El Torky Overturns Seedings In Mexican Open

Egyptian teenager Heba El Torky produced the only upset on the opening day of action in the Women's Harrow Mexican Open, the maiden WISPA World Tour squash event at Silver Squash in Pachuca, some 90 kilometres east of Mexico City.

Unaffected by the altitude (2,400m), the 17-year-old from Alexandria dismissed eighth-seeded Mexican Karina Herrera Zuniga 9-4, 9-1, 9-0 in just 18 minutes.

With Mexicans claiming all four qualifications places - and three local players already through to the main draw - seven Mexicans started the first round of the inaugural $16,000 event which had been initiated by Samantha Teran, the country's number one player and top seed.

Not surprisingly, the five-court Silver Squash centre in Pachuca was full of family, friends and enthusiasts. But they only really had something to cheer about when Graciela Lopez Perez reached two-all with Georgina Stoker, the sixth seed from Merseyside in England.

The 17-year-old Mexican, in her first year on the WISPA Tour, already has a great touch to combine with her strength - and that, along with the altitude, certainly levelled up affairs. Stoker admitted that she noticed the affect of the height, and was relieved to get past Perez 9-2, 6-9, 2-9, 9-7, 9-4 after 49 minutes.

Welsh international Deon Saffery only squeezed into the quarter-finals after a tussle with Ivonne Diaz. Tentative at first on an ankle that she had turned in practice the day before, seventh seed Saffery eventually prevailed - and now faces home favourite Samantha Teran.

The combination of results leaves eight different nationalities in the last eight - so, from seven Mexicans at the start of the day, only top seed Teran survived and remains on course to win the title that she was instrumental in putting together.

1st round:
[1] Samantha Teran (MEX) bt [Q] Karina Heredia Gonzalez (MEX) 9-0, 9-0, 9-2 (16m)
[7] Deon Saffery (WAL) bt [Q] Ivonne Diaz (MEX) 7-9, 9-7, 9-3, 1-9, 9-7 (51m)
[4] Donna Urquhart (AUS) bt Mami Nishio (JPN) 9-2, 9-7, 10-9 (38m)
[6] Georgina Stoker (ENG) bt [Q] Graciela Lopez Perez (MEX) 9-2, 6-9, 2-9, 9-7, 9-4 (49m)
Heba El Torky (EGY) bt [8] Karina Herrera Zuniga (MEX) 9-4, 9-1, 9-0 (18m)
[3] Louise Crome (NZL) bt Eman El Amir (EGY) 9-1, 7-9, 9-5, 9-3 (41m)
[5] Karen Kronemeyer (NED) bt Nayelly Hernandez (MEX) 9-5, 9-1, 9-5 (23m)
[2] Latasha Khan (USA) bt [Q] Sarycarmen Diaz (MEX) 9-2, 9-1, 9-2 (24m)