LPRT Round of 16 at 2018 UnitedHealthcare US Open

Gabriela Martinez is seeded 12th in the Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) singles draw, but she is the current International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Champion in Women's Singles, so when she defeated 5th seed Nancy Enriquez, 11-6, 11-2, 2-11, 11-5, in the Round of 16 at the 2018 UnitedHeathcare US Open Racquetball Championships in Minneapolis, it might look like a bigger upset than it actually was. The win puts Martinez into the quarterfinals, where she'll play 4th seed Alexandra Herrera, who defeated Brenda Laime, 11-4, 11-7, 9-11, 11-5, in the 16s.

Seven time defending champion, Paola Longoria needed four games to defeat fellow Mexican Montserrat Mejia, 11-5, 8-11, 11-8, 11-7. Next up for Longoria is 8th seed Natalia Mendez, who needed four games to defeat Cristina Amaya, 11-1, 2-11, 11-8, 11-9.

Second seed Frédérique Lambert got by Ana Laura Flores with relative ease, winning 11-2, 11-1, 11-9, but her next match won't be so simple. Twenty third seed Yazmine Sabja plays Lambert next, as Sabja defeated her fellow Bolivian Jenny Daza, 11-6, 5-11, 11-3, 11-5. Lambert and Sabja played at the IRF World Championships in August, and Sabja beat Lambert in two straight games. Lambert will not want that to happen again.

The LPRT will have its own streaming from Minneapolis for the first time. Check out the LPRT Live link on their website. Looking ahead the LPRT semi-finals will be 10 AM and 1 PM Saturday with the final on Sunday at 10 AM.

2018 UnitedHealthcare US Open
Minneapolis, Minnesota - October 3-7, 2018

LPRT Singles - Round of 16 - Thursday

1) Paola Longoria d. 17) Montserrat Mejia, 11-5, 8-11, 11-8, 11-7
8) Natalia Mendez d. 9) Cristina Amaya, 11-1, 2-11, 11-8, 11-9

12) Gabriela Martinez d. 5) Nancy Enriquez, 11-6, 11-2, 2-11, 11-5
4) Alexandra Herrera d. 20) Brenda Laime, 11-4, 11-7, 9-11, 11-5

3) Samantha Salas d. 19) Montserrat Perez, 11-2, 11-3, 11-3
6) Rhonda Rajsich d. 11) Adriana Riveros, 11-8, 12-10, 11-6

23) Yazmine Sabja d. Jenny Daza, 11-6, 5-11, 11-3, 11-5
2) Frédérique Lambert d. 18) Ana Laura Flores, 11-2, 11-1, 11-9

LPRT Singles - Quarterfinals - Friday

1) Paola Longoria v. 8) Natalia Mendez - 2:00 PM
4) Alexandra Herrera v. 12) Gabriela Martinez - 10:00 AM

3) Samantha Salas v. 6) Rhonda Rajsich - 11:00 AM
2) Frédérique Lambert v. 23) Yazmine Sabja - 1:00 PM

Follow the bouncing ball….