Ghosal & Lavigne Score Santiago Upsets

Unseeded Renan Lavigne and Saurav Ghosal secured surprise places in the men's quarter-finals of the Squash Santiago Open after beating seventh seed Tom Richards and sixth seed Miguel Angel Rodriguez, respectively, in the opening round of the $41,000 4-star PSA Tour event at Shopping Center Area Central in Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

There were also twin upsets in the women's $6,800 WISPA World Tour championship, where France's Laura Pomportes and Nicolette Fernandes, from Guyana, claimed unexpected places in the last eight.

Frenchman Lavigne, who celebrated his 35th birthday last week at the World Open in Kuwait, maintained the same form which saw him earn a surprise first round win in Kuwait City. The world No35 from Marseille fought back from 1/2 down to defeat Englishman Richards, ranked four places higher, 12-10, 7-11, 2-11, 11-9, 11-7 in 57 minutes.

Ghosal, the PSA Tour's highest-ranked player from India, subdued his higher-ranked Colombian opponent in straight games, beating Rodriguez 11-5, 11-8, 11-6 in 33 minutes.

At the top of the draw, England favourite Peter Barker was taken the full distance before beating dangerous Stephane Galifi. Londoner Barker, a quarter-finalist in Kuwait, squandered a two-game lead to allow the France-based Italian qualifier to draw level - but the left-hander brushed Galifi aside in a whitewash decider to claim his 11-1, 11-5, 5-11, 8-11, 11-0 victory.

Nicolette Fernandes, the former world No27 who is fighting back to top form after a two-year layoff following knee surgery, showed her fighting spirit as she dismissed Deon Saffery, the fourth seed from Wales, 11-8, 11-9, 11-8.

The 26-year-old now faces fellow outsider Laura Pomportes, the world No95 from France who twice came from behind to overcome England's No7 seed Jenna Gates 10-12, 11-9, 6-11, 12-10, 11-8.

Men's 1st round:
[1] Peter Barker (ENG) bt [Q] Stephane Galifi (ITA) 11-1, 11-5, 5-11, 8-11, 11-0 (56m)
[8] Davide Bianchetti (ITA) bt [Q] Alejandro Garbi Caro (ESP) 11-5, 9-11, 11-4, 11-9 (44m)
[3] Stewart Boswell (AUS) bt [Q] Adrian Waller (ENG) 11-7, 11-5, 7-11, 11-5 (33m)
[5] Hisham Mohd Ashour (EGY) bt [Q] Clinton Leeuw (RSA) 10-12, 11-2, 11-3, 11-6 (24m)
Renan Lavigne (FRA) bt [7] Tom Richards (ENG) 12-10, 7-11, 2-11, 11-9, 11-7 (57m)
[4] Olli Tuominen (FIN) bt Eric Galvez (MEX) 9-11, 8-11, 11-6, 12-10, 11-5 (53m)
Saurav Ghosal (IND) bt [6] Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL) 11-5, 11-8, 11-6 (33m)
[2] Adrian Grant (ENG) bt Carlos Cornes Ribadas (ESP) 11-7, 11-7, 11-5 (25m)

Women's 1st round:
[1] Lauren Siddall (ENG) bt [Q] Sina Wall (GER) 12-10, 11-5, 9-11, 11-9 (31m)
[5] Birgit Coufal (AUT) bt [Q] Lisa Aitken (SCO) 11-13, 11-9, 11-9, 11-5 (34m)
Nicolette Fernandes (GUY) bt [4] Deon Saffery (WAL) 11-8, 11-9, 11-8 (34m)
Laura Pomportes (FRA) bt [7] Jenna Gates (ENG) 10-12, 11-9, 6-11, 12-10, 11-8 (44m)
[6] Josefa Bertilsson (SWE) bt Dorleta Lopez Lopez (ESP) 11-2, 11-2, 11-4 (13m)
[3] Fiona Moverley (ENG) bt [Q] Milja Dorenbos (NED) 11-6, 11-1, 9-11, 11-5 (25m)
[8] Coline Aumard (FRA) bt [Q] Salma Hatem Youssef (EGY) 9-11, 11-1, 11-4, 11-9 (34m)
[2] Kylie Lindsay (NZL) bt Tatiana Damasio Borges (BRA) 11-8, 11-5, 11-6 (25m)