The 2025 World Games racquetball competition began Wednesday in Chengdu, China, and there weren’t any surprises, although one came close. Dominican Ramon De Leon had a 2-0 lead on Canadian Coby Iwaasa, and a 5-2 lead in the 3rd game. But Iwaasa managed to come back and tie the game at 6-6, and then went ahead 9-6, holding on to win 11-9.
After that the wheels fell off the De Leon bus, so Iwaasa prevailed, 9-11, 5-11, 11-9, 11-2, 11-2. His win sets up a tasty quarterfinal with Bolivian Conrrado Moscoso, who was a straight game winner over German Marcel Lunsmann, 11-4, 11-7, 11-5.
Edwin Galicia of Guatemala came back from a game down to defeat Jose Daniel Ugalde of Ecuador, 4-11, 13-11, 11-9, 11-3, in the only other Round of 16 men’s match to go more than three games. Galicia’s win sets up a quarterfinal with top seed Jake Bredenbeck of the USA, who beat Han-Yang Huang of Chinese Taipei, 11-2, 11-3, 11-3.
The pick of the quarterfinals could be Argentine Diego Garcia versus Costa Rican Andrés Acuña, the defending World Games gold medalist, who is somehow only seeded 5th. In the 16s, Garcia defeated Jonathan O'Keeney of Ireland, 11-6, 11-2, 11-3, while Acuña beat Gunhee Lee of South Korea, 11-4, 11-1, 11-2.
There was an upset on the women’s side, as youthful exuberance in Costa Rica’s Larissa Faeth defeated veteran experience in Italy’s Cristina Amaya, 11-6, 5-11, 11-7, 11-6. She’ll play 2nd seed Gabriela Martinez of Guatemala in the quarterfinals, as Martinez - the silver medalist from Birmingham - saw off veteran Angela Grisar of Germany, 11-5, 11-0, 11-4.
Top seed and defending World Games gold medalist Paola Longoria of Mexico comfortably beat Yuan Wang of Chinese Taipei, 11-1, 11-2, 11-2, but it shouldn’t be so comfortable in the quarters, as she’ll play Canadian Frédérique Lambert, who defeated South Korea’s Sumin Lee in three games, 11-9, 11-1, 12-10.
The 4/5 quarterfinal is interesting, as it’s young American Naomi Ros versus almost as young Bolivian Angélica Barrios. Ros needed four games to see off Ecuador’s Maria Angela Villacreses, 11-5, 11-2, 10-12, 11-1. She did have a match point in game three, but Villacreses fought it off and extended the match.
For her part, Barrios trailed Ireland’s Aisling Hickey for all of game one until she tied it at 9-9. Barrios got the last two points to win that game, and then took the next two as well, winning the match, 11-9, 11-2, 11-6.
Thursday matches
The schedule has Mixed Doubles starting on Thursday with the Round of 16 from 10 to 1. Then the singles quarterfinals will begin at 4 and go to 7. You can watch some of the matches live from China via The World Games Live website. They were doing one match at each start time, and seemed to alternate between a women’s and men’s match on Wednesday.
