Paola Longoria won the 2019 Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) Paola Longoria Experience in San Luis Potosi, Mexico Sunday by defeating 3rd seed Maria Jose Vargas, 15-13, 15-6. Longoria, the LPRT’s #1 player, was undefeated last season, and has now won the first event of the 2019-20 season. But Longoria and Samantha Salas, the top seeds in doubles, lost the doubles final to 3rd seeds Alexandra Herrera and Montserrat Mejia, 12-15, 15-10, 11-7.
In the singles final, Longoria led for most of game one, and reached game point at 14-7. Vargas fought that off with a backhand return of a drive serve to the left side. They exchanged sideouts, and then Vargas started to get back into the game.
She began with two forehand winners, so Longoria called a timeout at 14-9. But the points continued to come for Vargas, who started the rallies with a backhand half lob serve close to the left wall that was leading to opportunities. She got to within one at 14-13, when Longoria took another timeout.
When play resumed, Vargas hit another backhand half lob serve, but it came off the sidewall a bit, which allowed Longoria to make a winning backhand shot down the line. Then on her fourth game point, Longoria hit a Z serve to the right that led to a backhand skip by Vargas. It was unusual, because Longoria had mostly been hitting drive serves to the left side rather than Zs.
The second game started slowly, as only 4 points were scored in the first 19 rallies. Longoria scored all those points to lead 4-0. Vargas had been trying the backhand half lob serve that worked for her in the second half of game one, but having got no points with it in game two, she switched back to her drive serve, and scored six points on the next six rallies to lead 6-4. Longoria called timeout.
She got a sideout with a backhand winning return of a Vargas drive serve. They exchanged sideouts, and then the points started to flow for Longoria. She tied the game 6-6 with a drive serve ace to the left side.
Vargas wouldn’t score another point, as Longoria got 11 unanswered points to go from 4-6 to 15-6. Vargas took a timeout when Longoria initially got the lead at 7-6, and that did lead to a sideout as she hit a forehand pinch shot winner. But her drive serve to the right was returned by Longoria for a winner. Vargas only served twice after that.
Doubles
In the doubles final, Longoria and Salas looked good to take the first final of the season, as they won game one versus Herrera and Mejia, 15-12, and then were up early in game two, 6-0 and 10-6. But the younger team didn’t quit, and they came back to tie game two at 10-10, and then push on to win it 15-10 and force a tie-breaker.
In the breaker, the young team led early, 3-1, helped by a couple of skips by Salas. But the 2019 Pan American Games champions responded, tying the game at 4-4 when Salas hit a forehand pinch shot for a winner. They scored two more, as Longoria got one off a drive serve to the left and then Salas hit a winning wide angle pass. Herrera and Mejia called time out.
When play resumed, Herrera was force into skipping a shot, which gave Longoria and Salas a 7-4 lead. But on the next rally Herrera got her side the serve back with a backhand cross court winner.
And they served it out.
Mejia got it started with a backhand pinch shot, 7-5. Then Salas skipped a forehand reverse pinch shot, 7-6, but she put her opponents half down on the next rally with a forehand pinch winner. Herrera’s backhand pinch shot from deep tied the game, 7-7, so Longoria and Salas called timeout.
Coming out of the timeout, Mejia hit yet another lob Z serve to Salas, and in the rally, she hit a forehand winner to make it 8-7. Salas had a forehand set up on the next rally, but she skipped it, 9-7. Mejia hit another forehand winner to put her side on match point at 10-7.
On their first match point, Mejia drove a ball to the left side, and it got caught up a bit in the back left corner, so Longoria wasn’t in the right position to hit the ball, and she skipped it, 11-7. Thus, Herrera and Mejia win the first LPRT doubles title of the season.
Upcoming events
The LPRT has 16 Tier 1 or Grand Slam events on the calendar this season, up from 10 last season. They’ll play in Virginia Beach, Virginia next, where the LPRT By The Beach event will take place September 6-8. Then they’ll play outdoors at the 3 WallBall World Championships in Las Vegas, September 27-29, ahead of the UnitedHealthCare US Open in Minneapolis, October 2-6. If you missed any of the action from San Luis Potosi, you can watch the matches via the LPRT website (click on LPRT Live at the top of the page), or the LPRT YouTube channel.
2019 Paola Longoria Experience
San Luis Potosi, Mexico, August 23-25, 2019
LPRT Singles - Final - Sunday
1 Paola Longoria d. 3 Maria Jose Vargas, 15-13, 15-6
LPRT Doubles - Final - Sunday
3 Alexandra Herrera & Montserrat Mejia d. 1 Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas, 12-15, 15-10, 11-7
Follow the bouncing ball….
Sunday, August 25, 2019
Saturday, August 24, 2019
Longoria to play Vargas in LPRT San Luis Potosi final
Paola Longoria is into the final of the tournament bearing her name, as she defeated Montserrat Mejia, 15-13, 15-5, in the semi-finals of the 2019 Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) Paola Longoria Experience in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. Longoria will play 3rd seed Maria Jose Vargas in the final on Sunday after Vargas upset 2nd seed Samantha Salas in three games, 15-6, 13-15, 11-9. Sunday’s final will be a re-match of the Women’s Singles gold medal match at the 2019 Pan American Games held earlier this month in Lima, Peru, where Longoria won gold for the 3rd consecutive Pan Am Games.
While Longoria and Mejia were close early, it was Mejia who took the lead into the mid-game at 7-4. However, Longoria got the serve back, and scored the next six points on as many rallies. But Mejia was able to get the serve back trailing 10-7, and she scored a couple of points to close within one at 10-9. Longoria went up 12-9, but lost serve when she skipped a forehand shot from the left side of the court. She hit another skip on Mejia’s serve, making the score 12-10.
Mejia then scored three points on consecutive rallies to take the lead, 13-12. Her 13th point came off a great forehand reverse pinch in the front court. But Longoria regained serve with a forehand pinch of her own. She was able to close out the game with three winners, two forehands and a backhand down the line shot that ended it on her first game point that made it 15-13.
The second game wasn’t close. Longoria led 3-0, and the closest Mejia got after that was at 4-2. Longoria then led 12-2, and ended it at 15-5 on her 2nd match point with a drive serve ace to the right side.
In the other semi-final, Vargas held on to defeat Salas in three games. After being down 3-1 in game one, Vargas scored seven unanswered points to take control of the game at 8-3. Salas closed the gap to three at 8-5, but that was all she could do as Vargas went on to win it, 15-6. In game two, it was Salas who took control early on, as she was up 6-4, and then extended that lead to 13-4.
But Vargas kept working, and came all the way back to tie Salas at 13-13. Salas used both her timeouts to try to halt Vargas’s momentum, but to no avail. At 13-13, Vargas seemed to have hit a drive serve short, but Salas appealed that the serve actually skipped. The line judges agreed, so the short call was overturned, and Salas got the serve back. The next two rallies ended in hinders, the second of which Salas thought was an avoidable against Vargas, but she lost that appeal.
However, Salas got her 14th point on the next rally, as Vargas skipped a backhand return of Salas’s drive serve to the left side. The first game point was a long rally that ended with the ball cracking out at the back wall, when it looked like Vargas was going to have a set up. Thus, Salas won game two, 15-13, to force a tie-breaker.
In the breaker, they were close the entire game with neither player leading by more than two points. They went back and forth with the lead. Vargas was up 3-1. Then Salas up 5-3. Vargas 6-5. Salas 8-6 and 9-7. Then they tied at 9-9, as Vargas hit a drive serve to the left for an ace. Salas called a timeout, and got the serve back on the next rally with a forehand winner. But she skipped a forehand set up, so didn’t score any points. Again they exchanged sideouts.
Vargas broke the tie with a backhand winner to make it 10-9. But a Salas forehand cross court shot fended off the first match point. Vargas got the serve right back though, as she hit a forehand to the right side, although she had to appeal to win the rally. On her 2nd match point, Vargas drove serve to the left, and the ball cracked out just over the short line for an ace. Salas appealed, but the line judges upheld the referee’s call, sending Vargas into the first final of the 2019-20 LPRT season. Winning the match on an ace was appropriate, as several aces were hit in the match by both players.
Salas was in 9 of the 10 LPRT finals last season, making it in each of the tournaments she played, but she misses out on the first final this season.
Doubles
Salas is in the doubles final, as she and Longoria defeated Brenda Laime and Masiel Rivera, 15-3, 15-13. After getting blown out in game one, Laime and Rivera played very well in game two, and were close to pushing it to a breaker. They tied it at 10-10, and then went ahead 12-10, so the Longoria and Salas, Pan Am Games champions, called a timeout. When play resumed, Longoria hit a backhand pinch winner off Rivera’s drive Z serve. But they only scored one point, so Laime and Rivera got the serve back with the lead at 12-11. A Salas skip made it 13-11, but she hit a winning cross court shot on the next rally. Then another serve return winner by Longoria put her side back in the service box.
An avoidable hinder call against Rivera made the score 13-12 with Salas serving, so Laime and Rivera called a timeout. Longoria hit another winner to tie the game 13-13. Salas got them to match point with a forehand cross court from the front court, but a Laime winner denied Longoria and Salas their first match point opportunity. But Longoria was still to serve, and she hit a drive serve that cracked off the left wall for an ace to end the game, 15-13, and win the match in two straight.
Mejia and Alexandra Herrera will face Longoria and Salas in the doubles final on Sunday, as they took out the 2nd seeds Vargas and Natalia Mendez in two close games, 15-12, 15-13. Both games were tight throughout, and tied late. In game one, they were tied 12-12. Mendez and Vargas had four chances to score, but couldn’t, as Herrera and Mejia closed it out. The game winner came when Herrera hit a down the line shot from the front court that we thought was going to be a pinch, as the pinch shot is the left-hander’s favorite, but she surprised us and perhaps Mendez too, who was playing on the left side.
They were tied 13-13 in game two, and again Mendez and Vargas had chances to score, but didn’t. They had two chances after stopping Herrera and Mejia’s first match point, when Mendez hit a backhand winner. But Herrera hit a forehand winner, and Mejia followed that up with a great touch backhand reverse shot that gave her side the serve back.
On their second match point, Mejia hit herself with the ball, putting her side half down. A hinder call, Mejia served again, and the rallied ended when Mendez put a forehand into the floor, as she was covering the right side for her partner. Vargas had moved up into the center to hit a forehand shot down the right side that Mejia just bumped back to the front wall. That gave Mendez an opportunity, and a bit of time, so she may have been indecisive about what shot to hit, and that led to the skip.
The singles final will be Sunday at noon with the doubles final to follow at 1 PM. You can watch the action live via the LPRT website, or the LPRT YouTube channel or its LiveStream channel.
2019 Paola Longoria Experience
San Luis Potosi, Mexico, August 23-25, 2019
LPRT Singles - Semi-finals - Saturday
1 Paola Longoria d. 12 Montserrat Mejia, 15-13, 15-5
3 Maria Jose Vargas d. 2 Samantha Salas, 15-6, 13-15, 11-9
LPRT Singles - Final - Sunday
1 Paola Longoria v. 3 Maria Jose Vargas - Noon
LPRT Doubles - Semi-finals - Saturday
1 Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas d. 4 Brenda Laime & Masiel Rivera, 15-3, 15-13
3 Alexandra Herrera & Montserrat Mejia d. 2 Natalia Mendez & Maria Jose Vargas, 15-12, 15-13
LPRT Doubles - Final - Sunday
1 Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas v. 3 Alexandra Herrera & Montserrat Mejia - 1 PM
Follow the bouncing ball….
While Longoria and Mejia were close early, it was Mejia who took the lead into the mid-game at 7-4. However, Longoria got the serve back, and scored the next six points on as many rallies. But Mejia was able to get the serve back trailing 10-7, and she scored a couple of points to close within one at 10-9. Longoria went up 12-9, but lost serve when she skipped a forehand shot from the left side of the court. She hit another skip on Mejia’s serve, making the score 12-10.
Mejia then scored three points on consecutive rallies to take the lead, 13-12. Her 13th point came off a great forehand reverse pinch in the front court. But Longoria regained serve with a forehand pinch of her own. She was able to close out the game with three winners, two forehands and a backhand down the line shot that ended it on her first game point that made it 15-13.
The second game wasn’t close. Longoria led 3-0, and the closest Mejia got after that was at 4-2. Longoria then led 12-2, and ended it at 15-5 on her 2nd match point with a drive serve ace to the right side.
In the other semi-final, Vargas held on to defeat Salas in three games. After being down 3-1 in game one, Vargas scored seven unanswered points to take control of the game at 8-3. Salas closed the gap to three at 8-5, but that was all she could do as Vargas went on to win it, 15-6. In game two, it was Salas who took control early on, as she was up 6-4, and then extended that lead to 13-4.
But Vargas kept working, and came all the way back to tie Salas at 13-13. Salas used both her timeouts to try to halt Vargas’s momentum, but to no avail. At 13-13, Vargas seemed to have hit a drive serve short, but Salas appealed that the serve actually skipped. The line judges agreed, so the short call was overturned, and Salas got the serve back. The next two rallies ended in hinders, the second of which Salas thought was an avoidable against Vargas, but she lost that appeal.
However, Salas got her 14th point on the next rally, as Vargas skipped a backhand return of Salas’s drive serve to the left side. The first game point was a long rally that ended with the ball cracking out at the back wall, when it looked like Vargas was going to have a set up. Thus, Salas won game two, 15-13, to force a tie-breaker.
In the breaker, they were close the entire game with neither player leading by more than two points. They went back and forth with the lead. Vargas was up 3-1. Then Salas up 5-3. Vargas 6-5. Salas 8-6 and 9-7. Then they tied at 9-9, as Vargas hit a drive serve to the left for an ace. Salas called a timeout, and got the serve back on the next rally with a forehand winner. But she skipped a forehand set up, so didn’t score any points. Again they exchanged sideouts.
Vargas broke the tie with a backhand winner to make it 10-9. But a Salas forehand cross court shot fended off the first match point. Vargas got the serve right back though, as she hit a forehand to the right side, although she had to appeal to win the rally. On her 2nd match point, Vargas drove serve to the left, and the ball cracked out just over the short line for an ace. Salas appealed, but the line judges upheld the referee’s call, sending Vargas into the first final of the 2019-20 LPRT season. Winning the match on an ace was appropriate, as several aces were hit in the match by both players.
Salas was in 9 of the 10 LPRT finals last season, making it in each of the tournaments she played, but she misses out on the first final this season.
Doubles
Salas is in the doubles final, as she and Longoria defeated Brenda Laime and Masiel Rivera, 15-3, 15-13. After getting blown out in game one, Laime and Rivera played very well in game two, and were close to pushing it to a breaker. They tied it at 10-10, and then went ahead 12-10, so the Longoria and Salas, Pan Am Games champions, called a timeout. When play resumed, Longoria hit a backhand pinch winner off Rivera’s drive Z serve. But they only scored one point, so Laime and Rivera got the serve back with the lead at 12-11. A Salas skip made it 13-11, but she hit a winning cross court shot on the next rally. Then another serve return winner by Longoria put her side back in the service box.
An avoidable hinder call against Rivera made the score 13-12 with Salas serving, so Laime and Rivera called a timeout. Longoria hit another winner to tie the game 13-13. Salas got them to match point with a forehand cross court from the front court, but a Laime winner denied Longoria and Salas their first match point opportunity. But Longoria was still to serve, and she hit a drive serve that cracked off the left wall for an ace to end the game, 15-13, and win the match in two straight.
Mejia and Alexandra Herrera will face Longoria and Salas in the doubles final on Sunday, as they took out the 2nd seeds Vargas and Natalia Mendez in two close games, 15-12, 15-13. Both games were tight throughout, and tied late. In game one, they were tied 12-12. Mendez and Vargas had four chances to score, but couldn’t, as Herrera and Mejia closed it out. The game winner came when Herrera hit a down the line shot from the front court that we thought was going to be a pinch, as the pinch shot is the left-hander’s favorite, but she surprised us and perhaps Mendez too, who was playing on the left side.
They were tied 13-13 in game two, and again Mendez and Vargas had chances to score, but didn’t. They had two chances after stopping Herrera and Mejia’s first match point, when Mendez hit a backhand winner. But Herrera hit a forehand winner, and Mejia followed that up with a great touch backhand reverse shot that gave her side the serve back.
On their second match point, Mejia hit herself with the ball, putting her side half down. A hinder call, Mejia served again, and the rallied ended when Mendez put a forehand into the floor, as she was covering the right side for her partner. Vargas had moved up into the center to hit a forehand shot down the right side that Mejia just bumped back to the front wall. That gave Mendez an opportunity, and a bit of time, so she may have been indecisive about what shot to hit, and that led to the skip.
The singles final will be Sunday at noon with the doubles final to follow at 1 PM. You can watch the action live via the LPRT website, or the LPRT YouTube channel or its LiveStream channel.
2019 Paola Longoria Experience
San Luis Potosi, Mexico, August 23-25, 2019
LPRT Singles - Semi-finals - Saturday
1 Paola Longoria d. 12 Montserrat Mejia, 15-13, 15-5
3 Maria Jose Vargas d. 2 Samantha Salas, 15-6, 13-15, 11-9
LPRT Singles - Final - Sunday
1 Paola Longoria v. 3 Maria Jose Vargas - Noon
LPRT Doubles - Semi-finals - Saturday
1 Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas d. 4 Brenda Laime & Masiel Rivera, 15-3, 15-13
3 Alexandra Herrera & Montserrat Mejia d. 2 Natalia Mendez & Maria Jose Vargas, 15-12, 15-13
LPRT Doubles - Final - Sunday
1 Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas v. 3 Alexandra Herrera & Montserrat Mejia - 1 PM
Follow the bouncing ball….
Quarterfinals of 2019 LPRT Paola Longoria Experience
Monserrat Mejia once again upset a higher ranked opponent at the 2019 Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) Paola Longoira Experience in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, as the 12th seed knocked off the 4th seed Alexandra Herrera, 15-13, 15-7, in the quarterfinals on Saturday. Herrera was up 8-3 in game one, but Mejia scored the next eight points to take the lead 11-8, and shift the momentum in the match. Mejia will play LPRT #1 Paola Longoria in the semi-finals Saturday night, as Longoria defeated Cristina Amaya, 15-9, 15-9, in the quarters.
On the other side of the draw, it’s #2 versus #3, as Samantha Salas will play Maria Jose Vargas in the semi-finals. In the quarterfinals, Salas beat 7th seed Nancy Enriquez, 15-1, 15-6, and Vargas ended the run of 11th seed Ana Laura Flores, 15-4, 15-11.
The semi-finals will be Saturday at 5 PM and 6 PM. The singles final will be Sunday at noon. The doubles semi-finals are Saturday night at 7 and 8 PM with the final Sunday at 1 PM. You can watch the action live via the LPRT website, or the LPRT YouTube channel or its LiveStream channel.
2019 Paola Longoria Experience
San Luis Potosi, Mexico, August 23-25, 2019
LPRT Singles - Quarterfinals - Saturday
1 Paola Longoria d. 8 Cristina Amaya, 15-9, 15-9
12 Monserrat Mejia d. 4 Alexandra Herrera, 15-13, 15-7
3 Maria Jose Vargas d. 11 Ana Laura Flores, 15-4, 15-11
2 Samantha Salas d. 7 Nancy Enriquez, 15-1, 15-6
LPRT Singles - Semi-finals - Saturday
1 Paola Longoria v. 12 Monserrat Mejia - 6 PM
2 Samantha Salas v. 3 Maria Jose Vargas - 5 PM
LPRT Doubles - Semi-finals - Saturday
1 Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas v. 4 Brenda Laime & Masiel Rivera - 8 PM
2 Natalia Mendez & Maria Jose Vargas v. 3 Alexandra Herrera & Monserrat Mejia - 7 PM
Follow the bouncing ball….
On the other side of the draw, it’s #2 versus #3, as Samantha Salas will play Maria Jose Vargas in the semi-finals. In the quarterfinals, Salas beat 7th seed Nancy Enriquez, 15-1, 15-6, and Vargas ended the run of 11th seed Ana Laura Flores, 15-4, 15-11.
The semi-finals will be Saturday at 5 PM and 6 PM. The singles final will be Sunday at noon. The doubles semi-finals are Saturday night at 7 and 8 PM with the final Sunday at 1 PM. You can watch the action live via the LPRT website, or the LPRT YouTube channel or its LiveStream channel.
2019 Paola Longoria Experience
San Luis Potosi, Mexico, August 23-25, 2019
LPRT Singles - Quarterfinals - Saturday
1 Paola Longoria d. 8 Cristina Amaya, 15-9, 15-9
12 Monserrat Mejia d. 4 Alexandra Herrera, 15-13, 15-7
3 Maria Jose Vargas d. 11 Ana Laura Flores, 15-4, 15-11
2 Samantha Salas d. 7 Nancy Enriquez, 15-1, 15-6
LPRT Singles - Semi-finals - Saturday
1 Paola Longoria v. 12 Monserrat Mejia - 6 PM
2 Samantha Salas v. 3 Maria Jose Vargas - 5 PM
LPRT Doubles - Semi-finals - Saturday
1 Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas v. 4 Brenda Laime & Masiel Rivera - 8 PM
2 Natalia Mendez & Maria Jose Vargas v. 3 Alexandra Herrera & Monserrat Mejia - 7 PM
Follow the bouncing ball….
Friday, August 23, 2019
Rounds of 32 and 16 at 2019 LPRT Paola Longoria Experience
They are into the Round of 16 at the 2019 Paola Longoira Experience in San Luis Potosi, Mexico - the opening event of the 2019-20 Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) season, and two young Mexicans have knocked off top 10 LPRT players. Twelfth seed Montserrat Mejia beat 5th seed Rhonda Rajsich, 15-9, 15-11, and 11th seed Ana Laura Flores defeated 6th seed Natalia Mendez, 15-9, 15-10. In the quarterfinals on Saturday, Mejia will play the winner of Alexandra Herrera and Jessica Parrilla, while Flores will play 3rd seed Maria Jose Vargas, who was a winner over Denisse Maldonado, 15-9, 15-10.
Parrilla has the sole upset of the opening round, as she continues to make her return to the tour after a long term injury. She beat 13th seed Adrienne Haynes, 15-12, 15-1. It wasn’t a good day for Haynes, as she and Sheryl Lotts also lost in the first round of doubles to Montserrat Perez and Erin Rivera, 15-6, 14-15, 11-4.
Play continues into the evening on Friday. The singles quarterfinals will be Saturday morning beginning at 11 AM with the semi-finals Saturday at 5 PM and 6 PM. The singles final will be Sunday at noon. The doubles semi-finals are Saturday night at 7 and 8 PM with the final Sunday at 1 PM. You can watch the action live via the LPRT website, or the LPRT YouTube channel or its LiveStream channel.
