Eduardo Portillo

Last updated
Eduardo Portillo
Personal information
Birth nameEduardo Portillo Torres
NationalityMexican
Born (1999-04-03) April 3, 1999 (age 25)
Sport
SportRacquetball
Achievements and titles
Highest world ranking4th 2022

Eduardo Portillo (born April 3, 1999) is a Mexican racquetball player, who has represented Mexico at the Pan American Games and the International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Championships, as well as competing on the International Racquetball Tour. [1] He's the current Central American and Caribbean Games champion in Men's Singles and Mixed Doubles (with Paola Longoria, winning the titles in 2023. [2]

Contents

Junior years - 2014-2018

Portillo played for Mexico at the International Racquetball Federation (IRF) 2014 World Junior Championships in Cali, Colombia, where he Lost in semi-finals of Boys U14 to American Jordan Barth, 15–8, 10–15, 11–7. [3] But he and Santiago Garcia won the Boys U14 Doubles title by defeating Costa Ricans Julian Hamburger and Andres Montero in the final, 15–12, 8–15, 11–5. [4]

He won both singles and doubles in Boys U16 at World Juniors in 2016 in San Luis Potosí, Mexico. In singles, Portillo defeated his team-mate Sebastian Fernandez in final, 15–9, 15–14., [5] and in doubles he and Rodrigo Rodriguez defeated Fernando Ruiz and Bernardo Valencia of Bolivia in the final, 15–5, 15–12. [6]

In 2017, Portillo lost in the final of Boys U18 Singles at World Juniors in Minneapolis to American Mauro Rojas in final, 15–6, 15–14, after beating Canadian Trevor Webb in semi-finals, 15–3, 15–11. [7] However, he did win Boys U18 Doubles with Gerardo Franco, defeating Webb and Simon Comeau in the final, 15–9, 15–2. [8]

In 2018, his last year of junior eligibility, Portillo won Boys U18 Singles at World Juniors in San Luis Potosí, Mexico, defeating fellow Mexican Sebastian Fernandez in final, 14–15, 15–4, 11–7. [9]

2019-2022 - Beginning to play the pro tour

Portillo played some events on the International Racquetball Tour (IRT) beginning in the 2017–18 season, but he wasn't a full time player on tour until the 2019–20 season. [1] That season he reached his first final, and finished 8th in the season ending rankings.

In 2021, he was in another final, and improved his ranking to 5th. Then in 2022, Portillo won his first IRT event. Portillo won the 2022 Capital Classic in Millersville, Maryland. He defeated Alejandro Landa in the quarterfinals, 15–11, 15–8, and then got a win over Kane Waselenchuk in the semi-finals, as Waselenchuk suffered an achilles injury during the first game of the match. [10] In the final, Portillo beat Javier Mar, 15–7, 15–3. [11]

2023-present - Winning medals for Mexico

Portillo played at the 2023 Pan American Championships in Guatemala City, Guatemala, where he won Men's Doubles with Rodrigo Montoya. They defeated Bolivians Kadim Carrasco and Carlos Keller, 11–3, 14–12, 11–13, 11–8, in the final. [12] Portillo also played singles in Guatemala, and he lost in the quarterfinals to Argentina's Diego Garcia, 8–11, 11–8, 11–8, 8–11, 11–8. [13]

Portillo won gold for Mexico in Men's Singles at the 2023 Central American and Caribbean Games, as he defeated countryman Rodrigo Montoya in the final, 11–7, 13–11, 15–13. [14] He advanced to the final by beating Costa Rican Andrés Acuña, 11–7, 11–3, 11–8. [15] Portillo and Paola Longoria won Mixed Doubles, as they came back from 2–1 down to defeat Edwin Galicia and Gabriela Martinez (Centro Caribe Sports), 11–6, 10–12, 7–11, 11–6, 11–6. [16] [17] He also helped Mexico win gold in the Men's Team event, as they defeated Costa Rica in the final. [18] Portillo defeated Felipe Camacho, 11–3, 11–4, 11–5, in the first match of the final.

