06-Jul, Final:
[1] Samantha Teran (Mex) bt [3] Louise Crome (Nzl)  9/4, 10/8, 9/2 (45m)

Same again for Samantha

Samantha Teran collected a second title in a week - the 12th of her career and her 5th already this year -  as she repeated her Los Angeles triumph over Louise Crome in the final. The Mexican top seed started each game strongly, leads of 7/0, 7/2 and 6/0 proving too much for the Kiwi to overcome despite a fightback which saw her earn a game-ball in the second.
  

[3] Louise Crome (Nzl) bt
[5] Karen Kronemeyer (Ned)
         1/9, 9/3, 9/0, 9/1 (33m)

After a great win yesterday over N°2 seed Latasha Khan, Karen Kronemeyer went into this match with her confidence soaring, and stormed to a 9-1 victory in the first game. The kiwi, having looked nervous in the first, started the second as a different player. She picked up the pace sending Karen to all the corners and look the game 9-3. The third and fourth were very much a repeat of the second. With close starts and hard rallies, but Karen couldn’t keep up with the early pace and tired at the end of each game giving Louis the match 3-1.

"I’m really pleased to win that one. Karen played exceptionally well in the first, and I was really struggling to get into the game. For the rest of the match I was hitting better length and taking control of the rallies through that. It’s been great here in Mexico. It’s like one big family… everyone is so friendly.”



“I got off to a great start, but we had a long rally in the second game, after which she was too fit and strong and she played really well by making me run. Looking forward to the Mexican tequila tonight...”

[1] Samantha Teran (Mex) bt
[4] Donna Urquhart (Aus)
        9/5, 9/2, 9/3 (26m)

The scoreline doesn’t give a true picture of the match. It was closely contested the whole way through, with some monster rallies and fantastic shots. In the end it was the Aussie's many errors and the constant pressure from Samantha that cost her the match and gave Samantha a place in the final.

“This was a great game. It’s always harder to play a lefty. She played very well, but it was good experience for me to play with her last week in LA to understand her game. I am very happy she came to Mexico and hope that she comes back for more”



“I actually really enjoyed that match! It’s a shame it's over already, I wanted to keep going! I felt like I was playing good rallies and setting it up well, but made may errors trying to finish it off. It's hard to match it with Sam at this altitude, but she played really well today, so all credit to her.”

9/5, 9/2, 9/3 (26m)

[4] Donna Urquhart

9/4,10/8, 9/2 (45m)

[3] Louise Crome

1/9, 9/3, 9/0, 9/1 (33m)

[5] Karen Kronemeyer

Qualifying:

Finals, 02-Jul:
Graciela Lopez Perez (Mex) bt Thaisa Serafini (Bra)              6/9, 9/4, 9/3, 9/7 (45m)
Ivonne Diaz (Mex) bt Mayra Soto (Mex)                                3/9, 9/1, 9/4, 9/4 (43m)
Karina Heredia Gonzalez (Mex) bt Belkys Magaly Velez (Ecu)         9/0, 9/1, 9/4 (21m)
Sarycarmen Diaz (Mex) bt Cynthia Lopez (Mex)                   9/5, 10/8, 7/9, 9/2 (50m)

Round One, 02-Jul:
Karina Heredia Gonzalez (Mex) bt Lia Paz Noguez (Mex)          9/0, 3/9, 9/3, 9/1 (25m)
Cynthia Lopez (Mex) bt Tatiana Damasio Borges (Bra)     9/6, 8/9, 9/2, 2/9, 9/7 (51m)

Donna Urquhart bt Georgina Stoker
      10/9, 9/4, 10/8 (31m)

It was very good match to watch. Both players attaching the ball well and hitting very nice shots. All games were very close; Donna worked the ball well making Georgina tiring at the end. They was one particular rally where both player were keeled over, hands on knees gasping for air.

“There’s no oxygen in this air! I guess were in the same boat so we were both struggling. Good match we both played well, in the first and third game, squandered my leads, I was lucky to get away winning in 3. Tomorrow will be a tough one regardless who wins. But I'm looking forward to it ...”



“I was just so tired, I’m really not fit at the moment so add that to the attitude it’s not good combination, but I really enjoyed the match. I’ll go home and get stuck into some good hard training. I definitely need it.”

Louise Crome bt Heba El Torky
       9/2, 10/8, 9/5 (33m)

Louise started the match off well, hitting some good lengths and not allowing Heba to do much with the ball. She took the first 9/2, then in the second let Heba into the game and the Egyptian took advantage by playing a lot of deceptive shots to the front.

It was a close second with Louis squeezing the game 10/8, but the Kiwi was able to dominate again in the third, winning the game 9/5. Heba is a feisty young player and one to look out for in the future.

“I’m pleased with the way I played in the first and third games as I was hitting good length and then getting the opportunity to take Heba forward. In the second my length was short and I was going short too early, and Heba is too talented with her short game to do this.

