Cheryl came out strong shooting extremely well and Rhonda seemed to come out a little slower, but her great athletic talent kept her right there with her.  Both players traded side outs early in the first game trading serves at 1-1 and 2-2 for several serves.  Rhonda then started to click and built her lead to 5-2 before Cheryl could regain the all important serve.  However, once back in the service box Rhonda would go on the run that would get her to the brink of the first game.  Cheryl would fight back to 6, but would go no further as Rhonda closed out the first game and gave a quick fist pump.

In the second game, Rhonda started to catch fire as she jumped to a 4-1 lead.    Cheryl is a true champion and she wasn’t about to give this one away, so it surprised nobody in the house when she closed the score to 4-5.  Rhonda could sense the momentum changing and as she stepped into the service box, she took a quick, deep breath to get ready for the moment.  It certainly worked as she went on a run to 9-4 playing her usual aggressive style.  Cheryl as able to add one more point before the end, but Rhonda looked to be on a mission and she finished the second game 11-5 for the 2 game lead.

The third game would prove to be a great test of both players’ nerves.  Rhonda was clearly fired up and was looking to go for the kill and the sweep.  As such, she sprinted to a 3-0 lead.  Cheryl came into the service box and hit one of the best drive serves to the right side that I’ve seen in a while and totally sent Rhonda the wrong way.  That brought big momentum back to Cheryl, and she used it to tie the game at 3.  They would then go point for point right up to the pivotal moment of the match.  Rhonda serving 7-6, good rally, Rhonda set up on the side wall glass both p layers playing very close.  Rhonda hit Cheryl on her backswing and continued to hit a very close pinch shot.  The referee called the shot good instead of calling the avoidable.  Also, something happened to Rhonda at that moment.  I cannot tell you exactly what that was, she either hit Cheryl’s body, Cheryl’s racquet, the side wall, or her own racquet with her nose.  Any way you look at it, she was seriously bloodied and needed an injury timeout.  When all was said and done Cheryl was serving and Rhonda was not happy.  Cheryl used that to her advantage and strung together some very tough shots to grab the third game 11-8.

The crowd was starting the sense that this one might go five, but Rhonda had other ideas.  Cheryl did manage to take a 2-0 lead, but Rhonda wasn’t going to let this opportunity slip away that easily.  She came into the box and built her own 4-2 lead.  Both ladies could somehow feel that this game probably meant the title and Cheryl used that knowledge to come back for a 7-4 lead.  Once again, Rhonda refused to give in.  The crowd could clearly see that she was hurting, but she just kept plugging away, and with her amazing athletic ability to make impossible shots seem routine, she built her lead to match point.  Cheryl refused to give in, as always, and came back one last time to 9-10, but serving for match for the third time, Rhonda finally ended things with a well placed backhand down the left side out of Cheryl’s reach.  Cheryl was only able to look at the shot and nod knowing that the match was over.  11-9 to the 12th Choice Hotels US OPEN Racquetball Champion and now 2 time winner Rhonda Rajsich.

If I have some time later, I will put something out about the IRT Final between Rocky Carson and Jack Huczek, but before I do that I just wanted to put my final thoughts down as I try to do at the end of each tournament I attend.  I won't be giving out my unofficial awards of the tournament because there were so many amazing matches throughout the week that it would truly be unfair to distinguish them.  I would just remind everyone that many of the IRT matches will be seen in January and February on the Tennis Channel, please check them out, you won't regret it.

First and foremost, to Doug Ganim...THANK YOU for inviting me to be a part of this 12th Choice Hotels US OPEN Racquetball Championships.  It was a great honor to me and I sincerely hope that I will be back for many years to come.  It was by far, the best racquetball experience of my life!

To the Media Staff and it's leaders, Jeff Oliver, Leo Vasquez, Geoff Thomsen and Mike Boatman, and all the rest...you all are the best, we definitely had some fun times in the media center and I couldn't imagine a better team to work with.

To the Event Staff and everyone that helped put it all together.  Words cannot express how much I truly respect and appreciate all that you do.  From changing the Racquet Club of Memphis into the greatest racquetball show on Earth, to all the little things that are far too numerous to mention, you did it all with a smile on your face and made it look far easier than it really was.  Eddie Meredith, I just want you to know that I sat back amazed all week at how you and your team took care of every last detail.

Also, please let me encourage everyone to check out some of  the early photos that were taken at the event.  There are two sites you'll want to check out.

http://www.choicehotelsusopen.com which has a slide show of more than 50 photos by both Geoff Thomsen and Mike Boatman.