2019 Paola Longoria Experience
San Luis Potosi, Mexico, August 23-25, 2019
LPRT Singles - Round of 32 - Friday
1 Paola Longoria - BYE
16 Maria Renee Rodriguez d.17 Montserrat Perez, 9-15, 15-7, 11-6
9 Masiel Rivera - BYE
8 Cristina Amaya - BYE
5 Rhonda Rajsich - BYE
12 Montserrat Mejia d. 21 Carolina Rivera, 15-0, 15-3
20 Jessica Parrilla d. 13 Adrienne Haynes, 15-12, 15-1
4 Alexandra Herrera - BYE
3 Maria Jose Vargas - BYE
19 Denisse Maldonado d. 14 Sheryl Lotts, 13-15, 15-9, 11-6
11 Ana Laura Flores d. 22 Daniel Rico, 4-15, 15-9, 11-4
6 Natalia Mendez - BYE
7 Nancy Enriquez - BYE
10 Brenda Laime - BYE
15 Susana Acosta d. 18 Erin Rivera, 15-8, 15-9
2 Samantha Salas - BYE
LPRT Singles - Round of 16 - Friday
1 Paola Longoria d. 16 Maria Renee Rodriguez, 15-4, 15-0
8 Cristina Amaya d. 9 Masiel Rivera, 15-3, 15-9
12 Montserrat Mejia d. 5 Rhonda Rajsich, 15-9, 15-11
4 Alexandra Herrera d. 20 Jessica Parrilla, 8-15, 15-12, 11-9
3 Maria Jose Vargas d. 19 Denisse Maldonado, 15-9, 15-10
11 Ana Laura Flores d. 6 Natalia Mendez, 15-9, 15-10
7 Nancy Enriquez d. 10 Brenda Laime, 7-15, 15-8, 11-7
2 Samantha Salas d. 15 Susana Acosta, 15-9, 15-5
LPRT Singles - Quarterfinals - Saturday
1 Paola Longoria v. 8 Cristina Amaya - 2 PM
4 Alexandra Herrera v. 12 Monserrat Mejia - 11 AM
3 Maria Jose Vargas v. 11 Ana Laura Flores - Noon
2 Samantha Salas v. 7 Nancy Enriquez - 1 PM
LPRT Doubles - Round of 16 - Friday
1 Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas - BYE
9 Montserrat Perez & Erin Rivera d. 8 Adrienne Haynes & Sheryl Lotts, 15-6, 14-15, 11-4
5 Cristina Amaya & Maria Renee Rodriguez - BYE
4 Brenda Laime & Masiel Rivera - BYE
3 Alexandra Herrera & Montserrat Mejia - BYE
6 Nancy Enriquez & Jessica Parrilla - BYE
7 Susana Acosta & Ana Laura Flores d. 10 Denisse Maldonado & Daniela Rico, 15-2, 15-1
2 Natalia Mendez & Maria Jose Vargas - BYE
LPRT Doubles - Quarterfinals - Friday
1 Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas d. 9 Montserrat Perez & Erin Rivera, 15-6, 15-4
4 Brenda Laime & Masiel Rivera d. 5 Cristina Amaya & Maria Renee Rodriguez, 15-11, 15-12
3 Alexandra Herrera & Montserrat Mejia d. 6 Nancy Enriquez & Jessica Parrilla, 15-7, 15-1
2 Natalia Mendez & Maria Jose Vargas d. 7 Susana Acosta & Ana Laura Flores, 15-3, 15-4
LPRT Doubles - Semi-finals - Saturday
1 Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas v. 4 Brenda Laime & Masiel Rivera - 8 PM
2 Natalia Mendez & Maria Jose Vargas v. 3 Alexandra Herrera & Montserrat Mejia - 7 PM
Follow the bouncing ball….
Parrilla has the sole upset of the opening round, as she continues to make her return to the tour after a long term injury. She beat 13th seed Adrienne Haynes, 15-12, 15-1. It wasn’t a good day for Haynes, as she and Sheryl Lotts also lost in the first round of doubles to Montserrat Perez and Erin Rivera, 15-6, 14-15, 11-4.
Play continues into the evening on Friday. The singles quarterfinals will be Saturday morning beginning at 11 AM with the semi-finals Saturday at 5 PM and 6 PM. The singles final will be Sunday at noon. The doubles semi-finals are Saturday night at 7 and 8 PM with the final Sunday at 1 PM. You can watch the action live via the LPRT website, or the LPRT YouTube channel or its LiveStream channel.
2019 Paola Longoria Experience
San Luis Potosi, Mexico, August 23-25, 2019
LPRT Singles - Round of 32 - Friday
1 Paola Longoria - BYE
16 Maria Renee Rodriguez d.17 Montserrat Perez, 9-15, 15-7, 11-6
9 Masiel Rivera - BYE
8 Cristina Amaya - BYE
5 Rhonda Rajsich - BYE
12 Montserrat Mejia d. 21 Carolina Rivera, 15-0, 15-3
20 Jessica Parrilla d. 13 Adrienne Haynes, 15-12, 15-1
4 Alexandra Herrera - BYE
3 Maria Jose Vargas - BYE
19 Denisse Maldonado d. 14 Sheryl Lotts, 13-15, 15-9, 11-6
11 Ana Laura Flores d. 22 Daniel Rico, 4-15, 15-9, 11-4
6 Natalia Mendez - BYE
7 Nancy Enriquez - BYE
10 Brenda Laime - BYE
15 Susana Acosta d. 18 Erin Rivera, 15-8, 15-9
2 Samantha Salas - BYE
LPRT Singles - Round of 16 - Friday
1 Paola Longoria d. 16 Maria Renee Rodriguez, 15-4, 15-0
8 Cristina Amaya d. 9 Masiel Rivera, 15-3, 15-9
12 Montserrat Mejia d. 5 Rhonda Rajsich, 15-9, 15-11
4 Alexandra Herrera d. 20 Jessica Parrilla, 8-15, 15-12, 11-9
3 Maria Jose Vargas d. 19 Denisse Maldonado, 15-9, 15-10
11 Ana Laura Flores d. 6 Natalia Mendez, 15-9, 15-10
7 Nancy Enriquez d. 10 Brenda Laime, 7-15, 15-8, 11-7
2 Samantha Salas d. 15 Susana Acosta, 15-9, 15-5
LPRT Singles - Quarterfinals - Saturday
1 Paola Longoria v. 8 Cristina Amaya - 2 PM
4 Alexandra Herrera v. 12 Monserrat Mejia - 11 AM
3 Maria Jose Vargas v. 11 Ana Laura Flores - Noon
2 Samantha Salas v. 7 Nancy Enriquez - 1 PM
LPRT Doubles - Round of 16 - Friday
1 Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas - BYE
9 Montserrat Perez & Erin Rivera d. 8 Adrienne Haynes & Sheryl Lotts, 15-6, 14-15, 11-4
5 Cristina Amaya & Maria Renee Rodriguez - BYE
4 Brenda Laime & Masiel Rivera - BYE
3 Alexandra Herrera & Montserrat Mejia - BYE
6 Nancy Enriquez & Jessica Parrilla - BYE
7 Susana Acosta & Ana Laura Flores d. 10 Denisse Maldonado & Daniela Rico, 15-2, 15-1
2 Natalia Mendez & Maria Jose Vargas - BYE
LPRT Doubles - Quarterfinals - Friday
1 Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas d. 9 Montserrat Perez & Erin Rivera, 15-6, 15-4
4 Brenda Laime & Masiel Rivera d. 5 Cristina Amaya & Maria Renee Rodriguez, 15-11, 15-12
3 Alexandra Herrera & Montserrat Mejia d. 6 Nancy Enriquez & Jessica Parrilla, 15-7, 15-1
2 Natalia Mendez & Maria Jose Vargas d. 7 Susana Acosta & Ana Laura Flores, 15-3, 15-4
LPRT Doubles - Semi-finals - Saturday
1 Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas v. 4 Brenda Laime & Masiel Rivera - 8 PM
2 Natalia Mendez & Maria Jose Vargas v. 3 Alexandra Herrera & Montserrat Mejia - 7 PM
Follow the bouncing ball….
Thursday, August 22, 2019
LPRT kicks of its 2019-20 season in San Luis Potosi
The 2019-20 Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) season kicks off this weekend in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, where 22 players will compete in the 2019 Paola Longoria Experience tournament. The top 8 LPRT players - and 15 of the top 22 - will be competing in San Luis Potosi, led by Paola Longoria - the LPRT’s #1 player. She’s coming off an undefeated season, as well as three gold medals won earlier this month at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru. Longoria completed her 5th undefeated LPRT season in 2018-19, so she’ll be trying to start a 6th this weekend.
Longoria’s principal rivals are Samantha Salas, the LPRT’s #2 player and Longoria’s doubles partner, LPRT #3 Maria Jose Vargas, #4 Alexandra Herrera and #5 Rhonda Rajsich. Salas and Longoria won Women’s Doubles gold as well as Women’s Team gold in Lima earlier this month. Salas is the last player to defeat Longoria on tour, which happened in San Antonio in April 2018. Vargas was runner up to Longoria in Lima, and veteran Rajsich was the last player to be #1 on the LPRT before Longoria.
The 2019-20 season will see a change in match format on the LPRT from a best of 5 games each to 11 points with a two point margin needed for a win to a best of 3 games format with the first two games to 15 and, if necessary, a third game to 11 points and each game only needs to be won by one point.
Play begins Friday morning. The singles quarterfinals will be Saturday morning beginning at 11 AM with the semi-finals Saturday at 5 PM and 6 PM. The singles final will be Sunday at noon. The doubles semi-finals are Saturday night at 7 and 8 PM with the final Sunday at 1 PM. You can watch the action live via the LPRT website, or the LPRT YouTube channel or its LiveStream channel.
2019 Paola Longoria Experience
San Luis Potosi, Mexico, August 23-25, 2019
LPRT Singles - Round of 32 - Friday
1 Paola Longoria - BYE
16 Maria Renee Rodriguez v.17 Montserrat Perez - 11 AM
9 Masiel Rivera - BYE
8 Cristina Amaya - BYE
5 Rhonda Rajsich - BYE
12 Montserrat Mejia v. 21 Carolina Rivera - 10 AM
13 Adrienne Haynes v. 20 Jessica Parrilla - 10 AM
4 Alexandra Herrera - BYE
3 Maria Jose Vargas - BYE
14 Sheryl Lotts v. 19 Denisse Maldonado - 10 AM
11 Ana Laura Flores v. 22 Daniel Rico - 11 AM
6 Natalia Mendez - BYE
7 Nancy Enriquez - BYE
10 Brenda Laime - BYE
15 Susana Acosta d. 18 Erin Rivera - 11 AM
2 Samantha Salas - BYE
LPRT Singles - Round of 16 - Friday
1 Paola Longoria v. 16 Maria Renee Rodriguez or 17 Montserrat Perez - 7 PM
8 Cristina Amaya v. 9 Masiel Rivera - 6 PM
5 Rhonda Rajsich v. 12 Montserrat Mejia or 21 Carolina Rivera - 3 PM
4 Alexandra Herrera v. 13 Adrienne Haynes or 20 Jessica Parrilla - 3 PM
3 Maria Jose Vargas v. 14 Sheryl Lotts or 19 Denisse Maldonado - 4 PM
6 Natalia Mendez v. 11 Ana Laura Flores or 22 Daniel Rico - 4 PM
7 Nancy Enriquez v. 10 Brenda Laime - 5 PM
2 Samantha Salas v. 15 Susana Acosta d. 18 Erin Rivera - 5 PM
LPRT Doubles - Round of 16 - Friday
1 Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas - BYE
8 Adrienne Haynes & Sheryl Lotts v. 9 Montserrat Perez & Erin Rivera - Noon
5 Cristina Amaya & Maria Renee Rodriguez - BYE
4 Brenda Laime & Masiel Rivera - BYE
3 Alexandra Herrera & Montserrat Mejia - BYE
6 Nancy Enriquez & Jessica Parrilla - BYE
7 Susana Acosta & Ana Laura Flores v. 10 Denisse Maldonado & Daniela Rico - Noon
2 Natalia Mendez & Maria Jose Vargas - BYE
LPRT Doubles - Quarterfinals - Friday
1 Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas v. 8 Adrienne Haynes & Sheryl Lotts or 9 Montserrat Perez & Erin Rivera - 9 PM
4 Brenda Laime & Masiel Rivera v. 5 Cristina Amaya & Maria Renee Rodriguez - 9 PM
3 Alexandra Herrera & Montserrat Mejia v. 6 Nancy Enriquez & Jessica Parrilla - 8 PM
2 Natalia Mendez & Maria Jose Vargas v. 7 Susana Acosta & Ana Laura Flores or 10 Denisse Maldonado & Daniela Rico - 8 PM
Follow the bouncing ball….
Longoria’s principal rivals are Samantha Salas, the LPRT’s #2 player and Longoria’s doubles partner, LPRT #3 Maria Jose Vargas, #4 Alexandra Herrera and #5 Rhonda Rajsich. Salas and Longoria won Women’s Doubles gold as well as Women’s Team gold in Lima earlier this month. Salas is the last player to defeat Longoria on tour, which happened in San Antonio in April 2018. Vargas was runner up to Longoria in Lima, and veteran Rajsich was the last player to be #1 on the LPRT before Longoria.
The 2019-20 season will see a change in match format on the LPRT from a best of 5 games each to 11 points with a two point margin needed for a win to a best of 3 games format with the first two games to 15 and, if necessary, a third game to 11 points and each game only needs to be won by one point.
Play begins Friday morning. The singles quarterfinals will be Saturday morning beginning at 11 AM with the semi-finals Saturday at 5 PM and 6 PM. The singles final will be Sunday at noon. The doubles semi-finals are Saturday night at 7 and 8 PM with the final Sunday at 1 PM. You can watch the action live via the LPRT website, or the LPRT YouTube channel or its LiveStream channel.
2019 Paola Longoria Experience
San Luis Potosi, Mexico, August 23-25, 2019
LPRT Singles - Round of 32 - Friday
1 Paola Longoria - BYE
16 Maria Renee Rodriguez v.17 Montserrat Perez - 11 AM
9 Masiel Rivera - BYE
8 Cristina Amaya - BYE
5 Rhonda Rajsich - BYE
12 Montserrat Mejia v. 21 Carolina Rivera - 10 AM
13 Adrienne Haynes v. 20 Jessica Parrilla - 10 AM
4 Alexandra Herrera - BYE
3 Maria Jose Vargas - BYE
14 Sheryl Lotts v. 19 Denisse Maldonado - 10 AM
11 Ana Laura Flores v. 22 Daniel Rico - 11 AM
6 Natalia Mendez - BYE
7 Nancy Enriquez - BYE
10 Brenda Laime - BYE
15 Susana Acosta d. 18 Erin Rivera - 11 AM
2 Samantha Salas - BYE
LPRT Singles - Round of 16 - Friday
1 Paola Longoria v. 16 Maria Renee Rodriguez or 17 Montserrat Perez - 7 PM
8 Cristina Amaya v. 9 Masiel Rivera - 6 PM
5 Rhonda Rajsich v. 12 Montserrat Mejia or 21 Carolina Rivera - 3 PM
4 Alexandra Herrera v. 13 Adrienne Haynes or 20 Jessica Parrilla - 3 PM
3 Maria Jose Vargas v. 14 Sheryl Lotts or 19 Denisse Maldonado - 4 PM
6 Natalia Mendez v. 11 Ana Laura Flores or 22 Daniel Rico - 4 PM
7 Nancy Enriquez v. 10 Brenda Laime - 5 PM
2 Samantha Salas v. 15 Susana Acosta d. 18 Erin Rivera - 5 PM
LPRT Doubles - Round of 16 - Friday
1 Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas - BYE
8 Adrienne Haynes & Sheryl Lotts v. 9 Montserrat Perez & Erin Rivera - Noon
5 Cristina Amaya & Maria Renee Rodriguez - BYE
4 Brenda Laime & Masiel Rivera - BYE
3 Alexandra Herrera & Montserrat Mejia - BYE
6 Nancy Enriquez & Jessica Parrilla - BYE
7 Susana Acosta & Ana Laura Flores v. 10 Denisse Maldonado & Daniela Rico - Noon
2 Natalia Mendez & Maria Jose Vargas - BYE
LPRT Doubles - Quarterfinals - Friday
1 Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas v. 8 Adrienne Haynes & Sheryl Lotts or 9 Montserrat Perez & Erin Rivera - 9 PM
4 Brenda Laime & Masiel Rivera v. 5 Cristina Amaya & Maria Renee Rodriguez - 9 PM
3 Alexandra Herrera & Montserrat Mejia v. 6 Nancy Enriquez & Jessica Parrilla - 8 PM
2 Natalia Mendez & Maria Jose Vargas v. 7 Susana Acosta & Ana Laura Flores or 10 Denisse Maldonado & Daniela Rico - 8 PM
Follow the bouncing ball….
Wednesday, August 14, 2019
Say it ain’t so! - LPRT changes match formats
The Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) announced this week via Facebook that they will be changing their match format to a best of 3 games - first two to 15, tie-breaker to 11 - from the best of 5 games format with each game played to 11. This format is effective immediately, so it will be in place at the start of the 2019-20 LPRT season, which begins next week with the Paola Longoria Experience in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, August 22-25.
Reasoning for the change was based on being consistent with other racquetball organizations. International Racquetball Federation (IRF) events use a best of 3 format, and the International Racquetball Tour (IRT) switched to the best of 3 format in January 2018 from the best of 5 format. Reportedly a vote on the LPRT format change was unanimous in favour of the change.
At the risk of sounding like the guys in the balcony on The Muppet Show, we have to ask “Does NOBODY care about TRADITION?!?!!” The best of 5 format has been used for decades in racquetball. Why abandon that? Just to be like everyone else? Is that a valid reason to making the switch?
When there is a major change like this one has to ask what is the problem being solved? Was there really a problem? The best of 5 format has been used in pro racquetball since the early 1990s. It distinguished the pro matches from non-pro matches. Best of 5 was part of the pro racquetball brand. Why abandon that? Are people really confused by whether matches are played to 11 or 15?
Now, while we'd prefer if the pro tours continued to play best of 5 games, as we'd previously stated when the IRT made this switch, rather than best of 3 games, we’re not too upset about the number of games in a match. But what we are massive proponents of is WINNING BY 2 POINTS. With the switch to a best of 3 games format, the LPRT will also have those games won by 1 point rather than 2, as in the previous best of 5 games format.
Winning by one point is inconsistent with every other sport that plays games to a limit (e.g., to 11, 15, 21, etc.). Every other sport - volleyball, tennis, squash - uses a win by 2 rule. Why not racquetball? We don’t have a good answer for that, and neither would any racquetball organization for why they insist on being different.
Canada remains the bastion of sensibility, where matches are played under a win by 2 rule. That just makes sense for a game in which serving is such a major factor. One serve - or one bad return - could be the decisive play of a match, when playing win by 1, and that’s just not good enough. Pretty much everyone in sport agrees on this.
Except racquetball people.
Follow the bouncing ball….
Reasoning for the change was based on being consistent with other racquetball organizations. International Racquetball Federation (IRF) events use a best of 3 format, and the International Racquetball Tour (IRT) switched to the best of 3 format in January 2018 from the best of 5 format. Reportedly a vote on the LPRT format change was unanimous in favour of the change.
At the risk of sounding like the guys in the balcony on The Muppet Show, we have to ask “Does NOBODY care about TRADITION?!?!!” The best of 5 format has been used for decades in racquetball. Why abandon that? Just to be like everyone else? Is that a valid reason to making the switch?
When there is a major change like this one has to ask what is the problem being solved? Was there really a problem? The best of 5 format has been used in pro racquetball since the early 1990s. It distinguished the pro matches from non-pro matches. Best of 5 was part of the pro racquetball brand. Why abandon that? Are people really confused by whether matches are played to 11 or 15?
Now, while we'd prefer if the pro tours continued to play best of 5 games, as we'd previously stated when the IRT made this switch, rather than best of 3 games, we’re not too upset about the number of games in a match. But what we are massive proponents of is WINNING BY 2 POINTS. With the switch to a best of 3 games format, the LPRT will also have those games won by 1 point rather than 2, as in the previous best of 5 games format.
Winning by one point is inconsistent with every other sport that plays games to a limit (e.g., to 11, 15, 21, etc.). Every other sport - volleyball, tennis, squash - uses a win by 2 rule. Why not racquetball? We don’t have a good answer for that, and neither would any racquetball organization for why they insist on being different.
Canada remains the bastion of sensibility, where matches are played under a win by 2 rule. That just makes sense for a game in which serving is such a major factor. One serve - or one bad return - could be the decisive play of a match, when playing win by 1, and that’s just not good enough. Pretty much everyone in sport agrees on this.
Except racquetball people.
Follow the bouncing ball….
Monday, August 12, 2019
Summary of 2019 Pan American Games
The 2019 Pan American Games ended yesterday in Lima, Peru. Thus, the next Pan Am Games quadrennial begins today with the culmination being the XIX Pan Am Games in Santiago, Chile from October 22-November 5, 2023. Let’s review what happened in Lima before we look ahead to Santiago.
Mexicans won five of the six events in Lima, sweeping the four individual events - Men’s and Women’s Singles and Doubles - and winning Women’s Team gold. They only came up short in the Men’s Team event, losing in the semi-finals. This was as impressive as it was unsurprising. Mexico has been the power to reckon with in racquetball for some time now, surpassing the USA as the #1 racquetball country.
Bolivia won gold in the Men’s Team event, which was the first gold for them at the Pan Am Games. Colombia was runner up in the Men’s Team event, capturing their first Pan Am Games silver medal. Also, Costa Rica won their first Pan Am Games medal, a bronze in Men’s Doubles, as did Guatemala: a silver in Women's Doubles. On the negative side, the USA came home from Lima without a gold medal, which was a first. Canada came home without a medal at all, another first.
Who will be in Santiago?
Lima may have been the last Pan Am Games for some players. Alvaro Beltran (Mexico) and Rocky Carson (USA) are both 40 (Beltran will be 41 in October). Rhonda Rajsich is a year older. Shai Mazuri (Argentina) and Jennifer Saunders (Canada) are also over 40. Will they be able to compete at this level in four years time?
There are also some significant players over 30: Cristina Amaya (Colombia), Felipe Camacho (Costa Rica), Fernando Kurzbard (Argentina) and Jenny Daza (Bolivia). Even Mexico’s Paola Longoria turned 30 in July, and Samantha Salas will be 33 in December.
Mexico shouldn’t worry, as there are several young Mexican players who will compete for spots on the Mexican team that will go to Santiago. Even from the team that was in Lima, Montserrat Mejia is still a teen-ager (turning 20 in December), and Javier Mar and Rodrigo Montoya - at 24 and 23, are not much older. With other countries, it’s more difficult to see who is coming up, even with the USA.
But there could be surprises. A few years ago Charles Pratt may not have been thought of as potential USA Team material, but he comes back from Lima with two bronze medals to go with the silver he earned in Men’s Singles at last year’s International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Championships. However, Pratt is also 33.
Will we see them?
While it’s great for racquetball to be included in a major multi-sport event, like the Pan American Games, it can - ironically - be the least available for racquetball fans, who have gotten spoiled from on line streaming that is done by the pro tours - both the International Racquetball Tour (IRT) and Ladies Professoinal Racquetball Tour (LPRT) - as well as at international events by the IRF.
The reason for lack of viewing at big events is clear: a major broadcaster has bought the rights for the event, so only it can show the sports. However, any broadcaster will be limited in what they can show to the public through their channel (or channels). Broadcasters are going to select sports with broader appeal, like basketball or baseball, over sports with narrower appeal, like racquetball. Thus, even though racquetball is at a big event, not much racquetball is seen by those not on site.
This must be the case with other smaller sports, so perhaps racquetball could band together with other small sports to try to address this issue with broadcasting rights holders at future events. In the past, broadcasting was expensive and difficult and only possible through televisions, but with the internet the costs and difficulty of broadcasting are way down, as computers and mobile devices are platforms for receiving broadcasts.
Small sports at multi-sport games should want to have their events seen by as many people as possible, which was difficult with old technology. But with current technology this should not be acceptable, and a solution should be found that can allow fans of small sports to see their sport showcased at major multi-sport events.
