Semi-finals at Mexican National Selection Team Event

Rodrigo Montoya - the current International Racquetball Federation (IRF) Men's Singles World Champion and Pan American Games Men’s Singles Champion — lost in the Round of 16 to Eduardo Portillo, 15-9, 15-11, at the 2020 Mexican National Team Selection Event in Tijuana. The loss means Montoya won’t be able to defend his World Championship at the 2020 IRF World Championships in August.

Ouch.

How Montoya and Portillo - the 11th and 9th players on the International Racquetball Tour (IRT) - were seeded 7th and 10th in this event may be puzzling, but in this event last year, Montoya was only a quarterfinalist and Portillo lost in the Round of 32.

The Men’s Singles final will be #1 versus #2, as veteran Alvaro Beltran will take on Daniel De La Rosa in the final Saturday. In Friday’s semi-finals, Beltran needed a tie-breaker to defeat 4th seed Javier Mar, 15-8, 1-15, 11-9, while De La Rosa defeated a surprise semi-finalist in 11th seed Sebastian Fernandez, 15-10, 15-11. Also, De La Rosa ousted Portillo in the quarterfinals, 15-12, 14-15, 11-2.

In women’s play, the top half of the draw has been full of surprises. Ninth seed Jessica Parrilla upset top seed Monserrat Mejia, 15-9, 15-11, in the quarterfinals. Mejia won this event last year by upsetting Paola Longoria in the final.

This year Parrilla will play Longoria in the final Saturday, as Parrilla defeated 12th seed Lucia Gonzalez, 15-12, 15-10, in one semi-final, and Longoria beat 3rd seed Samantha Salas Solis, 15-14, 15-9, in the other.

Gonzalez got to the semis with two upset wins. She beat 5th seed Nancy Enriquez in the Round of 16, 15-2, 15-11, and then outlasted 4th seed Alexandra Herrera, 15-11, 8-15, 11-2, in the quarterfinals.

Campeonato Nacional Selectivo FMR
Tijuana, Mexico - February 25-29, 2020

Women's Open - Final - Saturday

2) Paola Longoria v. 9) Jessica Parrilla - 2 PM

3rd Place - Saturday

2) Samantha Salas Solis d. 12) Lucia Gonzalez - Noon

Semi-finals

9) Jessica Parrilla d. 12) Lucia Gonzalez, 15-12, 15-10
2) Paola Longoria d. 3) Samantha Salas Solis, 15-14, 15-9

Quarterfinals

9) Jessica Parrilla d. 1) Monserrat Mejia, 15-9, 15-11
12) Lucia Gonzalez d. 4) Alexandra Herrera, 15-11, 8-15, 11-2

3) Samantha Salas Solis d. 6) Susana Acosta, 15-4, 15-9
2) Paola Longoria d. 10) Erin Rivera, 15-0, 15-3

Round of 16

1) Monserrat Mejia - BYE
9) Jessica Parrilla d. 8) Ximena Martinez, 15-10, 15-0

12) Lucia Gonzalez d. 5) Nancy Enriquez, 15-2, 15-11
4) Alexandra Herrera d. 13) Angela Veronica Ortega Sabido, 15-3, 15-5

3) Samantha Salas Solis d. 14) Abril Sacristán, 15-2, 15-0
6) Susana Acosta d. 11) Karime Estrella, 15-6, 15-10

10) Erin Rivera d. 7) Maria Gutierrez, 15-9, 15-12
2) Paola Longoria d. 15) Alejandra Zuniga, 15-1, 15-1

Women's Open Doubles

Final - Saturday

1) Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas Solis v. 2) Alexandra Herrera & Monserrat Mejia - 5 PM

Semi-finals - Friday

1) Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas Solis d. 4) Erin Rivera & Jessica Parrilla, 15-9, 15-10
2) Alexandra Herrera & Monserrat Mejia d. 6) Maria Gutierrez & Angela Veronica Ortega Sabido, 15-3, 15-4

Quarterfinals

1) Paola Longoria & Samantha Salas Solis d. 8) Cythia Gutierrez & Naomi Ros, 15-3, 15-0
4) Erin Rivera & Jessica Parrilla d. 5) Nancy Enriquez & Daniela Rios, 15-3, 15-9

6) Maria Gutierrez & Angela Veronica Ortega Sabido d. 3) Susana Acosta & Abril Sacristán, 15-1, 9-15, 11-7
2) Alexandra Herrera & Monserrat Mejia d. 7) Ximena Martinez & Alejandra Zuñiga, 15-7, 15-5