At the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, Portillo earned three bronze medals: in singles, mixed doubles and the men's team event. In Men's Singles, he defeated Daniel De La Rosa of the US in the quarterfinals, 10–12, 13–11, 12–10, 9–11, 13–11, [19] but lost to Bolivian Conrrado Moscoso in the semi-finals, 11–3, 14–12, 12–10. [20] In Mixed Doubles, Portillo played with Paola Longoria, and they lost in the semi-finals to Americans Adam Manilla and Erika Manilla, 11–9, 13–11, 6–11, 8–11, 11–7. [21] In the Men's Team event, Mexico lost to Canada, 2–1, in the semi-finals, although Portillo won his singles match against Coby Iwaasa, 11–8, 16–14, 11–8. [22]

Portillo earned three medals at the 2024 Racquetball World Championships in San Antonio, Texas. [23] He and Andree Parrilla were silver medalists in Men's Doubles, as they defeated Americans Adam Manilla and Sebastian Fernandez, 11–4, 2–11, 11–7, 12–10, in the semi-finals, but lost Canadians Coby Iwaasa and Samuel Murray in the final, 11–5, 6–11, 11–8, 4–11, 11–6. [24] In Men's Singles, Portillo upset Bolivian Conrrado Moscoso in the quarterfinals, 11–7, 13–15, 11–8, 5–11, 11–6, but lost to American Jake Bredenbeck in the semi-finals, 11–8, 12–10, 14–12. [25] He also helped Mexico to a bronze medal in the Men's Team event, [26] as they defeated Guatemala in the quarterfinals, but lost to Canada in the semi-finals.

Career summary

Portillo has played on the International Racquetball Tour full time since the 2019–20 season, and has one win on tour. [1] He's played for Mexico at the Pan American Games, World Championships, Central American and Caribbean Games, as well as the Pan American Championships.

Career record

This table lists Portillo's results across annual events.

Event20172018201920202021202220232024
US Open 32-16PQFQF--
US Open Doubles
IRT Ranking 42178547

Note: W = winner, F = finalist, SF = semi-finalist, QF = quarterfinalist, 16 = Round of 16. P = Cancellation due to COVID-19 pandemic.

Related Research Articles

Shane Vanderson is a retired professional racquetball player. Vanderson was the International Racquetball Tour's (IRT's) #5 player at the end of three seasons: 2006-07, 2007–08, 2009-10. Vanderson finished in the IRT's top 10 for ten consecutive seasons. A native of Ohio, Vanderson was known for having one of the best backhands in racquetball.

Jose Rojas is a professional racquetball player. Rojas's highest ranking is #3 on the International Racquetball Tour (IRT), which he was at the end of the 2011–12 season. At the end of the 2014–15 season, Rojas was #6, which was his sixth time in the IRT top 10 at season's end. Rojas has represented the USA several times in international competition, and been a gold medalist three times.

María José Vargas is a Bolivian-born Argentine racquetball player. She is the current Pan American Champion in Women's Singles, Women's Doubles, as well as the Women's Team event. Vargas is also the current South American Racquetball Champion in Women's Singles and Doubles. Vargas has ten wins on the Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT), and was the LPRT's #1 player in 2023-24.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daniel de la Rosa</span> Mexican racquetball player

Daniel de la Rosa is a Mexican-born American Professional racquetball and Professional pickleball player. De La Rosa is the current International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Champion in both Men's Singles and Mixed Doubles, winning the titles in 2024 in San Antonio, Texas, where he was also part of the US team that won the Men's Team title.

Sebastian Franco is a Colombian racquetball player. Franco is a former International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Champion in Men's Doubles, winning the title in 2014 with Alejandro Herrera. In 2018, Franco became the first South American to win a tournament on the International Racquetball Tour (IRT), when he won the March Madness event in San Antonio. He finished the IRT's Top 10 four straight seasons – from 2015–16 to 2018–19 – with a career high ranking of 6th in 2017–18.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samuel Murray (racquetball)</span> Canadian racquetball player

Samuel Murray is a Canadian racquetball player. He is the current International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Champion in Men's Doubles, winning the title with Coby Iwaasa in 2024. Previously, Murray was the 2022 Pan American Champion in Men's Doubles. He has won twice on the International Racquetball Tour, and is only the second Canadian to win on the IRT, and been ranked as high as #3. He is the current Canadian Champion in Men's Singles, winning the title for a sixth time in 2024.