"I really enjoyed playing her, it was a fun match. I felt much better in the attitude today and I'm looking forward to the semis tomorrow.”

Samantha Teran bt Deon Saffery
     9/0, 9/0, 9/1 (13m)

With the welsh girl still suffering with a turned ankle from earlier in the week, she did well to stay in the rallies, but the hard hitting Mexican had all the answers.

With Deon deserving more than a single point in the third, Samantha strolls into the semis having dropped only 3 points!"

"Turned ankle, N° 1 seed from Mexico second round, and the altitude, thank kills you!! Great game! Loving Mexico! Haha!"

Karen Kronemeyer bt Latasha Khan
       9/7, 9/7, 9/0 (29m)

Latasha started the first well, constructing good long rallies and forcing errors from Karen to take a 7-1 lead. Karen was not giving up though, and started to pull the points back. Karen’s determination combined with Latasha's simple errors handed Karen the first game 9/7.

The second game was a complete repeat of the first with Latasha talking a 7-2 lead and Karen pulling back to win 9-7. Eight errors in arrow from Latasha in the third game gave Karen game and match 9/0.

“I played well, I felt like I caught her out position which meant I didn’t have to do as much running. I found it difficult to breathe and didn’t wanna run so I was shouting a lot.

"I'm looking forward to playing Louise tomorrow, hopefully I can start from the word go and not wait until I’m 7-2 down!!

Zuniga & El Torky

Top seed Thaisa Serafini became the second Brazilian to be dumped out of the Harrow Mexican Open qualification when Graciela Lopez Perez beat her in four games. Serafini, from the south of her country has travelled this year to gain experience, but her opponent had more. Perez, now ranked two in the country used strength in tandem with a good touch to get into the main draw to join her higher ranked WISPA countrywomen already there.

And when Karina Heredia Gonzalez took out the remaining foreigner, Belkys Magaly Velez from Ecuador, it became a clean sweep for the home nation as the other two match-ups were all Mexican.

Local player Cynthia Lopez had ousted Brazilian Tatiana Damasio Borges in the first round, but found Sarycarmen Diaz too hot to handle; and compact fighter Ivonne Diaz eliminated Mayra Soto but not until she had got to grips with some very controlled rallying from her opponent.

02-Jul-08:
Teran at home in Harrow Open

The Los Angeles Open finalists, together with a smattering of the LA draw, some other WISPA players and a group of national players arrived today in Pachuca for the Harrow Mexican Open.

But first for Samantha Teran, national number one and new world 18 was a press conference in Mexico City staged by CONADE, the Mexican national sports institute to help promote the championship.

Several TV stations and an extensive group of photographers and journalists heard all about Teran’s efforts to bring together the event. And during proceedings Federico Serna Altamirano, President of Mexican Squash, outlined the intention to stage a WISPA Gold event in the country very soon.

Then to La Belle Airosa as the city in Hildago State is known. Translated as The Windy Beauty, Pachuca is around a 90 minute drive from the capital Mexico City, and is one of Mexico’s highest and coldest cities. But the welcome to the players was anything but cold.

The final round of qualification takes place tomorrow, but today featured main draw players getting acquainted with the altitude ball, while the initial matches in the qualification were played.

All the action takes place at the one year old Silver Squash centre which features five courts including the main court that has a glass side wall as well as back to boost the viewing.

SILVER SQUASH

The venue city for the Harrow Mexican Open is Pachuca, east of Mexico City. Not a place that any of the overseas entrants would have heard of, but a working town full of wide smiles and warm welcomes.

And on the outskirts with buildings getting ever closer as expansion continues apace is Silver Squash, a one year old five court centre.



Its birth was the reality of a long time dream hung onto by Ricardo Magdelano. He doesn’t speak English but the always laughing owner is fluent in the language of squash.

He explained that he had played squash for twenty three years, the highlight of which was a runner up slot in the Mexican Nationals. Having looked at other states of the country "I found that squash in Pachuca was forgotten so I worked to make it happen here."

The seriousness of his quest was illustrated by him selling his hardware business to build his own club where he could hold events. Ricardo designed the building, arranged local fabrication of the courts, including one with a glass side wall as the centerpiece.

Silver Squash, the name linked with local mining, opened its doors a year ago and already has around 2,000 players regularly walking through them. Schools and junior groups are very much part of the mix, with Ricardo heading the coaching effort.

But not only is he dedicated to squash, his family are too; welcoming visitors with smiles and an array of home made food continuously flowing from the kitchen area next to reception. The whole club has the feel of a very happy extended family home.

As for the event, the passionate squash man said while the WISPA girls practiced and stretched in front of him: "I feel really good that all these players have come to my club in Pachuca. We are really pleased to meet them."

And it is the warm welcome from him and his family that the players will take away as a strong memory of their time in Pachuca ...