2019 Pan American Games - Lima, Peru
MEDAL SUMMARY
Men’s Singles
GOLD - Rodrigo MONTOYA (Mexico)
SILVER - Alvaro BELTRAN (Mexico)
BRONZE - Conrrado MOSCOSO (Bolivia)
BRONZE - Mario MERCADO (Colombia)
Women’s Singles
GOLD - Paola LONGORIA (Mexico)
SILVER - Maria José VARGAS (Argentina)
BRONZE - Natalia MENDEZ (Argentina)
BRONZE - Adriana RIVEROS (Colombia)
Men’s Doubles
GOLD - Javier MAR & Rodrigo MONTOYA (Mexico)
SILVER - Roland KELLER & Conrrado MOSCOSO (Bolivia)
BRONZE - Rocky CARSON & Charles PRATT (USA)
BRONZE - Andres ACUÑA & Felipe CAMACHO (Costa Rica)
Women’s Doubles
GOLD - Paola LONGORIA & Samantha SALAS (Mexico)
SILVER - Gabriela MARTINEZ & Maria RODRIGUEZ (Guatemala)
BRONZE - Kelani LAWRENCE & Rhonda RAJSICH (USA)
BRONZE - Natalia MENDEZ & Maria José VARGAS (Argentina)
Men’s Teams
GOLD - Bolivia - Carlos KELLER, Roland KELLER and Conrrado MOSCOSO
SILVER - Colombia - Sebastian FRANCO and Mario MERCADO
BRONZE - USA - Jake BREDENBECK, Rocky CARSON, and Charles PRATT
BRONZE - Mexico - Alvaro BELTRAN, Javier MAR and Rodrigo MONTOYA
Women’s Teams
GOLD - Mexico - Paola LONGORIA, Montserrat MEJIA and Samantha SALAS
SILVER - Argentina - Maria José VARGAS and Natalia MENDEZ
BRONZE - USA - Kelani LAWRENCE & Rhonda RAJSICH
BRONZE - Bolivia - Angelica BARRIOS, Valeria CENTELLAS and Jenny DAZA
Follow the bouncing ball….
Mexicans won five of the six events in Lima, sweeping the four individual events - Men’s and Women’s Singles and Doubles - and winning Women’s Team gold. They only came up short in the Men’s Team event, losing in the semi-finals. This was as impressive as it was unsurprising. Mexico has been the power to reckon with in racquetball for some time now, surpassing the USA as the #1 racquetball country.
Bolivia won gold in the Men’s Team event, which was the first gold for them at the Pan Am Games. Colombia was runner up in the Men’s Team event, capturing their first Pan Am Games silver medal. Also, Costa Rica won their first Pan Am Games medal, a bronze in Men’s Doubles, as did Guatemala: a silver in Women's Doubles. On the negative side, the USA came home from Lima without a gold medal, which was a first. Canada came home without a medal at all, another first.
Who will be in Santiago?
Lima may have been the last Pan Am Games for some players. Alvaro Beltran (Mexico) and Rocky Carson (USA) are both 40 (Beltran will be 41 in October). Rhonda Rajsich is a year older. Shai Mazuri (Argentina) and Jennifer Saunders (Canada) are also over 40. Will they be able to compete at this level in four years time?
There are also some significant players over 30: Cristina Amaya (Colombia), Felipe Camacho (Costa Rica), Fernando Kurzbard (Argentina) and Jenny Daza (Bolivia). Even Mexico’s Paola Longoria turned 30 in July, and Samantha Salas will be 33 in December.
Mexico shouldn’t worry, as there are several young Mexican players who will compete for spots on the Mexican team that will go to Santiago. Even from the team that was in Lima, Montserrat Mejia is still a teen-ager (turning 20 in December), and Javier Mar and Rodrigo Montoya - at 24 and 23, are not much older. With other countries, it’s more difficult to see who is coming up, even with the USA.
But there could be surprises. A few years ago Charles Pratt may not have been thought of as potential USA Team material, but he comes back from Lima with two bronze medals to go with the silver he earned in Men’s Singles at last year’s International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Championships. However, Pratt is also 33.
Will we see them?
While it’s great for racquetball to be included in a major multi-sport event, like the Pan American Games, it can - ironically - be the least available for racquetball fans, who have gotten spoiled from on line streaming that is done by the pro tours - both the International Racquetball Tour (IRT) and Ladies Professoinal Racquetball Tour (LPRT) - as well as at international events by the IRF.
The reason for lack of viewing at big events is clear: a major broadcaster has bought the rights for the event, so only it can show the sports. However, any broadcaster will be limited in what they can show to the public through their channel (or channels). Broadcasters are going to select sports with broader appeal, like basketball or baseball, over sports with narrower appeal, like racquetball. Thus, even though racquetball is at a big event, not much racquetball is seen by those not on site.
This must be the case with other smaller sports, so perhaps racquetball could band together with other small sports to try to address this issue with broadcasting rights holders at future events. In the past, broadcasting was expensive and difficult and only possible through televisions, but with the internet the costs and difficulty of broadcasting are way down, as computers and mobile devices are platforms for receiving broadcasts.
Small sports at multi-sport games should want to have their events seen by as many people as possible, which was difficult with old technology. But with current technology this should not be acceptable, and a solution should be found that can allow fans of small sports to see their sport showcased at major multi-sport events.
2019 Pan American Games - Lima, Peru
MEDAL SUMMARY
Men’s Singles
GOLD - Rodrigo MONTOYA (Mexico)
SILVER - Alvaro BELTRAN (Mexico)
BRONZE - Conrrado MOSCOSO (Bolivia)
BRONZE - Mario MERCADO (Colombia)
Women’s Singles
GOLD - Paola LONGORIA (Mexico)
SILVER - Maria José VARGAS (Argentina)
BRONZE - Natalia MENDEZ (Argentina)
BRONZE - Adriana RIVEROS (Colombia)
Men’s Doubles
GOLD - Javier MAR & Rodrigo MONTOYA (Mexico)
SILVER - Roland KELLER & Conrrado MOSCOSO (Bolivia)
BRONZE - Rocky CARSON & Charles PRATT (USA)
BRONZE - Andres ACUÑA & Felipe CAMACHO (Costa Rica)
Women’s Doubles
GOLD - Paola LONGORIA & Samantha SALAS (Mexico)
SILVER - Gabriela MARTINEZ & Maria RODRIGUEZ (Guatemala)
BRONZE - Kelani LAWRENCE & Rhonda RAJSICH (USA)
BRONZE - Natalia MENDEZ & Maria José VARGAS (Argentina)
Men’s Teams
GOLD - Bolivia - Carlos KELLER, Roland KELLER and Conrrado MOSCOSO
SILVER - Colombia - Sebastian FRANCO and Mario MERCADO
BRONZE - USA - Jake BREDENBECK, Rocky CARSON, and Charles PRATT
BRONZE - Mexico - Alvaro BELTRAN, Javier MAR and Rodrigo MONTOYA
Women’s Teams
GOLD - Mexico - Paola LONGORIA, Montserrat MEJIA and Samantha SALAS
SILVER - Argentina - Maria José VARGAS and Natalia MENDEZ
BRONZE - USA - Kelani LAWRENCE & Rhonda RAJSICH
BRONZE - Bolivia - Angelica BARRIOS, Valeria CENTELLAS and Jenny DAZA
Follow the bouncing ball….
Saturday, August 10, 2019
Team finals at the 2019 Pan American Games
Mexico won a 3rd consecutive Women’s Team gold medal at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru on Saturday, as they defeated Argentina in two straight matches. Bolivia won the Men's Team final two matches to one against Colombia to capture the country’s first gold medal in racquetball at the Pan Am Games. Despite the loss, Colombia’s silver medal is their first in racquetball at the Pan Am Games.
In the Women’s Team final, Paola Longoria beat Maria José Vargas, 15-4, 15-11. After a dominant first game, Longoria was down in the second, as Vargas led 9-5 and 11-6. However, Longoria - the gold medal winner in both Women’s Singles and Doubles earlier this week - came back to tie the game at 11-11, and then went on to win it 15-11, and give Mexico the first match of the final.
In the second match, Montserrat Mejia defeated Natalia Mendez, 15-12 15-10. Mendez led in the middle of game one at 7-5 and 9-7, but Mejia tied the game at 10-10 and 11-11. She then took the lead 13-11, and got to match point at 14-12. Mejia then won it 15-12.
Mejia carried that momentum into game two, as she took a 7-1 lead. But Mendez slowly worked her way back into the game, and tied the score at 10-10. But her points ran out there, as Mejia got the last five points to end the game, 15-10, the match 2-0, and the final two matches to none.
As Mexico won both singles matches, the doubles match with Longoria and Samantha Salas versus Mendez and Vargas didn’t have to be played. Longoria and Salas were the two players to win Women’s Team gold for Mexico at the last two Pan Am Games: in Toronto four years ago, and Guadalajara eight years ago. Mejia, playing in her first Pan Am Games, goes home with her first medal, and it’s gold.
The Men’s Team final came down to a deciding 3rd match, which was doubles, as they split the two singles matches. In doubles, Conrrado Moscoso and Roland Keller beat Sebastian Franco and Mario Mercado, 15-11, 15-2. The Bolivians had a lead in game one at 8-4, but Colombia came back to tie it 10-10. However, from that point on Bolivia outscored Colombia 20-3, as they closed out the first game and ran away with the second. A 9-0 lead in game two put the writing on the wall.
In the first match of the final, Moscoso beat Sebastian Franco, 15-12, 15-8. Franco actually led in game one, 5-1, but Moscoso tied the game 6-6. Franco again went ahead, 9-6, only to see Moscoso tie it again at 11-11 and 12-12, as he went on to win 15-12. Moscoso took a 7-1 lead in game two, and maintained a lead throughout the game.
That put Mercado in a must win situation against Carlos Keller in the second match of the final. Keller took the first game, 15-10, to add to the pressure on Mercado. He responded by winning game two going away, 15-3, in only 14 min, which was less than half the time it took to play the first game (31 min). Thus, Mercado forced a tie-breaking third game.
In the breaker, although they were close all the way. Keller had the lead for most of the game, but never by more than two points. Then Mercado caught up at 9-9, and he managed to close it out, 11-9, to win the match, 10-15, 15-3, 11-9, and force the tie-breaking doubles match.
Looking ahead, the next Pan American Games will be in Santiago, Chile in 2023. We fully expect that racquetball will be included in the program.
2019 Pan American Games - Lima, Peru
TEAM COMPETITION
Men’s Team - Final
BOLIVIA d. COLOMBIA - 2-1
Conrrado MOSCOSO (Bolivia) d. Sebastian FRANCO (Colombia), 15-12, 15-8
Mario MERCADO (Colombia) d. Carlos KELLER (Bolivia), 10-15, 15-3, 11-9
Roland KELLER & Conrrado MOSCOSO (Bolivia) d. Sebastian FRANCO & Mario MERCADO (Colombia), 15-11, 15-2
Women’s Team - Final
MEXICO d. ARGENTINA - 2-0
Paola LONGORIA (Mexico) d. Maria José VARGAS (Argentina), 15-4, 15-11
Montserrat MEJIA (Mexico) d. Natalia MENDEZ (Argentina), 15-12, 15-10
Paola LONGORIA & Samantha SALAS (Mexico) v. Natalia MENDEZ (Argentina) & Maria José VARGAS (Argentina) - not played
Follow the bouncing ball….
In the Women’s Team final, Paola Longoria beat Maria José Vargas, 15-4, 15-11. After a dominant first game, Longoria was down in the second, as Vargas led 9-5 and 11-6. However, Longoria - the gold medal winner in both Women’s Singles and Doubles earlier this week - came back to tie the game at 11-11, and then went on to win it 15-11, and give Mexico the first match of the final.
In the second match, Montserrat Mejia defeated Natalia Mendez, 15-12 15-10. Mendez led in the middle of game one at 7-5 and 9-7, but Mejia tied the game at 10-10 and 11-11. She then took the lead 13-11, and got to match point at 14-12. Mejia then won it 15-12.
Mejia carried that momentum into game two, as she took a 7-1 lead. But Mendez slowly worked her way back into the game, and tied the score at 10-10. But her points ran out there, as Mejia got the last five points to end the game, 15-10, the match 2-0, and the final two matches to none.
As Mexico won both singles matches, the doubles match with Longoria and Samantha Salas versus Mendez and Vargas didn’t have to be played. Longoria and Salas were the two players to win Women’s Team gold for Mexico at the last two Pan Am Games: in Toronto four years ago, and Guadalajara eight years ago. Mejia, playing in her first Pan Am Games, goes home with her first medal, and it’s gold.
The Men’s Team final came down to a deciding 3rd match, which was doubles, as they split the two singles matches. In doubles, Conrrado Moscoso and Roland Keller beat Sebastian Franco and Mario Mercado, 15-11, 15-2. The Bolivians had a lead in game one at 8-4, but Colombia came back to tie it 10-10. However, from that point on Bolivia outscored Colombia 20-3, as they closed out the first game and ran away with the second. A 9-0 lead in game two put the writing on the wall.
In the first match of the final, Moscoso beat Sebastian Franco, 15-12, 15-8. Franco actually led in game one, 5-1, but Moscoso tied the game 6-6. Franco again went ahead, 9-6, only to see Moscoso tie it again at 11-11 and 12-12, as he went on to win 15-12. Moscoso took a 7-1 lead in game two, and maintained a lead throughout the game.
That put Mercado in a must win situation against Carlos Keller in the second match of the final. Keller took the first game, 15-10, to add to the pressure on Mercado. He responded by winning game two going away, 15-3, in only 14 min, which was less than half the time it took to play the first game (31 min). Thus, Mercado forced a tie-breaking third game.
In the breaker, although they were close all the way. Keller had the lead for most of the game, but never by more than two points. Then Mercado caught up at 9-9, and he managed to close it out, 11-9, to win the match, 10-15, 15-3, 11-9, and force the tie-breaking doubles match.
Looking ahead, the next Pan American Games will be in Santiago, Chile in 2023. We fully expect that racquetball will be included in the program.
2019 Pan American Games - Lima, Peru
TEAM COMPETITION
Men’s Team - Final
BOLIVIA d. COLOMBIA - 2-1
Conrrado MOSCOSO (Bolivia) d. Sebastian FRANCO (Colombia), 15-12, 15-8
Mario MERCADO (Colombia) d. Carlos KELLER (Bolivia), 10-15, 15-3, 11-9
Roland KELLER & Conrrado MOSCOSO (Bolivia) d. Sebastian FRANCO & Mario MERCADO (Colombia), 15-11, 15-2
Women’s Team - Final
MEXICO d. ARGENTINA - 2-0
Paola LONGORIA (Mexico) d. Maria José VARGAS (Argentina), 15-4, 15-11
Montserrat MEJIA (Mexico) d. Natalia MENDEZ (Argentina), 15-12, 15-10
Paola LONGORIA & Samantha SALAS (Mexico) v. Natalia MENDEZ (Argentina) & Maria José VARGAS (Argentina) - not played
Follow the bouncing ball….
Friday, August 9, 2019
Four countries advance to team finals at 2019 Pan American Games
Four teams will go for gold on Saturday in the Men’s and Women’s Team finals as the racquetball competition concludes at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru. The team event has been a Mexico-USA showdown in both Men’s and Women’s Team finals at the 2015 and 2011 Pan Am Games, but not this year. Indeed, both men’s and women’s USA teams lost in the semi-finals Friday, as did the Mexican men’s team.
However, the Mexican Women’s Team can win a 3rd consecutive gold medal, as they defeated the USA in the semi-finals in two straight matches. Paola Longoria beat Kelani Lawrence, 15-5, 15-0, and then teamed up with Samantha Salas to complete the victory with a win in doubles over Lawrence and Rhonda Rajsich, 15-5, 15-4.
Mexico will face Argentina in the final, as Argentina beat Bolivia in the other semi-final, albeit with more difficulty. Maria José Vargas won the first match over Valeria Centellas, 15-0, 15-9, and then she and Natalia Mendez held on to defeat Angelica Barrios and Jenny Daza, in a close tie-breaker, 15-10, 8-15, 11-9, which meant the last singles match between Mendez and Barrios didn’t have to be played.
Bolivia and Colombia will contest the Men’s Team final, rather than Mexico and the USA. Perhaps surprisingly, it was Colombia who were the giant killers, as they knocked off Mexico, the two time defending Men’s Team gold medalists. They did it by winning the two singles matches. First, Sebastian Franco beat veteran Alvaro Beltran, 15-14, 15-6. Mexico leveled the match by winning the doubles, when Javier Mar and Rodrigo Montoya defeated Franco and Mario Mercado, 15-14, 15-5. The deciding match was between Montoya and Mercado. Montoya won Men’s Singles in Lima earlier this week, and is the current International Racquetball Federation (IRF) Men’s Singles World Champion as well as, so you'd think advantage Mexico.
Especially advantage Mexico after Montoya won the first game, 15-12. But Mercado came back and won game two, 15-6, to force a tie-breaker. Then in the breaker Mercado went out to a big lead, 6-1 and 10-3. Montoya made it close, but couldn’t come all the way back, as Mercado won it, 11-8, and put Colombia in a Pan Am Games final for the first time.
Coming to Lima, Colombia had one Pan Am Games medal: a bronze in the Men’s Team event in 2011. Mercado was a bronze medalist in Men’s Singles earlier this week, and now he and Franco will have a chance to win gold, and regardless of Saturday’s final, they will have tripled the number of Colombian Pan Am Games medals in racquetball: from 1 to 3.
Bolivia will be Colombia’s opponent in the final. Bolivia, like Colombia, also needed three matches to advance to the final, as they outlasted the USA men’s team. Indeed, all three of the Bolivia-USA matches went breaker. Veteran Rocky Carson won the first match of the semi-final by defeating Conrrado Moscoso in three games, 15-7, 8-15, 11-6. But Moscoso and Roland Keller were able to level the match with the USA by winning the doubles match against Carson and Charles Pratt, 12-15, 15-6, 11-6.
Thus, it came down to the second singles match between Carlos Keller of Bolivia and the USA’s Jake Bredenbeck. Again a tie-breaker was required as Keller won game one, 15-11, and Bredenbeck game two, 12-15. But as is often the case after two close games, the breaker was not close, as Keller - the current Men’s Singles Pan American Champion - won it, 11-2, booking Bolivia’s place in the final.
Four years ago in Toronto, Moscoso and the Keller brothers were bronze medalists in the Men’s Team event, after losing to Mexico in the semi-finals. Saturday they’ll have a chance to win Men’s Team gold, which would be the first Pan Am Games gold medal for Bolivia in racquetball.
The finals will begin at 11 AM Saturday. Some of the matches may be live streamed via the International Racquetball Federation page on Facebook, but not for certain due to rights holders restrictions.
2019 Pan American Games - Lima, Peru
TEAM COMPETITION
Men’s Teams - Semi-finals
COLOMBIA d. MEXICO - 2-1
Sebastian FRANCO (Colombia) d. Alvaro BELTRAN (Mexico), 15-14, 15-6
Javier MAR & Rodrigo MONTOYA (Mexico) d. Sebastian FRANCO & Mario MERCADO (Colombia), 15-14, 15-5
Mario MERCADO (Colombia) d. Rodrigo MONTOYA (Mexico), 12-15, 15-6, 11-8
BOLIVIA d. USA - 2-1
Rocky CARSON (USA) d. Conrrado MOSCOSO (Bolivia), 15-7, 8-15, 11-6
Roland KELLER & Conrrado MOSCOSO (Bolivia) d. Rocky CARSON & Charles PRATT (USA), 12-15, 15-6, 11-6
Carlos KELLER (Bolivia) d. Jake BREDENBECK (USA), 15-11, 12-15, 11-2
Men’s Teams - Final
BOLIVIA v. COLOMBIA
Women’s Teams - Semi-finals
MEXICO d. USA - 2-0
Paola LONGORIA (Mexico) d. Kelani LAWRENCE (USA), 15-5, 15-0
Paola LONGORIA & Samantha SALAS (Mexico) d. Kelani LAWRENCE & Rhonda RAJSICH (USA), 15-5, 15-4
Montserrat MEJIA (Mexico) v. Rhonda RAJSICH (USA) - not played
ARGENTINA d. BOLIVIA - 2-0
Maria José VARGAS (Argentina) d. Valeria CENTELLAS (Bolivia), 15-0, 15-9
Natalia MENDEZ & Maria José VARGAS (Argentina) d. Angelica BARRIOS & Jenny DAZA (Bolivia), 15-10, 8-15, 11-9
Natalia MENDEZ (Argentina) v. Angelica BARRIOS (Bolivia) - not played
Women’s Teams - Final
MEXICO v. ARGENTINA
Follow the bouncing ball….
However, the Mexican Women’s Team can win a 3rd consecutive gold medal, as they defeated the USA in the semi-finals in two straight matches. Paola Longoria beat Kelani Lawrence, 15-5, 15-0, and then teamed up with Samantha Salas to complete the victory with a win in doubles over Lawrence and Rhonda Rajsich, 15-5, 15-4.
Mexico will face Argentina in the final, as Argentina beat Bolivia in the other semi-final, albeit with more difficulty. Maria José Vargas won the first match over Valeria Centellas, 15-0, 15-9, and then she and Natalia Mendez held on to defeat Angelica Barrios and Jenny Daza, in a close tie-breaker, 15-10, 8-15, 11-9, which meant the last singles match between Mendez and Barrios didn’t have to be played.
Bolivia and Colombia will contest the Men’s Team final, rather than Mexico and the USA. Perhaps surprisingly, it was Colombia who were the giant killers, as they knocked off Mexico, the two time defending Men’s Team gold medalists. They did it by winning the two singles matches. First, Sebastian Franco beat veteran Alvaro Beltran, 15-14, 15-6. Mexico leveled the match by winning the doubles, when Javier Mar and Rodrigo Montoya defeated Franco and Mario Mercado, 15-14, 15-5. The deciding match was between Montoya and Mercado. Montoya won Men’s Singles in Lima earlier this week, and is the current International Racquetball Federation (IRF) Men’s Singles World Champion as well as, so you'd think advantage Mexico.
Especially advantage Mexico after Montoya won the first game, 15-12. But Mercado came back and won game two, 15-6, to force a tie-breaker. Then in the breaker Mercado went out to a big lead, 6-1 and 10-3. Montoya made it close, but couldn’t come all the way back, as Mercado won it, 11-8, and put Colombia in a Pan Am Games final for the first time.
Coming to Lima, Colombia had one Pan Am Games medal: a bronze in the Men’s Team event in 2011. Mercado was a bronze medalist in Men’s Singles earlier this week, and now he and Franco will have a chance to win gold, and regardless of Saturday’s final, they will have tripled the number of Colombian Pan Am Games medals in racquetball: from 1 to 3.
Bolivia will be Colombia’s opponent in the final. Bolivia, like Colombia, also needed three matches to advance to the final, as they outlasted the USA men’s team. Indeed, all three of the Bolivia-USA matches went breaker. Veteran Rocky Carson won the first match of the semi-final by defeating Conrrado Moscoso in three games, 15-7, 8-15, 11-6. But Moscoso and Roland Keller were able to level the match with the USA by winning the doubles match against Carson and Charles Pratt, 12-15, 15-6, 11-6.
Thus, it came down to the second singles match between Carlos Keller of Bolivia and the USA’s Jake Bredenbeck. Again a tie-breaker was required as Keller won game one, 15-11, and Bredenbeck game two, 12-15. But as is often the case after two close games, the breaker was not close, as Keller - the current Men’s Singles Pan American Champion - won it, 11-2, booking Bolivia’s place in the final.
Four years ago in Toronto, Moscoso and the Keller brothers were bronze medalists in the Men’s Team event, after losing to Mexico in the semi-finals. Saturday they’ll have a chance to win Men’s Team gold, which would be the first Pan Am Games gold medal for Bolivia in racquetball.
The finals will begin at 11 AM Saturday. Some of the matches may be live streamed via the International Racquetball Federation page on Facebook, but not for certain due to rights holders restrictions.
