Kronemeyer Conquers Khan In Pachuca
Quarter-finals:
[1] Samantha Teran (MEX) bt [7] Deon Saffery (WAL) 9-0, 9-0, 9-1 (13m)
[4] Donna Urquhart (AUS) bt [6] Georgina Stoker (ENG) 10-9, 9-4, 10-8 (31m)
[3] Louise Crome (NZL) bt Heba El Torky (EGY) 9-2, 10-8, 9-5 (33m)
[5] Karen Kronemeyer (NED) bt [2] Latasha Khan (USA) 9-7, 9-7, 9-0 (29m)
Fifth seed Karen Kronemeyer claimed an unexpected place in the semi-finals of the Women's Harrow Mexican Open after upsetting Latasha Khan, the second seed, in the quarter-finals of the maiden $16,000 WISPA World Tour squash event at Silver Squash in Pachuca, some 90 kilometres east of Mexico City.
Kahn, the seven times US national champion from Seattle, led 7-1 in the first game and 7-2 in the second. But both times, Dutch star Kronemeyer battled back to clinch the games before Khan capitulated with eight successive errors in the third to hand the match 9-7, 9-7, 9-0 to the 27-year-old from The Hague.
"I played well," Kronemeyer admitted afterwards. "I felt like I caught her out of position which meant I didn’t have to do as much running. I found it difficult to breathe and didn’t want to run, so I was shouting a lot," added the winner, alluding to the altitude.
Kronemeyer faces Louise Crome for a place in the final. The third seed from New Zealand ended the brave run of Heba El Torky, beating the unseeded 17-year-old Egyptian 9-2, 10-8, 9-5.
Favourite Samantha Teran, the 27-year-old Mexican number one who inspired this inaugural event in Pachuca, took just 13 minutes to despatch Deon Saffery, the seventh seed from Wales who was struggling with a twisted ankle sustained earlier in the event.
The 9-0, 9-0, 9-1 victory tales Teran through to the other semi-final where she will meet Australian Donna Urquhart, the fourth seed from Queensland who beat England's Georgina Stoker 10-9, 9-4, 10-8.
Semi-final line-up:
[1] Samantha Teran (MEX) v [4] Donna Urquhart (AUS)
[5] Karen Kronemeyer (NED) v [3] Louise Crome (NZL)