IWAASA & Frédérique LAMBERT (Canada), 9-11, 11-5, 8-11, 11-9, 11-9
7) Maria Jose VARGAS & Diego GARCIA (Argentina) d. 11) Michimune KONO & Harumi KAJINO (Japan), 11-4, 11-7, 11-7
Mixed Doubles - 3rd place match - Saturday
5) Coby IWAASA & Frédérique LAMBERT (Canada) d. 11) Michimune KONO & Harumi KAJINO (Japan), 11-3, 11-7, 7-11, 11-4
Mixed Doubles - Final - Sunday
1) Jake BREDENBECK & Naomi ROS (USA) v. 7) Maria Jose VARGAS & Diego GARCIA (Argentina) - 12:30 PM
Note: All times above are Chengdu times. 6 PM in Chengdu is 6 AM in New York.
Follow the bouncing ball…..
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