by Ian Marshall
On the second day of action, after having accounted for Jayden Zhou and Sarah Jalli of the United States, the no.8 seeds (6-11, 11-8, 11-9, 8-11, 11-6), followed by success against Cuba’s Eday Gomez and Daniela Fonseca, the no.8 seeds (11-7, 11-6, 16-14), they overcame Mexico’s Dario Arce and Clio Barcenas, the top seeds (6-11, 10-12, 11-5, 11-8, 11-7) to arrest the title.
The win against the Mexicans was a result to note; earlier in the year, Dario Arce and Clio Barcenas had secured the mixed doubles title in September at the ITTF Pan American Youth Championships in Guatemala City, before in September, emerging successful in Santo Domingo at the ITTF Pan American Youth Championships.
Unexprected outcomes
Surprise mixed doubles winners; also surprise men’s doubles and women’s doubles finalists.
In the men’s doubles Cuba’s Eday Gomez and René Mendez, the no.15 seeds, oppose Puerto Rico’s Angel Naranjo and Derek Valentin, the no.3 seeds; the women’s doubles title decider, Giulia Takahashi and colleague Laura Watanabe, the no.13 seeds, confront Mexico’s Clio Barcenas and Arantxa Sanchez, the no.2 seeds.
Notably at the semi-final stage Eday Gomez and René Mendez beat Ecuador’s Diego Piguave and Neycer Robalino, the no.5 seeds (11-7, 11-4, 11-8); Giulia Takahashi and colleague Laura Watanabe ended the hopes of Cuba’s Daniela Fonseca and Karla Perez, the no.12 seeds (11-7, 7-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-9).
Cubans shine
Unexpected names progressing, it was very much the same in the men’s singles and women’s singles events.
Cuba’s Eddy Gomez and René Gomez were very much the young men in form.
Eddy Gomez recorded a third round one against Chile’s Nicolas Burgos, the no.3 seed (12-10, 15-13, 4-11, 3-11, 11-6, 5-11, 11-8); one round earlier René Gomez overcame Ecuador’s Diego Piguave, the no.6 seed (9-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-9, 11-8), prior to ousting Paraguay’s Elias Apud, the no.23 seed (12-10, 10-12, 11-8, 12-10, 11-6).
At the quarter-final stage René Gomez meets Puerto Rico’s Angel Naranjo, the no.4 seed, in the same half of the draw Canada’s Jeremy Hazin, the top seed, faces Brazil’s Rafael Turrini, the no.14 seed.
Meanwhile, in the lower half it is Eday Gomez versus El Salvador’s Diego Orantes, the no.8 seeds; Argentina’s Santiago Lorenzo, the no.2 seed, in opposition to Peru’s Rodrigo Hidalgo, the no.7 seed.
Attracting attention
Names to attract the attention; it was the same in the women’s singles as play advanced to the quarter-finals, Brazil’s Laura Watanabe, Mexico’s Arantxa Cossio and Sarah Jalli of the United States being the players to shine.
Impressively in round three, Laura Watanabe, the no.18 seed, beat Clio Barcenas, the top seed and like Arantxa Cossio from Mexico (11-8, 10-12, 11-8, 11-2, 11-2).
Similarly, Arantxa Cossio, the no.14 seed, ousted Ecuador’s Nathaly Paredes, the no.2 seed (11-9, 9-11, 9-11, 11-6, 11-4, 11-7); following suit, Sarah Jalli, the no.15 seed, ended the hopes of the Dominican Republic’s Esmerlyn Castro, the no.4 seed (11-9, 11-2, 15-13, 11-9).
Laura Watanabe now meets Cuba’s Daniela Fonseca, the no.5 seed; also, in the top half of the draw, Argentina’s Camila Kaizoji, the no.10 seed, confronts Chile’s Valentina Rios, the no.3 seed.
Intriguing contests, it is the same in the lower half of the draw. Sarah Jalli opposes Brazil’s Giulia Takahashi, the no.17 seed, Aranta Cossio meets Puerto Rico’s Brianna Burgos, the no.31 seed.
The men’s singles and women’s singles events, alongside the men’s doubles and women’s doubles will be played to a conclusion on Thursday 2nd December.
