We Begin 2023! Men’s and Women’s Round 16

This year, the SACC Costa Rica Open featured an even more diverse pool of players for both the Men’s and Women’s divisions than the previous year. The players—many of whom rank within the World's Top #100 — hail from various parts of the world, including England, Ireland, Ukraine, Latvia, the Netherlands, Romania, Egypt, USA, Canada, New Zealand, Guyana, Mexico, Chile, Guatemala, along with the 5 players from Costa Rica.

Round 16 started off strong, with all top seeds (see Players) except Cory McCartney moving to the Quarter Finals, but not without some effort! Constantly cheered on by the local crowds, all Costa Rican players displayed a strong performance on the court. The home favorite, Mauricio Bravo, faced the No.1 seed, Rowan Damming from the Netherlands, in what turned out to be a very intense match, with both players utilizing a variety of techniques and impressing the crowd with powerful shots.

Another notable—and by far the longest (57 minutes)—match of the day erupted between the two top seeds, Habiba Hani (EGY) and Alina Bushma (UKR). Despite taking a strong lead at the beginning and displaying exceptional control of the ball and technique, Alina started falling behind as the game’s speed increased in the third game. Players' accuracy became crucial, and Hani's determination secured her victory in the final three games.