You want upsets? We had upsets on Wednesday at the 2023 Pan American Racquetball Championships in Guatemala City, Guatemala. The largest one came in Women’s Singles, as 17th seed Maricruz Ortiz of Costa Rica knocked off the top seed and defending champion Angelica Barrios of Bolivia, 11-8, 9-11, 13-11, 11-8. Boom.
Ortiz is a young, tall, lean power player, but this win was more about Barrios, who did not have her A game, as she made several unforced errors, including skipping a set up backhand shot that ended game three. Barrios is playing three divisions here - singles, doubles and mixed doubles - which is a lot of racquetball, and perhaps that caught up to her. However, Ortiz is also playing three divisions, so maybe it was just not Barrios’s day, and the magic she had at last year’s championships, which were in her home country of Bolivia, was just not repeatable.
Ortiz will play Colombian Cristina Amaya in the quarterfinals, as Amaya beat Maria Paz Muñoz of Ecuador, 11-9, 11-3, 11-4, with the winner getting a spot on the podium. It’s been awhile since the veteran Amaya was on the podium, and you can be sure she wants to get there again.
Bolivia was also involved in the other upset in Women’s Singles as 10th seed Yasmine Sabja of Bolivia came back from 2-1 down to defeat 7th seed Carla Muñoz of Chile, 6-11, 11-9, 6-11, 11-9, 11-9. Muñoz was a bronze medalist at last year’s championships, but won’t be this year. Sabja will play Argentina’s Natalia Mendez in the quarters, as the 2nd seed beat 18th seed Merynanyelly Delgado of the Dominican Republic, 11-4, 11-5, 11-9.
The big matches in the quarters of Women’s Singles are the 4/5 and 3/6 contests. Former Pan American Champion María José Vargas of Argentina will play current World Champion Paola Longoria of Mexico in the 4/5 match, and the hometown favorite Gabriela Martinez faces off with Mexican Montserrat Mejia in the 3/6 match.
Vargas, Longoria and Martinez all won their Round of 16 matches in three straight games, but Mejia had a battle with the USA’s Erika Manilla that lasted four long games, as Mejia prevailed 11-9, 16-14, 8-11, 15-13.
In Men’s Singles, there were some upsets in the Round of 16 also, but nothing quite so seismic as Ortiz’s win. However, 15th seed Edwin Galicia of Guatemala almost had a big upset as he was up 2-1 on 2nd seed Jake Bredenbeck of the USA, but the American came back to prevail in five games, winning 7-11, 11-8, 6-11, 11-4, 11-5. Bredenbeck will play Mexican Andree Parrilla in the quarterfinals, as Parrilla beat Ecuador’s Juan Francisco Cueva, 11-3, 11-7, 11-3.
The USA was involved in the largest upset Wednesday, as 4th seed Thomas Carter won the first two games against 13th seed Diego Garcia of Argentina, only to see the Argentine come back and win the next three games to take the match 9-11, 10-12, 11-9, 11-8, 11-6. Garcia plays Mexico’s Eduardo Portillo in the quarters, as the 5th seed beat 12th seed Jose Daniel Ugalde of Ecuador, 11-4, 11-5, 11-5.
Two time Pan American Champion Carlos Keller of Bolivia defeated 17th seed Fernando Kurzbard of Argentina, 11-9, 11-9, 11-6, and will play last year’s World Games Champion Andres Acuña of Costa Rica in the quarters, as Acuña beat his team-mate Gabriel Garcia, 11-4, 11-6, 11-6.
Keller’s team-mate Conrrado Moscoso, who’s the defending Pan American Champion defeated 14th seed Juan Salvatierra of Guatemala, 11-7, 11-7, 11-5, and plays Canadian Trevor Webb who won a close all Canuck battle with Coby Iwaasa - who's been substituted for the injured Samuel Murray - 11-5, 11-9, 12-10.
You can watched some of the matches via live streaming on the IRF Facebook page or the IRF YouTube channel. For draws, look to the Pan American Racquetball Confederation (PARC) website or the R2 Sports site.