Also check Geoff's blog site:

http://www.doubledonut.com

And, of course, I cannot thank Angela Grisar, Pablo Farje, Jo Shattuck, and Denny Erardi enough for bringing racquetballonline.tv to Memphis so that everyone could see the best matches on the Stadium Court. 

I've said it before and I'll say it again, if you've never been to Memphis for the Choice Hotels US OPEN, get here.  They are moving the tournament up to October 22-26, 2008, so I would HIGHLY ENCOURAGE everybody to make plans to be there.

October 2007

Media Contact:
Jeff Oliver
US OPEN Media Manager
usopenmedia@gmail.com
(541) 543-7775

Memphis Set to Host Choice Hotels U.S. OPEN Racquetball Championships
Memphis, Tenn. – October 26, 2007 - Memphis is set to host the 2007 Choice Hotels US OPEN Racquetball Championships, November 14-18, at The Racquet Club of Memphis. The tournament is racquetball's premier event and the sport's original "grand slam" competition.
Now in its 12th year, the US OPEN is in its second decade of bringing racquetball’s best to Memphis. Aside from the world's best racquetball, the US OPEN will once again support St. Jude Children's Hospital. Since its inception in 1996, the tournament has raised more than $140,000 for the Memphis hospital.
"We are once again thrilled to call Memphis home for the world's largest and most prestigious racquetball tournament," said Doug Ganim, US OPEN Event Director. "The Memphis community, at all levels has been extremely supportive of our event including strong corporate sponsorship, excellent media coverage, and brisk ticket sales from the area."
                            
The US OPEN feature’s all of the top professional players on the men's International Racquetball Tour (IRT), Women’s Professional Racquetball Organization (WPRO) and Classic Pro Racquetball Tour (CPRT) including current No. 1 ranked players Jack Huczek (Rochester Hills, Mich.) and Rhonda Rajsich (Phoenix, Ariz). The US OPEN features more than 100 of the sport’s top professional athletes battling it out for a stake of a prize purse of more than $59,000.  All feature matches will be played on the “made-for-TV” portable racquetball court that provides a great view of the game for the audience and the media. The unique construction of the court allows stadium seating for more than 1,000 spectators, in addition to courtside luxury boxes for sponsors and VIPs. The Tennis Channel will also take advantage of the court by taping the tournament from the quarterfinals through the finals to be broadcast at a later date.
In addition to the professional draws, the US OPEN features over 80 USA Racquetball (USAR) sanctioned divisions. The tournament is expected to draw nearly 800 players from across the country to compete in the USAR divisions played at WellWorx Sportsplex, University of Memphis Recreation Center and Ridgeway Baptist Recreation Center.
The US OPEN "Kick-Off Press Conference" will be held Tuesday, November 13, at 1:30 p.m. at The Racquet Club of Memphis in front of the "made-for-tv" portable racquetball court. Speakers will include the event’s top players, commissioners of the professional tours and local Memphis dignitaries.

For more information contact Choice Hotels U.S. OPEN Media Staff
Jeff Oliver (541.543.7775) or Leo Vasquez (817.791.4948)
On the internet: www.choicehotelsusopen.com   via e-mail: usopenmedia@gmail.com

#4 Angela Grisar and #9 Jo Shattuck have been invited to represent the WPRO in Toyko, Japan Nov. 1-5 at the Japan 2007 Racquetball Championships. The event is run by IRT-Japan. Be sure to check www.racquetballacademy.com for more information and results.

Christie Van Hees claimed home turf championship over Kristen Bellows (6,6,4) at the Canadian Racquetball Classic over the weekend. Click here to read more.

Click here for the complete draw.

September - 2007

MEXICO’S LONGORIA CLAIMS FIRST WPRO TITLE OF THE SEASON;
Outback Blast It! Pro-Am Raised Funds for
American Breast Cancer Foundation

Fayetteville, NC - Mexican teenager Paola Longoria kicked off the 2007-2008 season with her first ever victory on the Women’s Pro Racquetball Organization’s tour at the 19th Annual Outback Steakhouse Blast It! Racquetball Championship presented by Carl & Marcia Wallace. A first semester college student and the #10 seed in the championship, Longoria is one of the youngest players ever to win a major WPRO event at only 18 years and two months old. Longoria beat #1 WPRO pro Rhonda Rajsich of Fountain Hills, AZ in a five game thriller to secure the title in Sunday’s final.

