LPRT Kicks Off New Year Excitement in Florida
LPRT Staff
Jan 19, 2020
Paola Longoria, the #1 player on the LPRT, capped off the Florida Pro/Am with another Singles title over Maria Jose Vargas. This was the fifth time the players have met in a Finals this season (out of six) with Paola coming out the victor now for the fourth time.
2020 LPRT Florida Pro/Am Singles
The singles draw saw a series of upsets early mainly led by #12 Valeria Centellas and #11 Kelani Bailey Lawrence. Centellas managed to pull out the win in the tiebreaker against #5 Rhonda Rajsich 15-6, 2-15, 11-7 in the Round of 16 and then continued her run in the Quarters with a win over #4 Natalia Mendez 15-5, 15-12. In the Semis, Centellas's run hit a wall that most players run into eventually losing to #1 Paola Longoria with 5 and 8. For her part, Bailey Lawrence battled past #6 Nancy Enriquez 15-13, 15-14 and then fell in the Quarters to #3 Alexandra Herrera 15-6, 15-13.
Maria Jose Vargas and Paola Longoria did what they normally do and rolled through to the Finals without dropping a game. The Finals had some pockets of excitement with a tight start in game one before Longoria finished it on a 10-1 run to take it 15-6. Vargas seemed to settle down in the second with a much better showing. She even had some momentum toward the end of game two but Longoria quickly closed the door. Trailing at 11-12, Longoria rolled off 4 quick points to take the title.
2020 LPRT Florida Pro/Am Doubles
On the doubles draw, Longoria teamed up with Herrera as each players usual doubles partners - Samantha Salas and Montse Mejia respectively - were unable to make it to Florida. Of the previous five Doubles Finals this season, Longoria/Salas has met Herrera/Mejia with the former winners of 3 and the latter winners of 2. So odds were on the Longoria/Herrera team-up side going in.
#1 Longoria/Herrera narrowly defeated #2 Vargas/Mendez in 2 tight games 15-14, 15-14. Each team had their chance with Longoria/Herrera pulling off the clutch play to take the title. Best watch the match for yourself.
As always, the LPRT wants to thank all our wonderful sponsors, organizer Margo Scott and the tournament director Tracie Valentine for a great event.