Top man and woman to face off in Mixed Doubles at 2021 Arizona Open

It rarely happens, but #1 will play #1 in the final of Mixed Doubles Sunday at the Arizona Open Racquetball Championships in Tempe, Arizona, as Paola Longoria - the #1 player on the Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) and her partner Alejandro Landa will take on Daniel De La Rosa - the #1 player on the International Racquetball Tour (IRT) and his partner (and wife) Michelle De La Rosa.

In the semi-finals, Longoria and Landa, who are seeded 1st in the draw, beat Andres Acuña and Maria Jose Vargas in two straight games, 15-8, 15-5. In the other semi, the De La Rosas needed three games to get by Alexandra Herrera and Sebastian Fernandez, 15-8, 13-15, 11-4. The De La Rosas made an adjustment after losing the first game, as they put Michelle on the left side, so she was on the same side as Longoria. The strategy worked, as they came back to take in three games.

The Mixed Doubles final will be at 1:15 PM Mountain time Sunday. Look for the action via the LPRT and IRT YouTube channels (LPRT YouTube channel & IRT YouTube.), as well as their respective Facebook pages.

Arizona Open Racquetball Championships
November 11-14, 2021 - Tempe, Arizona

Mixed Doubles - Semi-finals - Saturday

1) Alejandro Landa & Paola Longoria d. 12) Andres Acuña & Maria Jose Vargas, 15-8, 15-5
11) Daniel De La Rosa & Michelle De La Rosa d. 10) Sebastian Fernandez & Alexandra Herrera, 15-8, 13-15, 11-4

Mixed Doubles - Final - Sunday

1) Alejandro Landa & Paola Longoria v. 11) Daniel De La Rosa & Michelle De La Rosa - 1:15 PM

Follow the bouncing ball….

Longoria & Vargas in LPRT final at 2021 Arizona Open

The #1 and #2 players on the Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) will meet in the final of the Arizona Open in Tempe, Arizona on Sunday, when #1 Paola Longoria faces off with #2 Maria Jose Vargas. It’s the second consecutive final featuring these two players, as they battled in the US Open final last month, with Longoria winning in two straight games.

Vargas will be trying to change that outcome Sunday, but if she is to do it, she’ll have to not hit the ball to Longoria. Vargas did that often at the US Open, and so did 4th seed Gabriela Martinez, who Longoria beat in Saturday’s semi-final, 15-6, 15-5. Hitting the ball to your opponent is not a winning strategy, especially when that opponent is the #1 player in the world.

Vargas should feel encouraged by her performance in the semis on Saturday, as she played very well against 3rd seed Alexandra Herrera, winning 15-10, 15-6. If she can carry that good performance into Sunday’s final, then she’ll have a chance.

The LPRT final will be Sunday at 11:15 AM Mountain time. Look for the action via the LPRT YouTube channel, as well as the LPRT Facebook page.

Arizona Open Racquetball Championships
November 12-14, 2021 - Tempe, Arizona

LPRT Singles - Quarterfinals - Saturday

1) Paola Longoria d. 9) Rhonda Rajsich, 15-14, 15-9
4) Gabriela Martinez d. 5) Natalia Mendez, 15-10, 15-12

3) Alexandra Herrera d. 6) Angelica Barrios, 15-12, 15-12
2) Maria Jose Vargas d. 7) Jessica Parrilla, 12-15, 15-14, 11-4

LPRT Singles - Semi-finals - Saturday

1) Paola Longoria d. 4) Gabriela Martinez, 15-6, 15-5
2) Maria Jose Vargas d. 3) Alexandra Herrera, 15-10, 15-6

LPRT Singles - Final - Sunday

1) Paola Longoria v. 2) Maria Jose Vargas - 11:15 AM

Follow the bouncing ball….

Teams with the top women players are into semis of Mixed Doubles at 2021 Arizona Open

A wise man told us that a mixed doubles team is all about the woman, and that seems to be bearing out at the Arizona Open Racquetball Championships in Tempe, Arizona, as the top three players on the Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) and their International Racquetball Tour (IRT) playing partners are through to the semi-finals. The fourth team has the IRT’s #1 player.

Top seeds Paola Longoria - the LPRT’s #1 player - and Alejandro Landa won their quarterfinal match in two straight games, 15-1, 15-10. LPRT #2 Maria Jose Vargas and Andres Acuña also won in two games, though their games were close against the brother/sister side of Andree and Jessica Parrilla, with Vargas and Acuña winning 15-11, 15-12. Longoria and Landa will play Vargas and Acuña in the semis Saturday afternoon.

On the bottom of the draw, LPRT #3 Alexandra Herrera and Sebastian Fernandez came back from a game down to defeat the 2nd seeded team of Alvaro Beltran and Natalia Mendez, 12-15, 15-9, 11-7. In the semis, they’ll take on husband and wife team Daniel and Michelle De La Rosa, who also needed three games to get past the brother/sister side of Adam and Erika Manilla, winning 15-11, 11-15, 11-1.

That wise man also advised against playing mixed doubles with your spouse, but perhaps if you’re the IRT’s #1 player - as Daniel De La Rosa is, that doesn’t matter.

The Mixed Doubles semi-finals will be at 2 PM Saturday with the final at 1:15 PM Sunday. All times are Mountain. Look for the action via the LPRT and IRT YouTube channels (LPRT YouTube channel & IRT YouTube.), as well as their respective Facebook pages.

Arizona Open Racquetball Championships
November 11-14, 2021 - Tempe, Arizona

Mixed Doubles - Quarterfinals - Friday

1) Alejandro Landa & Paola Longoria d. 8) Jake Bredenbeck & Kelani Lawrence, 15-1, 15-10
12) Andres Acuña & Maria Jose Vargas d. 4) Andree Parrilla & Jessica Parrilla, 15-11, 15-12

11) Daniel De La Rosa & Michelle De La Rosa d. 14) Adam Manilla & Erika Manilla, 15-11, 11-15, 11-1
10) Sebastian Fernandez & Alexandra Herrera d. 2) Alvaro Beltran & Natalia Mendez, 12-15, 15-9, 11-7

Mixed Doubles - Semi-finals - Saturday

1) Alejandro Landa & Paola Longoria v. 12) Andres Acuña & Maria Jose Vargas - 2 PM
10) Sebastian Fernandez & Alexandra Herrera v. 11) Daniel De La Rosa & Michelle De La Rosa - 2 PM

Follow the bouncing ball….