The Outback Steakhouse Blast It!, which benefited the American Breast Cancer Foundation (ABCF), took place September 14-16 at The Sports Center (5951 Cliffdale Road) in Fayetteville, NC. The fundraising activities throughout the weekend raised $1,500 for the WPRO-ABCF Racquetball for Life Campaign, which provides financial aid to uninsured breast cancer patients throughout the U.S.

The pro draw saw a handful of upsets beginning with a Friday afternoon Round of 32 match up that pitted Charlotte-based Phyllis Morris against #13 seed Candi Hostovich of Virginia. Morris went down two games to one before gutting out the last two to secure a birth in the Round of 16 where she faced #4 seed Angela Grisar. Grisar ended Morris’s run in four games but the North Carolina resident garnered much respect from top WPRO pros and fans.

Number 3 seed Cheryl Gudinas Holmes and #2 seed Kerri Wachtel went out in the Quarterfinals on Saturday afternoon. Gudinas Holmes lost to #6 seed Kristen Bellows in four games and Wachtel was defeated by the eventual champion Longoria in three games. On her road to the finals, Rajsich faced Grisar and battled through five games before dispatching of the Chilean in the semifinals. Longoria defeated Bellows in four games to earn her spot in Sunday’s championship match against Rajsich.

Longoria’s steely nerves impressed the rowdiest Rajsich fans who expected the young star to fold under the bright lights and immense pressure as she battled the event’s defending champion. After many long rallies and a few too many skipped shots by Rajsich, Longoria’s fairytale came true and she claimed the first WPRO championship of the season. Final match score: Longoria def. Rajsich 12-14, 11-8, 9-11, 11-6, 11-7.

For more information on Longoria and other WPRO pros, visit www.wpro-tour.com/top_16.html. For complete WPRO draw, go to www.wpro-tour.com/Tour_Events/OutbackBlastIt07_ProDraw.pdf.

The Outback Steakhouse Blast It! was made possible by Lynn Stephens and the North Carolina Racquetball Association in conjunction with generous event sponsors, including Carl & Marcia Wallace, Outback Steakhouse, Eric Nobles and Nobles Financial Planning, Inc., TMT Events, The Sports Center, Steve Loehr, School Tools, Fayetteville Convention and Visitors Bureau, Hunter Hair, Charles Foster (Attorney at Law), Mike Robinson, REL Insurance Services, Coty Cosmetics (Phil Thorne), Hendrick Chrysler Jeep, FisherHelms, Inc., and Jeff West (photographer).

Special thanks to tournament committee members Lynn Moffitt, Mike Bourgeois, Pete Beckwith, Jon Tumas, and Darlene Heyer and WPRO board member Bobby Thore.

Local DJ Brad Chapman spun tunes and kept the crowd and The Sports Center atmosphere energized throughout the weekend.

The WPRO would like to thank its national tour sponsors, including Ektelon Fireball (Official Ball), Python (Official Grip), Choice Hotels International (Official Hotel Partner), Transflection Designs (Official Jeweler), and RacquetballOnline.tv (Official Webcaster).

About the WPRO
The Women's Professional Racquetball Organization (WPRO) is the governing body of a growing membership of the top female racquetball players in the world. The WPRO is currently comprised of elite athletes representing over a dozen countries, including the United States, Mexico, Chile, Canada, and Japan. The WPRO’s mission is to promote health and fitness through racquetball among women and girls around the world.

About ABCF
The America Breast Cancer Foundation (ABCF) is a non-profit organization devoted to helping women fight breast cancer through education, research, and diagnostic testing assistance programs.  Through its Key to Life Breast Cancer Screening Assistance Program ABCF provides financial assistance for mammograms, diagnostic mammograms, ultrasounds, and limited assistance grants for biopsies to those in need.  The American Breast Cancer Foundation was founded in 1997 and is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization. For more information about ABCF and its programs, visit www.abcf.org.

WPRO LAUNCHES NEW SEASON AT
OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE BLAST IT!

Silver Spring, MD – The Women's Professional Racquetball Organization (WPRO) kicks off the new season at the 19th Annual Outback Steakhouse Blast It! Racquetball Championship presented by Carl & Marcia Wallace from September 14-16 at The Sports Center (5951 Cliffdale Road) in Fayetteville, NC. Top ranked pros Rhonda Rajsich (#1 - Phoenix, AZ), Kerri Wachtel (#2 - Cincinnati, OH), Cheryl Gudinas (#3 - Naperville, IL), and Angela Grisar (#4 - Santiago, Chile) are among the top WPRO players who will compete for this great championship.

