Canada and Puerto Rico off to good start in Puerto Vallarta

PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico, September 30, 2011 – The duos of Canada and Puerto Rico each claimed three victories on Friday during the first day of the eight stop of the 2011 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Circuit.

Christian Redmann and Benjamin Saxton first defeated Trinidadians Fabien Whitfield and David Thomas 21-11, 21-13 and continued with a 23-21, 21-12 victory over Ricardo Galindo-Juan Revuelta of Mexico-2. In the closest match of the opening day the Canadian pair edged Andrew McGuire of United States 18-21, 21-18, 15-11.

Puerto Rico’s Roberto Rodriguez and Christopher Underwood, winners in Tijuana two weeks ago, won against United States’ team 24-22, 23-21, the Trinidadians 21-14, 21-15 and Mexicans Galindo-Revuelta 21-11, 24-22.

One of the favorite duos, Aldo Miramontes-Juan Virgen of Mexico-1 won against US Virgin Islands’ pair of Gustavo Cintron-Jelani Richard 21-19, 21-14 and followed with a 21-16, 21-16 win over Costa Rica’s Esteban Escobar-Bryan Monge.

Guatemala’s Andy Blanco-Erick Garrido also scored two victories. They defeated Honduras’ Randall Vigil-Wilmer Toro 21-16, 21-16 and Escobar-Monge 21-14, 21-17.

In the other two matches of the day, Mexicans Galindo-Revuelta edged Whitfield-Thomas in three sets 18-21, 21-8, 16-14 and Cintron-Richard beat Vigil-Toro 21-17, 21-9.

Saturday’s schedule features the match Rodríguez-Underwood versus Redmann-Saxton before the start of the quarterfinals.

Men’s teams: Roberto Rodríguez-Christopher Underwood (Puerto Rico), Andrew McGuire-James Drost (Estados Unidos), Esteban Escobar-Bryan Monge (Costa Rica), Andy Blanco-Erick Garrido (Guatemala), Christian Redmann-Benjamin Saxton (Canada), Fabien Whitfield-David Thomas (Trinidad and Tobago), Randall Vigil-Wilmer Toro (Honduras), Gustavo Cintrón-Jelani Richard (US Virgin Islands), Aldo Miramontes-Juan Virgen (Mexico 1)and Ricardo Galindo-Juan Revuelta (Mexico 2).