2019 Pan American Games - Lima, Peru
TEAM COMPETITION
Men’s Teams - Semi-finals
COLOMBIA d. MEXICO - 2-1
Sebastian FRANCO (Colombia) d. Alvaro BELTRAN (Mexico), 15-14, 15-6
Javier MAR & Rodrigo MONTOYA (Mexico) d. Sebastian FRANCO & Mario MERCADO (Colombia), 15-14, 15-5
Mario MERCADO (Colombia) d. Rodrigo MONTOYA (Mexico), 12-15, 15-6, 11-8
BOLIVIA d. USA - 2-1
Rocky CARSON (USA) d. Conrrado MOSCOSO (Bolivia), 15-7, 8-15, 11-6
Roland KELLER & Conrrado MOSCOSO (Bolivia) d. Rocky CARSON & Charles PRATT (USA), 12-15, 15-6, 11-6
Carlos KELLER (Bolivia) d. Jake BREDENBECK (USA), 15-11, 12-15, 11-2
Men’s Teams - Final
BOLIVIA v. COLOMBIA
Women’s Teams - Semi-finals
MEXICO d. USA - 2-0
Paola LONGORIA (Mexico) d. Kelani LAWRENCE (USA), 15-5, 15-0
Paola LONGORIA & Samantha SALAS (Mexico) d. Kelani LAWRENCE & Rhonda RAJSICH (USA), 15-5, 15-4
Montserrat MEJIA (Mexico) v. Rhonda RAJSICH (USA) - not played
ARGENTINA d. BOLIVIA - 2-0
Maria José VARGAS (Argentina) d. Valeria CENTELLAS (Bolivia), 15-0, 15-9
Natalia MENDEZ & Maria José VARGAS (Argentina) d. Angelica BARRIOS & Jenny DAZA (Bolivia), 15-10, 8-15, 11-9
Natalia MENDEZ (Argentina) v. Angelica BARRIOS (Bolivia) - not played
Women’s Teams - Final
MEXICO v. ARGENTINA
Follow the bouncing ball….
Thursday, August 8, 2019
Quarterfinals of Team Event at 2019 Pan American Games
The quarterfinals in the team competitions at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru were all over in two straight matches, and often the matches were done in two straight games. Mexico, Bolivia and the USA are in both Men’s and Women’s Team semi-finals. Colombia is the fourth country in the Men’s Team semi-finals, while Argentina is the fourth team in the Women’s semi-final.
There were a couple of matches that went tie-breaker. In the Men’s Team battle between Colombia and Canada, their doubles match went breaker with Canada needing a win after Mario Mercado had beaten Coby Iwaasa, 15-11, 15-9, in the first match. Iwaasa and Samual Murray won the first game of the doubles match, but Mercado and Sebastian Franco came back to win the next two games, 15-12, 11-9, and take the match up in two straight matches.
In the Women’s Team event, Bolivia was up one match on Guatemala, after Angelica Barrios beat Maria Rodriguez (Guatemala), 15-9, 15-10, and their doubles match went to a tie-breaker. Barrios and Jenny Daza defeated Rodriguez and Gabriela Martinez, 11-15, 15-12, 11-10.
The team semi-finals are Friday with the finals on Saturday. Look for some of the matches to be live streamed via the International Racquetball Federation page on Facebook.
2019 Pan American Games - Lima, Peru
TEAM COMPETITION
Men’s Teams - Quarterfinals
MEXICO d. ECUADOR - 2-0
Rodrigo MONTOYA (Mexico) d. José UGALDE (Ecuador), 15-1, 15-3
Javier MAR & Rodrigo MONTOYA (Mexico) d. Fernando RÍOS & José UGALDE (Ecuador), 15-12, 15-5
Alvaro BELTRAN (Mexico) v. Fernando RÍOS (Ecuador) - not played
COLOMBIA d. CANADA - 2-0
Mario MERCADO (Colombia) d. Coby IWAASA (Canada), 15-11, 15-9
Sebastian FRANCO & Mario MERCADO (Colombia) d. Coby IWAASA & Samuel MURRAY (Canada), 12-15, 15-12, 11-9
Sebastian FRANCO (Colombia) v. Samuel MURRAY (Canada) - not played
USA d. COSTA RICA - 2-0
Jake BREDENBECK (USA) d. Felipe CAMACHO (Costa Rica), 15-5, 15-6
Rocky CARSON & Charles PRATT (USA) d. Andres ACUÑA & Felipe CAMACHO (Costa Rica), 15-14, 15-6
Rocky CARSON (USA) v. Andres ACUÑA (Costa Rica) - not played
BOLIVIA d. GUATEMALA - 2-0
Carlos KELLER (Bolivia) d. Edwin GALICIA (Guatemala), 15-4, 15-8
Roland KELLER & Conrrado MOSCOSO (Bolivia) d. Edwin GALICIA & Juan SALVATIERRA (Guatemala), 15-8, 15-6
Juan SALVATIERRA (Guatemala) - not played
Men’s Teams - Semi-finals
MEXICO v. COLOMBIA
BOLIVIA v. USA
Women’s Teams - Quarterfinals
ARGENTINA d. CANADA - 2-0
Natalia MENDEZ (Argentina) d. Jennifer SAUNDERS (Canada), 15-9, 15-5
Natalia MENDEZ & Maria José VARGAS (Argentina) d. Frédérique LAMBERT & Jennifer SAUNDERS (Canada), 15-4, 15-5
Maria José VARGAS (Argentina) v. Frédérique LAMBERT (Canada) - not played
MEXICO d. ECUADOR - 2-0
Montserrat MEJIA (Mexico) d. Maria Jose MUÑOZ (Ecuador), 15-4, 15-9
Paola LONGORIA & Samantha SALAS (Mexico) d. Maria José MUÑOZ & Maria Paz MUÑOZ (Ecuador), 15-4, 15-2
Paola LONGORIA & Samantha SALAS (Mexico) v. Maria Paz MUÑOZ (Ecuador) - not played
USA d. COLOMBIA - 2-0
Rhonda RAJSICH (USA) d. Adriana RIVEROS (Colombia), 15-3, 15-9
Kelani LAWRENCE & Rhonda RAJSICH (USA) d. Cristina AMAYA & Adriana RIVEROS (Colombia), 15-12, 15-11
Kelani LAWRENCE (USA) v. Cristina AMAYA (Colombia) - not played
BOLIVIA d. GUATEMALA - 2-0
Angelica BARRIOS (Bolivia) d. Maria RODRIGUEZ (Guatemala), 15-9, 15-10
Angelica BARRIOS & Jenny DAZA (Bolivia) d. Gabriela MARTINEZ & Maria RODRIGUEZ (Guatemala), 11-15, 15-12, 11-10
Valeria CENTELLAS (Bolivia) v. Gabriela MARTINEZ (Guatemala) - not played
Women’s Teams - Semi-finals
MEXICO v. USA
BOLIVIA v. ARGENTINA
Follow the bouncing ball….
There were a couple of matches that went tie-breaker. In the Men’s Team battle between Colombia and Canada, their doubles match went breaker with Canada needing a win after Mario Mercado had beaten Coby Iwaasa, 15-11, 15-9, in the first match. Iwaasa and Samual Murray won the first game of the doubles match, but Mercado and Sebastian Franco came back to win the next two games, 15-12, 11-9, and take the match up in two straight matches.
In the Women’s Team event, Bolivia was up one match on Guatemala, after Angelica Barrios beat Maria Rodriguez (Guatemala), 15-9, 15-10, and their doubles match went to a tie-breaker. Barrios and Jenny Daza defeated Rodriguez and Gabriela Martinez, 11-15, 15-12, 11-10.
The team semi-finals are Friday with the finals on Saturday. Look for some of the matches to be live streamed via the International Racquetball Federation page on Facebook.
2019 Pan American Games - Lima, Peru
TEAM COMPETITION
Men’s Teams - Quarterfinals
MEXICO d. ECUADOR - 2-0
Rodrigo MONTOYA (Mexico) d. José UGALDE (Ecuador), 15-1, 15-3
Javier MAR & Rodrigo MONTOYA (Mexico) d. Fernando RÍOS & José UGALDE (Ecuador), 15-12, 15-5
Alvaro BELTRAN (Mexico) v. Fernando RÍOS (Ecuador) - not played
COLOMBIA d. CANADA - 2-0
Mario MERCADO (Colombia) d. Coby IWAASA (Canada), 15-11, 15-9
Sebastian FRANCO & Mario MERCADO (Colombia) d. Coby IWAASA & Samuel MURRAY (Canada), 12-15, 15-12, 11-9
Sebastian FRANCO (Colombia) v. Samuel MURRAY (Canada) - not played
USA d. COSTA RICA - 2-0
Jake BREDENBECK (USA) d. Felipe CAMACHO (Costa Rica), 15-5, 15-6
Rocky CARSON & Charles PRATT (USA) d. Andres ACUÑA & Felipe CAMACHO (Costa Rica), 15-14, 15-6
Rocky CARSON (USA) v. Andres ACUÑA (Costa Rica) - not played
BOLIVIA d. GUATEMALA - 2-0
Carlos KELLER (Bolivia) d. Edwin GALICIA (Guatemala), 15-4, 15-8
Roland KELLER & Conrrado MOSCOSO (Bolivia) d. Edwin GALICIA & Juan SALVATIERRA (Guatemala), 15-8, 15-6
Juan SALVATIERRA (Guatemala) - not played
Men’s Teams - Semi-finals
MEXICO v. COLOMBIA
BOLIVIA v. USA
Women’s Teams - Quarterfinals
ARGENTINA d. CANADA - 2-0
Natalia MENDEZ (Argentina) d. Jennifer SAUNDERS (Canada), 15-9, 15-5
Natalia MENDEZ & Maria José VARGAS (Argentina) d. Frédérique LAMBERT & Jennifer SAUNDERS (Canada), 15-4, 15-5
Maria José VARGAS (Argentina) v. Frédérique LAMBERT (Canada) - not played
MEXICO d. ECUADOR - 2-0
Montserrat MEJIA (Mexico) d. Maria Jose MUÑOZ (Ecuador), 15-4, 15-9
Paola LONGORIA & Samantha SALAS (Mexico) d. Maria José MUÑOZ & Maria Paz MUÑOZ (Ecuador), 15-4, 15-2
Paola LONGORIA & Samantha SALAS (Mexico) v. Maria Paz MUÑOZ (Ecuador) - not played
USA d. COLOMBIA - 2-0
Rhonda RAJSICH (USA) d. Adriana RIVEROS (Colombia), 15-3, 15-9
Kelani LAWRENCE & Rhonda RAJSICH (USA) d. Cristina AMAYA & Adriana RIVEROS (Colombia), 15-12, 15-11
Kelani LAWRENCE (USA) v. Cristina AMAYA (Colombia) - not played
BOLIVIA d. GUATEMALA - 2-0
Angelica BARRIOS (Bolivia) d. Maria RODRIGUEZ (Guatemala), 15-9, 15-10
Angelica BARRIOS & Jenny DAZA (Bolivia) d. Gabriela MARTINEZ & Maria RODRIGUEZ (Guatemala), 11-15, 15-12, 11-10
Valeria CENTELLAS (Bolivia) v. Gabriela MARTINEZ (Guatemala) - not played
Women’s Teams - Semi-finals
MEXICO v. USA
BOLIVIA v. ARGENTINA
Follow the bouncing ball….
Wednesday, August 7, 2019
Team competiton begins at 2019 Pan American Games
The racquetball team competition began Wednesday at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru. All teams are involved, and the format has teams competing head to head in a best of three matches format: two singles matches and a doubles match. But the order of the matches changes from round to round. The Round of 16 has the #1 players playing singles first, then a doubles match, and if necessary, the #2 players face off to determine which country advances to the quarterfinals on Thursday.
In the Women’s Team event, Ecuador defeated Chile, 2-0, with Maria Paz Muñoz defeating Carla Muñoz, 15-8, 6-15, 11-5, and then Paz Muñoz and younger sister Maria José Muñoz beating Muñoz and Josefa Parada, 15-9, 15-12. Ecuador will play Mexico in the quarterfinals.
Similarly, Bolivia beat Cuba in two straight matches. Valeria Centellas defeated María Regla Viera, 15-7, 15-5, and then Angelica Barrios and Jenny Daza beat Loraine Felipe and Viera, 15-2, 15-8. Bolivia will play Guatemala in the quarters.
But one women’s tie did require three matches with Canada winning the two singles matches against the Dominican Republic, but losing the doubles match to advance, 2-1. Frédérique Lambert needed a tie-breaker against Merynanyelly Delgado to win the first match for Canada, 15-7, 8-15, 11-9. But then Delgado and Alejandra Jiménez beat Lambert and Jennifer Saunders, 15-12, 15-7. In the tie-breaking match, Saunders defeated Jiménez, 15-4, 15-5, so that Canada advances to the quarterfinals, when they will play Argentina.
In the Men’s Team event, two of the four match ups were settled in two matches, while the other two - between Ecuador and Cuba, and between Guatemala and Dominican Republic - needed a third match tie-breaker.
Colombia defeated the host country Peru in two straight matches. Sebastian Franco beat Jonathan Luque, 15-1, 15-3, and then he and Mario Mercado defeated Luque and Erik Mendoza, 15-2, 15-2. Also, Costa Rica beat Argentina, 2-0, with Andres Acuña a straight game winner over Shai Manzuri, 15-8, 15-2, and Acuña and Felipe Camacho defeating Fernando Kurzbard and Manzuri, 15-10, 15-13.
Eucador’s José Ugalde won the tie-breaking singles matches in two straight games over Enier Chacón of Cuba, 15-9, 15-6. Cuban Maykel Moyet won the first singles match versus Fernando Rios, 15-9, 15-11, but Rios and Ugalde won the doubles match against Chacón and Moyet, 15-12, 15-7, to level the score.
Finally, Guatemala defeated the Dominican Republic, 2-1, which must be considered a bit of an upset, as the two Dominican players were in the medal round, while neither Guatemalan player was. However, Guatemalan Edwin Galicia narrowly pulled out a tie-breaker in the final singles matches against Dominican Ramón De León, 15-7, 2-15, 11-9, after he and Juan Salvatierra won the doubles match against De León and Luis Pérez, 15-7, 8-15, 11-2. Pérez won the first singles match against Salvatierra, 15-4, 15-9.
The medal round continues Thursday, and the finals of the team competition will be Saturday. Look for some of the matches to be live streamed via the International Racquetball Federation page on Facebook.
2019 Pan American Games - Lima, Peru
TEAM COMPETITION
Men’s Teams - Round of 16
ECUADOR d. CUBA - 2-1
Maykel MOYET (Cuba) d. Fernando RÍOS (Ecuador), 15-9, 15-11
Fernando RÍOS & José UGALDE (Ecuador) d. Enier CHACÓN & Maykel MOYET (Cuba), 15-12, 15-7
José UGALDE (Ecuador) d. Enier CHACÓN (Cuba), 15-9, 15-6
COLOMBIA d. PERU - 2-0
Sebastian FRANCO (Colombia) d. Jonathan LUQUE (Peru), 15-1, 15-3
Sebastian FRANCO & Mario MERCADO (Colombia) d. Jonathan LUQUE & Erik MENDOZA (Peru), 15-2, 15-2
Mario MERCADO (Colombia) v. Erik MENDOZA (Peru) - not played
COSTA RICA d. ARGENTINA - 2-0
Andres ACUÑA (Costa Rica) d. Shai MANZURI (Argentina), 15-8, 15-2
Andres ACUÑA & Felipe CAMACHO (Costa Rica) d. Fernando KURZBARD & Shai MANZURI (Argentina), 15-10, 15-13
Felipe CAMACHO (Costa Rica) v. Fernando KURZBARD - not played
GUATEMALA d. DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - 2-1
Luis PÉREZ (Dominican Republic) d. Juan SALVATIERRA (Guatemala), 15-4, 15-9
Edwin GALICIA & Juan SALVATIERRA (Guatemala) d. Ramón DE LEÓN & Luis PÉREZ (Dominican Republic), 15-7, 8-15, 11-2
Edwin GALICIA (Guatemala) d. Ramón DE LEÓN (Dominican Republic), 15-7, 2-15, 11-9
Men’s Teams - Quarterfinals
MEXICO v. ECUADOR
CANADA v. COLOMBIA
USA v. COSTA RICA
BOLIVIA v. GUATEMALA
Women’s Teams - Round of 16
ECUADOR d. CHILE - 2-0
Maria Paz MUÑOZ (Ecuador) d. Carla MUÑOZ (Chile), 15-8, 6-15, 11-5
Maria José MUÑOZ & Maria Paz MUÑOZ (Ecuador) d. Carla MUÑOZ & Josefa PARADA (Chile), 15-9, 15-12
BOLIVIA d. CUBA - 2-0
Valeria CENTELLAS (Bolivia) d. María Regla VIERA (Cuba), 15-7, 15-5
Angelica BARRIOS & Jenny DAZA (Bolivia) d. Loraine FELIPE & María Regla VIERA (Cuba), 15-2, 15-8
CANADA d. DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - 2-1
Frédérique LAMBERT (Canada) d. Merynanyelly DELGADO (Dominican Republic), 15-7, 8-15, 11-9
Merynanyelly DELGADO & Alejandra JIMÉNEZ (Dominican Republic) d. Frédérique LAMBERT & Jennifer SAUNDERS (Canada), 15-12, 15-7
Jennifer SAUNDERS (Canada) d. Alejandra JIMÉNEZ (Dominican Republic), 15-4, 15-5
Women’s Teams - Quarterfinals
MEXICO v. ECUADOR
USA v. COLOMBIA
GUATEMALA v. BOLIVIA
ARGENTINA v. CANADA
Follow the bouncing ball….
In the Women’s Team event, Ecuador defeated Chile, 2-0, with Maria Paz Muñoz defeating Carla Muñoz, 15-8, 6-15, 11-5, and then Paz Muñoz and younger sister Maria José Muñoz beating Muñoz and Josefa Parada, 15-9, 15-12. Ecuador will play Mexico in the quarterfinals.
Similarly, Bolivia beat Cuba in two straight matches. Valeria Centellas defeated María Regla Viera, 15-7, 15-5, and then Angelica Barrios and Jenny Daza beat Loraine Felipe and Viera, 15-2, 15-8. Bolivia will play Guatemala in the quarters.
But one women’s tie did require three matches with Canada winning the two singles matches against the Dominican Republic, but losing the doubles match to advance, 2-1. Frédérique Lambert needed a tie-breaker against Merynanyelly Delgado to win the first match for Canada, 15-7, 8-15, 11-9. But then Delgado and Alejandra Jiménez beat Lambert and Jennifer Saunders, 15-12, 15-7. In the tie-breaking match, Saunders defeated Jiménez, 15-4, 15-5, so that Canada advances to the quarterfinals, when they will play Argentina.
In the Men’s Team event, two of the four match ups were settled in two matches, while the other two - between Ecuador and Cuba, and between Guatemala and Dominican Republic - needed a third match tie-breaker.
Colombia defeated the host country Peru in two straight matches. Sebastian Franco beat Jonathan Luque, 15-1, 15-3, and then he and Mario Mercado defeated Luque and Erik Mendoza, 15-2, 15-2. Also, Costa Rica beat Argentina, 2-0, with Andres Acuña a straight game winner over Shai Manzuri, 15-8, 15-2, and Acuña and Felipe Camacho defeating Fernando Kurzbard and Manzuri, 15-10, 15-13.
Eucador’s José Ugalde won the tie-breaking singles matches in two straight games over Enier Chacón of Cuba, 15-9, 15-6. Cuban Maykel Moyet won the first singles match versus Fernando Rios, 15-9, 15-11, but Rios and Ugalde won the doubles match against Chacón and Moyet, 15-12, 15-7, to level the score.
Finally, Guatemala defeated the Dominican Republic, 2-1, which must be considered a bit of an upset, as the two Dominican players were in the medal round, while neither Guatemalan player was. However, Guatemalan Edwin Galicia narrowly pulled out a tie-breaker in the final singles matches against Dominican Ramón De León, 15-7, 2-15, 11-9, after he and Juan Salvatierra won the doubles match against De León and Luis Pérez, 15-7, 8-15, 11-2. Pérez won the first singles match against Salvatierra, 15-4, 15-9.
The medal round continues Thursday, and the finals of the team competition will be Saturday. Look for some of the matches to be live streamed via the International Racquetball Federation page on Facebook.
2019 Pan American Games - Lima, Peru
TEAM COMPETITION
Men’s Teams - Round of 16
ECUADOR d. CUBA - 2-1
Maykel MOYET (Cuba) d. Fernando RÍOS (Ecuador), 15-9, 15-11
Fernando RÍOS & José UGALDE (Ecuador) d. Enier CHACÓN & Maykel MOYET (Cuba), 15-12, 15-7
José UGALDE (Ecuador) d. Enier CHACÓN (Cuba), 15-9, 15-6
COLOMBIA d. PERU - 2-0
Sebastian FRANCO (Colombia) d. Jonathan LUQUE (Peru), 15-1, 15-3
Sebastian FRANCO & Mario MERCADO (Colombia) d. Jonathan LUQUE & Erik MENDOZA (Peru), 15-2, 15-2
Mario MERCADO (Colombia) v. Erik MENDOZA (Peru) - not played
COSTA RICA d. ARGENTINA - 2-0
Andres ACUÑA (Costa Rica) d. Shai MANZURI (Argentina), 15-8, 15-2
Andres ACUÑA & Felipe CAMACHO (Costa Rica) d. Fernando KURZBARD & Shai MANZURI (Argentina), 15-10, 15-13
Felipe CAMACHO (Costa Rica) v. Fernando KURZBARD - not played
GUATEMALA d. DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - 2-1
Luis PÉREZ (Dominican Republic) d. Juan SALVATIERRA (Guatemala), 15-4, 15-9
Edwin GALICIA & Juan SALVATIERRA (Guatemala) d. Ramón DE LEÓN & Luis PÉREZ (Dominican Republic), 15-7, 8-15, 11-2
Edwin GALICIA (Guatemala) d. Ramón DE LEÓN (Dominican Republic), 15-7, 2-15, 11-9
Men’s Teams - Quarterfinals
MEXICO v. ECUADOR
CANADA v. COLOMBIA
USA v. COSTA RICA
BOLIVIA v. GUATEMALA
Women’s Teams - Round of 16
ECUADOR d. CHILE - 2-0
Maria Paz MUÑOZ (Ecuador) d. Carla MUÑOZ (Chile), 15-8, 6-15, 11-5
Maria José MUÑOZ & Maria Paz MUÑOZ (Ecuador) d. Carla MUÑOZ & Josefa PARADA (Chile), 15-9, 15-12
BOLIVIA d. CUBA - 2-0
Valeria CENTELLAS (Bolivia) d. María Regla VIERA (Cuba), 15-7, 15-5
Angelica BARRIOS & Jenny DAZA (Bolivia) d. Loraine FELIPE & María Regla VIERA (Cuba), 15-2, 15-8
CANADA d. DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - 2-1
Frédérique LAMBERT (Canada) d. Merynanyelly DELGADO (Dominican Republic), 15-7, 8-15, 11-9
Merynanyelly DELGADO & Alejandra JIMÉNEZ (Dominican Republic) d. Frédérique LAMBERT & Jennifer SAUNDERS (Canada), 15-12, 15-7
Jennifer SAUNDERS (Canada) d. Alejandra JIMÉNEZ (Dominican Republic), 15-4, 15-5
Women’s Teams - Quarterfinals
MEXICO v. ECUADOR
USA v. COLOMBIA
GUATEMALA v. BOLIVIA
ARGENTINA v. CANADA
Follow the bouncing ball….
Mexico sweeps gold at 2019 Pan American Games
Mexico has swept gold in the racquetball competitions at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru, winning both Men’s and Women’s Singles and both Men’s and Women’s Doubles. Paola Longoria and Rodrigo Montoya are doubles gold medalists, winning both singles and doubles. In the Women’s Singles final, Longoria defeated Maria José Vargas of Argentina, 15-7, 15-9, while Montoya beat team-mate Alvaro Beltran in the Men’s Singles final, 9-15, 15-6, 11-0. Montoya's win makes him the 3rd men's player to be both Pan Am Games gold medalist while also being International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Champion in Men's Singles after the USA's Jack Huczek and Rocky Carson.
In the doubles finals, Longoria and Samantha Salas needed a tie-breaker to defeat Guatemalans Gabriela Martinez and Maria Rodriguez, 15-5, 11-15, 11-5, to win a 3rd consecutive Pan Am Games gold medal in Women’s Doubles. Their three gold medals is the most for a Women's Doubles team at the Pan Am Games, breaking a tie they had with Joy Mackenzie and Jackie Paraiso of the USA. Montoya teamed up with Javier Mar to defeat Bolivians Roland Keller and Conrrado Moscoso, 15-10, 15-1, in the Men’s Doubles final. Keller and Moscoso were also silver medalists in Men’s Doubles four years ago in Toronto.
