Mexico and the United States won the Women’s and Men’s Team competitions, respectively, at the 22nd International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Championships in San Antonio, Texas on Saturday. Mexico’s win is their 7th consecutive Women’s Team title, while the United States won the Men’s Team title for a record extending 14th time.
Mexico beat Argentina in the women’s final, 2-0. Montserrat Mejia defeated Valeria Centellas, 11-9, 8-11, 11-3, 11-8, and then Paola Longoria beat Maria Jose Vargas, 12-14, 11-7, 11-9, 11-4.
On the mens’s side, Canada took the first match of the final, as Samuel Murray defeated Jake Bredenbeck, 7-11, 11-7, 11-5, 11-8. The United States levelled the match, 1-1, as Daniel De La Rosa beat Coby Iwaasa, 9-11, 11-3, 11-9, 11-6. In the tie breaking third match, Sebastian Fernandez and Adam Manilla defeated Iwaasa and Murray, 12-10, 11-4, 6-11, 11-9, to win it for the USA.
The Mejia-Centellas match was odd, as Mejia didn’t play well. Centellas should have won the first game, and would if she hadn’t skipped more than a couple backhand shots that were unforced errors. Mejia survived and when she hit an ace for the game winning point, we thought, OK, she’s going to roll on from here.
Yet, she didn’t, as Centellas won game two. Mejia did win game three comfortably, but was then down in game four, 5-2. However, she managed to pull it together, tie the game 5-5, and go on to win it. Still it was anything but straight forward.
Vargas led for most of game one versus Longoria, yet Longoria had a chance to win it, when she was up 11-10. A Vargas forehand pinch shot prevented that, and she held on to win it 14-12.
However, from there Longoria was generally in control. Vargas only led once after game one: at 4-3 in game three. In game two, Longoria took a 7-1 lead, and despite calling a timeout at that point, Vargas didn’t get within three points, as Longoria won game two 11-7.
Game three was close until 5-5, and then Longoria got four straight points to lead 9-5. Vargas fought off two game points to get within one at 10-9, but a Longoria forehand winner ended it, 11-9.
Although they were close again early in game four, once Longoria had a lead late, Vargas’s energy seemed to sag, as if she was giving up. That’s a strange thing to say, but it seemed that way. Vargas skipped the last three points of the game with shots that she didn’t seem fully committed to. A sad ending, especially as it would have been fun to see a deciding doubles match.
In the first men’s match, Bredenbeck came out on fire, as he took a 6-1 lead. But Murray fought back, and got within one at 8-7 before Bredenbeck got the last few points to win it 11-7. Game two was the reverse, as Murray led from 3-2 on, and won 11-7. Murray carried over that momentum into game three, taking a 7-1 lead and going on to win 11-5.
They were close all the way in game four, with ties at 4-4, 5-5, and 8-8. But it was Murray who got the last few points to finish it. He hit a backhand from deep that got him to match point, and then won it with another backhand shot.
Although Iwaasa won the first game versus De La Rosa, it was the American who was in control after that, winning game two by a wide margin, and never being behind in games three or four.
That set up a doubles showdown. World Champions Iwaasa and Murray versus Adam Manilla and Sebastian Fernandez. Remember how we said that it’s difficult to win both the individual competition and the team competition? So it proved to be for the Canadians, as the Americans came out strong in game one.
The USA had a 6-1 lead in that game, but Canada caught up and tied it at 8-8 and they were back and forth from there. Canada had a chance to win at 10-9, but Iwaasa skipped a forehand shot that make it 10-10. Two skipped serve returns later and the USA had won game one, 12-10.
The USA had a big lead again in game two, and that time they didn’t give it up, winning 11-4.
In game three, they were close, and then the Canadians switched sides, when they were down 5-4. That seemed to refresh them, as they tied it at 5-5 and 6-6, and pushed on to win 11-6, keeping the match - and the final - alive.
In game four, the Americans again took an early lead at 5-2 and then 7-4. But Canada fought back and tied it at 8-8 and when they went ahead 9-8, the USA called a timeout.
When play resumed, Manilla hit a backhand pinch winner to tie it at 9-9. He followed that up with winners on the next two rallies to win the game, 11-9, and the final 2-1. That was a small part Manilla’s excellent play during the final, and he was clearly the man of the match.
If you missed any of the action from San Antonio - and there were many great matches - check out the IRF YouTube channel.
22nd IRF World Championships
August 24-31, 2024 - San Antonio, Texas, United States
Men’s Team Competition - Final - Saturday
1) United States d. 6) Canada, 2-1
Match 1: Samuel Murray d. Jake Bredenbeck, 7-11, 11-7, 11-5, 11-8
Match 2: Daniel De La Rosa d. Coby Iwaasa, 9-11, 11-3, 11-9, 11-6
Match 3: Sebastian Fernandez & Adam Manilla d. Coby Iwaasa & Samuel Murray, 12-10, 11-4, 6-11, 11-9
Women’s Team Competition - Final - Saturday
1) Mexico d. 2) Argentina, 2-0
Match 1: Montserrat Mejia d. Valeria Centellas, 11-9, 8-11, 11-3, 11-8
Match 2: Paola Longoria d. Maria Jose Vargas, 12-14, 11-7, 11-9, 11-4
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