The Daily Racquet Established 1996 OCTOBER 5th, 2018 Volume 23, Issue 2 FRIDAY TOP SEEDS LOOK TO HOLD OFF UPSETS In Play Friday... October 5, 2018 Player Registration LIFE TIME - Target Center 7:30 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. Can the underdogs make some noise Today’s matches feature both USAR Amateur Matches 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. and threaten the Top Four? veterans and youth All Venues #4 Daniel De La Rosa vs. #12 Jose Diaz #4 Alexandra Herrera vs. #12 Gabriela Martinez 10:00 a.m. – LIFE TIME - Target Center 10:00 a.m. – LIFE TIME - Target Center Pro Matches - Session #4 Daniel and Jose are both 25 years old, however a Alexandra needed to pull out a five-game tiebreaker LIFE TIME - Target Center huge gap of IRT experience separates the two. Jose to get out of the first round yesterday. She’ll need IRT Quarterfinal 1 & 2 LPRT Quarterfinal 1 & 2 has 63 career match wins on tour. Daniel has more to play better today to knock off Gabriela who won 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. than double that at 130. It will be De La Rosa’s speed Women’s Singles at the IRF World Championships in and experience against Diaz’ Stockton grit here today. Costa Rica last August. Pro Matches - Session #5 IRT Quarterfinal 3 & 4 #3 Kane Waselenchuk vs. #6 Sebastian Franco #3 Samantha Salas Solis vs. #6 Rhonda Rajsich LPRT Quarterfinal 3 & 4 11:00 a.m. – LIFE TIME - Target Center 11:00 a.m. – LIFE TIME - Target Center 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Sebastian is a former World Champion in Men’s With all the talk of the LPRT ‘Youth Movement’, Doubles and was the first South American to win Samantha and Rhonda bring a combined 31 US Pro Matches - Session #6 an IRT event last season in San Antonio. Due to an OPEN appearances into this match. The two have LIFE TIME - Target Center injury that has kept him off tour since April, Kane is played 17 times during their pro careers with Rhonda Pro Doubles Semifinals quietly lurking as the No. 3 seed this week. holding the edge with 11 wins. 5:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. #2 Alejandro Landa vs. #10 Andree Parrilla #2 Frédérique Lambert vs. #23 Yazmine Sabja 1:00 p.m. – LIFE TIME - Target Center 1:00 p.m. – LIFE TIME - Target Center Andree, a 22-year-old from Mexico, has hovered Yazmine splashed onto the racquetball stage by PLAYER around the edge of the IRT Top 10 for the past three winning Women’s Doubles at this year’s World seasons. Alejandro, a Mexico native now living in El Championships. The medal was the first in history for Paso, Texas reached the US OPEN semifinals last Bolivia. Frédérique has also done some splashing, PARTY year. having reached the US OPEN final last year. CITYWORKS #1 Rocky Carson vs. #8 Mario Mercado #1 Paola Longoria vs. #8 Natalia Mendez Just One Block from the 2:00 p.m. – LIFE TIME - Target Center 2:00 p.m. – LIFE TIME - Target Center Target Center at Mario won the 18 & Under Boy’s Singles World At the age of just 21, Natalia’s US OPEN resume 7th & Hennepin Championship in 2014. He soon after entered the includes a semifinal appearance last year, and now professional ranks where he took some licks but now has reached the quarterfinals twice. Success that 10:00 p.m. - 1:00 a.m. sits within the Top 8. Rocky is looking to reach the young sounds like her opponent today. Paola was US OPEN semifinals for the eighth time in his career. just 19 when she won her first US OPEN in 2008! Food & Drink Specials! Prizes & Contests! Cheryl Kirk’s Daily Blog Friday Is For DOUBLES! Were you lucky enough to be asked Cheryl’s When you put FOUR of the World’s best players into US OPEN ‘Question of the Day’? Click into her Daily the All-Glass Stadium Court, anything can happen! Blog to see what memorable racquetball Don’t miss the best night of Pro Doubles you’ll ever MEDIA TEAM moments made the list! And be on the see! The action if FAST and is a MUST SEE! lookout for Cheryl and her note pad today... Ticket Session #6 Jeff Oliver You might be next! Media Manager Women’s Semifinals: 4:30 & 6:30 p.m. bit.ly/usopenblog Men’s Semifinals: 5:30 & 7:30 p.m. Leo Vasquez Social Media Manager Cheryl Kirk Staff Writer Kevin Savory Photographer If you have a great story, idea or thought, please feel free to contact us... E-Mail: [email protected] Established 1996 FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5th, 2018 Volume 23, Issue 2 PLACE YOUR BIDS & JOIN THE CAUSE! From a Grand Cayman Islands vacation to Olympic Games gear to Signed racquetball memorabilia and everything in between - it’s all up for bid! Since the first US OPEN in 1996, this event has been more than just the greatest racquetball tournament of the year. Through the Pro-Am Doubles event, referee fees, private donations and the Silent Auction, the UnitedHealthcare US OPEN and the racquetball community has raised more than $460,000 for children’s charities over the past 22 years. This year the UnitedHealthcare US OPEN is supporting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Rapha House. The mission of Rapha House Signed Basketball by Atlantic is to end the trafficking and sexual exploitation of children. Signed tennis balls by Roger Coast Conference coaches With your help this week, another great donation will be made to these Federer & Rafael Nadal two groups who are making such a difference in the lives of children and families in need. More than 120 wonderful items are up for bid this week headlined by a vacation weekend in Malibu, a week’s vacation in the Grand Cayman Islands, signed sports memorabilia, restaurant gift cards, racquetball gear and more. Swing by the Auction Booth in the Player’s Village for a look at all the items, place your bids and then tell your friends back home to do the same. The latest pickleball Bids can be placed by anyone, at any time, from any place in the world via the Official USA Olympic paddles from HEAD/PENN website listed below. Bidding ends on Saturday at 6:00 p.m. (Eastern) Team clothing Bedding and Pillows from A wide variety of My Pillow www.auctionusopen.com Advocare products Dylan gave the World No. 1 a battle but Dr. Health E. Hound made an appearance at the Alexandra and Michelle were up early for the Rocky won their close match Stadium Court on UnitedHealthcare Night Stadium Court’s first match of the day Sudsy coaches up Gaby on her way to the Stockton’s Ricardo Diaz gave it his all but Rhonda and her magic potion made the US Women’s Pro Singles Quarterfinals fell short against Daniel De La Rosa OPEN Quarters for the 17th consecutive year FOLLOW THE US OPEN ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Search for: @USOpenRB @USOPENRacquetball @USOPENRBALL US OPEN Racquetball.