The 2019 Pan Am Games racquetball competition continues Wednesday afternoon, when the team competition begins with each country fielding two singles players and a doubles team in a best of three matches against each other. The finals of the team competition will be Saturday.
2019 Pan American Games - Lima, Peru
MEDAL ROUNDS
Men’s Singles - Final
3) Rodrigo MONTOYA (Mexico) d. 1) Alvaro BELTRAN (Mexico), 9-15, 15-6, 11-0
Women’s Singles - Final
2) Paola LONGORIA (Mexico) d. 1) Maria José VARGAS (Argentina), 15-7, 15-9
Men’s Doubles - Final
4) Javier MAR & Rodrigo MONTOYA (Mexico) d. 2) Roland KELLER & Conrrado MOSCOSO (Bolivia), 15-10, 15-1
Women’s Doubles - Final
1) Paola LONGORIA & Samantha SALAS (Mexico) d. 3) Gabriela MARTINEZ & Maria RODRIGUEZ (Guatemala), 15-5, 11-15, 11-5
Follow the bouncing ball….
In the doubles finals, Longoria and Samantha Salas needed a tie-breaker to defeat Guatemalans Gabriela Martinez and Maria Rodriguez, 15-5, 11-15, 11-5, to win a 3rd consecutive Pan Am Games gold medal in Women’s Doubles. Their three gold medals is the most for a Women's Doubles team at the Pan Am Games, breaking a tie they had with Joy Mackenzie and Jackie Paraiso of the USA. Montoya teamed up with Javier Mar to defeat Bolivians Roland Keller and Conrrado Moscoso, 15-10, 15-1, in the Men’s Doubles final. Keller and Moscoso were also silver medalists in Men’s Doubles four years ago in Toronto.
The 2019 Pan Am Games racquetball competition continues Wednesday afternoon, when the team competition begins with each country fielding two singles players and a doubles team in a best of three matches against each other. The finals of the team competition will be Saturday.
2019 Pan American Games - Lima, Peru
MEDAL ROUNDS
Men’s Singles - Final
3) Rodrigo MONTOYA (Mexico) d. 1) Alvaro BELTRAN (Mexico), 9-15, 15-6, 11-0
Women’s Singles - Final
2) Paola LONGORIA (Mexico) d. 1) Maria José VARGAS (Argentina), 15-7, 15-9
Men’s Doubles - Final
4) Javier MAR & Rodrigo MONTOYA (Mexico) d. 2) Roland KELLER & Conrrado MOSCOSO (Bolivia), 15-10, 15-1
Women’s Doubles - Final
1) Paola LONGORIA & Samantha SALAS (Mexico) d. 3) Gabriela MARTINEZ & Maria RODRIGUEZ (Guatemala), 15-5, 11-15, 11-5
Follow the bouncing ball….
Tuesday, August 6, 2019
Doubles semi-finals at 2019 Pan American Games
Mexicans Paola Longoria and Samantha Salas will have a chance to win a 3rd consecutive Pan American Games gold medal in Women’s Doubles Wednesday at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru, as they defeated the USA team of Kelani Lawrence and Rhonda Rajasich, 15-6, 15-1, in the semi-finals on Tuesday. Their opponents will be the young Guatemalan team of Gabriela Martinez and Maria Rodriguez, who were upset winners over 2nd seeds Natalia Mendez and Maria José Vargas of Argentina in a tie-breaker, 15-9, 10-15, 11-1.
Mexico could sweep doubles gold in Lima, as their men’s team of Javier Mar and Rodrigo Montoya reached the men’s final by also defeating the USA team. However, they needed to come back from a game down to defeat Rocky Carson and Charles Pratt, 11-15, 15-9, 11-8.
Mexico’s opponents will be Bolivians Roland Keller and Conrrado Moscoso, who will be playing for Pan Am Games gold for a second consecutive time. They reached the final four years ago in Toronto, where they lost to the USA’s Jansen Allen and Jose Rojas. In their semi-final match, Bolivia - like Mexico - came back from a game down to defeat 3rd seeds Andres Acuña and Felipe Camacho of Costa Rica, 13-15, 15-12, 11-7.
The doubles finals are scheduled for Wednesday at 12:30 - women’s - and 1:30 - men’s. Then on Wednesday afternoon a team competition will begin with each country fielding two singles players and a doubles team in a best of three matches against each other. The finals of the team competition will be Saturday.
2019 Pan American Games - Lima, Peru
MEDAL ROUNDS
Men’s Doubles - Quarterfinals
1) Rocky CARSON & Charles PRATT (USA) d. 8) Sebastian FRANCO & Mario MERCADO (Colombia), 5-15, 15-7, 11-7
4) Javier MAR & Rodrigo MONTOYA (Mexico) d. 5) Coby IWAASA & Samuel MURRAY (Canada), 15-5, 15-6
3) Andres ACUÑA & Felipe CAMACHO (Costa Rica) d. 11) Edwin GALICIA & Juan SALVATIERRA (Guatemala), 15-8, 15-5
2) Roland KELLER & Conrrado MOSCOSO (Bolivia) d. 10) Enier CHACÓN & Maykel MOYET (Cuba), 15-3, 15-7
Men’s Doubles - Semi-finals
4) Javier MAR & Rodrigo MONTOYA (Mexico) d. 1) Rocky CARSON & Charles PRATT (USA), 11-15, 15-9, 11-8
2) Roland KELLER & Conrrado MOSCOSO (Bolivia) d. 3) Andres ACUÑA & Felipe CAMACHO (Costa Rica), 13-15, 15-12, 11-7
Men’s Doubles - Final
2) Roland KELLER & Conrrado MOSCOSO (Bolivia) v. 4) Javier MAR & Rodrigo MONTOYA (Mexico)
Women’s Doubles - Quarterfinals
1) Paola LONGORIA & Samantha SALAS (Mexico) d. 9) Merynanyelly DELGADO & Alejandra JIMÉNEZ (Dominican Republic), 15-2, 15-0
5) Kelani LAWRENCE & Rhonda RAJSICH (USA) d. 4) Angelica BARRIOS & Jenny DAZA (Bolivia), 15-9, 15-4
3) Gabriela MARTINEZ & Maria RODRIGUEZ (Guatemala) d. 6) Cristina AMAYA & Adriana RIVEROS (Colombia), 15-12, 11-15, 11-8
2) Natalia MENDEZ & Maria José VARGAS (Argentina) d. 10) Frédérique LAMBERT & Jennifer SAUNDERS (Canada), 15-9, 15-9
Women’s Doubles - Semi-finals
1) Paola LONGORIA & Samantha SALAS (Mexico) d. 5) Kelani LAWRENCE & Rhonda RAJSICH (USA), 15-6, 15-1
3) Gabriela MARTINEZ & Maria RODRIGUEZ (Guatemala) d. 2) Natalia MENDEZ & Maria José VARGAS (Argentina), 15-9, 10-15, 11-1
Women’s Doubles - Final
1) Paola LONGORIA & Samantha SALAS (Mexico) v. 3) Gabriela MARTINEZ & Maria RODRIGUEZ (Guatemala)
Follow the bouncing ball….
Mexico could sweep doubles gold in Lima, as their men’s team of Javier Mar and Rodrigo Montoya reached the men’s final by also defeating the USA team. However, they needed to come back from a game down to defeat Rocky Carson and Charles Pratt, 11-15, 15-9, 11-8.
Mexico’s opponents will be Bolivians Roland Keller and Conrrado Moscoso, who will be playing for Pan Am Games gold for a second consecutive time. They reached the final four years ago in Toronto, where they lost to the USA’s Jansen Allen and Jose Rojas. In their semi-final match, Bolivia - like Mexico - came back from a game down to defeat 3rd seeds Andres Acuña and Felipe Camacho of Costa Rica, 13-15, 15-12, 11-7.
The doubles finals are scheduled for Wednesday at 12:30 - women’s - and 1:30 - men’s. Then on Wednesday afternoon a team competition will begin with each country fielding two singles players and a doubles team in a best of three matches against each other. The finals of the team competition will be Saturday.
2019 Pan American Games - Lima, Peru
MEDAL ROUNDS
Men’s Doubles - Quarterfinals
1) Rocky CARSON & Charles PRATT (USA) d. 8) Sebastian FRANCO & Mario MERCADO (Colombia), 5-15, 15-7, 11-7
4) Javier MAR & Rodrigo MONTOYA (Mexico) d. 5) Coby IWAASA & Samuel MURRAY (Canada), 15-5, 15-6
3) Andres ACUÑA & Felipe CAMACHO (Costa Rica) d. 11) Edwin GALICIA & Juan SALVATIERRA (Guatemala), 15-8, 15-5
2) Roland KELLER & Conrrado MOSCOSO (Bolivia) d. 10) Enier CHACÓN & Maykel MOYET (Cuba), 15-3, 15-7
Men’s Doubles - Semi-finals
4) Javier MAR & Rodrigo MONTOYA (Mexico) d. 1) Rocky CARSON & Charles PRATT (USA), 11-15, 15-9, 11-8
2) Roland KELLER & Conrrado MOSCOSO (Bolivia) d. 3) Andres ACUÑA & Felipe CAMACHO (Costa Rica), 13-15, 15-12, 11-7
Men’s Doubles - Final
2) Roland KELLER & Conrrado MOSCOSO (Bolivia) v. 4) Javier MAR & Rodrigo MONTOYA (Mexico)
Women’s Doubles - Quarterfinals
1) Paola LONGORIA & Samantha SALAS (Mexico) d. 9) Merynanyelly DELGADO & Alejandra JIMÉNEZ (Dominican Republic), 15-2, 15-0
5) Kelani LAWRENCE & Rhonda RAJSICH (USA) d. 4) Angelica BARRIOS & Jenny DAZA (Bolivia), 15-9, 15-4
3) Gabriela MARTINEZ & Maria RODRIGUEZ (Guatemala) d. 6) Cristina AMAYA & Adriana RIVEROS (Colombia), 15-12, 11-15, 11-8
2) Natalia MENDEZ & Maria José VARGAS (Argentina) d. 10) Frédérique LAMBERT & Jennifer SAUNDERS (Canada), 15-9, 15-9
Women’s Doubles - Semi-finals
1) Paola LONGORIA & Samantha SALAS (Mexico) d. 5) Kelani LAWRENCE & Rhonda RAJSICH (USA), 15-6, 15-1
3) Gabriela MARTINEZ & Maria RODRIGUEZ (Guatemala) d. 2) Natalia MENDEZ & Maria José VARGAS (Argentina), 15-9, 10-15, 11-1
Women’s Doubles - Final
1) Paola LONGORIA & Samantha SALAS (Mexico) v. 3) Gabriela MARTINEZ & Maria RODRIGUEZ (Guatemala)
Follow the bouncing ball….
2019 Pan American Games Semi-finals
Paola Longoria of Mexico and Maria José Vargas of Argentina will face off in finalis of Women’s Singles at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru, in what will be a repeat of the 2015 final in Toronto, where Longoria defeated Vargas to win her 2nd gold medal in Women’s Singles at the Pan Am Games.
In the semi-finals, Vargas - the #1 seed - beat surprise semi-finalist Adriana Riveros of Colombia, the 12th seed, 15-8, 15-9. After being close early in game one, and tied at 4-4, Vargas took a lead at 8-5, and maintained that to win the first game, 15-8. In game two, they were again close early and into the mid-game, when Riveros actually led 9-8. However, Vargas got the serve back and scored six unanswered points to win game two, 15-9, and take the match in two straight games.
The first game between Longoria, the 2nd seed, and 3rd seed Natalia Mendez of Argentina was similar to the first game of the other semi-final, as they were tied at 3-3, and then Longoria took a lead at 7-5 and maintained that to win 15-10. Longoria then jumped out to a big lead in game two at 9-1. Mendez didn’t quit, but Longoria extended her lead to 13-3. But Mendez fought off four match points, as she cue the lead to four points at 14-10. However, the fifth time was the charm for Longoria, as she won the match on her fifth match point, 15-10.
Thus, Riveros and Mendez will go home with bronze medals, which are their first Pan Am Games medals. In fact, Riveros’s medal is the first for a Colombian in Women’s Singles at the Pan Am Games. Mendez is the 2nd Argentine woman to earn a medal at the Pan Am Games after Vargas’s silver from four years ago.
In Men’s Singles, 3rd seed Rodrigo Montoya of Mexico upset 2nd seed Conrrado Moscoso of Bolivia, 15-14, 15-10, to advance to the final. Although Moscoso had small leads in both games, Montoya led for most of the match. He was up 14-7 in game one, only to see Moscoso come all the way back to tie it 14-14. However, Moscoso couldn’t get that last point to steal the game, and Montoya didn’t allow him a second chance, winning game one 15-14.
In game two, they were close early, but then Montoya took a 10-6 lead. Moscoso tied it 10-10, but he would get no more points, as Montoya closed out the game 15-10, and match in two games. Montoya is trying to be the 3rd man to be both International Racquetball Federation World Champion (IRF) and Pan Am Games Gold Medalist in Men’s Singles after the USA’s Jack Huczek (at the 2003 Pan Am Games) and Rocky Carson (2011 & 2015).
Montoya will play his Mexican team-mate Alvaro Beltran, who was the top seed, in the final, as Beltran defeated 4th seed Mario Mercado of Colombia, 15-7, 15-5. The scores weren’t close, but the match took over an hour to play, suggesting it was hotly contested. In fact, Mercado fought off three game points in the first game before Beltran ended it. But Mercado got himself in a hole right off the bat in both games, going down 8-1 in game one and 7-1 in game two. That large a deficit is difficult to make up.
Beltran will be play his 2nd consecutive Pan Am Games Men’s Singles final. He lost to Rocky Carson (USA) four years ago in Toronto. Beltran’s team-mate Montoya has reached the final for the first time. With two Mexicans in the final, it will be the first Men’s Singles final with team-mates playing off in 20 years. In 1999, the USA’s Adam Karp beat his team-mate Michael Bronfeld in Winnipeg.
The finals will be Wednesday morning from 10 AM CDT. On Wednesday afternoon a team competition will begin with each country fielding two singles players and a doubles team in a best of three matches against each other. The finals of the team competition will be Saturday.
2019 Pan American Games - Lima, Peru
MEDAL ROUNDS
Men’s Singles - Semi-finals
1) Alvaro BELTRAN (Mexico) d. 4) Mario MERCADO (Colombia), 15-7, 15-5
3) Rodrigo MONTOYA (Mexico) d. 2) Conrrado MOSCOSO (Bolivia), 15-14, 15-10
Men’s Singles - Final
1) Alvaro BELTRAN (Mexico) v. 3) Rodrigo MONTOYA (Mexico)
Women’s Singles - Semi-finals
1) Maria José VARGAS (Argentina) d. 12) Adriana RIVEROS (Colombia), 15-8, 15-9
2) Paola LONGORIA (Mexico) d. 3) Natalia MENDEZ (Argentina), 15-10, 15-10
Women’s Singles - Final
1) Maria José VARGAS (Argentina) v. 2) Paola LONGORIA (Mexico)
Follow the bouncing ball….
In the semi-finals, Vargas - the #1 seed - beat surprise semi-finalist Adriana Riveros of Colombia, the 12th seed, 15-8, 15-9. After being close early in game one, and tied at 4-4, Vargas took a lead at 8-5, and maintained that to win the first game, 15-8. In game two, they were again close early and into the mid-game, when Riveros actually led 9-8. However, Vargas got the serve back and scored six unanswered points to win game two, 15-9, and take the match in two straight games.
The first game between Longoria, the 2nd seed, and 3rd seed Natalia Mendez of Argentina was similar to the first game of the other semi-final, as they were tied at 3-3, and then Longoria took a lead at 7-5 and maintained that to win 15-10. Longoria then jumped out to a big lead in game two at 9-1. Mendez didn’t quit, but Longoria extended her lead to 13-3. But Mendez fought off four match points, as she cue the lead to four points at 14-10. However, the fifth time was the charm for Longoria, as she won the match on her fifth match point, 15-10.
Thus, Riveros and Mendez will go home with bronze medals, which are their first Pan Am Games medals. In fact, Riveros’s medal is the first for a Colombian in Women’s Singles at the Pan Am Games. Mendez is the 2nd Argentine woman to earn a medal at the Pan Am Games after Vargas’s silver from four years ago.
In Men’s Singles, 3rd seed Rodrigo Montoya of Mexico upset 2nd seed Conrrado Moscoso of Bolivia, 15-14, 15-10, to advance to the final. Although Moscoso had small leads in both games, Montoya led for most of the match. He was up 14-7 in game one, only to see Moscoso come all the way back to tie it 14-14. However, Moscoso couldn’t get that last point to steal the game, and Montoya didn’t allow him a second chance, winning game one 15-14.
In game two, they were close early, but then Montoya took a 10-6 lead. Moscoso tied it 10-10, but he would get no more points, as Montoya closed out the game 15-10, and match in two games. Montoya is trying to be the 3rd man to be both International Racquetball Federation World Champion (IRF) and Pan Am Games Gold Medalist in Men’s Singles after the USA’s Jack Huczek (at the 2003 Pan Am Games) and Rocky Carson (2011 & 2015).
Montoya will play his Mexican team-mate Alvaro Beltran, who was the top seed, in the final, as Beltran defeated 4th seed Mario Mercado of Colombia, 15-7, 15-5. The scores weren’t close, but the match took over an hour to play, suggesting it was hotly contested. In fact, Mercado fought off three game points in the first game before Beltran ended it. But Mercado got himself in a hole right off the bat in both games, going down 8-1 in game one and 7-1 in game two. That large a deficit is difficult to make up.
Beltran will be play his 2nd consecutive Pan Am Games Men’s Singles final. He lost to Rocky Carson (USA) four years ago in Toronto. Beltran’s team-mate Montoya has reached the final for the first time. With two Mexicans in the final, it will be the first Men’s Singles final with team-mates playing off in 20 years. In 1999, the USA’s Adam Karp beat his team-mate Michael Bronfeld in Winnipeg.
The finals will be Wednesday morning from 10 AM CDT. On Wednesday afternoon a team competition will begin with each country fielding two singles players and a doubles team in a best of three matches against each other. The finals of the team competition will be Saturday.
2019 Pan American Games - Lima, Peru
MEDAL ROUNDS
Men’s Singles - Semi-finals
1) Alvaro BELTRAN (Mexico) d. 4) Mario MERCADO (Colombia), 15-7, 15-5
3) Rodrigo MONTOYA (Mexico) d. 2) Conrrado MOSCOSO (Bolivia), 15-14, 15-10
Men’s Singles - Final
1) Alvaro BELTRAN (Mexico) v. 3) Rodrigo MONTOYA (Mexico)
Women’s Singles - Semi-finals
1) Maria José VARGAS (Argentina) d. 12) Adriana RIVEROS (Colombia), 15-8, 15-9
2) Paola LONGORIA (Mexico) d. 3) Natalia MENDEZ (Argentina), 15-10, 15-10
Women’s Singles - Final
1) Maria José VARGAS (Argentina) v. 2) Paola LONGORIA (Mexico)
Follow the bouncing ball….
Monday, August 5, 2019
Medal rounds begin at 2019 Pan American Games
Adriana Riveros of Colombia is the surprise semi-finalist in Women’s Singles at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru, as the 12th seed defeated two higher seeds to reach the semis, and guarantee herself a medal. In the Round of 16, Riveros defeated the 5th seed Bolivian Valeria Centellas, 6-15, 15-11, 11-8, and then in the quarterfinals, she beat the 4th seed USA veteran Rhonda Rajasich, 15-10, 15-10. Riveros will play either Maria José Vargas of Argentina who defeated Kelani Lawrence of the USA, 15-9, 15-13.
Vargas and Lawrence were level at 9-9 in game one, but Vargas scored six straight points to close it out. Nonetheless, Lawrence started strong in game two going out to a 9-0 lead. However, Vargas scored 11 straight points to lead 11-9. But Lawrence tied it again at 11-11. They were back and forth from there on, tying at 12-12 and 13-13. But again it was Vargas who was able to get the last points and close out the game, 15-13, and win the match in two straight games.
On the other side of the Women’s Singles draw, Argentina’s Natalia Mendez reached the semis with two tie-breaker victories. In the Round of 16, she defeated Guatemala’s Gabriela Martinez, who is the current International Racquetball Federation (IRF) Women’s Singles World Champion, 15-10, 12-15, 11-6. Then in the quarters, Mendez beat Ecuador’s Maria Paz Muñoz, 15-5, 10-15, 11-7. In that breaker, Mendez went out to a 4-1 lead. Muñoz got within one point at 4-3, but Mendez then ran five straight points to lead 9-4. Muñoz did get cut into that lead, making it 9-7, but Mendez then closed it out, 11-7.
In the semis, Mendez will play 2nd seed - and two time defending Pan Am Games gold medalist - Paola Longoria of Mexico, who beat Bolivian Angelica Barrios, 15-6, 15-4.
In Men’s Singles, the top four seeds are through to the semi-finals. Top seed Alvaro Beltran of Mexico narrowly defeated Canadian Coby Iwaasa, 15-14, 15-13, in the quarterfinals, and he’ll play Colombia’s Mario Mercado, who needed three games to defeat Jake Bredenbeck of the USA, 15-8, 8-15, 11-8. They were tied at 6-6 in the breaker, when Mercado ran four points to get to match point at 10-6. Bredenbeck denied Mercado’s first match point, but he couldn’t prevent the second, as Mercado won the breaker, 11-8.
On the other side of the draw, Bolivian Conrrado Moscoso - the 2nd seed - beat Charles Pratt of the USA, 15-7, 15-7, and 3rd seed Rodrigo Montoya defeated Samuel Murray of Canada, 15-7, 15-10.
Unimaginable
With today’s quarterfinal results there will be no USA or Canadian players on the podium in either Men's or Women's Singles at this year's Pan Am Games. That would have been unimaginable a decade ago. It’s more evidence that the centre of power in racquetball has shifted south.
Doubles
A couple of upsets in Men’s Doubles Monday. Guatemalans Edwin Galicia and Juan Salvatierra , the 11th seeds, defeated Ecuador’s Fernando Rios and José Ugalde, the 6th seeds, 15-10, 15-10. Guatemala will play 3rd seeds Andres Acuña and Felipe Camacho of Costa Rica in the quarterfinals Tuesday.
Also, 10th seeds Enier Chacón and Maykel Moyet of Cuba needed three games to defeat the 7th seeded veteran team of Fernando Kurzbard and Shai Manzuri of Argentina, 15-10, 11-15, 11-4, so they will play 2nd seeds Roland Keller and Conrrado Moscoso of Bolivia.
In Women’s Doubles, the 10th seeded Canadian team of Frédérique Lambert and Jennifer Saunders upset the 7th seeds Maria José Muñoz and Maria Paz Muñoz of Ecuador), 15-9, 9-15, 11-5. Also, the Dominican Republic’s Merynanyelly Delgado and Alejandra Jiménez, the 9th seeds, beat the 8th seeds Carla Muñoz and Josefa Parada of Chile in two straight games, 15-13, 15-10. In the quarterfinals, Canada will play 2nd seeds Argentina - Maria José Vargas and Natalia Mendez - and the Dominican Republic will play the top seeded Mexico team - Paola Longoria and Samantha Salas.
The semi-finals will be Tuesday with the finals on Wednesday morning. Then on Wednesday afternoon a team competition will begin with each country fielding two singles players and a doubles team in a best of three matches against each other. The finals of the team competition will be Saturday.
