Defending champion Arturo Salazar battled to a five-game upset over top seed Miguel Angel Rodriguez in the Torneo Internacional Sporta Open to set up a surprise all-Mexican final of the men’s PSA World Tour Challenger 15 squash event at Sporta Guatemala in the Guatemala capital Guatemala City.
Fourth seed Salazar stemmed a fightback by Angel Rodriguez to beat the world No23 from Colombia 11-7, 11-9, 6-11, 3-11, 11-9.
In a repeat of last year's final, Salazar will face Eric Galvez, the former Mexican number one.
But Galvez denied Arturo the chance to play his twin brother Cesar Salazar by beating the unseeded 23-year-old from San Luis Potosi 11-7, 11-9, 1-11, 5-11, 11-8.
While Arturo Salazar is celebrating his seventh PSA Tour final, it is the 20th for Galvez – and the 27-year-old from Puebla will be hoping for 'third time lucky' after finishing as runner-up in the Guatemala City event for the past two years.
Unseeded Graciela Lopez Perez takes Mexican interest into the final of the women’s WISPA World Tour 4 championship after defeating seventh seed Imelda Salazar Martinez 8-11, 11-2, 11-3, 11-8.
The Toluca-born 19-year-old, celebrating her maiden WISPA Tour final, will face Canadian Samantha Cornett.
The 20-year-old fifth seed from Ottawa upset third-seeded Mexican Ivonne Diaz 11-5, 11-6, 11-6 to reach the second Tour final of her career.
RESULTS: Torneo Internacional Sporta Open, Guatemala City, Guatemala
Men's semi-finals:
[4] Arturo Salazar (MEX) bt [1] Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL) 11-7, 11-9, 6-11, 3-11, 11-9
Eric Galvez (MEX) bt Cesar Salazar (MEX) 11-7, 11-9, 1-11, 5-11, 11-8
Women’s semi-finals:
[5] Samantha Cornett (CAN) bt [3] Ivonne Diaz (MEX) 11-5, 11-6, 11-6
Graciela Lopez Perez (MEX) bt [7] Imelda Salazar Martinez (MEX) 8-11, 11-2, 11-3, 11-8