Bogotá Hat-Trick Beckons For Barker

Spain's third seed Borja Golan will face second seed and defending champion Peter Barker in the final of the Club El Nogal Colombian Open - with the Englishman just one win away from a hat-trick of titles in the established PSA Tour squash event at Club El Nogal in the Colombian capital Bogotá.

Golan, the 24-year-old world No21 from Santiago DC, was in fine form as he defeated six-times Brazilian national champion Rafael F Alarcon in straight games. Seventh seed Alarcon staged a fight-back in the third game to force a tie-break - but the higher-ranked Spaniard reasserted his authority to close out the match 11-9, 11-3, 11-10 (4-2) in 38 minutes.

In his 18th PSA Tour final appearance since May 2002, Golan will face England's world No15 Peter Barker - the pair, remarkably, meeting for only the second time since December 2003.

The 23-year-old England international from Essex faced compatriot Joey Barrington, the No4 seed from Glastonbury in Somerset. In a match characterised by long and punishing rallies, Barker maintained the upper hand in the first two games - and only in the third did Barrington establish a lead for the first time.

But Barker fought back and, after 79 minutes, secured his 11-9, 11-5, 11-9 victory - and a place in his 13th Tour final.

Semi-finals:
[3] Borja Golan (ESP) bt [8] Rafael F Alarcon (BRA) 11-9, 11-3, 11-10 (4-2) (38m)
[2] Peter Barker (ENG) bt [4] Joey Barrington (ENG) 11-9, 11-5, 11-9 (79m)