2019 Pan American Games - Lima, Peru
MEDAL ROUNDS
Men’s Singles - Round of 16
1) Alvaro BELTRAN (Mexico) - BYE
8) Coby IWAASA (Canada) d. 9) Sebastian FRANCO (Colombia), 9-15, 15-13, 11-0
5) Jake BREDENBECK (USA) d. 12) Ramón DE LEÓN (Dominican Republic), 15-3, 15-9
4) Mario MERCADO (Colombia) d. 13) Felipe CAMACHO (Costa Rica), 15-3, 15-4
3) Rodrigo MONTOYA (Mexico) d. 14) José UGALDE (Ecuador), 15-0, 15-5
6) Samuel MURRAY (Canada) d. 11) Carlos KELLER (Bolivia), 13-15, 15-14, 11-3
7) Charles PRATT (USA) d. 10) Luis PÉREZ (Dominican Republic), 13-15, 15-10, 11-5
2) Conrrado MOSCOSO (Bolivia) - BYE
Men’s Singles - Quarterfinals
1) Alvaro BELTRAN (Mexico) d. 8) Coby IWAASA (Canada), 15-14, 15-13
4) Mario MERCADO (Colombia) d. 5) Jake BREDENBECK (USA), 15-8, 8-15, 11-8
3) Rodrigo MONTOYA (Mexico) d. 6) Samuel MURRAY (Canada), 15-7, 15-10
2) Conrrado MOSCOSO (Bolivia) d. 7) Charles PRATT (USA), 15-7, 15-7
Men’s Singles - Semi-finals
1) Alvaro BELTRAN (Mexico) v. 4) Mario MERCADO (Colombia)
2) Conrrado MOSCOSO (Bolivia) v. 3) Rodrigo MONTOYA (Mexico)
Women’s Singles - Round of 16
1) Maria José VARGAS (Argentina) - BYE
9) Kelani LAWRENCE (USA) d. 8) Carla MUÑOZ (Chile), 15-10, 11-15, 11-7
12) Adriana RIVEROS (Colombia) d. 5) Valeria CENTELLAS (Bolivia), 6-15, 15-11, 11-8
4) Rhonda RAJSICH (USA) d. 13) Merynanyelly DELGADO (Dominican Republic), 15-8, 15-14
3) Natalia MENDEZ (Argentina) d. 14) Gabriela MARTINEZ (Guatemala), 15-10, 12-15, 11-6
6) Maria Paz MUÑOZ (Ecuador) d. 11) Montserrat MEJIA (Mexico), 15-14, 7-15, 11-5
7) Angelica BARRIOS (Bolivia) d. 10) Cristina AMAYA (Colombia), 15-11, 12-15, 11-10
2) Paola LONGORIA (Mexico) - BYE
Women’s Singles - Quarterfinals
1) Maria José VARGAS (Argentina) d. 9) Kelani LAWRENCE (USA), 15-9, 15-13
12) Adriana RIVEROS (Colombia) d. 4) Rhonda RAJSICH (USA), 15-10, 15-10
3) Natalia MENDEZ (Argentina) d. 6) Maria Paz MUÑOZ (Ecuador), 15-5, 10-15, 11-7
2) Paola LONGORIA (Mexico) d. 7) Angelica BARRIOS (Bolivia), 15-6, 15-4
Women’s Singles - Semi-finals
1) Maria José VARGAS (Argentina) v. 12) Adriana RIVEROS (Colombia)
2) Paola LONGORIA (Mexico) v. 3) Natalia MENDEZ (Argentina)
Men’s Doubles - Round of 16
1) Rocky CARSON & Charles PRATT (USA) - BYE
8) Sebastian FRANCO & Mario MERCADO (Colombia) d. 9) Ramón DE LEÓN & Luis PEREZ (Dominican Republic), 15-8, 15-14
5) Coby IWAASA & Samuel MURRAY (Canada) d. 12) Jonathan LUQUE & Sebastian MENDIGURI (Peru), 15-2, 15-3
4) Javier MAR & Rodrigo MONTOYA (Mexico) - BYE
3) Andres ACUÑA & Felipe CAMACHO (Costa Rica) - BYE
11) Edwin GALICIA & Juan SALVATIERRA (Guatemala) d. 6) Fernando RÍOS & José UGALDE (Ecuador), 15-10, 15-10
10) Enier CHACÓN & Maykel MOYET (Cuba) d. 7) Fernando KURZBARD & Shai MANZURI (Argentina), 15-10, 11-15, 11-4
2) Roland KELLER & Conrrado MOSCOSO (Bolivia) - BYE
Men’s Doubles - Quarterfinals
1) Rocky CARSON & Charles PRATT (USA) v. 8) Sebastian FRANCO & Mario MERCADO (Colombia)
4) Javier MAR & Rodrigo MONTOYA (Mexico) v. 5) Coby IWAASA & Samuel MURRAY (Canada)
3) Andres ACUÑA & Felipe CAMACHO (Costa Rica) v. 11) Edwin GALICIA & Juan SALVATIERRA (Guatemala)
2) Roland KELLER & Conrrado MOSCOSO (Bolivia) v. 10) Enier CHACÓN & Maykel MOYET (Cuba)
Women’s Doubles - Round of 16
1) Paola LONGORIA & Samantha SALAS (Mexico) - BYE
9) Merynanyelly DELGADO & Alejandra JIMÉNEZ (Dominican Republic) d. 8) Carla MUÑOZ & Josefa PARADA (Chile), 15-13, 15-10
5) Kelani LAWRENCE & Rhonda RAJSICH (USA) - BYE
4) Angelica BARRIOS & Jenny DAZA (Bolivia) - BYE
3) Gabriela MARTINEZ & Maria RODRIGUEZ (Guatemala) - BYE
6) Cristina AMAYA & Adriana RIVEROS (Colombia) d. 11) Loraine FELIPE & María Regla VIERA (Cuba), 15-6, 15-4
10) Frédérique LAMBERT & Jennifer SAUNDERS (Canada) d. 7) Maria José MUÑOZ & Maria Paz MUÑOZ (Ecuador), 15-9, 9-15, 11-5
2) Natalia MENDEZ & Maria José VARGAS (Argentina) - BYE
Women’s Doubles - Quarterfinals
1) Paola LONGORIA & Samantha SALAS (Mexico) v. 9) Merynanyelly DELGADO & Alejandra JIMÉNEZ (Dominican Republic)
4) Angelica BARRIOS & Jenny DAZA (Bolivia) v. 5) Kelani LAWRENCE & Rhonda RAJSICH (USA)
3) Gabriela MARTINEZ & Maria RODRIGUEZ (Guatemala) v. 6) Cristina AMAYA & Adriana RIVEROS (Colombia)
2) Natalia MENDEZ & Maria José VARGAS (Argentina) v. 10) Frédérique LAMBERT & Jennifer SAUNDERS (Canada)
Follow the bouncing ball….
Vargas and Lawrence were level at 9-9 in game one, but Vargas scored six straight points to close it out. Nonetheless, Lawrence started strong in game two going out to a 9-0 lead. However, Vargas scored 11 straight points to lead 11-9. But Lawrence tied it again at 11-11. They were back and forth from there on, tying at 12-12 and 13-13. But again it was Vargas who was able to get the last points and close out the game, 15-13, and win the match in two straight games.
On the other side of the Women’s Singles draw, Argentina’s Natalia Mendez reached the semis with two tie-breaker victories. In the Round of 16, she defeated Guatemala’s Gabriela Martinez, who is the current International Racquetball Federation (IRF) Women’s Singles World Champion, 15-10, 12-15, 11-6. Then in the quarters, Mendez beat Ecuador’s Maria Paz Muñoz, 15-5, 10-15, 11-7. In that breaker, Mendez went out to a 4-1 lead. Muñoz got within one point at 4-3, but Mendez then ran five straight points to lead 9-4. Muñoz did get cut into that lead, making it 9-7, but Mendez then closed it out, 11-7.
In the semis, Mendez will play 2nd seed - and two time defending Pan Am Games gold medalist - Paola Longoria of Mexico, who beat Bolivian Angelica Barrios, 15-6, 15-4.
In Men’s Singles, the top four seeds are through to the semi-finals. Top seed Alvaro Beltran of Mexico narrowly defeated Canadian Coby Iwaasa, 15-14, 15-13, in the quarterfinals, and he’ll play Colombia’s Mario Mercado, who needed three games to defeat Jake Bredenbeck of the USA, 15-8, 8-15, 11-8. They were tied at 6-6 in the breaker, when Mercado ran four points to get to match point at 10-6. Bredenbeck denied Mercado’s first match point, but he couldn’t prevent the second, as Mercado won the breaker, 11-8.
On the other side of the draw, Bolivian Conrrado Moscoso - the 2nd seed - beat Charles Pratt of the USA, 15-7, 15-7, and 3rd seed Rodrigo Montoya defeated Samuel Murray of Canada, 15-7, 15-10.
Unimaginable
With today’s quarterfinal results there will be no USA or Canadian players on the podium in either Men's or Women's Singles at this year's Pan Am Games. That would have been unimaginable a decade ago. It’s more evidence that the centre of power in racquetball has shifted south.
Doubles
A couple of upsets in Men’s Doubles Monday. Guatemalans Edwin Galicia and Juan Salvatierra , the 11th seeds, defeated Ecuador’s Fernando Rios and José Ugalde, the 6th seeds, 15-10, 15-10. Guatemala will play 3rd seeds Andres Acuña and Felipe Camacho of Costa Rica in the quarterfinals Tuesday.
Also, 10th seeds Enier Chacón and Maykel Moyet of Cuba needed three games to defeat the 7th seeded veteran team of Fernando Kurzbard and Shai Manzuri of Argentina, 15-10, 11-15, 11-4, so they will play 2nd seeds Roland Keller and Conrrado Moscoso of Bolivia.
In Women’s Doubles, the 10th seeded Canadian team of Frédérique Lambert and Jennifer Saunders upset the 7th seeds Maria José Muñoz and Maria Paz Muñoz of Ecuador), 15-9, 9-15, 11-5. Also, the Dominican Republic’s Merynanyelly Delgado and Alejandra Jiménez, the 9th seeds, beat the 8th seeds Carla Muñoz and Josefa Parada of Chile in two straight games, 15-13, 15-10. In the quarterfinals, Canada will play 2nd seeds Argentina - Maria José Vargas and Natalia Mendez - and the Dominican Republic will play the top seeded Mexico team - Paola Longoria and Samantha Salas.
The semi-finals will be Tuesday with the finals on Wednesday morning. Then on Wednesday afternoon a team competition will begin with each country fielding two singles players and a doubles team in a best of three matches against each other. The finals of the team competition will be Saturday.
2019 Pan American Games - Lima, Peru
MEDAL ROUNDS
Men’s Singles - Round of 16
1) Alvaro BELTRAN (Mexico) - BYE
8) Coby IWAASA (Canada) d. 9) Sebastian FRANCO (Colombia), 9-15, 15-13, 11-0
5) Jake BREDENBECK (USA) d. 12) Ramón DE LEÓN (Dominican Republic), 15-3, 15-9
4) Mario MERCADO (Colombia) d. 13) Felipe CAMACHO (Costa Rica), 15-3, 15-4
3) Rodrigo MONTOYA (Mexico) d. 14) José UGALDE (Ecuador), 15-0, 15-5
6) Samuel MURRAY (Canada) d. 11) Carlos KELLER (Bolivia), 13-15, 15-14, 11-3
7) Charles PRATT (USA) d. 10) Luis PÉREZ (Dominican Republic), 13-15, 15-10, 11-5
2) Conrrado MOSCOSO (Bolivia) - BYE
Men’s Singles - Quarterfinals
1) Alvaro BELTRAN (Mexico) d. 8) Coby IWAASA (Canada), 15-14, 15-13
4) Mario MERCADO (Colombia) d. 5) Jake BREDENBECK (USA), 15-8, 8-15, 11-8
3) Rodrigo MONTOYA (Mexico) d. 6) Samuel MURRAY (Canada), 15-7, 15-10
2) Conrrado MOSCOSO (Bolivia) d. 7) Charles PRATT (USA), 15-7, 15-7
Men’s Singles - Semi-finals
1) Alvaro BELTRAN (Mexico) v. 4) Mario MERCADO (Colombia)
2) Conrrado MOSCOSO (Bolivia) v. 3) Rodrigo MONTOYA (Mexico)
Women’s Singles - Round of 16
1) Maria José VARGAS (Argentina) - BYE
9) Kelani LAWRENCE (USA) d. 8) Carla MUÑOZ (Chile), 15-10, 11-15, 11-7
12) Adriana RIVEROS (Colombia) d. 5) Valeria CENTELLAS (Bolivia), 6-15, 15-11, 11-8
4) Rhonda RAJSICH (USA) d. 13) Merynanyelly DELGADO (Dominican Republic), 15-8, 15-14
3) Natalia MENDEZ (Argentina) d. 14) Gabriela MARTINEZ (Guatemala), 15-10, 12-15, 11-6
6) Maria Paz MUÑOZ (Ecuador) d. 11) Montserrat MEJIA (Mexico), 15-14, 7-15, 11-5
7) Angelica BARRIOS (Bolivia) d. 10) Cristina AMAYA (Colombia), 15-11, 12-15, 11-10
2) Paola LONGORIA (Mexico) - BYE
Women’s Singles - Quarterfinals
1) Maria José VARGAS (Argentina) d. 9) Kelani LAWRENCE (USA), 15-9, 15-13
12) Adriana RIVEROS (Colombia) d. 4) Rhonda RAJSICH (USA), 15-10, 15-10
3) Natalia MENDEZ (Argentina) d. 6) Maria Paz MUÑOZ (Ecuador), 15-5, 10-15, 11-7
2) Paola LONGORIA (Mexico) d. 7) Angelica BARRIOS (Bolivia), 15-6, 15-4
Women’s Singles - Semi-finals
1) Maria José VARGAS (Argentina) v. 12) Adriana RIVEROS (Colombia)
2) Paola LONGORIA (Mexico) v. 3) Natalia MENDEZ (Argentina)
Men’s Doubles - Round of 16
1) Rocky CARSON & Charles PRATT (USA) - BYE
8) Sebastian FRANCO & Mario MERCADO (Colombia) d. 9) Ramón DE LEÓN & Luis PEREZ (Dominican Republic), 15-8, 15-14
5) Coby IWAASA & Samuel MURRAY (Canada) d. 12) Jonathan LUQUE & Sebastian MENDIGURI (Peru), 15-2, 15-3
4) Javier MAR & Rodrigo MONTOYA (Mexico) - BYE
3) Andres ACUÑA & Felipe CAMACHO (Costa Rica) - BYE
11) Edwin GALICIA & Juan SALVATIERRA (Guatemala) d. 6) Fernando RÍOS & José UGALDE (Ecuador), 15-10, 15-10
10) Enier CHACÓN & Maykel MOYET (Cuba) d. 7) Fernando KURZBARD & Shai MANZURI (Argentina), 15-10, 11-15, 11-4
2) Roland KELLER & Conrrado MOSCOSO (Bolivia) - BYE
Men’s Doubles - Quarterfinals
1) Rocky CARSON & Charles PRATT (USA) v. 8) Sebastian FRANCO & Mario MERCADO (Colombia)
4) Javier MAR & Rodrigo MONTOYA (Mexico) v. 5) Coby IWAASA & Samuel MURRAY (Canada)
3) Andres ACUÑA & Felipe CAMACHO (Costa Rica) v. 11) Edwin GALICIA & Juan SALVATIERRA (Guatemala)
2) Roland KELLER & Conrrado MOSCOSO (Bolivia) v. 10) Enier CHACÓN & Maykel MOYET (Cuba)
Women’s Doubles - Round of 16
1) Paola LONGORIA & Samantha SALAS (Mexico) - BYE
9) Merynanyelly DELGADO & Alejandra JIMÉNEZ (Dominican Republic) d. 8) Carla MUÑOZ & Josefa PARADA (Chile), 15-13, 15-10
5) Kelani LAWRENCE & Rhonda RAJSICH (USA) - BYE
4) Angelica BARRIOS & Jenny DAZA (Bolivia) - BYE
3) Gabriela MARTINEZ & Maria RODRIGUEZ (Guatemala) - BYE
6) Cristina AMAYA & Adriana RIVEROS (Colombia) d. 11) Loraine FELIPE & María Regla VIERA (Cuba), 15-6, 15-4
10) Frédérique LAMBERT & Jennifer SAUNDERS (Canada) d. 7) Maria José MUÑOZ & Maria Paz MUÑOZ (Ecuador), 15-9, 9-15, 11-5
2) Natalia MENDEZ & Maria José VARGAS (Argentina) - BYE
Women’s Doubles - Quarterfinals
1) Paola LONGORIA & Samantha SALAS (Mexico) v. 9) Merynanyelly DELGADO & Alejandra JIMÉNEZ (Dominican Republic)
4) Angelica BARRIOS & Jenny DAZA (Bolivia) v. 5) Kelani LAWRENCE & Rhonda RAJSICH (USA)
3) Gabriela MARTINEZ & Maria RODRIGUEZ (Guatemala) v. 6) Cristina AMAYA & Adriana RIVEROS (Colombia)
2) Natalia MENDEZ & Maria José VARGAS (Argentina) v. 10) Frédérique LAMBERT & Jennifer SAUNDERS (Canada)
Follow the bouncing ball….
Sunday, August 4, 2019
Medal round draws for 2019 Pan American Games
The draws are out for the medal rounds at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru, and we’re a little confused. Usually, the winner of Group A from the group stage is the top seed in the medal (or elimination) round, and in Women’s Singles that seems to be the case. But not so for Men’s Singles or Men’s Doubles. Why not is unknown. Maybe there was a random selection (e.g., a coin flip) to determine which group winner would be seeded 1st versus 2nd.
Being seeded #1 versus #2 looks like a big deal in the Men’s Singles draw, as the bottom half of the draw looks more loaded than the top half. Mexican Alvaro Beltran is the top seed, although he won Group B not Group A. Only two other top 10 International Racquetball Tour (IRT) players - Colombians Sebastian Franco and Mario Mercado - are on the top side.
However, on the bottom side is current International Racquetball Federation (IRF) Men’s Singles World Champion Rodrigo Montoya of Mexico and current Pan American Champion Carlos Keller of Bolivia, as well as IRT event winner Charles Pratt of the USA and IRT top 10 player Samuel Murray of Canada. That’s what Bolivian Conrrado Moscoso, who won Group A but is the 2nd seed, has to face to get to the final.
To be clear, none of these guys is a slouch, and the USA’s Jake Bredenbeck and Canada's Coby Iwaasa are also on the top side. But still, one does seem preferable to the other.
In Women’s Singles, the big match of the Round of 16 will be Argentina’s Natalia Mendez versus Guatemala’s Gabriela Martinez. Mendez is #6 on the Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT), and Martinez #11, though she didn’t play the whole LPRT season. Martinez is also the current IRF Women’s Singles World Champion.
The medal round begins Monday with the finals on Wednesday morning. Then on Wednesday afternoon a team competition will begin with each country fielding two singles players and a doubles team in a best of three matches against each other. The finals of the team competition will be Saturday.
2019 Pan American Games - Lima, Peru
MEDAL ROUNDS
Men’s Singles - Round of 16
1) Alvaro BELTRAN (Mexico) - BYE
8) Coby IWAASA (Canada) v. 9) Sebastian FRANCO (Colombia)
5) Jake BREDENBECK (USA) v. 12) Ramón DE LEÓN (Dominican Republic)
4) Mario MERCADO (Colombia) v. 13) Felipe CAMACHO (Costa Rica)
3) Rodrigo MONTOYA (Mexico) v. 14) José UGALDE (Ecuador)
6) Samuel MURRAY (Canada) v. 11) Carlos KELLER (Bolivia)
7) Charles PRATT (USA) v. 10) Luis PÉREZ (Dominican Republic)
2) Conrrado MOSCOSO (Bolivia) - BYE
Women’s Singles - Round of 16
1) Maria José VARGAS (Argentina) - BYE
8) Carla MUÑOZ (Chile) v. 9) Kelani LAWRENCE (USA)
5) Valeria CENTELLAS (Bolivia) v. 12) Adriana RIVEROS (Colombia)
4) Rhonda RAJSICH (USA) v. 13) Merynanyelly DELGADO (Dominican Republic)
3) Natalia MENDEZ (Argentina) v. 14) Gabriela MARTINEZ (Guatemala)
6) Maria Paz MUÑOZ (Ecuador) v. 11) Montserrat MEJIA (Mexico)
7) Angelica BARRIOS (Bolivia) v. 10) Cristina AMAYA (Colombia)
2) Paola LONGORIA (Mexico) - BYE
Men’s Doubles - Round of 16
1) Rocky CARSON & Charles PRATT (USA) - BYE
8) Sebastian FRANCO & Mario MERCADO (Colombia) v. 9) Ramón DE LEÓN & Luis PEREZ (Dominican Republic)
5) Coby IWAASA & Samuel MURRAY (Canada) v. 12) Jonathan LUQUE & Sebastian MENDIGURI (Peru)
4) Javier MAR & Rodrigo MONTOYA (Mexico) - BYE
3) Andres ACUÑA & Felipe CAMACHO (Costa Rica) - BYE
6) Fernando RÍOS & José UGALDE (Ecuador) v. 11) Edwin GALICIA & Juan SALVATIERRA (Guatemala)
7) Fernando KURZBARD & Shai MANZURI (Argentina) v. 10) Enier CHACÓN & Maykel MOYET (Cuba)
2) Roland KELLER & Conrrado MOSCOSO (Bolivia) - BYE
Women’s Doubles - Round of 16
1) Paola LONGORIA & Samantha SALAS (Mexico) - BYE
8) Carla MUÑOZ & Josefa PARADA (Chile) v. 9) Merynanyelly DELGADO & Alejandra JIMÉNEZ (Dominican Republic)
5) Kelani LAWRENCE & Rhonda RAJSICH (USA) - BYE
4) Angelica BARRIOS & Jenny DAZA (Bolivia) - BYE
3) Gabriela MARTINEZ & Maria RODRIGUEZ (Guatemala) - BYE
6) Cristina AMAYA & Adriana RIVEROS (Colombia) v. 11) Loraine FELIPE & María Regla VIERA (Cuba)
7) Maria José MUÑOZ & Maria Paz MUÑOZ (Ecuador) v. 10) Frédérique LAMBERT & Jennifer SAUNDERS (Canada)
2) Natalia MENDEZ & Maria José VARGAS (Argentina) - BYE
Follow the bouncing ball….
Being seeded #1 versus #2 looks like a big deal in the Men’s Singles draw, as the bottom half of the draw looks more loaded than the top half. Mexican Alvaro Beltran is the top seed, although he won Group B not Group A. Only two other top 10 International Racquetball Tour (IRT) players - Colombians Sebastian Franco and Mario Mercado - are on the top side.
However, on the bottom side is current International Racquetball Federation (IRF) Men’s Singles World Champion Rodrigo Montoya of Mexico and current Pan American Champion Carlos Keller of Bolivia, as well as IRT event winner Charles Pratt of the USA and IRT top 10 player Samuel Murray of Canada. That’s what Bolivian Conrrado Moscoso, who won Group A but is the 2nd seed, has to face to get to the final.
To be clear, none of these guys is a slouch, and the USA’s Jake Bredenbeck and Canada's Coby Iwaasa are also on the top side. But still, one does seem preferable to the other.
In Women’s Singles, the big match of the Round of 16 will be Argentina’s Natalia Mendez versus Guatemala’s Gabriela Martinez. Mendez is #6 on the Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT), and Martinez #11, though she didn’t play the whole LPRT season. Martinez is also the current IRF Women’s Singles World Champion.
The medal round begins Monday with the finals on Wednesday morning. Then on Wednesday afternoon a team competition will begin with each country fielding two singles players and a doubles team in a best of three matches against each other. The finals of the team competition will be Saturday.
