Maria José Vargas won the first event of the 2025-26 Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) season, as she defeated Paola Longoria, 15-8, 11-15, 11-0, in the final of the World Singles and Doubles Open Championships in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. Longoria did win the Mixed Doubles event, however, as she and Conrrado Moscoso came back from a game down to defeat surprise finalists Rocky Carson and Michelle Key, 9-15, 15-4, 11-5.
In the singles final, Vargas led for much of the first two games. She got the lead in game one at 2-1, and went on to win 15-8, hitting a drive serve ace to the right side to win it. Then in game two, Vargas led 5-1, and 11-8, but Longoria came back to tie it at 11-11.
Vargas called a timeout at that point, but to no avail, as Longoria got four straight points to close out game two, 15-11, and force a tie-breaker.
It was all Vargas in the breaker. She took a 4-0 lead, and Longoria called timeout. Vargas extended that lead to 8-0, and Longoria called another timeout. Neither of those timeouts led to any points, and Vargas got to match point with a drive Z serve ace to the left side. She won it, when Longoria skipped a forehand shot on the next rally.
In the semi-finals, Longoria needed three games to defeat 5th seed Natalia Mendez, 15-10, 2-15, 11-1, while Vargas beat 3rd seed Montserrat Mejia in two close games, 15-13, 15-13.
In the Mixed Doubles final, Carson and Key had a clearer plan of attack than Longoria and Moscoso, and it was almost enough to carry the day. They played a front and back formation with Key up front and Carson in back, while Longoria and Moscoso played a more common left-right formation with Longoria on the right and Moscoso on the left. There were more times when Longoria and Moscoso were both going for the same ball than Carson and Key did.
Longoria and Moscoso did have more experience together than Carson and Key, as they won this event two years ago, while Carson and Key hadn’t played together before. But both are veterans, and they made an impressive run to the final.
In the semi-finals, Carson and Key, who were seeded 15th, upset 3rd seeds Alexandra Herrera and Eduardo Portillo, 15-12, 14-15, 11-5. Their quarterfinal may have been even more impressive, as they came back from a game down to defeat former International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Champions Rodrigo Montoya and Samantha Salas, 6-15, 15-7, 11-4.
For their part, Longoria and Moscoso won a back and forth quarterfinal match against 9th seeds Gerson Miranda Martinez and Vargas, 15-6, 4-15, 11-3, and then narrowly defeated 4th seeds Javier Mar and Montserrat Mejia, 15-14, 14-15, 11-9, in the semis to reach the final.
If you missed any of the action, several matches, including the finals, were live streamed on the LPRT YouTube channel.
2025 World Singles and Doubles Open Championships
Highlands Ranch, Colorado - September 4-7, 2025
Singles Final - Sunday
2) Maria José Vargas d. 1) Paola Longoria, 15-8, 11-15, 11-0
Singles Semi-finals - Saturday
1) Paola Longoria d. 5) Natalia Mendez, 15-10, 2-15, 11-1
2) Maria José Vargas d. 3) Montserrat Mejia, 15-13, 15-13
Mixed Doubles - Final - Sunday
1) Paola Longoria & Conrrado Moscoso d. 15) Rocky Carson & Michelle Key, 9-15, 15-4, 11-5
Mixed Doubles - Semi-finals - Saturday
1) Paola Longoria & Conrrado Moscoso d. 4) Javier Mar & Montserrat Mejia, 15-14, 14-15, 11-9
15) Rocky Carson & Michelle Key d. 3) Alexandra Herrera & Eduardo Portillo, 15-12, 14-15, 11-5
Mixed Doubles - Quarterfinals - Friday
1) Paola Longoria & Conrrado Moscoso d. 9) Gerson Miranda Martinez & Maria Jose Vargas, 15-6, 4-15, 11-3
4) Javier Mar & Montserrat Mejia d. 12) Adam Manilla & Erika Manilla, 15-7, 15-10
3) Alexandra Herrera & Eduardo Portillo d. 6) Andrés Acuña & Valeria Centellas, 15-9, 15-13
15) Rocky Carson & Michelle Key d. 7) Rodrigo Montoya & Samantha Salas, 6-15, 15-7, 11-4
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