Wednesday, October 25, 2023.- Mexican players Eduardo Portillo and Rodrigo Montoya easily defeated Juan José Salvatierra and Edwin Galicia, representing the Independent Athletes team, and advanced to the racquetball team semifinals at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games. Their next opponent will be Canada, who eliminated Costa Rica.

"We've secured another bronze for now, but the day is still unfolding, and in the afternoon, we have a series against Canada. The competition is getting tougher because all the countries are well-prepared, the level is very high, and anything can make you lose the match," explained Montoya as he looked ahead to the afternoon's decisive match.

If they successfully overcome their next hurdle at the Centro Deportivo Las Raquetas at Parque Estadio Nacional, Mexico could face Bolivia, which easily advanced to the semifinals by defeating Argentina, with Carlos Keller Vargas winning against Fernando Kurzbard and Conrrado Moscoso defeating Diego García.

In the final four round, the South Americans will compete against the United States, who faced some difficulties in the quarterfinals against Ecuador. For the afternoon session, the question to be answered is whether we will see another showdown between the Bolivian and Mexican teams.

It's worth noting that in the singles event, Portillo and Montoya lost in the semifinals to Moscoso and Keller, so both pairs are favorites to renew their rivalry for the gold medal.

Written by Nicolás Olea and Alex Savoy, translated by Vicente Valdivia | Photosport
Photo: Felipe Quintana / Santiago 2023 via Photosport