BURNABY, BC - New teams won on Tuesday at the Canadian Racquetball Championships in Burnaby, BC, as the women's team of Brandi Jacobson Prentice (Montreal) and Frederique Lambert (Saskatoon) and the men's team of Mike Green (Hannon, ON) and Kris Odegard (Saskatoon) won their respective doubles finals by defeating the defending champions.

Jacobson Prentice and Lambert beat six time champions Josée Grand'Maitre (Longueuil, PQ) and Jennifer Saunders (Winnipeg) in perhaps the most dramatic women's final ever. The young team came out shooting and won game one 15-8. But the veteran team of Grand'Maitre and Saunders came back in the second game and fought off three match points to win 19-17.

In the tie-breaker, it was close early, as the teams were tied at 4-4. But the youngsters got on a roll again and pushed on to win 11-4, taking the match two games to one.

It's the first National Championship for both Jacobson Prentice and Lambert, although both won multiple Canadian Junior Championships. Jacobson Prentice was 18 & under girls champion 5 times and Lambert currently holds that title.

Green and Odegard also needed a tie-breaker to defeat the reigning two time champions Vincent Gagnon (Montreal) and Francois Viens (Montreal), winning 14-16, 15-10, 11-7. It seemed that Green and Odegard would win game one, as they led 14-6, but Gagnon and Viens showed why they were champions as they came back with 10 unanswered points.

In the tie-breaker, Gagnon and Viens had the early lead at 5-1, but Green and Odegard ran seven points in a row to lead 8-5 and never looked back. It's Green's sixth doubles title, but the first for Odegard, who is the reigning singles champion.

The singles competitions begin on Wednesday and continue through Saturday at Rev's in Burnaby.

Results from the national championships will be combined with those from the National Team Selection Events held earlier this season to select the players for Team Canada to go to the World Racquetball Championships in South Korea in August.

For more information on the 2010 Canadian Racquetball Championships see the tournament website: http://www.r2sports.com/tourney/home.asp?TID=6116

RESULTS SUMMARY

WOMEN'S OPEN DOUBLES

1st place - Brandi Jacobson Prentice (Montreal) & Frederique Lambert (Montreal) vs. Josee Grand'Maitre (Longueuil, PQ) & Jennifer Saunders (Winnipeg), 14-16, 15-10, 11-7

3rd place - Brigitte Richard (Montreal) & Christine Richardson (Regina) d. Murielle Boivin (Quebec City) & Valerie Fallu (Brossard, PQ), 15-4, 15-8

MEN'S OPEN DOUBLES
Final

Mike Green (Hannon, ON) & Kris Odegard (Saskatoon) d. Vincent Gagnon (Montreal) & Francois Viens (Montreal), 14-16, 15-10, 11-7

3rd place
Corey Osborne (Penetanguishene, ON) & Francis Guillemette (Montreal) d. Tim Landeryou (Saskatoon) & James Landeryou (Saskatoon), 15-11, 15-5

Source: sirc.ca