Men's Open Singles

Final - Saturday

1) Alvaro Beltran v. 2) Daniel De La Rosa - 1 PM

3rd Place - Saturday

4) Javier Mar v. 11) Sebastian Fernandez - 11 AM

Semi-finals

1) Alvaro Beltran d. 4) Javier Mar, 15-8, 1-15, 11-9
2) Daniel De La Rosa d. 11) Sebastian Fernandez, 15-10, 15-11

Quarterfinals

1) Alvaro Beltran d. 8) Christian Longoria, 12-15, 15-12, 11-3
4) Javier Mar d. 5) Gerardo Franco, 15-12, 15-5

11) Sebastian Fernandez d. 3) Alan Natera, 15-11, 15-11
2) Daniel De La Rosa d. 10) Eduardo Portillo, 15-12, 14-15, 11-2

Round of 16

1) Alvaro Beltran d. 17) Erick Cuevas Fernandez, 15-0, 15-13
8) Christian Longoria d. 9) Andree Parrilla, 15-6, 11-15, 11-4

5) Gerardo Franco d. 12) Javier Estrada, 15-6, 13-15, 11-7
4) Javier Mar d. 20) Manuel Moncada, 15-5, 15-8

3) Alan Natera d. 19) Sebastian Longoria, 15-10, 15-1
11) Sebastian Fernandez d. 6) Alejandro Cardona, 15-8, 15-8

10) Eduardo Portillo d. 7) Rodrigo Montoya, 15-9, 15-11
2) Daniel De La Rosa d. 18) Homar Prieto, 15-6, 15-5

Round of 32

1) Alvaro Beltran - BYE
17) Erick Cuevas Fernandez d. 16) Kevin Alejandro Rios Hernandez, 15-2, 15-3

9) Andree Parrilla d. 24) Miguel Rodriguez Jr., 15-6, 15-13
8) Christian Longoria d. 25) Andres Ruelas Jr., 15-5, 15-7

5) Gerardo Franco - BYE
12) Javier Estrada d. 21) Felipe Muñoz, 15-6, 15-4

20) Manuel Moncada d. 13) Daniel Rodriguez, 15-7, 15-10
4) Javier Mar - BYE

3) Alan Natera - BYE
19) Sebastian Longoria d. 14) Guillermo Jesus Ortega Jr., 15-9, 15-5

11) Sebastian Fernandez d. 22) Erick Trujillo, 15-11, 15-12
6) Alejandro Cardona - BYE

7) Rodrigo Montoya d. 26) Cesar Barragan, 15-5, 15-5
10) Eduardo Portillo d. 23) Juan Loreto, 15-2, 15-11

18) Homar Prieto d. 15) Fernando Gutiérrez, 15-2, 15-2
2) Daniel De La Rosa - BYE

Men's Open Doubles

Final - Saturday

1) Javier Mar & Rodrigo Montoya v. 2) Alvaro Beltran & Daniel De La Rosa - 4 PM

Semi-finals

1) Javier Mar & Rodrigo Montoya d. 4) Javier Estrada & Alan Natera, 15-4, 15-14
2) Alvaro Beltran & Daniel De La Rosa d. 6) Andree Parrilla & Eduardo Portillo, 8-15, 15-7, 11-10

Quarterfinals

1) Javier Mar & Rodrigo Montoya d. 9) Manuel Moncada & Guillermo Jesus Ortega Jr., 15-8, 15-2
4) Javier Estrada & Alan Natera d. 5) Sebastian Fernandez & Miguel Rodriguez Jr., 15-13, 15-12

6) Andree Parrilla & Eduardo Portillo d. 3) Sebastian Longoria & Erick Trujillo, 15-6, 15-5
2) Alvaro Beltran & Daniel De La Rosa d. 10) Cesar Barragan & Christian Longoria, 15-14, 15-11

Round of 16

1) Javier Mar & Rodrigo Montoya - BYE
9) Manuel Moncada & Guillermo Jesus Ortega Jr. d. 8) Omar Gastelum & Cristhian Sanchez, 15-9, 15-10

5) Sebastian Fernandez & Miguel Rodriguez Jr. d. 12) Alejandro Cardona & Gerardo Franco, 5-15, 15-7, 11-8
4) Javier Estrada & Alan Natera d. 13) Armando Cota & Javier Gonzalez Motta, 15-4, 15-5

3) Sebastian Longoria & Erick Trujillo - BYE
6) Andree Parrilla & Eduardo Portillo d. 11) Erick Cuevas Fernandez & Juan Loreto, 15-8, 15-7

10) Cesar Barragan & Christian Longoria d. 10) Homar Prieto & Sebastian Hernandez, 15-5, 15-10
2) Alvaro Beltran & Daniel De La Rosa - BYE

Follow the bouncing ball….