Canada Chasing Double Pan Am Games Gold In Rio

Canada are in line for double squash gold in the Pan American Games after surviving the semi-finals in both the men's and women's team events at the Miécimo da Silva Complex in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

But it was Colombia who hit the headlines on the penultimate day of the team competition after beating favourites Mexico 2/0 in the men's semi-finals. Javier Castilla Conde put the fourth seeds ahead with a 9-4, 4-9, 9-4, 9-4 victory over Mexican Marcos Mendez in 66 minutes before 21-year-old Miguel Angel Rodriguez gave one of the best performances of his life to defeat newly-crowned Pan Am Games gold medallist Eric Galvez - ranked nine places higher in the world - 4-9, 9-5, 9-7, 9-3 in an 83-minute marathon.

Appearing in their first final in the history of the Games, Colombia will face Canada after the second seeds beat Brazil 2/0. Canada, winners of the team gold medal in 1995 and 1999, are through to their fourth successive men's final.

The women's team final will be a North American clash for the fourth time in a row. Individual gold medallist Natalie Grainger led favourites USA to a 3/0 win over Mexico in the first semi-final. The defending champion will face Canada for gold after the third seeds defeated Colombia 2/1 in the other semi.

Men's semi-finals:
[4] COLOMBIA bt [1] MEXICO 2-0
Javier Castilla Conde bt Marcos Mendez 9-4, 4-9, 9-4, 9-4 (66m)
Miguel Angel Rodriguez bt Eric Galvez 4-9, 9-5, 9-7, 9-3 (83m)
Bernardo Samper v Jorge Isaac Baltazar Ferreira (dead rubber not played)
[2] CANADA bt [3] BRAZIL 2-0
Robin Clarke bt Luciano Alves Barbosa 9-5, 5-9, 9-7, 9-4 (57m)
Shahier Razik bt Rafael F Alarcon 9-6, 4-9, 9-6, 9-6
Shawn Delierre v Ronivaldo Santos (dead rubber not played)

Women's semi-finals:
[1] USA bt [2] MEXICO 3-0
Michelle Quibell bt Nayelly Hernandez 9-6, 9-2, 9-2
Natalie Grainger bt Samantha Teran 9-7, 9-2, 9-5
Latasha Khan bt Karina Herrera Zuniga 9-0, 9-3, 9-4
[3] CANADA bt COLOMBIA 2-1
Carolyn Russell bt Catalina Pelaez 9-0, 9-3, 9-0
Runa Reta bt Silvia Angulo Rugeles 9-7, 9-1, 9-3
Alana Miller lost to Isabel Restrepo 0-9, 0-9