Coby Iwaasa is a Canadian racquetball player. He is the current International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Champion in Men's Doubles, winning the title with Samuel Murray in 2024. Previously, Iwaasa and Murray won the 2022 Pan American Championships Men's Doubles title, and he won two silver medals at the Racquetball at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago.

Gabriela Martinez is a Guatemalan racquetball player. Martinez is the current Pan American Games Champion in women's doubles. She is a former International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Champion in the women's singles, winning the title at the 2018 World Championships. Martinez has competed on the Guatemala National Team at international tournaments since 2012, garnering many medals across her career.

Natalia Mendez is a Bolivian-born Argentine racquetball player. She is the current South American Champion in Women's Doubles and the current Pan American Champion in Women's Doubles and the Women's Team event, winning those titles with Maria Jose Vargas. Mendez has also medaled at the International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Championships as well as the Pan American Games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conrrado Moscoso</span> Bolivian racquetball player

Conrrado Moscoso is a Bolivian racquetball player. He is a former International Racquetball Federation (IRF) Men's Singles World Champion, which he won at the 2022 Racquetball World Championships in San Luis Potosí, Mexico. Moscoso is the first Bolivian and first South American man to win an IRF World Championship in singles. Moscoso is also the current two time Pan American Champion in Men's Singles as well as the Pan American Champion in Mixed Doubles. He also won gold in Men's Singles at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, as well as helping Bolivia to successfully defend the Men's Team gold medal they first won at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru, which was the first gold medal won by Bolivia in any sport at the Pan American Games. Moscoso has also won multiple times on the International Racquetball Tour (IRT), including the 2022 US Open, and been in the IRT top 10 for four seasons beginning in 2019–20.

Carlos Keller is a Bolivian racquetball player. Keller was on the Bolivian Men's Team that won back to back gold medals at the Pan American Games in 2019 and 2023. Their first gold medal at the 2019 games in Lima, Peru was Bolivia's first racquetball gold medal at the Pan Am Games, and they successfully defended that gold at the 2023 Games in Santiago, Chile. He was also part of the Bolivian men's team that won gold at the 2022 Pan American Racquetball Championships, which was Keller's third gold medal at Pan Am Championships to go with his two Men's Singles titles, won in 2018 and 2019.

Mario Mercado is a Bolivian-born Colombian racquetball player. He has won several medals for Colombia, highlighted by a silver medal at the 2019 Pan American Games in the men's team event. He has also won on the International Racquetball Tour.

Rodrigo Montoya is a Mexican racquetball player. He is the current International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Champion in both the Men's Team competition and Mixed Doubles, winning those titles at the 2022 Championships in San Luis Potosí, Mexico. That was his 4th IRF World Championship, as he won the 2018 Men's Singles in Costa Rica and the 2021 Men's Doubles with Javier Mar in Guatemala City, so Montoya is the first player to win singles, doubles and mixed doubles at Worlds. He is also the current Pan American Games champion in Men's Doubles with Mar, winning the title at the 2023 Pan Am Games in Santiago. Montoya is also the current Pan American Champion in Men's Singles and the Men's Team event, winning those titles at the 2024 Pan American Racquetball Championships in Guatemala City.

Angélica Barrios is a Bolivian racquetball player. Barrios is the current Pan American Champion in Mixed Doubles, winning the title at the 2023 Pan American Racquetball Championships in Guatemala City, Guatemala, and a former Pan Am Champion in Women's Singles. She is also the first Bolivian to win a medal at the World Games, as she won bronze at the 2022 World Games in Birmingham, Alabama.

