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| Nationality | Colombian | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | January 12, 1995 Cochabamba, Bolivia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Sport | Racquetball | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Mario Mercado (born January 12, 1995) 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.
Mercado was introduced to racquetball at age 10 by his parents. At 14, he stopped playing soccer to concentrate on playing racquetball. [1] At the 2010 International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Junior Championships, Mercado played Boys' U14 Singles for Bolivia and lost in the Round of 16 to fellow Bolivian Marcelo Vargas, 15–5, 12–15, 11–9. [2] At the 2011 World Junior Championships in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Mercado played Boys’ U16 Singles, and lost to Mexican Ramon Yanez in the quarterfinals, 15–5, 15–14. [3]
Mercado again played Boys’ U16 at the 2012 World Junior Championships in Los Angeles, where he lost in the quarterfinals to Coby Iwaasa, 15–11, 15–11, and also played Boys’ U16 Doubles, losing in the quarters to the US Team of Sawyer Lloyd and Adam Manilla, 15–14, 15–5. [4]
After not playing at World Juniors in 2013, Mercado made his final appearance at the 2014 World Junior Championships in Cali, Colombia, where he won Boys’ U18. He defeated Canadian Coby Iwaasa in the semi-finals, 15–8, 14–15, 11–4, and then fellow Bolivian Conrrado Moscoso in the final, 15–12, 7–15, 11–7. [5] Mercado and Moscoso played together in Boys’ U18 Doubles, losing in the semi-finals to Americans Sawyer Lloyd and Adam Manilla, 15–14, 15–11. [6] So, Mercado medaled in both singles and doubles in his last year of junior eligibility.
Mercado was selected to play for Bolivia at the 2014 Racquetball World Championships in Burlington, Ontario, where he played Men's Doubles with Conrrado Moscoso. They defeated Venezuelans Cesar Castillo and César Castro in the quarterfinals, 10–15, 15–6, 11–9, but lost to Colombians Sebastian Franco and Alejandro Herrera in the semi-finals, 15–11, 15–2, which resulted in a bronze medal.
Mercado has said that "I knew the first time I touched a racquet I wanted to be a professional racquetball player," [1] and he began to make that goal a reality in the 2015–16 International Racquetball Tour (IRT) season. Mercado had such success in that first season that he finished 10th in the rankings. [7] Since then, Mercado has been a tour regular, missing only 4 of 59 events from 2015 to December 2021. [7]
Mercado's first big IRT win came at the 2015 St. Louis Winter Rollout, when he defeated Álvaro Beltrán in the Round of 16, 5–11, 15–13, 11–5, 7–11, 11–4, on a run to his 1st semi-final appearance. [8] But in the semis Mercado lost to Rocky Carson, 11–2, 11–4, 11–0. [9] Mercado also made four other quarterfinals in the 2015–16 season, which helped him finish 10th in the season end rankings. [7] He didn't reach a semi-final in the 2016–17 IRT season, but was in four quarterfinals, and finished 9th in the rankings. [7]
Mercado made a breakthrough in the 2017–18 season, as he reached his first final at the 2017 John Pelham Memorial / Pro Kennex Tournament of Champions in Portland, Oregon, where Mercado defeated Samuel Murray in the semi-finals, 13–11, 11–5, 6–11, 11–5. But he lost the final to Charlie Pratt, 11–4, 11–1, 12–10. [10] Despite the loss, Mercado was the first South American born player to reach an IRT final.
Portland was only Mercado's second time in the semi-finals on tour, and he would get into two more semis in 2017–18, which led to a career high 7th ranking at season's end. [7]
Mercado earned three silver medals at the 2018 South American Games in Cochabamba, Bolivia, one each in Men's Singles, Men's Doubles and the Men's Team event. In singles, he defeated Carlos Keller of Bolivia in the semi-finals, 15–8, 15–14, but then lost to the other Bolivian Conrrado Moscoso, 15–10, 11–15, 11–6, in the final. [11] In doubles, Mercado and Sebastian Franco finished second in a five team round robin with their only loss to Moscoso and Roland Keller, 15–11, 15–7. [12] In the Men's Team event, Mercado helped Colombia finish 2nd, beating Ecuador in the semi-finals, but losing to Bolivia in the final. [13]
Mercado played for Colombia at the 2018 Central American and Caribbean Games in Barranquilla, Colombia, where he got the finals in Men's Singles, losing to Mexican Daniel de la Rosa, 9–15, 15–2. 11–5, and reaching the semi-finals in Men's Doubles with Set Cubillos, where they lost to Costa Ricans Andrés Acuña and Felipe Camacho, 15–4, 15–3. In the Men's Team event, Colombia lost in the quarterfinals to Cuba, as Mercado won his match, but he and Cubillos lost in doubles and the final singles match was lost also. So, Mercado came away from Barranquilla with two medals: silver in Men's Singles and bronze in Men's Doubles.
