2011 USA National Doubles Championships

Play has begun at the 44th USA National Doubles Championship in Tempe, Arizona. Some of the matches in the men's and women's US Team Qualifying Divisions can be seen via the IRT Network.com.

The odds on favorite in the men's division is the team of Rocky Carson and Jack Huczek. The pair have won 5 doubles championships together, which ties them for most ever with Dan Obremski, who won four times with Doug Ganim and once with Kelvin Vantrease.

The other big story in the men's competition is the absence of Ben Croft, who was one of the defending champions with Mitch Williams. However, Williams's shoulder injury and announced retirement from the International Racquetball Tour (IRT) have left Croft without his fellow champion.

Thus, it seems Croft has chosen to sit this one out rather than play with someone else. Given the hectic IRT schedule Croft has had it's probably a good choice for him to rest up.

Finally also curious is that the 2nd seeded team is Jason Mannino, who retired from the IRT last year to become its commissioner full time, and Eric Muller, who won two doubles titles with John Ellis in the early 1990's.

In women's play, four time defending champions Aimee Ruiz and Jackie Paraiso and looking to win a fifth this weekend in Tempe. If they win, it will be a seventh straight title for Ruiz, who also won twice with Laura Fenton, and Paraiso will have taken 7 of of the last 9 titles. The last time the winning team didn't have Ruiz or Paraiso was 2001 when Cheryl Gudinas and Kim Russell won.

Both Gudinas and Russell-Waselenchuk are in Tempe to try and knock off the champions. But they aren't playing together. Gudinas has teamed up with Krystal Csuk and Russell-Waselenchuk is playing with Rhonda Rajsich.

Also of note is Kristen Bellow playing her first tournament since December 2009. She's partnered with Janel Tisinger.

2011 44th USA Racquetball National Doubles Championships
Tempe, Arizona
US National Team Division

Men's

First Round
Jeff Stark & Shawn Royster d. Blake Joseph Martin & Brian Pineda, 15-6, 15-11
Jansen Allen & Tony Carson d. Mike Orr & Travis Aldinger, 13-15, 15-4, 11-6
Anthony Herrera & John Scott d. Dale Valentine & Jared Imhausen, 15-6, 15-10

Quarter finals
Jack Huczek & Rocky Carson v. Anthony Herrera & John Scott
Cliff Swain & Josh Tucker v. Andy Hawthorne & Jose Rojas
Chris Crowther & Shane Vanderson v. Jeff Stark & Shawn Royster
Eric Muller & Jason Mannino v. Jansen Allen & Tony Carson

Women's

Quarter finals
Jacqueline Paraiso & Aimee Ruiz - BYE
Danielle Key & Michelle Key vs Janel Tisinger & Kristen Bellows
Krystal Csuk & Cheryl Gudinas vs Laura Fenton & Liz Alvarado
Kim Russell-Waselenchuk & Rhonda Rajsich vs. Kelani Bailey & Malia Bailey

Semi-finals
Jacqueline Paraiso & Aimee Ruiz vs Danielle Key & Michelle Key or Janel Tisinger & Kristen Bellows
Kelani Bailey & Malia Bailey or Kim Russell-Waselenchuk & Rhonda Rajsich vs. Krystal Csuk & Cheryl Gudinas or Laura Fenton & Liz Alvarado

Follow the bouncing ball....

Green and Lambert win Racquetball Canada's National Team Selection Event

Mike Green, the current Canadian racquetball champion, defeated Vincent Gagnon on Sunday to win the Racquetball Canada National Team Selection Event in Brossard, Que. at Nautilus Plus. Green dropped the first game to Gagnon, but then came back to win the match in a tie-breaker, 10-15, 15-7, 11-4.

Green, a 6 time Canadian Champion, also defeated Gagnon at last year's Canadian National Championship, so could be back at #1 in Canada, a position he held until 2009. (this pending a release of official Racquetball Canada rankings).