Montserrat Mejía is a Mexican racquetball player. Mejía is the current World Champion in Women's Doubles, and helped Mexico win gold in the Women's Team event at the 2024 World Championships in San Antonio, Texas. She finished #1 on the Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour in 2022–23, becoming the second Mexican to do so after Paola Longoria.

Andrés Acuña is a Costa Rican racquetball player. He is the current World Games champion in racquetball, winning gold at the 2022 World Games, in Birmingham, Alabama. Acuña is also the current Pan American Champion in Men's Doubles, winning the title in Guatemala City in 2024. He was runner up at the 2021 International Racquetball Federation (IRF) 2021 World Championships in Men's Singles in Guatemala.

Alexandra Herrera is a Mexican racquetball player. She is the current World Champion in Women's Doubles. A left-handed player, Herrera was the #2 player on the Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour in 2020-21 and again in 2021–22, two of her nine seasons in the LPRT top 10.

Jake Bredenbeck is an American racquetball player. Bredenbeck is a four time USA Racquetball (USAR) National Champion: three times in Men's Singles and once in Men's Doubles. He's also won on the International Racquetball Tour, and represented the USA internationally.

Erika Manilla is an American racquetball player. Manilla is the current Pan American Games Champion in Mixed Doubles, winning gold with her brother Adam at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile. She also won doubles at the 2022 US Open Racquetball Championships with Natalia Mendez, and has won six USA Racquetball (USAR) National titles.

Javier Mar is an Mexican racquetball player. Mar is the current two time Pan American Games champion in Men's Doubles with Rodrigo Montoya, first winning gold at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru and then again at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile. He's a former International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Champion in Men's Doubles with Montoya, winning that title in 2021. Mar has also won doubles titles on the International Racquetball Tour.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "IRT Season and Career Summary for Portillo, Eduardo". Pro Racquetball Stats. Todd Boss. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
  2. "Eduardo Portillo, talento del raquetbol". Pulso. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  3. "2014 IRF World Junior Championships - Boys U14". IRF. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  4. "2014 IRF World Junior Championships - Boys U14 Doubles". IRF. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  5. "2016 IRF World Junior Championships - Boys U16 Singles". IRF. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  6. "2016 IRF World Junior Championships - Boys U16 Doubles". IRF. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  7. "2017 IRF World Junior Championships - Boys U18 Singles". IRF. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  8. "2017 IRF World Junior Championships - Boys U18 Doubles". IRF. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  9. "2018 IRF World Junior Championships - Boys U18 Singles". IRF. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  10. Boss, Todd. "2022 IRT Capital Classic Recap". Pro Racquetball Stats Blog. Todd Boss. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  11. "2022 Capital Classic". R2 Sports. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  12. "XXXIV Pan American Championships - Men's Doubles". R2 Sports. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  13. "XXXIV Pan American Championships - Men's Singles - Playoff". R2 Sports. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
  14. "San Salvador 2023 - Men's Individual Finals". San Salvador 2023. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  15. "San Salvador 2023 - Men's Individual Semi-Finals". San Salvador 2023. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  16. López, Enrique. "¡México obtiene oro en Racquetbol mixto de Centroamericanos!". Excelsior. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  17. "San Salvador 2023 - Mixed Doubles Finals". San Salvador 2023. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  18. "San Salvador 2023 - Men's Team Finals". San Salvador 2023. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  19. "Santiago 2023 - Men's Singles Quarterfinals". Santiago 2023. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  20. "Santiago 2023 - Men's Singles Semi-finals". Santiago 2023. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  21. "Santiago 2023 - Mixed Doubles Semi-finals". Santiago 2023. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  22. "Santiago 2023 - Men's Team Semi-finals". Santiago 2023. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  23. Vázquez, Ana Paula. "Brilló Eduardo P. en Mundial". Pulso. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
  24. "XXII IRF World Championships – Men's Doubles". International Racquetball Federation. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
  25. "XXII IRF World Championships – Men's Singles". International Racquetball Federation. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
  26. "XXII IRF World Championships – Men's Team Competition". International Racquetball Federation. Retrieved 18 September 2024.