XXXIV Pan American Racquetball Championships
Guatemala City, Guatemala - April 1-8, 2023
Women’s Open - Round of 16 - Wednesday
17) Maricruz Ortiz (Costa Rica) d. 1) Angelica Barrios (Bolivia), 11-8, 9-11, 13-11, 11-8
8) Cristina Amaya (Colombia) d. 9) Maria Paz Muñoz (Ecuador) - 1-9, 11-3, 11-4
5) Paola Longoria (Mexico) d. 12) Rhonda Rajsich (USA), 11-5, 11-5, 15-13
4) María José Vargas (Argentina) d.13) Maria Jose Muñoz (Ecuador), 11-5, 11-2, 11-3
3) Gabriela Martinez (Guatemala) d. 14) Anna Aguilar (Guatemala), 11-8, 13-11, 11-1
6) Montserrat Mejia (Mexico) d. 11) Erika Manilla (USA), 11-9, 16-14, 8-11, 15-13
10) Yasmine Sabja (Bolivia) d. 7) Carla Muñoz (Chile), 6-11, 11-9, 6-11, 11-9, 11-9
2) Natalia Mendez (Argentina) d. 18) Merynanyelly Delgado (Dominican Republic), 11-4, 11-5, 11-9
Women’s Open - Quarterfinals - Thursday
8) Cristina Amaya (Colombia) v. 17) Maricruz Ortiz (Costa Rica) - 10:45 AM
4) María José Vargas (Argentina) v. 5) Paola Longoria (Mexico) - 10:45 AM
3) Gabriela Martinez (Guatemala) v. 6) Montserrat Mejia (Mexico) - 10 AM
2) Natalia Mendez (Argentina) v. 10) Yasmine Sabja (Bolivia) - 10:45 AM
Women’s Open - First Round of 9-16 - Thursday
Angelica Barrios (Bolivia) v. Merynanyelly Delgado (Dominican Republic) - 10 AM
Erika Manilla (USA) v. Rhonda Rajsich (USA) - 10 AM
Maria Paz Muñoz (Ecuador) v. Maria Jose Muñoz (Ecuador) - 10 AM
Anna Aguilar (Guatemala) v. Carla Muñoz (Chile) - 10 AM
Women’s Open - First Round of 17-20 - Wednesday
Maria Paz Riquelme (Colombia) - BYE
Juliette Parent (Canada) d. Samira Ferrer Marcilli (Cuba), 11-6, 11-4, 11-0
Michèle Morissette (Canada) d. Jimena Gomez (Costa Rica), 11-4, 11-9, 11-9
Paula Mansilla (Chile) - BYE
Women’s Open - Second Round of 17-20 - Thursday
Maria Paz Riquelme (Colombia) v. Juliette Parent (Canada) - 10:45 AM
Paula Mansilla (Chile) v. Michèle Morissette (Canada) - 10:45 AM
Men's Singles - Round of 16 - Wednesday
1) Carlos Keller (Bolivia) d. 17) Fernando Kurzbard (Argentina), 11-9, 11-9, 11-6
9) Andres Acuña (Costa Rica) d. 8) Gabriel Garcia (Costa Rica), 11-4, 11-6, 11-6
5) Eduardo Portillo (Mexico) d. 12) Jose Daniel Ugalde (Ecuador), 11-4, 11-5, 11-5
13) Diego Garcia (Argentina) d. 4) Thomas Carter (USA), 9-11, 10-12, 11-9, 11-8, 11-6
3) Conrrado Moscoso (Bolivia) d. 14) Juan Salvatierra (Guatemala), 11-7, 11-7, 11-5
11) Trevor Webb (Canada) d. 6) Coby Iwaasa (Canada), 11-5, 11-9, 12-10
7) Andree Parrilla (Mexico) d. 10) Juan Francisco Cueva (Ecuador), 11-3, 11-7, 11-3
2) Jake Bredenbeck (USA) V. 15) Edwin Galicia (Guatemala), 7-11, 11-8, 6-11, 11-4, 11-5
Men's Singles - Quarterfinals - Thursday
1) Carlos Keller (Bolivia) v. 9) Andres Acuña (Costa Rica) - 11:30 AM
5) Eduardo Portillo (Mexico) v. 13) Diego Garcia (Argentina) - 11:30 AM
3) Conrrado Moscoso (Bolivia) v. 11) Trevor Webb (Canada) - 11:30 AM
2) Jake Bredenbeck (USA) v. 7) Andree Parrilla (Mexico) - 11:30 AM
Men's Singles - 17-20 Playoff - Round 1
Ramon De Leon (Dominican Republic) - BYE
Carlos Medrano (Honduras) d. Ronal Cardona (Honduras), 12-10, 11-8, 11-5
Rafael Gatica (Chile) - BYE
Maikel Moyet (Cuba) - BYE
Diego Gatica (Chile) - BYE
Yandy Espinosa (Cuba) - BYE
Abraham Mercado (Puerto Rico) - BYE
Set Cubillos (Colombia) - BYE
Men's Singles - 17-20 Playoff - Round 2 - Wednesday
Ramon De Leon (Dominican Republic) d. Carlos Medrano (Honduras), 11-8, 11-6, 13-11
Maikel Moyet (Cuba) d. Rafael Gatica (Chile), 11-4, 11-6, 11-3
Diego Gatica (Chile) d. Yandy Espinosa (Cuba), 12-10, 11-6, 11-8
Set Cubillos (Colombia) d. Abraham Mercado (Puerto Rico), 11-6, 11-4, 11-5
Men's Singles - 17-20 Playoff - Round 3
Ramon De Leon (Dominican Republic) v. Maikel Moyet (Cuba)
Set Cubillos (Colombia) v. Diego Gatica (Chile)
Men's Singles - 21-24 Playoff - Round 1 - Thursday
Carlos Medrano (Honduras) v. Rafael Gatica (Chile) - 11:30 AM
Yandy Espinosa (Cuba) v. Abraham Mercado (Puerto Rico) - 10h45
Follow the bouncing ball….
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