In 2018, Mercado played at the IRF World Championships for Colombia. He played Men's Singles, beating Canadian Coby Iwaasa in the Round of 16, but losing in the quarterfinals to American David Horn, 15–12, 15–6. [14] Mercado also played Men's Doubles at Worlds with Sebastian Franco, and they beat Guatemalans Edwin Galicia and Christian Wer, 15–12, 15–2, in the Round of 16, but lost in the quarterfinals to Americans Rocky Carson and Sudsy Monchik, losing 15–11, 15–13. [15]
Mercado was in another semi-final in the 2018–19 IRT season, when he reached the semis of the 2019 Bolivian Open. He defeated Andree Parrilla in the quarterfinals, 15–7, 15–11, but lost to Rocky Carson in the semis, 15–8, 6–15, 11–6. [16] However, Mercado only had one other quarterfinal appearance that season, so he was ranked 10th at season's end. [7]
Mercado represented Colombia at the 2019 Pan American Racquetball Championships in Barranquilla, Colombia, where he played Men's Singles and Doubles. In singles, he lost in the Round of 16 to Mexican Álvaro Beltrán, 12–15, 15–8, 11–1. [17] In doubles, he and Andrés Gómez lost to Roland Keller and Conrrado Moscoso, 15–3, 15–5, in the quarterfinals. [18]
At the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru, Mercado was part of the silver medal Colombian Men's Team in the Men's Team event, which was Colombia's first racquetball silver medal at the Pan Am Games. They beat the Canada in the quarterfinals, 2–0, then defeated Mexico in the semi-finals, 2–1, before falling to Bolivia in three matches in the final, 2–1. In the final, Mercado defeated Carlos Keller but they lost in doubles and team-mate Sebastian Franco lost to Conrrado Moscoso. [19]
Mercado also played Men's Singles in Lima, earning a bronze medal, as he reached the semi-finals with a win over American Jake Bredenbeck in the quarterfinals, 15–8, 8–15, 11–8, but in the semis, he lost to Mexican Álvaro Beltrán, 15–7, 15–5. [20]
In the 2019–20 season, Mercado reached his 2nd final at the 22nd Annual Lou Bradley Memorial Pro-Am in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. He reached the final with a win over Alejandro Landa, 15–14, 15–11, in the semi-finals, but Kane Waselenchuk defeated Mercado in the final, 15–2, 15–3. [21] Yet, Mercado only made it past the Round of 16 three times that season with the other two being quarterfinal losses, and that led to a 13th ranking at season's end, which was the first time he was ranked outside the top 10 while playing the IRT full time. [7]
Mercado won his 1st IRT title in November 2021, when he won the Arizona Open in Tempe, Arizona. In Tempe, Mercado beat Alejandro Landa in the quarterfinals, 15–5, 15–9, Rocky Carson in the semi-finals, 5–15, 15–13, 11–10, and Daniel de la Rosa in the final, 6–15, 15–12, 11–0. [22] Mercado is the third South American and second Bolivian born player (after Conrrado Moscoso) to win an IRT event.
At the 2022 Pan American Racquetball Championships in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, Mercado played three divisions: Men's Singles and Men's Doubles as well as Mixed Doubles, which was offered for the first time in 2022. However, Mercado didn't reach the podium in Santa Cruz. In Men's Singles, he lost two of his group stage matches – to Argentine Diego Garcia and Mexican Rodrigo Montoya – which meant that he didn't qualify for the medal round, although Mercado did win the consolation playoff. [23] In Men's Doubles, Mercado and Set Cubillos lost in the quarterfinals to American brothers Jake Bredenbeck and Sam Bredenbeck, 15–14, 15–9, 15–8. [24] Finally, in Mixed Doubles with Cristina Amaya, Mercado lost in the Round of 16 to Guatemalans Edwin Galicia and Gabriela Martínez, 15–14, 13–15, 15–12, 15–8. [25]
This table lists Mercado's results across annual events.
| Event | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
| US Open | 64 | 32 | 16 | QF | 32 | P | 16 |
| IRT Ranking | 10 | 9 | 7 | 10 | 13 | ||
Note: W = winner, F = finalist, SF = semi-finalist, QF = quarterfinalist, 16 = Round of 16. P = pandemic cancelled event.
Mercado moved to Colombia in 2015, and now plays for his adopted country. He has been living in Orlando, Florida to train and serve as his base to play the IRT. [26]
Mercado proposed to his girlfriend Jocelyn Borja after the medal ceremony at the 2019 Pan American Games. [27]
Rocky Carson is an American professional racquetball player. Carson's a former International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Champion in Men's Singles – a title he's won a record five times. He has been the season ending #1 player on the International Racquetball Tour (IRT) twice, including in 2017–18. Carson has also played outdoor racquetball, and in 2008, he became the first man to win Men's Singles at the World Outdoor Championship, as well as the indoor IRF World Championship, and US Open.
