Richards Crashes Into Curitiba Climax

Englishman Tom Richards, the eighth seed, claimed two successive upsets in the Curitiba Open in Brazil to earn a surprise place in the final of the $15,000 PSA Tour squash event at the Barigui Shopping Mall in Curitiba, the largest city in Southern Brazil.

The 21-year-old from Surrey, still fighting back to full fitness after an eight-month lay-off last year following knee surgery, made his breakthrough in the quarter-finals when he beat local hero Rafael F Alarcon, the second seed from Sao Paulo, 6-11, 11-10 (3-1), 10-11 (1-3), 11-10 (2-0), 11-6 in 65 minutes.

In the semis, Richards defeated seventh-seeded Mexican Arturo Salazar 11-8, 11-3, 2-11, 2-11, 11-9 in another hour-long battle to record his first appearance in a PSA Tour final.

Richards will face top seed Miguel Angel Rodriguez - but the Colombian favourite was taken the full distance by Dylan Bennett, the fourth seed from the Netherlands, before winning 11-6, 2-11, 10-11 (0-2), 11-7, 11-6 in 87 minutes.

The 22-year-old from Bogotá is celebrating his 14th time in a Tour final.

Semi-finals:
[1] Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL) bt [4] Dylan Bennett (NED) 11-6, 2-11, 10-11 (0-2), 11-7, 11-6 (87m)
[8] Tom Richards (ENG) bt [7] Arturo Salazar (MEX) 11-8, 11-3, 2-11, 2-11, 11-9 (62m)