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Canadian Racquetball Teams take home silver from World ChampionshipsSANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic : August 11, 2006. - Canada's men's and women's racquetball teams will take home silver medals from the 2006 International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Championships in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The women's team final came down to Jennifer Saunders of Winnipeg against Amercian Cheryl Gudinas. This was to be expected, but exactly how it happened wasn't expected. In the first match, Christie Van Hees of Calgary lost to Rhonda Rajsich, 15-11, 8-15, 11-3, which wasn't expected as Van Hees had won the individual round of the competition last Sunday. Van Hees credited her opponent saying Rajsich "played well, and kept me off balance." It was "really disappointing" for her, but Van Hees was confident saying "we're not out yet," despite her loss. But doubles team of Josée Grand'Maître (Longueuil, Que.) and Lori-Jane Powell (Calgary) had to beat the Americans Amiee Ruiz and Laura Fenton who had won the doubles crown earlier in the week. But the Canadians were coming off their best match of the tournament Thursday when they beat Japan. In game one, the Canadians fell behind 8-5, then came back to 14-14, before losing at 15-14. Game two was also close all the way, but Canada got the lead late 13-11 and then held on to win 15-14. That gave Canada momentum that they used to good effect in the tie-breaker, jumping out to a 6-1 lead and winning 11-6. Afterwards Powell said "it didn't feel like an upset," but any time you beat a World Champion, it's an upset. The doubles win gave Canada a great boost and hope to break the American streak of women's titles. Early in the Saunders and Gudinas match, it was looking like the streak would be broken as Saunders went up 12-6. However, Saunders could not get off 12 despite having over 10 opportunities to do so. Thus, Gudinas slowly got back into the game, tying it at 12 and eventually winning 15-12. With no momentum on her side, Saunders found the going even tougher in game two and never really got on track. Gudinas took that game also, 15-4 and the American women's team title streak is intact. Saunders said she "tried everything I could think of," but nothing worked. Gudinas kept using a lob z serve to Saunders's forehand and it was effective. "It was a crazy rollar coaster day for the women's team," Saunders said. The men's team was also in tough on Friday against the Americans as Jack Huczek the number 2 ranked player on the International Racquetball Tour (IRT) was playing both singles and doubles (with Rocky Carson) for the US. In the first match, Huczek defeated Kris Odegard of Saskatoon, 15-5, 15-9. Odegard drew close in game two with a tie at 6 and only one point down at 8-9, but Huczek turned it up and finished it out. The doubles team of Mike Green (Burlington, Ont.) and Brian Istace (Calgary) was up next against Huczek and Carson. The Americans dominated the match, jumping out to a 9-0 lead in game one and never looking back. It finished 15-2, 15-4 USA. Francois Viens of Montreal forfeited the third match against Shane Vanderson (USA), as the outcome was already decided and Viens had hurt his back earlier during his quarter final match. Thus, Canada finishes second to the USA as they did in Korea two years ago. In the team competition, the country who wins at least two of the three matches moves on to the next round until an overall winning country is determined. There is a country, or team, competition for both men and women players to determine the winning men's and women's teams. An overall winning country or team is determined by adding up the men's and women's team results. | |
Results Summary - Team CompetitionWomen : FemmesFinals - USA d. Canada Rhonda Rajsich (USA) d. Christie Van Hees (Calgary), 15-11, 8-15, 11-3.
Men : HommesFinals - USA d. CANADA Jack Huczek (USA) d. Kris Odegard (Saskatoon), 15-5, 15-9.