2019 Pan American Games - Lima, Peru
MEDAL ROUNDS
Men’s Singles - Round of 16
1) Alvaro BELTRAN (Mexico) - BYE
8) Coby IWAASA (Canada) v. 9) Sebastian FRANCO (Colombia)
5) Jake BREDENBECK (USA) v. 12) Ramón DE LEÓN (Dominican Republic)
4) Mario MERCADO (Colombia) v. 13) Felipe CAMACHO (Costa Rica)
3) Rodrigo MONTOYA (Mexico) v. 14) José UGALDE (Ecuador)
6) Samuel MURRAY (Canada) v. 11) Carlos KELLER (Bolivia)
7) Charles PRATT (USA) v. 10) Luis PÉREZ (Dominican Republic)
2) Conrrado MOSCOSO (Bolivia) - BYE
Women’s Singles - Round of 16
1) Maria José VARGAS (Argentina) - BYE
8) Carla MUÑOZ (Chile) v. 9) Kelani LAWRENCE (USA)
5) Valeria CENTELLAS (Bolivia) v. 12) Adriana RIVEROS (Colombia)
4) Rhonda RAJSICH (USA) v. 13) Merynanyelly DELGADO (Dominican Republic)
3) Natalia MENDEZ (Argentina) v. 14) Gabriela MARTINEZ (Guatemala)
6) Maria Paz MUÑOZ (Ecuador) v. 11) Montserrat MEJIA (Mexico)
7) Angelica BARRIOS (Bolivia) v. 10) Cristina AMAYA (Colombia)
2) Paola LONGORIA (Mexico) - BYE
Men’s Doubles - Round of 16
1) Rocky CARSON & Charles PRATT (USA) - BYE
8) Sebastian FRANCO & Mario MERCADO (Colombia) v. 9) Ramón DE LEÓN & Luis PEREZ (Dominican Republic)
5) Coby IWAASA & Samuel MURRAY (Canada) v. 12) Jonathan LUQUE & Sebastian MENDIGURI (Peru)
4) Javier MAR & Rodrigo MONTOYA (Mexico) - BYE
3) Andres ACUÑA & Felipe CAMACHO (Costa Rica) - BYE
6) Fernando RÍOS & José UGALDE (Ecuador) v. 11) Edwin GALICIA & Juan SALVATIERRA (Guatemala)
7) Fernando KURZBARD & Shai MANZURI (Argentina) v. 10) Enier CHACÓN & Maykel MOYET (Cuba)
2) Roland KELLER & Conrrado MOSCOSO (Bolivia) - BYE
Women’s Doubles - Round of 16
1) Paola LONGORIA & Samantha SALAS (Mexico) - BYE
8) Carla MUÑOZ & Josefa PARADA (Chile) v. 9) Merynanyelly DELGADO & Alejandra JIMÉNEZ (Dominican Republic)
5) Kelani LAWRENCE & Rhonda RAJSICH (USA) - BYE
4) Angelica BARRIOS & Jenny DAZA (Bolivia) - BYE
3) Gabriela MARTINEZ & Maria RODRIGUEZ (Guatemala) - BYE
6) Cristina AMAYA & Adriana RIVEROS (Colombia) v. 11) Loraine FELIPE & María Regla VIERA (Cuba)
7) Maria José MUÑOZ & Maria Paz MUÑOZ (Ecuador) v. 10) Frédérique LAMBERT & Jennifer SAUNDERS (Canada)
2) Natalia MENDEZ & Maria José VARGAS (Argentina) - BYE
Follow the bouncing ball….
Just 1 more point! - Day 3 of the 2019 Pan American Games
What’s one point in the big scheme of things? Not much really, but under international racquetball rules a single point can be the difference between winning and losing, but there were even greater ramifications for single points in Men’s Singles Sunday at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru. In Pool A, José Ugalde of Ecuador defeated Bolivian Conrrado Moscoso, 12-15, 15-12, 11-10. A single point victory, which meant there was a three way tie in that group as both Ugalde and Moscoso were 1-1 along with Costa Rican Andres Acuña. Moreover, each match went tie-breaker, so points would have to determine the standings, which is important, because only the top two players advance to the medal round out of each group.
Moscoso scored 72 points, but gave up 71, so he’s +1. Ugalde was 68 and 68 (0), and Acuña was 64 and 65 (-1), so Ugalde and Moscoso will move on to the medal round, and Acuña will go to a consolation round. A single point between a medal possibility and no medal possibility. Moreover, this was Group A, so the winner will be the #1 seed for the medal round, and Ugalde was a point away from claiming that spot, which will instead go to Moscoso.
There were no other tie-breakers in Men’s or Women’s Singles on the final day of group stage matches in Lima.
Moscoso got a measure of revenge over Ugalde in doubles, as he and Roland Keller (Bolivia) beat Ugalde and Fernando Rios (Ecuador), 15-1, 15-1. It was an unsurprising day of Men’s Doubles, but worth noting that the Canada’s win over Argentina (Coby Iwaasa & Samuel Murray v. Fernando Kurzbard & Shai Manzuri) by a score line of 15-0, 15-0 reflects that Argentina’s Shai Manzuri suffered an eye injury earlier in the day. We believe he tried to play, as there is a match time down (only 2 min per game), but likely decided he wasn’t up to it.
Two tie-breakers in Women’s Doubles with both winning teams dropping the first game of their respective matches, but coming back to win in three. Guatemala’s Gabriela Martinez and Maria Rodriguez defeated Canadians Frédérique Lambert and Jennifer Saunders, 10-15, 15-7, 11-4, and Bolivians Angelica Barrios and Jenny Daza beat the Dominican Republic’s Merynanyelly Delgado and Alejandra Jiménez, 13-15, 15-10, 11-2.
The medal round begins Monday with the finals on Wednesday morning. Then on Wednesday afternoon a team competition will begin with each country fielding two singles players and a doubles team in a best of three matches against each other. The finals of the team competition will be Saturday.
2019 Pan American Games, Lima, Peru
Group Stage Matches - Day 3 - Sunday
Men’s Singles
Pool A
José UGALDE (Ecuador) d. Conrrado MOSCOSO (Bolivia), 12-15, 15-12, 11-10
Andres ACUÑA (Costa Rica) - BYE
Pool B
Alvaro BELTRAN (Mexico) d. Felipe CAMACHO (Costa Rica), 15-12, 15-9
Fernando RÍOS (Ecuador) - BYE
Pool C
Carlos KELLER (Bolivia) d. Juan SALVATIERRA (Guatemala), 15-1, 15-2
Mario MERCADO (Colombia) - BYE
Pool D
Rodrigo MONTOYA (Mexico) d. Maykel MOYET (Cuba), 15-10, 15-6
Ramón DE LEÓN (Dominican Republic) d. Erik MENDOZA (Peru), 15-2, 15-0
Pool E
Jake BREDENBECK (USA) d. Edwin GALICIA (Guatemala), 15-12, 15-5
Sebastian FRANCO (Colombia) d. Jonathan LUQUE (Peru), 15-1, 15-3
Pool F
Samuel MURRAY (Canada) d. Enier CHACÓN (Cuba), 15-1, 15-1
Luis PÉREZ (Dominican Republic) d. Fernando KURZBARD (Argentina), 15-10, 15-3
Pool G
Coby IWAASA (Canada) d. Francisco TRONCOSO (Chile), 15-4, 15-1
Charles PRATT (USA) d. Shai MANZURI (Argentina), forfeit
Women’s Singles
Pool A
Maria José VARGAS (Argentina) d. Alejandra JIMÉNEZ (Dominican Republic), 15-0, 15-1
Gabriela MARTINEZ (Guatemala) - BYE
Pool B
Paola LONGORIA (Mexico) d. Maria RODRIGUEZ (Guatemala), 15-2, 15-6
Merynanyelly DELGADO (Dominican Republic) - BYE
Pool C
Natalia MENDEZ (Argentina) d. Lilian ZEA (Venezuela), 15-1, 15-2
Adriana RIVEROS (Colombia) - BYE
Pool D
Montserrat MEJIA (Mexico) d. Frédérique LAMBERT (Canada), 15-10, 15-5
Rhonda RAJSICH (USA) - BYE
Pool E
Valeria CENTELLAS (Bolivia) d. María Regla VIERA (Cuba), 15-2, 15-0
Cristina AMAYA (Colombia) d. Josefa PARADA (Chile), 15-1, 15-0
Pool F
Maria Paz MUÑOZ (Ecuador) d. Jennifer SAUNDERS (Canada), 15-7, 15-4
Kelani LAWRENCE (USA) d. Maricruz ORTIZ (Costa Rica), 15-13, 15-3
Pool G
Angelica BARRIOS (Bolivia) d. Loraine FELIPE (Cuba), 15-6, 15-8
Carla MUÑOZ (Chile) d. Maria José MUÑOZ (Ecuador), 15-2, 15-3
Men’s Doubles
Pool A
Roland KELLER & Conrrado MOSCOSO (Bolivia) d. Fernando RÍOS & José UGALDE (Ecuador), 15-1, 15-1
Sebastian FRANCO & Mario MERCADO (Colombia) d. Jonathan LUQUE & Sebastian MENDIGURI (Peru), 15-2, 15-1
Pool B
Rocky CARSON & Charles PRATT (USA) d. Edwin GALICIA & Juan SALVATIERRA (Guatemala), 15-6, 15-11
Coby IWAASA & Samuel MURRAY (Canada) d. Fernando KURZBARD & Shai MANZURI (Argentina), 15-0, 15-0
Pool C
Javier MAR & Rodrigo MONTOYA (Mexico) d. Enier CHACÓN & Maykel MOYET (Cuba), 15-7, 15-6
Andres ACUÑA & Felipe CAMACHO (Costa Rica) d. Ramón DE LEÓN & Luis PEREZ (Dominican Republic), 15-10, 15-12
Women’s Doubles
Pool A
Paola LONGORIA & Samantha SALAS (Mexico) d. Kelani LAWRENCE & Rhonda RAJSICH (USA), 15-5, 15-9
Maria José MUÑOZ & Maria Paz MUÑOZ (Ecuador) - BYE
Pool B
Natalia MENDEZ & Maria José VARGAS (Argentina) d. Carla MUÑOZ & Josefa PARADA (Chile), 15-3, 15-3
Cristina AMAYA & Adriana RIVEROS (Colombia) d. Loraine FELIPE & María Regla VIERA (Cuba), 15-6, 15-5
Pool C
Gabriela MARTINEZ & Maria RODRIGUEZ (Guatemala) d. Frédérique LAMBERT & Jennifer SAUNDERS (Canada), 10-15, 15-7, 11-4
Angelica BARRIOS & Jenny DAZA (Bolivia) d. Merynanyelly DELGADO & Alejandra JIMÉNEZ (Dominican Republic), 13-15, 15-10, 11-2
Follow the bouncing ball….
Moscoso scored 72 points, but gave up 71, so he’s +1. Ugalde was 68 and 68 (0), and Acuña was 64 and 65 (-1), so Ugalde and Moscoso will move on to the medal round, and Acuña will go to a consolation round. A single point between a medal possibility and no medal possibility. Moreover, this was Group A, so the winner will be the #1 seed for the medal round, and Ugalde was a point away from claiming that spot, which will instead go to Moscoso.
There were no other tie-breakers in Men’s or Women’s Singles on the final day of group stage matches in Lima.
Moscoso got a measure of revenge over Ugalde in doubles, as he and Roland Keller (Bolivia) beat Ugalde and Fernando Rios (Ecuador), 15-1, 15-1. It was an unsurprising day of Men’s Doubles, but worth noting that the Canada’s win over Argentina (Coby Iwaasa & Samuel Murray v. Fernando Kurzbard & Shai Manzuri) by a score line of 15-0, 15-0 reflects that Argentina’s Shai Manzuri suffered an eye injury earlier in the day. We believe he tried to play, as there is a match time down (only 2 min per game), but likely decided he wasn’t up to it.
Two tie-breakers in Women’s Doubles with both winning teams dropping the first game of their respective matches, but coming back to win in three. Guatemala’s Gabriela Martinez and Maria Rodriguez defeated Canadians Frédérique Lambert and Jennifer Saunders, 10-15, 15-7, 11-4, and Bolivians Angelica Barrios and Jenny Daza beat the Dominican Republic’s Merynanyelly Delgado and Alejandra Jiménez, 13-15, 15-10, 11-2.
The medal round begins Monday with the finals on Wednesday morning. Then on Wednesday afternoon a team competition will begin with each country fielding two singles players and a doubles team in a best of three matches against each other. The finals of the team competition will be Saturday.
2019 Pan American Games, Lima, Peru
Group Stage Matches - Day 3 - Sunday
Men’s Singles
Pool A
José UGALDE (Ecuador) d. Conrrado MOSCOSO (Bolivia), 12-15, 15-12, 11-10
Andres ACUÑA (Costa Rica) - BYE
Pool B
Alvaro BELTRAN (Mexico) d. Felipe CAMACHO (Costa Rica), 15-12, 15-9
Fernando RÍOS (Ecuador) - BYE
Pool C
Carlos KELLER (Bolivia) d. Juan SALVATIERRA (Guatemala), 15-1, 15-2
Mario MERCADO (Colombia) - BYE
Pool D
Rodrigo MONTOYA (Mexico) d. Maykel MOYET (Cuba), 15-10, 15-6
Ramón DE LEÓN (Dominican Republic) d. Erik MENDOZA (Peru), 15-2, 15-0
Pool E
Jake BREDENBECK (USA) d. Edwin GALICIA (Guatemala), 15-12, 15-5
Sebastian FRANCO (Colombia) d. Jonathan LUQUE (Peru), 15-1, 15-3
Pool F
Samuel MURRAY (Canada) d. Enier CHACÓN (Cuba), 15-1, 15-1
Luis PÉREZ (Dominican Republic) d. Fernando KURZBARD (Argentina), 15-10, 15-3
Pool G
Coby IWAASA (Canada) d. Francisco TRONCOSO (Chile), 15-4, 15-1
Charles PRATT (USA) d. Shai MANZURI (Argentina), forfeit
Women’s Singles
Pool A
Maria José VARGAS (Argentina) d. Alejandra JIMÉNEZ (Dominican Republic), 15-0, 15-1
Gabriela MARTINEZ (Guatemala) - BYE
Pool B
Paola LONGORIA (Mexico) d. Maria RODRIGUEZ (Guatemala), 15-2, 15-6
Merynanyelly DELGADO (Dominican Republic) - BYE
Pool C
Natalia MENDEZ (Argentina) d. Lilian ZEA (Venezuela), 15-1, 15-2
Adriana RIVEROS (Colombia) - BYE
Pool D
Montserrat MEJIA (Mexico) d. Frédérique LAMBERT (Canada), 15-10, 15-5
Rhonda RAJSICH (USA) - BYE
Pool E
Valeria CENTELLAS (Bolivia) d. María Regla VIERA (Cuba), 15-2, 15-0
Cristina AMAYA (Colombia) d. Josefa PARADA (Chile), 15-1, 15-0
Pool F
Maria Paz MUÑOZ (Ecuador) d. Jennifer SAUNDERS (Canada), 15-7, 15-4
Kelani LAWRENCE (USA) d. Maricruz ORTIZ (Costa Rica), 15-13, 15-3
Pool G
Angelica BARRIOS (Bolivia) d. Loraine FELIPE (Cuba), 15-6, 15-8
Carla MUÑOZ (Chile) d. Maria José MUÑOZ (Ecuador), 15-2, 15-3
Men’s Doubles
Pool A
Roland KELLER & Conrrado MOSCOSO (Bolivia) d. Fernando RÍOS & José UGALDE (Ecuador), 15-1, 15-1
Sebastian FRANCO & Mario MERCADO (Colombia) d. Jonathan LUQUE & Sebastian MENDIGURI (Peru), 15-2, 15-1
Pool B
Rocky CARSON & Charles PRATT (USA) d. Edwin GALICIA & Juan SALVATIERRA (Guatemala), 15-6, 15-11
Coby IWAASA & Samuel MURRAY (Canada) d. Fernando KURZBARD & Shai MANZURI (Argentina), 15-0, 15-0
Pool C
Javier MAR & Rodrigo MONTOYA (Mexico) d. Enier CHACÓN & Maykel MOYET (Cuba), 15-7, 15-6
Andres ACUÑA & Felipe CAMACHO (Costa Rica) d. Ramón DE LEÓN & Luis PEREZ (Dominican Republic), 15-10, 15-12
Women’s Doubles
Pool A
Paola LONGORIA & Samantha SALAS (Mexico) d. Kelani LAWRENCE & Rhonda RAJSICH (USA), 15-5, 15-9
Maria José MUÑOZ & Maria Paz MUÑOZ (Ecuador) - BYE
Pool B
Natalia MENDEZ & Maria José VARGAS (Argentina) d. Carla MUÑOZ & Josefa PARADA (Chile), 15-3, 15-3
Cristina AMAYA & Adriana RIVEROS (Colombia) d. Loraine FELIPE & María Regla VIERA (Cuba), 15-6, 15-5
Pool C
Gabriela MARTINEZ & Maria RODRIGUEZ (Guatemala) d. Frédérique LAMBERT & Jennifer SAUNDERS (Canada), 10-15, 15-7, 11-4
Angelica BARRIOS & Jenny DAZA (Bolivia) d. Merynanyelly DELGADO & Alejandra JIMÉNEZ (Dominican Republic), 13-15, 15-10, 11-2
Follow the bouncing ball….
Saturday, August 3, 2019
11-10 breakers on Day 2 at the 2019 Pan American Games
Day 2 of racquetball at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru brought the first two 11-10 tie-breakers. In Men’s Doubles, the Dominican Republic’s Ramón De León and Luis Perez came within a point of knocking off Mexicans Javier Mar and Rodrigo Montoya, as they won game one and were up 10-8 in the tie-breaker. But the Mexicans fought off four matches points to pull out the win, 8-15, 15-10, 11-10.
De León was also involved in the other 11-10 match, as he held off Cuban Maykel Moyet, 15-10, 8-15, 11-10. The result puts both players at 1-1 after two days of group stage play, but De León has the advantage with the win, as he’ll play Erik Mendoza of Peru on Sunday, while Moyet faces Mexican Rodrigo Montoya. On Saturday, Montoya beat Mendoza, 15-1, 15-0.
There were three other tie-breakers in Men’s Singles on Saturday. Costa Rica won two matches over Ecuadro, as Andres Acuña came back to defeat José Ugalde, 5-15, 15-9, 11-6, and Felipe Camacho beat Fernando Rios, 15-9, 11-15, 11-7. Also, Canadian Coby Iwaasa outlasted veteran Argentina player Shai Manzuri, 15-14, 10-15, 11-2.
There was only one tie-breaker in Women’s Singles Saturday. Merynanyelly Delgado of the Dominican Republic came back from a game down to defeat Maria Rodriguez of Guatemala, 6-15, 15-8, 11-5. However, Maria Paz Muñoz of Ecuador and Maricruz Ortiz of Costa Rica were about a close as possible over two games, as Muñoz won 15-13, 15-14.
The Dominican Republic’s Delgado also won a tie-breaker in Women’s Doubles, as she and Alejandra Jiménez came back to defeat Canadians Frédérique Lambert and Jennifer Saunders, 6-15, 15-12, 11-4. The Dominican Republic will play Bolivia Sunday, and Bolivians Angelica Barrios and Jenny Daza lost Saturday in a tie-breaker to Guatemalans Gabriela Martinez and Maria Rodriguez, 15-6, 3-15, 11-8.
Along with the Mexico-Dominican match there were couple other tie-breakers in Men’s Doubles. The USA’s Rocky Carson and Charles Pratt needed three games to defeat the veteran Argentina team of Fernando Kurzbard and Shai Manzuri, 15-11, 8-15, 11-4. Also, Canadians Coby Iwaasa and Samuel Murray went three games to beat Edwin Galicia and Juan Salavtierra of Guatemala, 15-10, 9-15, 11-0.
Group play continues Saturday in Lima. The medal round will begin Monday with the finals on Wednesday. Then on Thursday a team competition will begin with each country fielding two singles players and a doubles team in a best of three matches against each other. The finals of the team competition will be Saturday.
2019 Pan American Games, Lima, Peru
Group Stage Matches - Day 2
Men’s Singles
Pool A
Andres ACUÑA (Costa Rica) d. José UGALDE (Ecuador), 5-15, 15-9, 11-6
Conrrado MOSCOSO (Bolivia) - BYE
Pool B
Felipe CAMACHO (Costa Rica) d. Fernando RÍOS (Ecuador), 15-9, 11-15, 11-7
Alvaro BELTRAN (Mexico) - BYE
Pool C
Mario MERCADO (Colombia) d. Juan SALVATIERRA (Guatemala), 15-6, 15-7
Carlos KELLER (Bolivia) - BYE
Pool D
Rodrigo MONTOYA (Mexico) d. Erik MENDOZA (Peru), 15-1, 15-0
Ramón DE LEÓN (Dominican Republic) d. Maykel MOYET (Cuba), 15-10, 8-15, 11-10
Pool E
Jake BREDENBECK (USA) d. Jonathan LUQUE (Peru), 15-6, 15-1
Sebastian FRANCO (Colombia) d. Edwin GALICIA (Guatemala), 15-5, 15-11
Pool F
Samuel MURRAY (Canada) d. Fernando KURZBARD (Argentina), 15-7, 15-10
Luis PÉREZ (Dominican Republic) d. Enier CHACÓN (Cuba), 15-6, 15-5
Pool G
Coby IWAASA (Canada) d. Shai MANZURI (Argentina), 15-14, 10-15, 11-2
Charles PRATT (USA) d. Francisco TRONCOSO (Chile), 15-7, 15-2
Women’s Singles
Pool A
Gabriela MARTINEZ (Guatemala) d. Alejandra JIMÉNEZ (Dominican Republic), 15-3, 15-9
Maria José VARGAS (Argentina) - BYE
Pool B
Merynanyelly DELGADO (Dominican Republic) d. Maria RODRIGUEZ (Guatemala), 6-15, 15-8, 11-5
Paola LONGORIA (Mexico) - BYE
Pool C
Adriana RIVEROS (Colombia) d. Lilian ZEA (Venezuela), 15-1, 15-2
Natalia MENDEZ (Argentina) - BYE
Pool D
Rhonda RAJSICH (USA) d. Frédérique LAMBERT (Canada), 15-10, 15-5
Montserrat MEJIA (Mexico) - BYE
Pool E
Valeria CENTELLAS (Bolivia) d. Josefa PARADA (Chile), 15-1, 15-6
Cristina AMAYA (Colombia) d. María Regla VIERA (Cuba), 15-2, 15-9
Pool F
Maria Paz MUÑOZ (Ecuador) d. Maricruz ORTIZ (Costa Rica), 15-13, 15-14
Kelani LAWRENCE (USA) d. Jennifer SAUNDERS (Canada), 15-7, 15-5
Pool G
Angelica BARRIOS (Bolivia) d. Carla MUÑOZ (Chile), 15-10, 15-9
Maria José MUÑOZ (Ecuador) d. Loraine FELIPE (Cuba), 15-2, 15-4
Men’s Doubles
Pool A
Fernando RÍOS & José UGALDE (Ecuador) d. Sebastian FRANCO & Mario MERCADO (Colombia), 15-10, 15-9
Roland KELLER & Conrrado MOSCOSO (Bolivia) d. Jonathan LUQUE & Sebastian MENDIGURI (Peru), 15-0, 15-0
Pool B
Rocky CARSON & Charles PRATT (USA) d. Fernando KURZBARD & Shai MANZURI (Argentina), 15-11, 8-15, 11-4
Coby IWAASA & Samuel MURRAY (Canada) d. Edwin GALICIA & Juan SALVATIERRA (Guatemala), 15-10, 9-15, 11-0
Pool C
Javier MAR & Rodrigo MONTOYA (Mexico) d. Ramón DE LEÓN & Luis PEREZ (Dominican Republic), 8-15, 15-10, 11-10
Andres ACUÑA & Felipe CAMACHO (Costa Rica) d. Enier CHACÓN & Maykel MOYET (Cuba), 15-3, 15-1
Women’s Doubles
Pool A
Kelani LAWRENCE & Rhonda RAJSICH (USA) d. Maria José MUÑOZ & Maria Paz MUÑOZ (Ecuador), 15-10, 15-1
Paola LONGORIA & Samantha SALAS (Mexico) - BYE
Pool B
Natalia MENDEZ & Maria José VARGAS (Argentina) d. Loraine FELIPE & María Regla VIERA (Cuba), 15-2, 15-5
Cristina AMAYA & Adriana RIVEROS (Colombia) d. Carla MUÑOZ & Josefa PARADA (Chile), 15-5, 15-9
Pool C
Gabriela MARTINEZ & Maria RODRIGUEZ (Guatemala) d. Angelica BARRIOS & Jenny DAZA (Bolivia), 15-6, 3-15, 11-8
Merynanyelly DELGADO & Alejandra JIMÉNEZ (Dominican Republic) d. Frédérique LAMBERT & Jennifer SAUNDERS (Canada), 6-15, 15-12, 11-4
Follow the bouncing ball….
