Blake Beats Khan In LA Upset

Fifth seed Aisling Blake produced a stunning upset in the quarter-finals of the Women's Epstein Becker & Green Los Angeles Open when she beat US star Latasha Khan, the No2 seed, to reach the semi-finals of the $20,000 WISPA World Tour squash event in its second year at Los Angeles Athletic Club in Los Angeles.

It was their third meeting in North America this year - the most recent of which, in the Atwater Cup in Canada, was won by Blake after just a single game when Khan retired injured.

But the 26-year-old from Sligo in Ireland was keen to achieve a more conventional victory this time - and battled for 75 minutes to overcome the seven-time US National champion from Seattle 10-8, 6-9, 9-6, 9-7.

"The first was all her for the best part of the game - I was hitting loose and she just pounced on it," Blake told www.squashsite.co.uk afterwards. "I settled and started to get a better length and got into it towards the end of the game and was getting more opportunities.

"It was the same pattern for the next three games. She played well to get 7-1 up in the second, and I got leads in the third and fourth and squandered them.

"I'm very pleased, I haven't beaten her before but I like playing her, she's a good competitor."

The surprise semi-finalist will now face Louise Crome, the No3 seed from New Zealand who defeated Canadian Alana Miller 10-8, 9-1, 9-1.

"I'd never played Alana before, but Aisling and I play all the time and know each other's games so well - it's good for both of us to be in the semis," said the 30-year-old Kiwi from Auckland.

Top seed Samantha Teran will line up against fourth-seeded Italian Manuela Manetta in the other semi. Mexican Teran beat Australia's Donna Urquhart 9-5, 6-9, 9-2, 10-9, while Manetta survived a tough four-game battle against US-based English opponent Suzie Pierrepont, winning 9-7, 10-9, 8-10, 9-3 in 69 minutes.

Quarter-finals:
[1] Samantha Teran (MEX) bt [6] Donna Urquhart (AUS) 9-5, 6-9, 9-2, 10-9 (49m)
[4] Manuela Manetta (ITA) bt [7] Suzie Pierrepont (ENG) 9-7, 10-9, 8-10, 9-3 (69m)
[3] Louise Crome (NZL) bt [8] Alana Miller (CAN) 10-8, 9-1, 9-1 (42m)
[5] Aisling Blake (IRL) bt [2] Latasha Khan (USA) 10-8, 6-9, 9-6, 9-7 (75m)