Sebastian Franco
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| Nationality | Colombian | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born |
February 5, 1993 Cali, Colombia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Residence | Cali, Colombia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Sport | Racquetball | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coached by | Juan Gutierrez, Jeff Leon | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Highest world ranking | 8th (2016-17) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Sebastian Franco (born February 5, 1993) is a Colombian racquetball player. Franco is a former 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.[1] He finished the 2016-17 IRT season ranked 8th, which was his second consecutive year in the top 10.
International career
Franco won Men’s Doubles at the 2014 World Championships with Alejandro Herrera in Burlington, Ontario, Canada. They played the home country team of Canadians Mike Green and Vincent Gagnon in the final, winning 15-11, 15-5.[2]
Franco and Herrera attempted to defend their gold medal on home soil at the 2016 World Championships, which was held in Cali, Colombia, but they lost in the semi-finals to eventual champions Alvaro Beltran and Javier Moreno of Mexico, 15-2, 15-5.
Franco also represented Colombia at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto, where he played Men’s Doubles with Herrera. They lost in the quarterfinals to Bolivians Conrrado Moscoso and Roland Keller, 8-15, 15-9, 11-6.
In 2017, Franco won Men's Singles at the 2017 Bolivarian Games in Santa Marta, Colombia, and his performance helped Colombia get bronze in the team event. Franco and Herrera were also bronze medalists at the 2013 Bolivarian Games in Trujillo, Peru.
Professional career
Franco has made several firsts for a South American player on the International Racquetball Tour (IRT). Most significantly, he's the first South American to win a Tier 1 event, when he won the March Madness tournament in San Antonio in March 2018.[1] He defeated Alvaro Beltran in the quarterfinals, Jansen Allen in the semi-finals, and Alejandro Landa in the final to win the title. Franco is the 38th winner in IRT history.[3]
Earlier in his career, Franco was the first South American in an IRT semi-final, when he reached the semis at the Krowning Moment Pro Invitational in San Marcos, Texas in October 2015, when he upset Daniel De La Rosa in the Round of 16, 2-11, 11-4, 11-6, 6-11, 11-7, and then beat Robert Collins, 12-15, 11-9, 11-5, 11-4, in the quarterfinals, to set up a semi-final match with Rocky Carson, which Carson won, 11-8, 11-3, 11-7.[4]
Franco got to the semi-finals on three other occasions in the 2015-16 IRT season,[5] and as a result he was ranked 9th at the end of the season,[6] becoming one of the first South Americans to finish an IRT season in the top 10 (Mario Mercado of Bolivia was 10th that season).
Franco reached the quarterfinals of the US Open in 2016, which was the furthest a South American men’s player has reached in racquetball’s premier professional event. Franco and Mario Mercado also reached the quarterfinals of IRT Doubles at the 2016 US Open, losing to Jake Bredenbeck and Jose Diaz, 15-13, 10-15, 11-7.[7]
References
- 1 2 "2018 March Madness - San Antonio". R2 Sports. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
- ↑ "Colombians spoil Mike Green's bid for world racquetball title in Burlington". Hamilton Spectator. 22 July 2014. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
- ↑ Boss, Todd. "Pro Racquetball Stats". ProRacquetball Stats. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
- ↑ Tim Prigo (25 October 2015). "Krowning Moment Pro Invitational and Bobcat Open Returns in 2015". IRT. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
- ↑ Todd Boss. "IRT Historical Data Archive". Boss Consulting. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
- ↑ Dale Gosser. "Franco taking IRT by storm". IRT. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
- ↑ "Men's Doubles - IRT Pro". R2 Sports. 9 October 2016. Retrieved 30 October 2016.