Tuesday, April 12, 2022

Early medal round results from 2022 Pan American Championships

Bolivian Angelica Barrios, playing at home at the 2022 Pan American Racquetball Championships in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, was the big winner in Women’s Singles Tuesday, as the 10th seed knocked off 2nd seed Alexandra Herrera of Mexico, 15-9, 10-15, 15-9, 15-10, in the quarterfinals, after upsetting 7th seed Kelani Lawrence from the USA, 15-7, 10-15, 15-14, 15-10, in the Round of 16. Herrera was the hottest player on the Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT), winning the two most recent events, and Lawrence was the Women’s Singles silver medalist at the International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Championships last year, but won’t medal in Bolivia, but Barrios got the better of them both.

Next up for Barrios is a semi-final match versus 6th seed Gabriela Martinez of Guatemala, who had to come back from 0-2 down against 3rd seed Natalia Mendez of Argentina to win 12-15, 14-15, 15-11, 15-13, 11-8. Martinez trailed 13-10 in the fourth game, but won five straight rallies to force the tie-breaker.

The other semi-final in Women’s Singles will be top seed María José Vargas of Argentina versus 4th seed Carla Muñoz. In the quarters, Vargas beat 9th seed Micaela Meneses of Bolivia, 15-12, 15-7, 15-11, while Muñoz defeated USA veteran and four time former Pan Am Champion Rhonda Rajsich, 15-13, 10-15, 15-11, 15-13.

There were four Round of 16 matches in Men’s Singles, and while one of them was an upset by the seedings, it wasn’t really an upset. Andres Acuña of Costa Rica, who was the silver medalist at Worlds last year, was seeded 11th and defeated 6th seed Elias Nieto of Mexico, 15-8, 15-14, 15-9. Nieto was also playing his first event on the Mexican team, while Acuña is a veteran of international competition.

Acuña followed up his win over Nieto by knocking off 3rd seed and two time defending Pan Am Champion Carlos Keller of Bolivia in the quarterfinals, 15-11, 15-6, 15-12. He'll face second seed Alejandro Landa of the USA in the semi-finals Wednesday, as Landa defeated Canadian Samuel Murray in four games, 15-12, 9-15, 15-12, 15-10.

On the top of the draw, #1 seed Conrrado Moscoso of Bolivia beat 8th seed Diego Garcia of Argentina, 15-9, 15-10, 15-13, to set up a showdown with 5th seed Rodrigo Montoya of Mexico. Montoya defeated 4th seed Jake Bredenbeck of the USA, 15-9, 15-8, 15-11. Overall, players from four different countries (Bolivia, Costa Rica, Mexico, USA) are in Men's Singles semi-finals at the Pan American Championships.

The top three teams in Women's Doubles are through to the semi-finals. Top seeds Alejandra Herrera and Samantha Salas from Mexico beat 8th seeds Anna Aguilar and Andrea Reyes of Guatemala, 15-5, 15-8, 15-3. They’ll play Bolivians Micaela Meneses and Yazmine Sabja in the semis, as they defeated the Chilean team of Paula Manilla and Carla Muñoz, 15-13, 15-11, 15-7.

It’ll be #2 versus #3 on the bottom of the draw, as the 2nd seeded Argentine team of Natalia Mendez and Maria Jose Vargas beat Canadians Alexis Iwaasa and Cassie Prentice, 15-8, 15-6, 15-11, and the 3rd seeded USA team of Erika Manilla and Rhonda Rajsich defeated 6th seeds Cristina Amaya and Maria Paz Riquelme from Colombia, 15-9, 15-5, 15-11.

The four top seeds won their respective quarterfinals in Men’s Doubles, although the 3rd seeds Ecuador’s Juan Francisco Cueva and Jose Daniel Ugalde squeaked by the 6th seeded home side of Bolivians Kadim Carrasco and Carlos Keller, 15-13, 15-14, 15-14. So, Bolivia, who won both gold in Men’s Doubles at the last Pan Am Championships will not medal at home this year.

Ecuador will play the winner of Costa Rica’s Andres Acuña and Gabriel Garcia and Argentina’s Diego Garcia and Tomàs Oyhanart in the semi-finals.

On the top side of the draw, the USA team of brothers Jake Bredenbeck and Sam Bredenbeck defeated Colombians Set Cubillos and Mario Mercado in three straight games, 15-14, 15-9, 15-8, and Canadians Coby Iwaasa and Samuel Murray did the same against Mexicans Elias Nieto and Erick Trujillo, 15-7, 15-9, 15-8, so the USA and Canada will face off in the semis for a chance to win gold.

