RESULTS: Women's Monte Carlo Squash Classic, Monte Carlo, Monaco
1st round:
[1] Laura Massaro (ENG) bt Lauren Siddall (ENG) 11-6, 12-10, 11-4 (35m)
[5] Dominique Lloyd-Walter (ENG) bt [Q] Fiona Moverley (ENG) 15-13, 11-4, 11-6 (31m)
[4] Camille Serme (FRA) bt Orla Noom (NED) 11-5, 9-11, 11-6, 11-9 (45m)
[6] Latasha Khan (USA) bt [Q] Victoria Lust (ENG) 11-6, 12-14, 12-14, 12-10, 11-6 (78m)
[8] Line Hansen (DEN) bt Annelize Naude (NED) 7-11, 11-5, 11-8, 11-4 (41m)
[3] Isabelle Stoehr (FRA) bt Manuela Manetta (ITA) 11-7, 11-9, 11-8 (32m)
[7] Aisling Blake (IRL) bt [Q] Linda Hruzikova (SVK) 11-1, 11-2, 11-4 (19m)
[2] Madeline Perry (IRL) bt [Q] Maud Duplomb (FRA) 11-5, 11-2, 11-6 (27m)
Latasha Khan, the US number two who has four WISPA World Tour squash titles to her name this year, was taken the full distance by English qualifier Victoria Lust in the opening round of the Women's Monte Carlo Classic before prevailing in the $25,300 Tour event in its 14th year at Stade Louis II in Monte Carlo, Monaco.
Khan, the sixth seed from Seattle, saved two game balls in each of the second and third but eventually succumbed in both to go two-one down. Then at 9-10 in the fourth, the 36-year-old world No25 saved a match ball when Lust clipped the tin with what would otherwise almost certainly have been a winner.
This time Khan, giving away sixteen years to her opponent, did not give the Monte Carlo newcomer another chance and took the game. Then, from six-all in the fifth, the sixth seed snatched the next five points to fall across the finishing line 11-6, 12-14, 12-14, 12-10, 11-6 in a time of 78 minutes.
Khan felt that the ball had been unhelpful to her: "It was fast, too fast, and difficult to control. So there were lots of lets. But later on I knew I was pretty fit and could run down balls so I started to go short a little more," explained the WISPA Tour stalwart.
Lust was crestfallen but philosophical: "I did better than last time I played her, which is a good step," said the 20-year-old from Cheltenham.
Khan will now face another young opponent, the new French number one Camille Serme who was recently voted the WISPA Most Improved Player of the Year. The 20-year-old fourth seed dropped a game against Orla Noom, but after 45 minutes overcame her Dutch opponent 11-5, 9-11, 11-6, 11-9.
Two national clashes will grace the quarter-finals: Top seed Laura Massaro will face her fifth-seeded English compatriot Dominique Lloyd-Walter after both came through straight games first round wins.
And Irish rivals Madeline Perry and Aisling Blake will also do battle for a place in the semi-finals after second seed Perry despatched French qualifier Maud Duplomb 11-5, 11-2, 11-6, and seventh seed Blake needed just 19 minutes to dismiss Slovakian qualifier Linda Hruzikova 11-1, 11-2, 11-4.
Quarter-final line-up:
[1] Laura Massaro (ENG) v [5] Dominique Lloyd-Walter (ENG)
[4] Camille Serme (FRA) v [6] Latasha Khan (USA)
[3] Isabelle Stoehr (FRA) v [8] Line Hansen (DEN)
[2] Madeline Perry (IRL) v [7] Aisling Blake (IRL)