RESULTS: Women's Abierto Mexicano de Raquetas, Huixquilucan,
Mexico
Blatchford Blanks Out Waters In
Mexicano Final
US
squash star Olivia Blatchford celebrated her first WSA
World Tour final appearance away from her homeland in
sensational style - by dismissing higher-ranked South African
Siyoli Waters in straight games to win the Women's Abierto
Mexicano de Raquetas in Huixquilucan, Mexico.
The 21-year-old from New York, ranked 61 in the world, was enjoying
one of the best runs of her career in the WSA Tour 15 event
at Universidad Anahuac. Seeded five, Blatchford blasted out
No2 seed Aisling Blake in the quarter-finals before ousting
home hope Samantha Teran, the No4 seed from Mexico, in the
semis.
There was no stopping the US number five in the final where she came
from behind in the first two games against Waters to defeat the No3
seed 11-9, 11-9, 12-10.
It
was the fifth Tour final of Blatchford's career - but it produced
the New Yorker's third, and biggest, title.
Blatchford & Waters Make Surprise Mexican Final
Impressive semi-final upsets by third seed Siyoli Waters and
fifth seed Olivia Blatchford have led to a surprise final of
the Women's Abierto Mexicano de Raquetas, the WSA Tour 15
squash event at Universidad Anahuac in Huixquilucan,
Mexico.
Blatchford, the world No61 from the USA, broke local hearts when she
overcame Mexican number one Samantha Teran. Eager to shine in
her country's leading Tour event for the first time, Mexico's most
successful squash player of all-time took the opening game and
forced the second into a tie-break.
But 21-year-old Blatchford, ranked 22 places behind the experienced
33-year-old Mexican, clinched the game to draw level, then survived
a further tie-break game before claiming her surprise 4-11, 14-12,
12-10, 11-9 victory.
The win takes New Yorker Blatchford into the fifth WSA World Tour
final of her career - but her first since January last year, and her
first off home-soil.
Waters, the reigning South African champion from Cape Town, lined up
against top seed Samantha Cornett - and stormed into a 2/0
lead. The top-ranked Canadian fought back to draw level, but Waters
regrouped to take the decider and wrap up an 11-8, 11-9, 2-11, 6-11,
11-6 victory.
Waters, the 31-year-old world No37, is celebrating the 15th Tour
final of her career - but her second this month after finishing as
runner-up in the Orange County Open across the border in
California last week.
Teran Survives Quarter-Final Test
Samantha Teran,
Mexico's most successful squash player of all-time, put behind her
the disappointment of a quarter-final defeat in the 2013 edition of
Women's Abierto Mexicano de Raquetas when she sailed into the
semi-finals of this year's WSA Tour 15 event at
Universidad Anahuac in Huixquilucan, Mexico.
The former world No11 from Mexico City, the event's fourth seed,
defeated New Zealand's No7 seed Amanda Landers-Murphy 11-6,
11-7, 5-11, 11-8 in 35 minutes and will now face Olivia
Blatchford for a place in the final.
Fifth seed Blatchford, the US No5, celebrated the only upset of the
day when she toppled No2 seed Aisling Blake, the world No36
from Ireland, 9-11, 11-2, 11-0, 9-11, 11-9.
The other semi will be the match predicted by the draw, between top
seed Samantha Cornett and South African Siyoli Waters,
the third seed.
Canadian Cornett crushed Argentinean qualifier Antonella Falcione
12-10, 11-3, 11-1 in just 20 minutes, while Waters was taken to five
games by Tamika Saxby before beating the 8th seed from
Australia 11-4, 11-3, 9-11, 11-13, 11-5.
Teran
Takes Home Interest Into Mexican Quarters
Samantha Teran,
Mexico's most successful squash player of all-time, led the
country's interest into the quarter-finals of the Women's Abierto
Mexicano de Raquetas after despatching USA's Cecelia Cortes
in straight games in the opening round of the WSA Tour 15
event at Universidad Anahuac in Huixquilucan, Mexico.
The former world No11 from Mexico City defeated Cortes 11-3, 11-2,
11-7 in just 21 minutes.
Fourth-seeded Teran (pictured above in first round action)
will now take on New Zealander Amanda Landers-Murphy after
the No7 seed beat Mexican qualifier Karla Urrutia 8-11, 11-2,
11-9, 11-6.
There will be surprise Argentina interest in the last eight round
after qualifier Antonella Falcione pulled off a notable upset
over Sarah Cardwell, the No6 seed from Australia.
World No82 Falcione, a 23-year-old from Mar del Plata, battled for
42 minutes to overcome Cardwell, ranked 29 places higher, 11-7,
12-10, 11-7.
Falcione will now face Samantha Cornett, the top seed from
Canada.
