Friday results from 2019 USA National Doubles Championships

There are 7 different finalists in the Men’s and Women’s Doubles finals at the 2019 USA Racquetball National Doubles Championships at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona with Rocky Carson being the only repeat. Carson and Charlie Pratt are seeded first in Men’s Doubles, and they defeated Adam Manilla and Nicholas Riffel, 15-11, 15-9, in the semi-finals Friday. They’ll play 3rd seeds Jake Bredenbeck and Jose Diaz, who were upset winners over 2nd seeds David Horn and Mauro Rojas, 15-9, 15-11.

The Women’s Doubles final will be completely different from last year, but exactly the same as 2013, when Aimee Ruiz and Janel Tisinger won the title over sisters Danielle Key and Michelle Key. A few years - and some marriages - later and it’ll be Aimee Ruiz and Janel Tisinger-Ledkins versus Danielle Maddux and Michelle De La Rosa in the 2019 final.

Both teams needed tie-breakers to get to the final. In the semi-finals, Maddux and De La Rosa narrowly defeated defending champions and top seeds Kelani Bailey Lawrence and Sharon Jackson, 9-15, 15-9, 11-10, while Ruiz and Tisinger-Ledkins came back from a game down to oust last year’s runners up Rhonda Rajsich and Sheryl Lotts, 6-15, 15-13, 11-2.

Singles divisions

There have been some great singles matches at the USA Racquetball National Doubles Championships at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona. Singles at doubles? Yes, because qualifying for the US Team involves singles results from three events: US Open, singles at National Doubles, and singles at the National Singles Championships in May.

Both the Men’s #1 and #2 seeds needed tie-breakers to win their respective semi-final matches. Top seed Rocky Carson had to fend off match point in game two, as he defeated Erik Garcia, 14-15, 15-14, 11-3. Carson will play 5th seed Jose Diaz in the semis, as Diaz upset 4th seed Adam Manilla, 15-13, 11-15, 11-2.

Second seed Charlie Pratt was pushed to three games in the quarterfinals by 10th seed Thomas Carter, but managed to prevail in the breaker, winning, 15-12, 6-15, 11-2. Afterwards, Pratt said “I’m a streaky player,” and he started strong, then sagged a bit - Carter led 8-0 in game two - before pulling it out in three. “Today it was me,” said Pratt.

Third seed David Horn won a close match with Jake Bredenbeck, 15-9, 15-12, to set up a showdown with Pratt in the semis.

In Women’s Singles, Hollie Scott produced the result of the day, as the 5th seed was a decisive winner over 4th seed Sheryl Lotts, 15-0, 15-6. It’s an impressive result, especially as we thought Lotts played very well at the last Ladies Professional Racquetball Event (LPRT) in January. Scott will play top seed Rhonda Rajsich in the semi-finals, as Rajsich beat 8th seed Erika Manilla, 15-4, 15-11.

On the other side of the draw, 7th seed Janel Tisinger-Ledkins defeated 2nd seed Sharon Jackson, 15-6, 7-15, 11-10, and will play 3rd seed Kelani Bailey Lawrence, who was a straight winner over Adrienne Haynes, 15-3, 15-11.

You can watch the action live from Tempe via the USA Racquetball Livestream site, and the matches are archived on that site for viewing later. The Men’s and Women’s Doubles finals will be Saturday afternoon with the Singles finals on Sunday. Note the match times below are Mountain time.

2019 USA Racquetball National Doubles Championships
Tempe, Arizona
US National Team Divisions

Men's Doubles

Semi-finals - Friday

1) Rocky Carson & Charlie Pratt d. 4) Adam Manilla & Nicholas Riffel, 15-11, 15-9
3) Jake Bredenbeck & Jose Diaz d. 2) David Horn & Mauro Rojas, 15-9, 15-11

Final - Saturday

1) Rocky Carson & Charlie Pratt v. 3) Jake Bredenbeck & Jose Diaz - 7:40 PM

Women's Doubles

Semi-finals - Friday

5) Michelle De La Rosa & Danielle Maddux d. 1) Kelani Bailey Lawrence & Sharon Jackson, 9-15, 15-9, 11-10
3) Aimee Ruiz & Janel Tisinger-Ledkins d. 2) Rhonda Rajsich & Sheryl Lotts, 6-15, 15-13, 11-2

Final - Saturday

3) Aimee Ruiz & Janel Tisinger-Ledkins v. 5) Michelle De La Rosa & Danielle Maddux - 5:20 PM

Men’s Singles

Quarterfinals - Friday

1) Rocky Carson d. 8) Erik Garcia, 14-15, 15-14, 11-3
5) Jose Diaz d. 4) Adam Manilla, 15-13, 11-15, 11-2

3) David Horn d. 6) Jake Bredenbeck, 15-9, 15-12
2) Charlie Pratt d. 10) Thomas Carter, 15-12, 6-15, 11-2

Semi-finals - Saturday

1) Rocky Carson v. 5) Jose Diaz - 3 PM
2) Charlie Pratt v. 3) David Horn - 12:40 PM

Women's Singles

Quarterfinals - Friday

1) Rhonda Rajsich d. 8) Erika Manilla, 15-4, 15-11
5) Hollie Scott d. 4) Sheryl Lotts, 15-0, 15-6

3) Kelani Bailey Lawrence d. 6) Adrienne Haynes, 15-3, 15-11
7) Janel Tisinger-Ledkins d. 2) Sharon Jackson, 15-6, 7-15, 11-10

Semi-finals - Saturday

1) Rhonda Rajsich v. 5) Hollie Scott - 11:30 AM
3) Kelani Bailey Lawrence v. 7) Janel Tisinger-Ledkins - 1:50 PM

Follow the bouncing ball....