De León was also involved in the other 11-10 match, as he held off Cuban Maykel Moyet, 15-10, 8-15, 11-10. The result puts both players at 1-1 after two days of group stage play, but De León has the advantage with the win, as he’ll play Erik Mendoza of Peru on Sunday, while Moyet faces Mexican Rodrigo Montoya. On Saturday, Montoya beat Mendoza, 15-1, 15-0.
There were three other tie-breakers in Men’s Singles on Saturday. Costa Rica won two matches over Ecuadro, as Andres Acuña came back to defeat José Ugalde, 5-15, 15-9, 11-6, and Felipe Camacho beat Fernando Rios, 15-9, 11-15, 11-7. Also, Canadian Coby Iwaasa outlasted veteran Argentina player Shai Manzuri, 15-14, 10-15, 11-2.
There was only one tie-breaker in Women’s Singles Saturday. Merynanyelly Delgado of the Dominican Republic came back from a game down to defeat Maria Rodriguez of Guatemala, 6-15, 15-8, 11-5. However, Maria Paz Muñoz of Ecuador and Maricruz Ortiz of Costa Rica were about a close as possible over two games, as Muñoz won 15-13, 15-14.
The Dominican Republic’s Delgado also won a tie-breaker in Women’s Doubles, as she and Alejandra Jiménez came back to defeat Canadians Frédérique Lambert and Jennifer Saunders, 6-15, 15-12, 11-4. The Dominican Republic will play Bolivia Sunday, and Bolivians Angelica Barrios and Jenny Daza lost Saturday in a tie-breaker to Guatemalans Gabriela Martinez and Maria Rodriguez, 15-6, 3-15, 11-8.
Along with the Mexico-Dominican match there were couple other tie-breakers in Men’s Doubles. The USA’s Rocky Carson and Charles Pratt needed three games to defeat the veteran Argentina team of Fernando Kurzbard and Shai Manzuri, 15-11, 8-15, 11-4. Also, Canadians Coby Iwaasa and Samuel Murray went three games to beat Edwin Galicia and Juan Salavtierra of Guatemala, 15-10, 9-15, 11-0.
Group play continues Saturday in Lima. The medal round will begin Monday with the finals on Wednesday. Then on Thursday a team competition will begin with each country fielding two singles players and a doubles team in a best of three matches against each other. The finals of the team competition will be Saturday.
2019 Pan American Games, Lima, Peru
Group Stage Matches - Day 2
Men’s Singles
Pool A
Andres ACUÑA (Costa Rica) d. José UGALDE (Ecuador), 5-15, 15-9, 11-6
Conrrado MOSCOSO (Bolivia) - BYE
Pool B
Felipe CAMACHO (Costa Rica) d. Fernando RÍOS (Ecuador), 15-9, 11-15, 11-7
Alvaro BELTRAN (Mexico) - BYE
Pool C
Mario MERCADO (Colombia) d. Juan SALVATIERRA (Guatemala), 15-6, 15-7
Carlos KELLER (Bolivia) - BYE
Pool D
Rodrigo MONTOYA (Mexico) d. Erik MENDOZA (Peru), 15-1, 15-0
Ramón DE LEÓN (Dominican Republic) d. Maykel MOYET (Cuba), 15-10, 8-15, 11-10
Pool E
Jake BREDENBECK (USA) d. Jonathan LUQUE (Peru), 15-6, 15-1
Sebastian FRANCO (Colombia) d. Edwin GALICIA (Guatemala), 15-5, 15-11
Pool F
Samuel MURRAY (Canada) d. Fernando KURZBARD (Argentina), 15-7, 15-10
Luis PÉREZ (Dominican Republic) d. Enier CHACÓN (Cuba), 15-6, 15-5
Pool G
Coby IWAASA (Canada) d. Shai MANZURI (Argentina), 15-14, 10-15, 11-2
Charles PRATT (USA) d. Francisco TRONCOSO (Chile), 15-7, 15-2
Women’s Singles
Pool A
Gabriela MARTINEZ (Guatemala) d. Alejandra JIMÉNEZ (Dominican Republic), 15-3, 15-9
Maria José VARGAS (Argentina) - BYE
Pool B
Merynanyelly DELGADO (Dominican Republic) d. Maria RODRIGUEZ (Guatemala), 6-15, 15-8, 11-5
Paola LONGORIA (Mexico) - BYE
Pool C
Adriana RIVEROS (Colombia) d. Lilian ZEA (Venezuela), 15-1, 15-2
Natalia MENDEZ (Argentina) - BYE
Pool D
Rhonda RAJSICH (USA) d. Frédérique LAMBERT (Canada), 15-10, 15-5
Montserrat MEJIA (Mexico) - BYE
Pool E
Valeria CENTELLAS (Bolivia) d. Josefa PARADA (Chile), 15-1, 15-6
Cristina AMAYA (Colombia) d. María Regla VIERA (Cuba), 15-2, 15-9
Pool F
Maria Paz MUÑOZ (Ecuador) d. Maricruz ORTIZ (Costa Rica), 15-13, 15-14
Kelani LAWRENCE (USA) d. Jennifer SAUNDERS (Canada), 15-7, 15-5
Pool G
Angelica BARRIOS (Bolivia) d. Carla MUÑOZ (Chile), 15-10, 15-9
Maria José MUÑOZ (Ecuador) d. Loraine FELIPE (Cuba), 15-2, 15-4
Men’s Doubles
Pool A
Fernando RÍOS & José UGALDE (Ecuador) d. Sebastian FRANCO & Mario MERCADO (Colombia), 15-10, 15-9
Roland KELLER & Conrrado MOSCOSO (Bolivia) d. Jonathan LUQUE & Sebastian MENDIGURI (Peru), 15-0, 15-0
Pool B
Rocky CARSON & Charles PRATT (USA) d. Fernando KURZBARD & Shai MANZURI (Argentina), 15-11, 8-15, 11-4
Coby IWAASA & Samuel MURRAY (Canada) d. Edwin GALICIA & Juan SALVATIERRA (Guatemala), 15-10, 9-15, 11-0
Pool C
Javier MAR & Rodrigo MONTOYA (Mexico) d. Ramón DE LEÓN & Luis PEREZ (Dominican Republic), 8-15, 15-10, 11-10
Andres ACUÑA & Felipe CAMACHO (Costa Rica) d. Enier CHACÓN & Maykel MOYET (Cuba), 15-3, 15-1
Women’s Doubles
Pool A
Kelani LAWRENCE & Rhonda RAJSICH (USA) d. Maria José MUÑOZ & Maria Paz MUÑOZ (Ecuador), 15-10, 15-1
Paola LONGORIA & Samantha SALAS (Mexico) - BYE
Pool B
Natalia MENDEZ & Maria José VARGAS (Argentina) d. Loraine FELIPE & María Regla VIERA (Cuba), 15-2, 15-5
Cristina AMAYA & Adriana RIVEROS (Colombia) d. Carla MUÑOZ & Josefa PARADA (Chile), 15-5, 15-9
Pool C
Gabriela MARTINEZ & Maria RODRIGUEZ (Guatemala) d. Angelica BARRIOS & Jenny DAZA (Bolivia), 15-6, 3-15, 11-8
Merynanyelly DELGADO & Alejandra JIMÉNEZ (Dominican Republic) d. Frédérique LAMBERT & Jennifer SAUNDERS (Canada), 6-15, 15-12, 11-4
Follow the bouncing ball….
Friday, August 2, 2019
Play begins at 2019 Pan American Games
The racquetball competition began Friday at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru, and right off the hop there are interesting results. As with other international racquetball events, the Pan Am Games has a group stage of matches that will seed players for the medal (or elimination) round. The group stage lasts three days, so the medal round will begin on Monday.
In Men’s Singles, Colombia’s Mario Mercado knocked off current Pan American Champion Carlos Keller of Bolivia, 15-14, 15-11, which should give Mercado the inside track to claim the 3rd seed in the medal round. Keller defeated the USA’s Charles Pratt to win Men’s Singles at the 2019 Pan Am Championships earlier this year, but Pratt also lost on Friday, as Canadian Coby Iwaasa defeated him in three games, 14-15, 15-11, 11-9.
In other matches, Samuel Murray - Iwaasa’s team-mate - also needed three games to win Friday, as he went the distance with Luis Pérez of the Dominican Republic, 15-13, 13-15, 11-0. Also, Conrrado Moscoso - Bolivia’s other player - needed a tie-breaker to fend off Andres Acuña of Costa Rica, 15-12, 9-15, 11-6. Finally, in a battle of two solid International Racquetball Tour (IRT) players, the USA’s Jake Bredenbeck beat Colombia’s Sebastian Franco, 15-10, 15-9.
In Women’s Singles, you could hardly get a closer match than the one played by Bolivian Valeria Centallas and Colombian Cristina Amaya, as they went three games with Cenellas narrowly coming out on top, 14-15, 15-14, 11-9. In another match that went breaker, Maria José Vargas of Argentina defeated Gabriela Martinez of Guatemala, 15-4, 12-15, 11-9.
Two somewhat surprising results were USA veteran Rhonda Rajsich beating young Mexican Montserrat Mejia, 15-4, 15-7, and Maria Paz Muñoz of Ecuador defeated Kelani Lawrence of the USA, 15-5, 15-6. Those results surprise us not by who won, but by the margin of victory, which was surprisingly decisive.
In Men’s Doubles there were two matches that went breaker on Friday. The USA’s Rocky Carson and Charles Pratt fended off Canadians Coby Iwaasa and Samuel Murray, 15-12, 10-15, 11-9. The Canadians led 9-7 in the breaker, but the USA got the serve back and won four straight points to win the match. Also, Dominicans Ramón De León and Luis Perez needed three games to defeat Cubans Enier Chacón and Maykel Moyet, 15-7, 4-15, 11-4.
Cuba and Canada were also involved in tie-breakers in Women’s Doubles. Cubans Loraine Felipe and María Regla Viera defeated Carla Muñoz and Josefa Parada of Chile, 6-15, 15-13, 11-9, while Bolivians Angelica Barrios and Jenny Daza beat Canadians Frédérique Lambert and Jennifer Saunders, 15-13, 10-15, 11-6.
Group play continues Saturday in Lima. The medal round will begin Monday with the finals on Wednesday. Then on Thursday a team competition will begin with each country fielding two singles players and a doubles team in a best of three matches against each other. The finals of the team competition will be Saturday.
2019 Pan American Games, Lima, Peru
Group Stage Matches - Day 1
Men’s Singles
Pool A
Conrrado MOSCOSO (Bolivia) d. Andres ACUÑA (Costa Rica), 15-12, 9-15, 11-6
José UGALDE (Ecuador) - BYE
Pool B
Alvaro BELTRAN (Mexico) d. Fernando RÍOS (Ecuador), 15-12, 15-2
Felipe CAMACHO (Costa Rica) - BYE
Pool C
Mario MERCADO (Colombia) d. Carlos KELLER (Bolivia), 15-14, 15-11
Juan SALVATIERRA (Guatemala) - BYE
Pool D
Rodrigo MONTOYA (Mexico) d. Ramón DE LEÓN (Dominican Republic), 15-0, 15-7
Maykel MOYET (Cuba) d. Erik MENDOZA (Peru), 15-3, 15-2
Pool E
Jake BREDENBECK (USA) d. Sebastian FRANCO (Colombia), 15-10, 15-9
Edwin GALICIA (Guatemala) d. Jonathan LUQUE (Peru), 15-3, 15-6
Pool F
Samuel MURRAY (Canada) d. Luis PÉREZ (Dominican Republic), 15-13, 13-15, 11-0
Enier CHACÓN (Cuba) d. Fernando KURZBARD (Argentina), 15-12, 15-12
Pool G
Shai MANZURI (Argentina) d. Francisco TRONCOSO (Chile), 15-4, 15-10
Coby IWAASA (Canada) d. Charles PRATT (USA), 14-15, 15-11, 11-9
Women’s Singles
Pool A
Maria José VARGAS (Argentina) d. Gabriela MARTINEZ (Guatemala), 15-4, 12-15, 11-9
Alejandra JIMÉNEZ (Dominican Republic) - BYE
Pool B
Paola LONGORIA (Mexico) d. Merynanyelly DELGADO (Dominican Republic), 15-3, 15-2
Maria RODRIGUEZ (Guatemala) - BYE
Pool C
Natalia MENDEZ (Argentina) d. Adriana RIVEROS (Colombia), 15-10, 15-13
Lilian ZEA (Venezuela) - BYE
Pool D
Rhonda RAJSICH (USA) d. Montserrat MEJIA (Mexico), 15-4, 15-7
Frédérique LAMBERT (Canada) - BYE
Pool E
María Regla VIERA (Cuba) d. Josefa PARADA (Chile), 15-1, 15-4
Valeria CENTELLAS (Bolivia) d. Cristina AMAYA (Colombia), 14-15, 15-14, 11-9
Pool F
Maria Paz MUÑOZ (Ecuador) d. Kelani LAWRENCE (USA), 15-5, 15-6
Maricruz ORTIZ (Costa Rica) d. Jennifer SAUNDERS (Canada), 15-8, 14-15, 11-8
Pool G
Angelica BARRIOS (Bolivia) d. Maria José MUÑOZ (Ecuador), 15-3, 15-5
Carla MUÑOZ (Chile) d. Loraine FELIPE (Cuba), 15-12, 15-2
Men’s Doubles
Pool A
Fernando RÍOS & José UGALDE (Ecuador) d. Jonathan LUQUE & Sebastian MENDIGURI (Peru), 15-2, 15-1
Roland KELLER & Conrrado MOSCOSO (Bolivia) d. Sebastian FRANCO & Mario MERCADO (Colombia), 15-7, 15-4
Pool B
Rocky CARSON & Charles PRATT (USA) d. Coby IWAASA & Samuel MURRAY (Canada), 15-12, 10-15, 11-9
Fernando KURZBARD & Shai MANZURI (Argentina) d. Edwin GALICIA & Juan SALVATIERRA (Guatemala), 15-9, 15-10
Pool C
Javier MAR & Rodrigo MONTOYA (Mexico) d. Andres ACUÑA & Felipe CAMACHO (Costa Rica), 15-2, 15-0
Ramón DE LEÓN & Luis PEREZ (Dominican Republic) d. Enier CHACÓN & Maykel MOYET (Cuba), 15-7, 4-15, 11-4
Women’s Doubles
Pool A
Paola LONGORIA & Samantha SALAS (Mexico) d. d. Maria José MUÑOZ & Maria Paz MUÑOZ (Ecuador), 15-4, 15-3
Kelani LAWRENCE & Rhonda RAJSICH (USA) - BYE
Pool B
Natalia MENDEZ & Maria José VARGAS (Argentina) d. Cristina AMAYA & Adriana RIVEROS (Colombia), 15-11, 15-6
Loraine FELIPE & María Regla VIERA (Cuba) d. Carla MUÑOZ & Josefa PARADA (Chile), 6-15, 15-13, 11-9
Pool C
Angelica BARRIOS & Jenny DAZA (Bolivia) d. Frédérique LAMBERT & Jennifer SAUNDERS (Canada), 15-13, 10-15, 11-6
Gabriela MARTINEZ & Maria RODRIGUEZ (Guatemala) d. Merynanyelly DELGADO & Alejandra JIMÉNEZ (Dominican Republic), 15-1, 15-8
Follow the bouncing ball….
In Men’s Singles, Colombia’s Mario Mercado knocked off current Pan American Champion Carlos Keller of Bolivia, 15-14, 15-11, which should give Mercado the inside track to claim the 3rd seed in the medal round. Keller defeated the USA’s Charles Pratt to win Men’s Singles at the 2019 Pan Am Championships earlier this year, but Pratt also lost on Friday, as Canadian Coby Iwaasa defeated him in three games, 14-15, 15-11, 11-9.
In other matches, Samuel Murray - Iwaasa’s team-mate - also needed three games to win Friday, as he went the distance with Luis Pérez of the Dominican Republic, 15-13, 13-15, 11-0. Also, Conrrado Moscoso - Bolivia’s other player - needed a tie-breaker to fend off Andres Acuña of Costa Rica, 15-12, 9-15, 11-6. Finally, in a battle of two solid International Racquetball Tour (IRT) players, the USA’s Jake Bredenbeck beat Colombia’s Sebastian Franco, 15-10, 15-9.
In Women’s Singles, you could hardly get a closer match than the one played by Bolivian Valeria Centallas and Colombian Cristina Amaya, as they went three games with Cenellas narrowly coming out on top, 14-15, 15-14, 11-9. In another match that went breaker, Maria José Vargas of Argentina defeated Gabriela Martinez of Guatemala, 15-4, 12-15, 11-9.
Two somewhat surprising results were USA veteran Rhonda Rajsich beating young Mexican Montserrat Mejia, 15-4, 15-7, and Maria Paz Muñoz of Ecuador defeated Kelani Lawrence of the USA, 15-5, 15-6. Those results surprise us not by who won, but by the margin of victory, which was surprisingly decisive.
In Men’s Doubles there were two matches that went breaker on Friday. The USA’s Rocky Carson and Charles Pratt fended off Canadians Coby Iwaasa and Samuel Murray, 15-12, 10-15, 11-9. The Canadians led 9-7 in the breaker, but the USA got the serve back and won four straight points to win the match. Also, Dominicans Ramón De León and Luis Perez needed three games to defeat Cubans Enier Chacón and Maykel Moyet, 15-7, 4-15, 11-4.
Cuba and Canada were also involved in tie-breakers in Women’s Doubles. Cubans Loraine Felipe and María Regla Viera defeated Carla Muñoz and Josefa Parada of Chile, 6-15, 15-13, 11-9, while Bolivians Angelica Barrios and Jenny Daza beat Canadians Frédérique Lambert and Jennifer Saunders, 15-13, 10-15, 11-6.
Group play continues Saturday in Lima. The medal round will begin Monday with the finals on Wednesday. Then on Thursday a team competition will begin with each country fielding two singles players and a doubles team in a best of three matches against each other. The finals of the team competition will be Saturday.
2019 Pan American Games, Lima, Peru
Group Stage Matches - Day 1
Men’s Singles
Pool A
Conrrado MOSCOSO (Bolivia) d. Andres ACUÑA (Costa Rica), 15-12, 9-15, 11-6
José UGALDE (Ecuador) - BYE
Pool B
Alvaro BELTRAN (Mexico) d. Fernando RÍOS (Ecuador), 15-12, 15-2
Felipe CAMACHO (Costa Rica) - BYE
Pool C
Mario MERCADO (Colombia) d. Carlos KELLER (Bolivia), 15-14, 15-11
Juan SALVATIERRA (Guatemala) - BYE
Pool D
Rodrigo MONTOYA (Mexico) d. Ramón DE LEÓN (Dominican Republic), 15-0, 15-7
Maykel MOYET (Cuba) d. Erik MENDOZA (Peru), 15-3, 15-2
Pool E
Jake BREDENBECK (USA) d. Sebastian FRANCO (Colombia), 15-10, 15-9
Edwin GALICIA (Guatemala) d. Jonathan LUQUE (Peru), 15-3, 15-6
Pool F
Samuel MURRAY (Canada) d. Luis PÉREZ (Dominican Republic), 15-13, 13-15, 11-0
Enier CHACÓN (Cuba) d. Fernando KURZBARD (Argentina), 15-12, 15-12
Pool G
Shai MANZURI (Argentina) d. Francisco TRONCOSO (Chile), 15-4, 15-10
Coby IWAASA (Canada) d. Charles PRATT (USA), 14-15, 15-11, 11-9
Women’s Singles
Pool A
Maria José VARGAS (Argentina) d. Gabriela MARTINEZ (Guatemala), 15-4, 12-15, 11-9
Alejandra JIMÉNEZ (Dominican Republic) - BYE
Pool B
Paola LONGORIA (Mexico) d. Merynanyelly DELGADO (Dominican Republic), 15-3, 15-2
Maria RODRIGUEZ (Guatemala) - BYE
Pool C
Natalia MENDEZ (Argentina) d. Adriana RIVEROS (Colombia), 15-10, 15-13
Lilian ZEA (Venezuela) - BYE
Pool D
Rhonda RAJSICH (USA) d. Montserrat MEJIA (Mexico), 15-4, 15-7
Frédérique LAMBERT (Canada) - BYE
Pool E
María Regla VIERA (Cuba) d. Josefa PARADA (Chile), 15-1, 15-4
Valeria CENTELLAS (Bolivia) d. Cristina AMAYA (Colombia), 14-15, 15-14, 11-9
Pool F
Maria Paz MUÑOZ (Ecuador) d. Kelani LAWRENCE (USA), 15-5, 15-6
Maricruz ORTIZ (Costa Rica) d. Jennifer SAUNDERS (Canada), 15-8, 14-15, 11-8
Pool G
Angelica BARRIOS (Bolivia) d. Maria José MUÑOZ (Ecuador), 15-3, 15-5
Carla MUÑOZ (Chile) d. Loraine FELIPE (Cuba), 15-12, 15-2
Men’s Doubles
Pool A
Fernando RÍOS & José UGALDE (Ecuador) d. Jonathan LUQUE & Sebastian MENDIGURI (Peru), 15-2, 15-1
Roland KELLER & Conrrado MOSCOSO (Bolivia) d. Sebastian FRANCO & Mario MERCADO (Colombia), 15-7, 15-4
Pool B
Rocky CARSON & Charles PRATT (USA) d. Coby IWAASA & Samuel MURRAY (Canada), 15-12, 10-15, 11-9
Fernando KURZBARD & Shai MANZURI (Argentina) d. Edwin GALICIA & Juan SALVATIERRA (Guatemala), 15-9, 15-10
Pool C
Javier MAR & Rodrigo MONTOYA (Mexico) d. Andres ACUÑA & Felipe CAMACHO (Costa Rica), 15-2, 15-0
Ramón DE LEÓN & Luis PEREZ (Dominican Republic) d. Enier CHACÓN & Maykel MOYET (Cuba), 15-7, 4-15, 11-4
Women’s Doubles
Pool A
Paola LONGORIA & Samantha SALAS (Mexico) d. d. Maria José MUÑOZ & Maria Paz MUÑOZ (Ecuador), 15-4, 15-3
Kelani LAWRENCE & Rhonda RAJSICH (USA) - BYE
Pool B
Natalia MENDEZ & Maria José VARGAS (Argentina) d. Cristina AMAYA & Adriana RIVEROS (Colombia), 15-11, 15-6
Loraine FELIPE & María Regla VIERA (Cuba) d. Carla MUÑOZ & Josefa PARADA (Chile), 6-15, 15-13, 11-9
Pool C
Angelica BARRIOS & Jenny DAZA (Bolivia) d. Frédérique LAMBERT & Jennifer SAUNDERS (Canada), 15-13, 10-15, 11-6
Gabriela MARTINEZ & Maria RODRIGUEZ (Guatemala) d. Merynanyelly DELGADO & Alejandra JIMÉNEZ (Dominican Republic), 15-1, 15-8
Follow the bouncing ball….
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