The first 3 pro stops of the season have been very exciting and unpredictable. At any time, one of the top 10 players could be toppled at a tournament. The gap is closing in terms of abilities and desire. Everyone is training harder, mentally preparing better, and wanting to win more. This has never been more apparent than in these stops:

ROSARITO..Rosy Torres and her staff put on another great tournament. For any racquetball enthuasist, this is one tournament not to miss. There are 4 courts about 200 yards from the beach. Some say losing a match isn't the end of the world when you are in Rosarito, the LPRA girls would say differently.

The Mexican girls are serious and they came out in full force. Nancy Enriquez took out #13 Karen Morton in 3 games. Samantha Salas also needed just 3 games to beat #11 Brenda Kyzer. If these chicas play more tournaments this year, they are going to be a serious threat. Kerri Wachtel stopped Cheryl Gudinas 11-9 in the 5th game to face Christie Van Hees who beat Rhonda Rajsich in 3 games in the other semi. Christie went on to claim the 1st title of the 2004-2005 season and got to enjoy it with a fruity cocktail afterwards at the pool!

GAITHERBURG..Steve Myers and Steve Graham had their 1st ever LPRA stop in October. It is going to be hard for them to outdue themselves next year! Everything was professional and top of the line. The hospitality was some of the best ever at a tournament, and the #1 ranking was up for grabs.

Some local players, Doreen Fowler and Yolanda Jordan, as well as first time participants, Genevieve Washington and Carola Loma shook things up a bit. In the end, all top 8 players advanced to the quarterfinals. This set up for a final between Christie and Cheryl---and the #1 ranking.

Cheryl was glad she wasn't aware of the circumstance because she feels she would have been more nervous. She stayed steady as usual under the pressure, and came out in 4 games on top.

MEMPHIS..All LPRA players gear up to try and play their best at the US open. IT is the tournament with the most prize money and the highest amount of prestige. This year was no different. The big story of the tournament was the 15 year old phenom, Paola longoria. Paola was a force to be reckoned with from the first round. #6 Adrienne Fisher and #11 Susy Acosta fell victim to her, but Rhonda Rasjich was finally able to stop her in the quarterfinals.

In the semis, Cheryl played Kristen Walsh. Her shot-making ability put Kristen on the defense, and Cheryl easily found herself in the finals in 3 games. Rhonda and Christie were set to have another battle. In the 4th game, Christie dove for a ball, and dislocated her shoulder. This injury unfortunately caused her to forfeit.

In the finals, Cheryl quickly jumped to a 2-0 game lead. The fans thought they would be in for an uneventful 3 game final. However, this is the LPRA where you can never count out any of the competitors, especially Rhonda. Rhonda bounced, dove, and clawed her way back winning games 3 and 4. Cheryl turned on the heat in game 5 to capture her 2nd U.S. Open title in the last three years.

As 2004 comes to a close, be ready for a showstopping 2005.