Team Standings :Women : Femmes1. USA
Men : Hommes1. USA
Overall :1. USA
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Canadian Racquetball Teams play for gold on FridaySANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic : August 10, 2006. - Both Canada's men's and women's racquetball teams will play for gold on Friday in the finals of the Team competition at the 2006 International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Championships in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The team's paths to their finals were different however. The women had a relatively easy time in their semi-final against Japan. Canada won in three straight matches and each two straight games. Individual World Champion, Christie Van Hees of Calgary defeated Maiko Sato, 15-4, 15-8. Van Hees was up 9-1 in game two, but Sato gamely fought back to 11-8. However, that was as close as Sato got. Jennifer Saunders of Winnipeg had a more difficult time, winning her match over Estuko Noda, 15-13, 15-11. Saunders was showing the effects of both a cold that hit her earlier in the week and the hot, humid day. The courts are air conditioned at the Santo Domingo facility, but the rest of the building is not. But perhaps the best Canadian performance of the day was the women's doubles team of Josée Grand'Maître (Longueuil, Que.) and Lori-Jane Powell (Calgary) who played their best match of the tournament Thursday defeating Naomi Wakimoto and Toshiko Sakamoto, 15-5, 15-2. While that may have been the best performance, it was not the most dramatic. The Canadian dramas were all on the men's side Thursday. The Canadian men were in tough in their semi-final against Venezuela after François Viens of Montreal lost the first match to Cesar Castro, 15-9, 15-8. Viens hurt his back near the end of his quarter final victory over Felipe Camacho of Costa Rica on Wednesday. This morning he couldn't touch his toes, and it was aggravated further during the third rally of the match with Castro. By the end, Viens wasn't able to touch his knees. "It was very frustrating," said Viens. "I'd been visualizing this for so long and then to be re-injured after the third rally is tough." Tougher still, Viens was scoring points against Castro, but just couldn't retrieve Castro's shots that he usually could have. But the doubles team of Mike Green (Burlington, Ont.) and Brian Istace (Calgary) won their doubles match against Castro and Jorge Hirsekorn, 15-13, 5-15, 11-8 to level the contest. However, it was a battle all the way. They trailed most of game one, including a 13-11 deficit, before pulling it out. Then they got down 7-3 in game two and couldn't come back. The tie-breaker started better as the Canadians led all the way until Venezula leveled the score at 8-8. At that point, Hirsekorn skipped a shot that gave Canada the serve back, and they were able to finish out the match. Thus, the match between Kris Odegard of Saskatoon and Fabian Balmori would decide who played the USA for gold on Friday. The USA had beaten Mexico in the other semi-final. Balmori played well in the first game, and took that 15-8. He also led for much of game two. But Odegard kept battling, and with some serving advice from coach Michel Gagnon, he tied that game at 12, got to 14 first and held on for a 15-13 win. That seemed to swing momentum Odegard's way, and he jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the tie-breaker. The closest Balmori got after that was 8-4 down, as Odegard won 11-5. These victories set up another Team Gold contest between Canada and the USA at the IRF World Championships. The Canadians will be in tough against the USA in both men's and women's. The American and Canadian women have met in every IRF Team final with the Americans winning all 12 going back to 1984. Going in Canada's favor are Van Hees's excellent play all week, and that the doubles team has just played their best match of the tournament. Saunders will in tough against American Rhonda Rajsich who is the number 1 player on the Women's Professional Racquetball Organization tour. However, this is the once in a lifetime that she has been playing for, and will certainly be up for the challenge. The Canadian men have won the men's team title five times: 1986, 1988, 1996, 2000 and 2002. They will be in tough on Friday as Jack Huczek the number 2 ranked player on the International Racquetball Tour (IRT) is playing both singles and doubles (with Rocky Carson). It will be tall order for the men to win gold on Friday, but it's a much nicer order than the one that was staring them in the face several times on Thursday, when it looked like bronze was the most they would be playing for. In the team competition, the country who wins at least two of the three matches moves on to the next round until an overall winning country is determined. There is a country, or team, competition for both men and women players to determine the winning men's and women's teams. An overall winning country or team is determined by adding up the men's and women's team results. | |
Results Summary - Team CompetitionWomen : FemmesSemi finals - Canada d. Japan Christie Van Hees (Calgary) d. Maiko Sato, 15-4, 15-8.
Finals CANADA vs. USA Men : HommesSemi finals - Canada d. Venezuela Kris Odegard (Saskatoon) vs. Fabian Belmori, 8-15, 15-13, 11-5.