Matches have been streamed by the International Racquetball Federation (IRF), so check out the IRF Facebook page or the IRF YouTube channel.

XXXIII Pan American Racquetball Championships
Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia - April 9-16, 2022

Note: the times below are Bolivian time, which is the same as Eastern Daylight Time in North America.

Women's Singles

Round of 16 - Tuesday

1) María José Vargas (Argentina) - BYE
9) Micaela Meneses (Bolivia) d. 8) Merynanyelly Delgado (Dominican Republic), 15-7, 15-12, 15-11

5) Rhonda Rajsich (USA) - BYE
4) Carla Muñoz (Chile) - BYE

3) Natalia Mendez (Argentina) - BYE
6) Gabriela Martinez (Guatemala) - BYE

10) Angelica Barrios (Bolivia) d. 7) Kelani Lawrence (USA), 15-7, 10-15, 15-14, 15-10
2) Alexandra Herrera (Mexico) - BYE

Quarterfinals - Tuesday

1) María José Vargas (Argentina) d. 9) Micaela Meneses (Bolivia), 15-12, 15-7, 15-11
4) Carla Muñoz (Chile) d. 5) Rhonda Rajsich (USA), 15-13, 10-15, 15-11, 15-13

6) Gabriela Martinez (Guatemala) d. 3) Natalia Mendez (Argentina), 12-15, 14-15, 15-11, 15-13, 11-8
10) Angelica Barrios (Bolivia) d. 2) Alexandra Herrera (Mexico), 15-9, 10-15, 15-9, 15-10

Semi-finals - Wednesday

1) María José Vargas (Argentina) v. 4) Carla Muñoz (Chile) - Noon
6) Gabriela Martinez (Guatemala) v. 10) Angelica Barrios (Bolivia) - 11:15 AM

Men's Singles

Round of 16 - Tuesday

1) Conrrado Moscoso (Bolivia) - BYE
8) Diego Garcia (Argentina) d. 9) Jose Daniel Ugalde (Ecuador), 15-9, 15-12, 15-4

5) Rodrigo Montoya (Mexico) d. 12) Juan Francisco Cueva (Ecuador), 15-7, 12-15, 15-12, 15-10
4) Jake Bredenbeck (USA) - BYE

3) Carlos Keller (Bolivia) - BYE
11) Andres Acuña (Costa Rica) d. 6) Elias Nieto (Mexico), 15-8, 15-14, 15-9

7) Samuel Murray (Canada) d. 10) Felipe Camacho (Costa Rica), 15-2, 15-2, 15-11
2) Alejandro Landa (USA) - BYE

Quarterfinals - Tuesday

1) Conrrado Moscoso (Bolivia) d. 8) Diego Garcia (Argentina), 15-9, 15-10, 15-13
5) Rodrigo Montoya (Mexico) d. 4) Jake Bredenbeck (USA), 15-9, 15-8, 15-11

11) Andres Acuña (Costa Rica) d. 3) Carlos Keller (Bolivia), 15-11, 15-6, 15-12
2) Alejandro Landa (USA) d. 7) Samuel Murray (Canada), 15-12, 9-15, 15-12, 15-10

Semi-finals - Wednesday

1) Conrrado Moscoso (Bolivia) v. 5) Rodrigo Montoya (Mexico) - 10:30 AM
2) Alejandro Landa (USA) v. 11) Andres Acuña (Costa Rica) - 9:45 AM

Women's Doubles

Quarterfinals - Tuesday

1) Alejandra Herrera & Samantha Salas (Mexico) d. 8) Anna Aguilar & Andrea Reyes (Guatemala), 15-5, 15-8, 15-3
5) Micaela Meneses & Yazmine Sabja (Bolivia) d. 4) Paula Manilla & Carla Muñoz (Chile), 15-13, 15-11, 15-7

3) Erika Manilla & Rhonda Rajsich (USA) d. 6) Cristina Amaya & Maria Paz Riquelme (Colombia), 15-9, 15-5, 15-11
2) Natalia Mendez & Maria Jose Vargas (Argentina) d. 7) Alexis Iwaasa & Cassie Prentice (Canada), 15-8, 15-6, 15-11