Paola Michelle Longoria López is a Mexican racquetball player. She is the current Women's World Champion in both Singles and Doubles, winning both divisions at the 2022 International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Championships in San Luis Potosi. Longoria is the winningest player in IRF World Championship history, and she is the only woman to win both singles and doubles at Worlds. Longoria is also the #1 player on the Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT) tour, and was the first Mexican woman to attain the #1 pro ranking, doing so at the end of the 2008–09 season. She repeated the feat at the end of 2009–2010 season, and has been #1 for ten consecutive seasons. Longoria's style is characterized by a semi-western grip of the racquet, which is unusual for racquetball; Longoria is the only pro player using this grip style.
Álvaro Beltrán, is a Mexican professional racquetball player. Beltrán is the current International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Champion in Men's Doubles with Daniel De La Rosa, winning the title in 2022 in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. He is one of only two men to win both Men's Singles and Men's Doubles at the Racquetball World Championships. His six world titles tie him for 3rd most in IRF history. Beltran has been a top 10 player on the International Racquetball Tour (IRT) for 18 seasons.
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 Doubles, as well as part of the Women's Team Pan Am Champions and the current South American Racquetball Champion in Women's Singles and Doubles. Vargas has five wins on the Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour (LPRT), and has finished in the top 10 seven times - five of those were within the top three with her career best coming in 2014-15, when she finished #2.
Tim Landeryou is a Canadian retired racquetball player. He was a member of the Canadian National Team from 2010 to 2020, winning multiple medals in international competitions.
Daniel de la Rosa is a Mexican racquetball and pickleball player. De La Rosa is the current International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Champion in Men's doubles, winning the title in 2022 in his home city of San Luis Potosí, Mexico. He's won seven times on the International Racquetball Tour (IRT), including the 2021 US Open. De La Rosa is the first Mexican player to win the US Open, and he was the second Mexican player to win an IRT Tier 1 event.
The International Racquetball Federation's 17th Racquetball World Championships were held in Burlington, Ontario, Canada, from June 14 to 21, 2014. This was the second time Worlds were in Canada. Previously, they were in Montreal in 1992.
Jansen Allen is an American racquetball player. Allen won gold at the 2015 Pan American Games in Men's Doubles with Jose Rojas. He was ranked in the top 10 on the International Racquetball Tour for five straight seasons, from 2013–14 to 2017–18. Allen also a 5 Time Junior National Champion, the 2012 Division 1 Collegiate racquetball champion in singles and doubles, and a 5 Time Texas State Champion.
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.
Samuel Murray is a Canadian racquetball player. He is the current Canadian Champion in Men's Singles, winning the title for a fifth time in 2023. Murray was the 2022 Pan American Champion in Men's Doubles ,. He became the 2nd Canadian to win a Tier 1 or Grand Slam event on the International Racquetball Tour in January 2021, when he won the Suivant Consulting Pro-Am in Lilburn, Georgia. His career high IRT ranking is #3 at the end of the 2021.
Coby Iwaasa is a Canadian racquetball player. He is the current Canadian Champion in Men's Doubles, winning the title with Kurtis Cullen in 2023. Iwaasa won the 2022 Pan American Championships in Men's Doubles with Samuel Murray, and was a bronze medalist at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto.
Gabriela Martinez is a Guatemalan racquetball player. Martinez 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, including earning a silver medal in women's doubles at the 2019 Pan American Games.
Natalia Mendez is a Bolivian-born Argentine racquetball player. She is the current Pan American Champion in Women's Doubles and South American Champion in Women's Doubles, winning both titles with Maria Jose Vargas. Mendez has medaled at the International Racquetball Federation (IRF) World Championships as well as the Pan American Games.
Conrrado Moscoso is a Bolivian racquetball player. He is the current 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. Moscoso has won multiple medals for Bolivia, including several gold medals, including gold in the Men's Team event at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru. That 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), and cracked the IRT top 10 in 2019–20.
Carlos Keller is a Bolivian racquetball player. Keller was part of the Bolivian men's team that won gold at the 2022 Pan American Racquetball Championships, which was his third gold medal at Pan Ams to go with his two Men's Singles titles, won in 2018 and 2019. He was on the Bolivian Men's Team that won gold at the 2019 Pan American Games, which was Bolivia's first racquetball gold medal at the Pan Am Games.
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 both Men's Singles and Doubles with Mar, winning those events at the 2019 Pan Am Games in Lima. Montoya is the current Pan American Champion in Men's Doubles, winning that title with Eduardo Portillo at the 2023 Pan American Racquetball Championships in Guatemala City.
Andree Parrilla is a Mexican racquetball player. He has won twice on the International Racquetball Tour, and represented Mexico at international competitions.
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.
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 was runner up at the 2021 International Racquetball Federation (IRF) 2021 World Championships in Men's Singles in Guatemala.
