WSA: Home title for Teran in Mexico

By Alan Thatcher

September 4, 2012 - 7:26pm

0 comments

Sam and Lauren after the final

Home success brings title No.15 for Teran

Samantha Teran claimed her fifteenth WSA title yesterday at the Tour 15 ProSquash Mexican Open in Mexico City.

Teran, the world No.16, had some struggles in the earlier rounds and after a tough start in the final, eased through to the title.

The Mexican number one was on double duty this week as she was not only playing in the event but also running it as the tournament was held at her brand new squash club.

Teran looked in ominous form in the first round, dismissing local qualifier Monserrat Castellanos in just 19 minutes and she was joined by all the other seven seeds who won through without too many problems.

The quarter finals saw a trio of English players make it through. Lauren Briggs and Lauren Selby won their expected clashes in straight games against Kristen Lange and Thaisa Serafini respectively while Victoria Lust, playing in only her second event this year due to injury, upset the seedings by beating French number two Coline Aumard, also in straight games. It was almost an English clean sweep, much to the shock of the home fans, as Teran found herself on the brink against Sarah-Jane Perry. Teran used all her experience and capitalised on a tense Perry to save four match balls in the fourth game, win the tie break and hold on in the decider much to the relief of the crowd.

It looked liked Teran might have a similar problem in the semi final against Selby after dropping the first game to the English player. Teran bounced back though and maintained leads in the next three games to close out Selby in four. The all English clash between Briggs and Lust was a battle. Lust had won the only previous encounter between the pair back at the end of 2010 but it was Briggs who moved into a two game lead. Lust, currently ranked 65 after being as high as 29 this time last year, fought back and levelled the match at two games all. Briggs managed to reassert herself in the decider and move on to the final.

Teran owned a five to one head to head record over Briggs going into the final and with the home crowd advantage looked the likely winner. Briggs, however, had won the last eight WSA finals she has appeared in. The opening game was crucial and there was nothing between the two players to nine all before Teran took the last two points to go a game ahead. Winning the first game gave Teran the confidence she needed and the Mexican ran away with the final two games not allowing Briggs to volley and play her attacking front court game.

It was Teran’s first title of the year after being edged by Sarah Kippax in the Squash on Fire final a few weeks ago. It was a 16^th WSA final appearance for Briggs.

Teran will now fly to Kuala Lumpur for the CIMB Malaysia Open which begins next week, Briggs will next play the Atlantis Open in Egypt in two weeks, while Selby, Lust and many of the remaining players will move on to the Orange County Open next week.

Final:

[1] Samantha Teran (MEX) bt [2] Lauren Briggs (ENG) 11-9 11-2 11-2 (31m)

Semi-finals:

[1] Samantha Teran (MEX) bt [4] Lauren Selby (ENG) 9-11 11-4 11-5 11-5 (46m)

[2] Lauren Briggs (ENG) bt [6] Victoria Lust (ENG) 11-3 11-9 6-11 5-11 11-5 (53m)

Quarter-finals:

[1] Samantha Teran (MEX) bt [5] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) 12-10 5-11 4-11 12-10 11-7 (74m)

[4] Lauren Selby (ENG) bt [7] Thaisa Serafini (BRA) 12-10 11-8 11-6 (31m)

[6] Victoria Lust (ENG) bt [3] Coline Aumard (FRA) 11-6 11-8 11-8 (33m)

[2] Lauren Briggs (ENG) bt [8] Kristen Lange (USA) 11-7 11-7 11-3 (23m)

1st round:

[1] Samantha Teran (MEX) bt [Q] Montserrat Castellanos (MEX) 11-3 11-1 11-2 (19m)

[5] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) bt [WC] Karla Urrutia (MEX) 11-7 11-6 11-7 (22m)

[4] Lauren Selby (ENG) bt [Q] Ivonne Diaz (MEX) 11-8 11-6 11-8 (31m)

[7] Thaisa Serafini (BRA) bt Carrie Ramsey (ENG) 11-8 6-11 11-4 11-4 (44m)

[6] Victoria Lust (ENG) bt [Q] Maria Fernanda Rivera (MEX) 11-5 11-7 11-6 (22m)

[3] Coline Aumard (FRA) bt [Q] Karen Urrutia (MEX) 11-5 11-1 11-7 (22m)

[8] Kristen Lange (USA) bt [Q] Graciela Lopez Perez (MEX) 11-7 11-3 11-8 (23m)

[2] Lauren Briggs (ENG) bt Laura Pomportes (FRA) 11-4 11-9 11-6 (32m)