Maria Jose Vargas

Maria Jose Vargas
Personal information
Nationality Bolivian
Born March 18, 1993
Bolivia Santa Cruz, Bolivia
Residence Buenos Aires, Argentina
Sport
Sport Racquetball
Coached by Cliff Swain
Achievements and titles
Highest world ranking 3rd

Maria Jose Vargas (born March 18, 1993) is an Argentine racquetball player born in Bolivia. Vargas has two wins on the Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT), which came at the 2014 Christmas Classic and the 2015 New Jersey Open.[1] She finished the 2013-14 LPRT season ranked #3 and is the current #2. In that season, she was runner-up in three events.

Professional career

Vargas has two tournament wins on the LPRT. Her first win was in December 2014, when she beat Rhonda Rajsich, 5-11, 11-7, 11-7, 13-11, in the final of the 23rd Annual Christmas Classic in Arlington, Virginia.[2] She defeated Alexandra Herrera in the semi-finals, 11-7, 11-1, 11-1, and Michelle Key in the quarterfinals, 11-4, 11-0, 11-5. Vargas won her second title at the New Jersey Open, defeating Frédérique Lambert in the final, 7-11, 11-6, 11-7, 11-3. She beat Rhonda Rajsich in the semi-finals, 11-4, 2-11, 11-9, 11-4, and Susana Acosta in the quarterfinals, 3-11, 11-5, 11-5, 11-2.[3]

She was also runner-up at the 2014 US Open Racquetball Championships, losing to Paola Longoria in the final. She's now ranked 2nd on the LPRT.[4]

Vargas has played the women's pro tour since the end of 2012. Her previous highlights were reaching the finals of the 2014 Winter Classic tournament in Overland Park, Kansas, and the 2014 Great Balls of Fire event in Miami where she beat #2 world ranked Rhonda Rajsich in the semi-finals twice for the first time in her career before losing to Paola Longoria in the finals.[5] Vargas's career high ranking was 3rd, which she first reached in February 2014. In the last pro stop of the year, she lost in the finals in a 5 game tie breaker to Paola Longoria. In the same event, she teamed up with Rhonda Rajsich to win their second pro doubles tournament.[6]

She was named LPRT Rookie of the Year player in December 2013.[7]

International career

Vargas won the 2014 Pan American Championships in singles in Santa Cruz, Bolivia by defeating Susana Acosta of Mexico in the final, 15-4, 15-8,[8] and earned the silver medal in doubles with Véronique Guillemette after they lost the final to Acosta and Samantha Salas, 10-15, 15-8, 11-7.[9] Vargas played for Argentina in this competition.

She also reached the podium twice at the 2015 Pan American Championships in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. She was again the silver medalist in Women's Doubles with Véronique Guillemette, losing the final to Mexicans Paola Longoria and Salas, 15-4, 15-13.[10] In Women's Singles, Vargas was a bronze medalist, losing the semi-finals to Longoria, 15-3, 15-8.[11]

At the 2014 World Championships, Vargas was a bronze medalist, as she lost to Longoria in the semi-finals.

Initially in international competition, Vargas played for Bolivia at the 2011 Pan American Games, and earned bronze medals in women's singles and the women's team competitions.

Vargas won the 2012 World Junior Racquetball Championship in Girl's U18 in Los Angeles, California.[12] That victory avenged a loss she had the year before in the U18 final, when she lost to Canadian Frédérique Lambert.[13]

References

  1. ↑ http://www.r2sports.com/website/bracket.asp?leftFrame=&TID=13468&divID=34&combinedID=0&print=&fromPage=&highlightMatchNum=&drawVar=&message=
  2. ↑ http://www.r2sports.com/website/bracket.asp?leftFrame=&TID=13468&divID=34&combinedID=0&print=&fromPage=&highlightMatchNum=&drawVar=&message=
  3. ↑ http://www.r2sports.com/website/bracket.asp?leftFrame=&TID=13854&divID=34&combinedID=0&print=&fromPage=&highlightMatchNum=&drawVar=&message=
  4. ↑ http://www.lprtour.com/#!lprt-pro-singles/c410
  5. ↑ http://www.r2sports.com/tourney/drawsOut/view-bracket.asp?leftFrame=&TID=12280&divID=34&combinedID=0&print=&fromPage=&highlightMatchNum=&drawVar=&message=
  6. ↑ http://lprtour.com/downloads/2013_2014_rankings_012714.pdf
  7. ↑ http://www.theracquetballblog.blogspot.ca/2013/12/lprt-rankings-amaya-up-to-3rd.html
  8. ↑ https://www.dropbox.com/sh/6c9sdoswook98pz/AAAI42T6JV5-v1jKgGL3o2OMa/1-OPEN/Llave-Women%20Singles-2.pdf
  9. ↑ https://www.dropbox.com/sh/6c9sdoswook98pz/AABmhShl_lB6-KmF56eo7-yXa/1-OPEN/Llave-Women%20Doubles-2.pdf
  10. ↑ http://theracquetballblog.blogspot.ca/2015/04/mexico-sweeps-doubles-at-2015-pan.html
  11. ↑ http://theracquetballblog.blogspot.ca/2015/04/semi-final-madness-at-2015-pan-american.html
  12. ↑ http://Internationalracquetball.com/media/2511/Draw-Girls%2018%20Singles-2.pdf
  13. ↑ http://www.sirc.ca/news_view.cfm?id=41505

See also