Top seed Rajsich will be the player to beat at the Outback Steakhouse Blast It! as she is currently ranked #1 on the WPRO Tour and seeks to defend this prestigious title. Rajsich defeated Wachtel in an exciting four-game championship match last year and wants to get off to a good start this season. Wachtel had just returned from having twin daughters six months before the season opener last year so she will be eager to come back to the place where her unbelievable comeback began!

The Outback Steakhouse Blast It! was made possible by Lynn Stephens and the North Carolina Racquetball Association in conjunction with generous event sponsors, including Carl & Marcia Wallace, Outback Steakhouse, Nobles Financial Planning, Inc., TMT Events, The Sports Center, Steve Loehr, School Tools, Fayetteville Convention and Visitors Bureau, Charles Foster (Attorney at Law), Mike Robinson, REL Insurance Services, Coty Cosmetics (Phil Thorne), Hendrick Chrysler Jeep, and FisherHelms, Inc.

Special thanks to tournament committee members Lynn Moffitt, Mike Bourgeois, Darlene Heyer and WPRO board member Bobby Thore.

The WPRO would like to thank its national tour sponsors, including Ektelon Fireball (Official Ball), Python (Official Grip), Choice Hotels International (Official Hotel Partner), Transflection Designs (Official Jeweler), and Racquetball Online TV (Official Webcaster), which will provide live video streaming of Pro matches throughout the weekend. To view the Pros in action, visit www.racquetballonline.tv.   

Schedule of Pro Matches:
Round of 32: Friday 11:00am, 12:15pm, 1:30pm, 2:45pm
Round of 16: Friday 4:00pm, 5:15pm, 6:30pm, 7:45pm
Quarterfinals: Saturday 11:00am, 12:15pm
Semifinals: Saturday 4:00pm, 5:15pm
Finals: Sunday 12:00pm

The start times listed are for each round’s matches. Individual player start times and draws will be determined the week of the event. There will be some incredible match-ups throughout the weekend and all Pro and amateur matches will be open to the public for viewing so DON’T MISS IT!

About the WPRO
The Women's Professional Racquetball Organization (WPRO) is the governing body of a growing membership of the top female racquetball players in the world. The WPRO is currently comprised of elite athletes representing over a dozen countries, including the United States, Mexico, Chile, Canada, and Japan. The WPRO’s mission is to promote health and fitness through racquetball among women and girls around the world.

The Women’s Professional Racquetball Organization (WPRO) recently signed a major deal that will make Choice Hotels International the “Official Hotel Partner of the WPRO” for the next two seasons. Choice Hotels is one of the largest lodging franchisers in the world and is a brand leader in the lodging industry. With high profile partnerships that include the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA), USA Diving, and Little League Baseball and Softball, Choice Hotels continues to prove that their properties are the lodging of choice for premier athletes around the world by securing the WPRO.

“The WPRO is thrilled to have Choice Hotels on board as the Official Hotel Partner of the tour for the next two seasons,” said Shannon Feaster, commissioner of the WPRO. “This partnership will provide players, family members, and friends of the WPRO with excellent discounted lodging throughout North America and Canada.” Choice Hotels will provide quality lodging options for all tour events and has extended its benefits to include any other lodging needs of TEAM WPRO through June of 2009. Like the WPRO, Choice Hotels is based in Silver Spring, Maryland.

“We are delighted to be the Official Hotel Partner of WPRO,” said Donald Crawford, director of sports marketing for Choice Hotels International. “Our comfort, amenities, value, and friendly hospitality will fit the needs of WPRO players and fans across the country.”

To take advantage of the TEAM WPRO discount program through Choice Hotels and to make reservations, call the Choice Sports Desk at 877.240.AWAY(2929) or visit choicesportstravel.com and provide the WPRO Discount Code. For more details and to learn the WPRO Discount Code, contact the WPRO office.

About Choice Hotels

Choice Hotels International franchises more than 5,400 hotels, representing more than 445,000 rooms, in the United States and 39 countries and territories. As of June 30, 2007, 858 hotels are under development in the United States, representing 67,740 rooms, and an additional 85 hotels, representing 8,007 rooms, are under development in more than 20 countries and territories. The company’s Cambria Suites, Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Quality, Clarion, Sleep Inn, Econo Lodge, Rodeway Inn, MainStay Suites and Suburban Extended Stay Hotel brands serve guests worldwide.

Additional corporate information may be found on Choice Hotels’ Internet site, which may be accessed at www.choicehotels.com.