Tim Landeryou took 3rd place by defeating Kris Odegard, 8-15, 15-12, 13-11, although there was a scary incident in the middle of game two as Odegard accidentally hit Landeryou in the head as he was swinging for the ball. Landeryou had gone down to make a shot and was just getting up as Odegard swung. It looked like there was room to swing but Odegard caught Landeryou right in the side of the head just in front of Landeryou's left ear.

Landeryou went down immediately, and stayed down for some time. But after taking a few minutes of injury time he was able to continue the match with Odegard serving at 10-9. Landeryou then scored 6 of the next 8 points to force a tie-breaker and fought off a match point at 10-9 in that tie-breaker to win it 13-11.

On the women's side, Frédérique Lambert upset top seed and current Canadian champion Jennifer Saunders in two straight games, 17-15, 15-10. Lambert was sharp, and Saunders couldn't quite match the younger player's shooting accuracy.

Third place went to Josée Grand'Maître defeated Brandi Jacobson Prentice, 15-1, 15-4.

The 8 players who finished in the top four this weekend should comprise Team Canada for the 2011 Pan American Championships in Nicaragua in April based on the combination of these current results combined with results from the National Team Selection Event in November 2010 in Edmonton, Que. and those from last year's Canadian National Championships.

Racquetball Canada National Team Selection Event, Brossard, Quebec

Men's Results

1st place - Mike Green (Burlington, Ont.) d. Vincent Gagnon (Monteral), 10-15, 15-7, 11-4

3rd place - Tim Landeryou (Saskatoon) d. Kris Odegard (Saskatoon), 8-15, 15-12, 13-11

5th place - Pedro Castro (Montreal) d. Francis Guillemette (Mercier, Que.), 15-9, 15-13

7th place - Lee Connell (Saskatoon) d. Eric Desrochers (Burlington, Ont.), 15-2, injury default

9th place - Nathaniel Husulak (Saskatoon) d. François Viens (Delson, Que.), 15-8, 15-13

11th place - Mike Burgess (Fort MacMurray, Alta.) d. Colin Mohr (Regina), 15-5, 10-15, 11-5

Women's Results

1st place - Frédérique Lambert (Montreal) d. Jennifer Saunders (Winnipeg), 17-15, 15-10

3rd place - Josée Grand'Maître (Longueuil, Que.) d. Brandi Jacobson Prentice (Montreal), 15-1, 15-4

5th place - Christine Richardson (Regina) d. Valérie Fallu (Brossard, Que.), 15-2, 15-12

Follow the bouncing ball....

Happy Trails Mitch Williams!

Former US National Singles champion Mitch Williams has announced his retirement from the International Racquetball Tour (IRT) due to his left shoulder injury. He's the reigning two time World Champion in doubles, winning last year with Ben Croft and in 2008 with Jason Thoerner. The press release on the IRT website indicated that Williams would play "a limited schedule of amateur and satellite events once his shoulder is healed." Thus, he may still play for the US in the future.

In 75 IRT events, Williams reached the finals once and semi-finals three times, including twice this season. However, at last year's US Open Williams injured himself when he was diving for a ball during his quarter final match with Croft. At the time, Williams was up 9-4 in the fourth game and ahead two games to one. It looked like he was going to reach his first US Open semi.

But the dive resulted in a dislocated left shoulder, and although Williams tried to continue, he wasn't able to go on. Williams played two events in January, but was not 100%. Thus, his decision to retire.

Williams won the US National Singles Championship in 2007, defeating Shane Vanderson in the final and Rocky Carson in the semis. He also won the US National Doubles Championship in 2007 and 2010 both times with Croft as his partner, and was runner up in 2008 with Jason Thoerner and 2009 with Croft.

Williams finished in the top 10 on the IRT in each of the last five seasons with his highest ranking being 6th at the end of both the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons.

Originally from North Carolina but now residing in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Williams's game style was very aggressive. A left hander, he almost exclusively used drive serves and then hit the ball all out during rallies. He was sponsored by Wilson Racquet Sports and will continue to work with them doing clinics around the US.

The Racquetball Blog staff always found Williams easy to talk to and enjoyed doing so. We wish him the best in his retirement and the next part of his life.

Follow the bouncing ball....