2025 World Games - Chengdu, China - August 13-17, 2025
Men’s Singles - Round of 16 - Wednesday
1) Jake BREDENBECK (USA) d. 16) Han-Yang HUANG (Chinese Taipei), 11-2, 11-3, 11-3
8) Edwin GALICIA (Guatemala) d. 9) Jose Daniel UGALDE (Ecuador), 4-11, 13-11, 11-9, 11-3
5) Andrés ACUÑA (Costa Rica) d. 12) Gunhee LEE (South Korea), 11-4, 11-1, 11-2
4) Diego GARCIA (Argentina) d. 13) Jonathan O'KEENEY (Ireland), 11-6, 11-2, 11-3
3) Conrrado MOSCOSO (Bolivia) d. 14) Marcel LUNSMANN (Germany), 11-4, 11-7, 11-5
6) Coby IWAASA (Canada) d. 11) Ramon DE LEON (Dominican Republic), 9-11, 5-11, 11-9, 11-2, 11-2
10) Michimune KONO (Japan) d. 7) Kosetty JYOTHEEKALYAN (India), 11-4, 11-1, 11-4
2) Eduardo PORTILLO (Mexico) d. 15) Carlo PAPINI (Italy), 11-1, 11-4, 11-3
Men’s Singles - Quarterfinals - Thursday
1) Jake BREDENBECK (USA) v. 8) Edwin GALICIA (Guatemala) - 4 PM
4) Diego GARCIA (Argentina) v. 5) Andrés ACUÑA (Costa Rica) - 5 PM
3) Conrrado MOSCOSO (Bolivia) v. 6) Coby IWAASA (Canada) - 7 PM
2) Eduardo PORTILLO (Mexico) v. 10) Michimune KONO (Japan) - 6 PM
Women’s Singles - Round of 16 - Wednesday
1) Paola LONGORIA (Mexico) d. 16) Yuan WANG (Chinese Taipei), 11-1, 11-2, 11-2
8) Frédérique LAMBERT (Canada) d. Sumin LEE (South Korea), 11-9, 11-1, 12-10
5) Angélica BARRIOS (Bolivia) d. 12) Aisling HICKEY (Ireland), 11-9, 11-2, 11-6
4) Naomi ROS (USA) d. Maria Angela VILLACRESES (Ecuador), 11-5, 11-2, 10-12, 11-1
3) Maria Jose VARGAS (Argentina) d. 14) Shilpa DALVI (India), 11-2, 11-1, 11-3
6) Maria CESPEDES (Dominican Republic) d. 11) Harumi KAJINO (Japan), 11-4, 11-3, 11-2
10) Larissa FAETH (Costa Rica) d. 7) Cristina AMAYA (Italy), 11-6, 5-11, 11-7, 11-6
2) Ana Gabriela MARTINEZ (Guatemala) d. 15) Angela GRISAR (Germany), 11-5, 11-0, 11-4
Women’s Singles - Quarterfinals - Thursday
1) Paola LONGORIA (Mexico) v. 8) Frédérique LAMBERT (Canada) - 5 PM
4) Naomi ROS (USA) v. 5) Angélica BARRIOS (Bolivia) - 4 PM
3) Maria Jose VARGAS (Argentina) v. 6) Maria CESPEDES (Dominican Republic) - 6 PM
2) Ana Gabriela MARTINEZ (Guatemala) v. 10) Larissa FAETH (Costa Rica) - 7 PM
Mixed Doubles - Round of 16 - Thursday
1) Jake BREDENBECK & Naomi ROS (USA) v. 16) Yuan WANG & Han-Yang HUANG (Chinese Taipei) - 10 AM
8) Ramon DE LEON & Maria CESPEDES (Dominican Republic) v. 9) Andrés ACUÑA & Larissa FAETH (Costa Rica) - 10 AM
5) Coby IWAASA & Frédérique LAMBERT (Canada) v. 12) Aisling HICKEY & Jonathan O'KEENEY (Ireland) - 11 AM
4) Ana Gabriela MARTINEZ & Edwin GALICIA (Guatemala) v. 13) Carlo PAPINI & Cristina AMAYA (Italy) - 11 AM
3) Conrrado MOSCOSO & Angélica BARRIOS (Bolivia) v. 14) Marcel LUNSMANN & Angela GRISAR (Germany) - Noon
6) Sumin LEE & Gunhee LEE (South Korea) v. 11) Michimune KONO & Harumi KAJINO (Japan) - Noon
7) Maria Jose VARGAS & Diego GARCIA (Argentina) v. 10) Jose Daniel UGALDE & Maria Angela VILLACRESES (Ecuador) - 1 PM
2) Paola LONGORIA & Eduardo PORTILLO (Mexico) v. 15) Kosetty JYOTHEEKALYAN & Shilpa DALVI (India) - 1 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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