Semi-finals - Wednesday

1) Alejandra Herrera & Samantha Salas (Mexico) v. 5) Micaela Meneses & Yazmine Sabja (Bolivia) - 3 PM
2) Natalia Mendez & Maria Jose Vargas (Argentina) v. 3) Erika Manilla & Rhonda Rajsich (USA) - 2:15 PM

Men's Doubles

Round of 16 - Tuesday

1) Jake Bredenbeck & Sam Bredenbeck (USA) - BYE
8) Set Cubillos & Mario Mercado (Colombia) d. 9) Rafael Gatica & Rodrigo Salgado Jr. (Chile), 15-13, 15-5, 15-6

5) Elias Nieto & Erick Trujillo (Mexico) - BYE
4) Coby Iwaasa & Samuel Murray (Canada) - BYE

3) Juan Francisco Cueva & Jose Daniel Ugalde (Ecuador) - BYE
6) Kadim Carrasco & Carlos Keller (Bolivia) - BYE

7) Diego Garcia & Tomàs Oyhanart (Argentina) d. 10) Geovani Mendoza & Juan Salvatierra (Guatemala), 15-8, 7-15, 15-10, 10-15, 11-6
2) Andres Acuña & Gabriel Garcia (Costa Rica) - BYE

Quarterfinals - Tuesday

1) Jake Bredenbeck & Sam Bredenbeck (USA) d. 8) Set Cubillos & Mario Mercado (Colombia), 15-14, 15-9, 15-8
4) Coby Iwaasa & Samuel Murray (Canada) d. 5) Elias Nieto & Erick Trujillo (Mexico), 15-7, 15-9, 15-8

3) Juan Francisco Cueva & Jose Daniel Ugalde (Ecuador) d. 6) Kadim Carrasco & Carlos Keller (Bolivia), 15-13, 15-14, 15-14
2) Andres Acuña & Gabriel Garcia (Costa Rica) d. 7) Diego Garcia & Tomàs Oyhanart (Argentina), 15-12, 15-10, 15-6

Semi-finals - Wednesday

1) Jake Bredenbeck & Sam Bredenbeck (USA) v. 4) Coby Iwaasa & Samuel Murray (Canada) - 1:30 PM
2) Andres Acuña & Gabriel Garcia (Costa Rica) v. 3) Juan Francisco Cueva & Jose Daniel Ugalde (Ecuador) - 12:45 PM

Mixed Doubles

Round of 16 - Tuesday

1) Micaela Meneses & Conrrado Moscoso (Bolivia) - BYE
8) Gabriela Martinez & Edwin Galicia (Guatemala) d. 9) Cristina Amaya & Mario Mercado (Colombia), 15-14, 13-15, 15-12, 15-8

5) Valeria Centellas & Diego Garcia (Argentina) - BYE
4) Rodrigo Salgado Jr. & Carla Muñoz (Chile) - BYE

3) Coby Iwaasa & Juliette Parent (Canada) - BYE
6) Rodrigo Montoya & Samantha Salas (Mexico) - BYE

10) Felipe Camacho & Maricruz Ortiz (Costa Rica) d. 7) Merynanyelly Delgado & Ramón De León (Dominican Republic), 13-15, 9-15, 15-14, 15-11, 11-5
2) Alejandro Landa & Erika Manilla (USA) - BYE

Quarterfinals - Tuesday

1) Micaela Meneses & Conrrado Moscoso (Bolivia) d. 8) Gabriela Martinez & Edwin Galicia (Guatemala), 15-10, 15-8, 15-12
5) Valeria Centellas & Diego Garcia (Argentina) d. 4) Rodrigo Salgado Jr. & Carla Muñoz (Chile), 15-5, 15-6, 15-12

6) Rodrigo Montoya & Samantha Salas (Mexico) d. 3) Coby Iwaasa & Juliette Parent (Canada), 15-6, 15-9, 15-12
2) Alejandro Landa & Erika Manilla (USA) d. 10) Felipe Camacho & Maricruz Ortiz (Costa Rica), 15-6, 15-10, 15-6

Semi-finals - Wednesday

1) Micaela Meneses & Conrrado Moscoso (Bolivia) v. 5) Valeria Centellas & Diego Garcia (Argentina) - 4:30 PM
2) Alejandro Landa & Erika Manilla (USA) v. 6) Rodrigo Montoya & Samantha Salas (Mexico) - 4:30 PM

Follow the bouncing ball….

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