Samper Stops Top Seed Berden In Quito

The El Condada club crowd was treated to more than five hours of squash drama in the quarter-finals of the Quito Open in the Ecuador capital - with Colombia's Silvia Angulo Rugeles stretching England's second seed Jenna Gates in the women's event, and fellow Colombian Bernardo Samper causing a major upset in the men's event by defeating top-seeded Dutchman Tommy Berden in a thrilling five-game marathon.

Samper, from Bogotá, is celebrating his third successive PSA Tour semi-final against the odds after fighting back from 1/2 down to beat Berden 11-5 8-11 5-11 11-2 11-10 in 65 minutes.

The 23-year-old seventh seed now faces Mexican Jose Angel Becerril, the third seed who recovered from two games down to beat Roberto Pezzota, a qualifier from Argentina, 6-11 10-11 11-8 11-6 11-6 in 52 minutes.

The other men's semi-final will be an all-Mexican affair between second seed Eric Galvez and unseeded Manuel Fregoso.

Mexico will also enjoy surprise representation in the women's semi-finals after eighth seed Sary Carmen Diaz upset Colombia's fourth seed Mariana De Reyes 9-1 9-2 9-5 in just 19 minutes.

But Jenna Gates had to work hard for her anticipated place in the last four, needing 39 minutes to beat fifth-seeded Colombian Silvia Angulo Rugeles 9-7 5-9 9-4 9-4.

Men's quarter-finals:
[7] Bernardo Samper (COL) bt [1] Tommy Berden (NED) 11-5, 8-11, 5-11, 11-2, 11-10 (2-0) (65m)
[3] Jose Angel Becerril (MEX) bt [Q] Roberto Pezzota (ARG) 6-11, 10-11 (0-2), 11-8, 11-6, 11-6 (52m)
Manuel Fregoso (MEX) bt [Q] Jethro Binns (WAL) 11-3, 11-9, 11-7 (28m)
[2] Eric Galvez (MEX) bt [5] Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL) 11-6, 11-4, 2-11, 11-10 (4-2) (56m)

Women's quarter-finals:
[1] Runa Reta (CAN) bt [7] Andrea Garcia (COL) 9-2, 9-0, 9-0 (18m)
[8] Sary Carmen Diaz (MEX) bt [4] Mariana De Reyes (COL) 9-1, 9-2, 9-5 (19m)
[3] Margriet Huisman (NED) bt Catalina Pelaez (COL) 9-0, 9-1, 9-1 (17m)
[2] Jenna Gates (ENG) bt [5] Silvia Angulo Rugeles (COL) 9-7, 5-9, 9-4, 9-4 (39m)