by Ian Marshall
In the men’s team competition, represented by Sergio Carrillo and Kevin Ruano, Guatemala recorded a 3-0 win against Panama’s Jacobo Vahnish and Emilio Wong, before securing their place in a full distance contest in opposition to El Salvador’s Enzo Lieva and Diego Orantes.
The mainstay of the Guatemalan victory was Sergio Carrillo; in the opening match of the fixture, he beat Diego Orantes (11-8, 8-11, 11-8, 12-10), before in the concluding contest overcoming Enzo Lieva (11-5, 17-15, 9-11, 11-9). The one further win for Guatemala was secured by Kevin Ruano, who also toppled Enzo Lieva in the second match of the engagement.
El Salvador’s only successes were secured in the doubles (11-8, 9-11, 11-8, 14-16, 11-3) and in the fourth match of the contest when Diego Orantes gained the better of Kevin Ruano (11-5, 11-6, 11-5).
Earlier in the counterpart semi-final, Enzo Lieva and Diego Orantes posted a 3-0 win in opposition to the Honduran duo of Luis Tejada and David Sanchez.
Defeat for El Salvador, in the women’s team event it was success: in the one match required Cristina Machado and Gabriela Suarez recorded a 3-0 margin of victory against Costa Rica’s Sharon Diaz and Nicole Granados.
Team events concluded, one place in each of the men’s singles and women’s singles events for those who had not gained team qualification remained; the relevant National Olympic Committees being invited to nominate one player.
In both the men’s singles and women’s singles it was disappointment for Panama. El Salvador’s Diego Orantes beat Panama’s Jacobo Vahnish (8-11, 11-8, 12-10, 11-9, 13-11) to secure the men’s singles place, in the counterpart women’s singles Costa Rica’s Nicole Granados overcame Lia Rodriguez (11-7, 14-12, 11-7, 11-8).
Qualifiers
Men’s Team (players automatically qualify for men’s singles)
Mexico: Juan Jesus Gomez, Dario Arce
Costa Rica: Daniel Araya, Alfredo Sanchez
Guatemala: Sergio Carrillo, Kevin Ruano
Women’s Team (players automatically qualify for men’s singles)
Mexico: Clio Barcenas, Arantxa Cossio Aceves
Guatemala: Lucia Cordero, Hidalynn Zapata
El Salvador: Cristina Machado, Gabriela Suarez
Men’s Singles
El Salvador: Diego Orantes
Women’s Singles
Costa Rica: Nicole Granados