Finals CANADA vs. USA | |
Canadian men and women through to semis at the Racquetball World ChampionshipsSANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic : August 9, 2006. - Team Canada's men and women are through to the semi finals of the Team competition at the 2006 World Championships in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. In the quarter finals, the Canadian men defeated the Costa Rican team by winning their singles matches, which allowed the doubles team to rest. François Viens of Montreal defeated Felipe Camacho, 15-4, 15-5, and then Kris Odegard of Saskatoon followed up with a 15-8, 15-14 win over Joaquin Solera. It was a good win for Odegard, who fought back from 13-2 down in the second game. The Team competition is a best of three matches: two singles and one doubles. Thus, the doubles team of Mike Green (Burlington, Ont.) and Brian Istace (Calgary) did not have to play their match against Costa Rica. That was good for Green as he's battling an ear infection and doesn't feel 100% today. Tomorrow, the men will face the winner of the match between Venezuela and Korea. Korea was today's opponent for the Women's team, who beat the Koreans on the strength of their singles players. Individual World Champion, Christie Van Hees of Calgary defeated Yuni Cobb, 15-1, 15-0, while team-mate Jennifer Saunders of Winnipeg beat Yun Mi Bae, 15-8, 15-2. The doubles team of Josée Grand'Maître (Longueuil, Que.) and Lori-Jane Powell (Calgary) chose to rest for their semi-final match tomorrow rather play the Koreans. In the semi-finals, the women will face either Chile or Japan. It will likely be the 3rd seeded Chileans, which will give some of Team Canada a chance to avenge losses to the Chileans in the individual round of the competition. The doubles team lost to Chile in the semi-finals, and Saunders lost to Angela Grisar in the semi-finals. However, Van Hees beat Grisar in the women's final, and they would meet again in the team competition as their countries' number 1 players. Saunders would play Fabiola Marquez in a Canada-Chile match-up. In the team competition, the country who wins at least two of the three matches moves on to the next round until an overall winning country is determined. There is a country, or team, competition for both men and women players to determine the winning men's and women's teams. An overall winning country or team is determined by adding up the men's and women's team results. | |
Results Summary :Men : HommesCanada d. Costa Rica - Quarter Finals Kris Odegard (Saskatoon) d. Joaquin Solera, 15-8, 15-14.
Canada vs. Venezuela - Semi finals Women : FemmesCanada d. Korea - Quarter finals Christie Van Hees (Calgary) d. Yuni Cobb, 15-1, 15-0.
Canada d. Japan - Semi finals | |
Team Canada successful at the Racquetball World ChampionshipsSANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic : August 8, 2006. - Both Team Canada's men and women were successful on the first day of the Team competition at the 2006 World Championships in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The Canadian men were up against the Irish team in the round of 16. Both François Viens of Montreal and Kris Odegard of Saskatoon won their matches, so the doubles team of Mike Green (Burlington, Ont.) and Brian Istace (Calgary) did not have to play their match. The Team competition is a best of three matches: two singles and one doubles. Viens defeated Tristan Hickey (Ireland), 15-8, 15-8, and Odegard beat Stephan O'Loan, 15-0, 15-0. It seems Odegard got his groove back after being upset in the individual round of the competition by the Dominican Republic's Simon Perdomo. The Canadian women's team is led by Christive Van Hees of Calgary, who won the individual World Championhsip on Sunday. She defeated Costa Rica's Naomi Sasso, 15-0, 15-2, while team-mate Jennifer Saunders of Winnipeg beat Deborah Kessler, 15-4, 15-5. Although Canada has won the match with Costa Rica, the doubles team of Josée Grand'Maître (Longueuil, Que.) and Lori-Jane Powell (Calgary) are getting set to play the Costa Ricans so as to prepare for the rest of the competition. In the team competition, the country who wins at least two of the three matches moves on to the next round until an overall winning country is determined. There is a country, or team, competition for both men and women players to determine the winning men's and women's teams. An overall winning country or team is determined by adding up the men's and women's team results. |
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Results Summary :Men : HommesCanada d. Ireland - Round of 16 Kris Odegard (Saskatoon) d. Stephan O'Loan, 15-0, 15-0.
Women : FemmesCanada d. Costa Rica - Round of 16 Christie Van Hees (Calgary) d. Naomi Sasso (Costa Rica), 15-0, 15-2.
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