May 21, 2011-Mexican
twins Arturo Salazar and Cesar Salazar are on course to meet in a
surprise final of the Torneo Internacional Sporta Open after battling
through the quarter-finals of the men’s PSA World Tour Challenger
15 squash event at Sporta in Santa Catarina Pinula in Guatemala.
After upsetting second seed Ryan
Cuskelly in the opening round, Cesar continued his impressive run by
overcoming New Zealand's higher-ranked Campbell Grayson 11-6, 11-7,
11-9.
The 23-year-old from San Luis Potosi
will now meet fellow countryman Eric Galvez, the world No90 from Puebla
who defeated Frenchman Yann Perrin, ranked almost 30 places higher,
4-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-8.
Arturo Salazar will be hoping to make it an all-Mexican final when he
lines up against top-seeded Colombian Miguel Angel Rodriguez in the
other men's semi.
The fourth seed defeated compatriot
Jorge Isaac Baltazar Ferreira 11-7, 11-4, 5-11, 4-11, 11-7, while
favourite Angel Rodriguez twice came from behind to beat South African
qualifier Clinton Leeuw 7-11, 11-6, 5-11, 11-5, 11-4.
There is a guaranteed Mexican
finalist in the women’s WISPA World Tour 4 championship where
seventh seed Imelda Salazar Martinez upset Thaisa Serafini, the No2
seed from Brazil, 11-13, 11-3, 8-11, 11-5, 11-6.
Martinez, sister of the Salazar
twins, will now face compatriot Graciela Lopez Perez for a place in the
final. The unseeded 19-year-old upset fourth seed Nayelly
Hernandez 12-10, 11-9, 11-7.
Canada's Samantha Cornett will be
hoping to prevent an all-Mexican climax. The fifth seed from
Ottawa beat US giant-killer Kristen Lange 11-8, 11-6, 11-8 and will now
line up against Mexican Ivonne Diaz in the other semi-final.
Third seed Diaz battled to an 11-6,
7-11, 11-8, 12-14, 11-9 win over Philadelphia-born US opponent Elpiniki
Clement, the No8 seed from the USA.
RESULTS: Torneo Internacional Sporta Open, Santa Catarina Pinula, Guatemala
Men's quarter-finals:
[1] Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL) bt Jorge Isaac Baltazar Ferreira (MEX) 7-11, 11-6, 5-11, 11-5, 11-4