Racquetball: National Singles, 2003

July - August 2003
Vol. 14, No. 4 | Contents

Gudinas and Carson win National Singles Crowns
[Excerpt] by Ryan John

Site Releases
Results
Recordbook
Pan Am Squad Named
Tough Road

Once again the country's best racquetball players headed to the Downtown Houston YMCA to compete in the 2003 Ektelon 36th USRA National Singles Championships presented by Penn Racquet Sports. Over 600 players were scheduled to compete for the right to be named "National Champion" in 60+ divisions separated by age, skill, and age-skill.

There was a great deal more riding on this year’s Open division playoffs, since they were also a designated as the last Pan American Games qualifier. Play heated up immediately ...

Gudinas ties Record

Carson's Career Second

... Gudinas is regarded as the best women’s player in the game today and has held that distinction for several years. Last November, she finally was able to get the U.S. OPEN monkey off her back with a win in Memphis, and later finished the LPRA season on a five-tournament winning streak.

But Fenton had gained a little confidence as she headed into the daunting task of dethroning the four-time champ. She had defeated Gudinas in their most recent final at the Tournament of the Americas this past April in a three game thriller, 15-14, 14-15, 11-8.

Gudinas (left) & Fenton

Anyone else might have had that defeat in mind heading into a major rematch — but not Cheryl Gudinas.

Although the first game was tight throughout, Gudinas was better able to keep control of center court, which gave her more offensive opportunities. She capitalized on each of those and pulled ahead at the end of the game, 15-11.

“My game plan going into the match was to keep her in the back of the court because she is such a good shooter up front,” Gudinas explained. “I knew I had to win the first game or else she would have been able to gain confidence going into the second. Once she gets confidence in her game, it’s a dangerous thing.”

Gudinas came out firing in the second game, scoring six straight points to go up 6-0. Fenton pulled within three at 7-4, but that was as close as she would get. Gudinas closed out the match, 15-5, with a forehand kill shot then let out a scream as she raised an open hand to symbolize the five national championships that she has won.

“The early lead in the second game allowed me to just relax and play,” Gudinas said. “I think that really put the pressure on her and forced her to try some things that she normally wouldn’t have.”

... In a rematch of the 2001 finals, Carson was again set to face Huczek for the title. In 2001 Carson was the top seed, but Huczek blew past all competition, including Carson, to win his first singles crown. This year Carson was the underdog, aiming to avenge that loss two years ago.

Huczek drew first blood with a 15-6 win. It seemed that no matter what Carson was able to do, Huczek was able to do it a little better.

“Jack didn’t miss very many shots in the first game,” Carson said. “He played nearly flawless racquetball.”

Carson built a commanding 9-1 lead in the second, but nearly lost it when Huczek drew close at 9-6. Carson again pulled away, 13-6, only to have Huczek close the gap to 13-12 before Carson closed the door, 15-12, to force a decisive third.

“He missed a few shots that allowed me to get a lead and some confidence,” Carson explained. “I was able to hold on to get to the breaker ... barely.”

In that breaker it looked as though Carson was out of the match. Huczek built an early 5-1 lead, then expanded it to 8-3. Carson then changed his service game from soft lobs to hard drives and jam serves.

Huczek (left) & Carson

“I said to myself ‘Do or die, get your serve in’ to try and put pressure on him,” Carson said. “I thought if I got it in then I could get a couple of quick points.”

The points didn’t come quick, but Carson was able to tie the game at 8-8 after picking away at the lead. They were then tied at 9-9 and 10-10 before Carson forced Huczek into a skip in the backcourt with a passing shot to reclaim the title.

Pan American
Team Named

This year’s national singles was also the last chance for players to qualify for the quadrennial Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic in August. The Pan Ams are the biggest international sports event outside of the Olympics and the best chance for our sport to achieve worldwide recognition — and they only roll around once every four years.

The USRA changed the qualifying procedures for the U.S. National Team this past March and for the first time selected a pro from both the IRT and LPRA tours to compete in singles at the Pan American Games. Cheryl Gudinas, ranked No. 1, and Jack Huczek, ranked No. 4, were the highest ranked pros to accept the USRA's offer following pro nationals in early May.

U.S. National Team Pan American Games Roster
Position	Player
#1 Men’s Singles	Jack Huczek
#2 Men’s Singles	Rocky Carson
#1 Women’s Singles	Cheryl Gudinas
#2 Women’s Singles	Laura Fenton
Men’s Doubles	Ruben Gonzalez & Mike Guidry
Women’s Doubles	Jackie Rice & Kim Russell

The doubles teams were solidified at the National Doubles Championships last October in Minneapolis. Ruben Gonzalez and Mike Guidry repeated as the men's champions, thus earning the right to compete in Santo Domingo. Jackie Rice and Kim Russell, separately two of the most successful doubles players in history, teamed up once again to earn the women's title and will represent the U.S. in women's doubles.

That meant that the two highest finishers, other than these six, would earn the final two spots on the Pan Am squad. Although all players in the semifinals qualified for the team, Rocky Carson, Shane Vanderson, Laura Fenton, and Kerri Wachtel were trying to take that one step further and earn the right to participate in the Pan Ams.

By virtue of making the finals, Carson and Fenton captured the final two spots on the Pan Am team and will represent the U.S. in the men's and women's No. 2 singles spots, respectively [barring any late roster changes by coaching staff].

Tough Road

Only a handful of players had a chance at two gold medals on the final day of competition at National Singles this year. It’s a grueling week and easy matches, no matter what division, are hard to come by. Making one final is hard enough; two is nearly impossible.

Solanna Taragan and Anita Maldonado each made two finals in full single-elimination draws, and even faced each other in one of them. RACQUETBALL caught up with them after their 35+ match (which Solanna won 14-14, 15-12, 11-8), to get their views on making two finals at perhaps the hardest tournament of the year.

“We train hard to do this and this is what it is all about,” said Anita [top left] who earlier lost her women’s 40+ final to Malia Bailey. “Making it to one final is hard enough, but to make two finals is an awesome feeling.”

“I think it’s too risky to come here and just play one event because you could lose early with all the talent here,” Solanna [bottom left] said of her decision to play both the women’s 35+ and women’s Elite. “But, if you keep going in both draws you are dead by the end of the tournament.”

Anita agreed and had no regrets about playing two divisions even though she was exhausted before playing in her second final of the day. “I would do it the same way. It was fun,” she explained. “You can’t come out here and play just one event unless you are Cheryl Gudinas and feel that you are going to win the Open.”

Solanna ended up losing her Elite final to Teresa Beresford, but was still elated with her performance in Houston. “I think the women’s 35+ draw is very prestigious,” she said. “This is the tourney of the year. I know some people are saying that the (U.S.) OPEN is, but the best players come here every year.”