Santiago Celebrates Two All-English Finals
14 Nov 2009
A pair of English players will contest both finals in the Santiago Open "Trofeo Concello de Santiago" after Fiona Moverley defied the seedings to upset second-seeded New Zealander Kylie Lindsay in the semi-finals of the women's $6,800 WISPA World Tour squash event at Shopping Center Area Central in Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
The 22-year-old from Hull, seeded three, stemmed a second game fightback by Lindsay to win 11-3, 9-11, 11-7, 11-7 in 25 minutes - and reach the second Tour final of her career.
Moverley will face favourite Lauren Siddall, who also took four games to end Nicolette Fernandes' giant-killing run, beating the unseeded 26-year-old from Guyana 11-9, 11-8, 5-11, 11-6.
Siddall, the 25-year-old world No39 from Pontefract in Yorkshire, is celebrating the sixth final of her career.
England team-mates Peter Barker and Adrian Grant, both left-handers from London, will contest the predicted final of the men's $41,000 4-star PSA World Tour event.
Top seed Barker, ranked nine in the world, battled through to the 19th Tour final of his career by beating third-seeded Australian Stewart Boswell 10-12, 11-2, 11-5, 11-7 in 53 minutes.
Second seed Grant had an easier ride against surprise package Renan Lavigne. The unseeded Frenchman, who celebrated his 35th birthday at last week's World Open in Kuwait, reached the last four against the odds after upsetting both fourth seed Olli Tuominen and seventh seed Tom Richards.
But the semi-final was a match too far for the world No35 from Marseille as Grant closed out the match 11-3, 11-7, 13-11 in 30 minutes.
The Leeds-based 29-year-old is marking his 24th Tour final and looking for his second PSA title of the year.
Men's semi-finals:
[1] Peter Barker (ENG) bt [3] Stewart Boswell (AUS) 10-12, 11-2, 11-5, 11-7 (53m)
[2] Adrian Grant (ENG) bt Renan Lavigne (FRA) 11-3, 11-7, 13-11 (30m)
Women's semi-finals:
[1] Lauren Siddall (ENG) bt Nicolette Fernandes (GUY) 11-9, 11-8, 5-11, 11-6 (40m)
[3] Fiona Moverley (ENG) bt [2] Kylie Lindsay (NZL) 11-3, 9-11, 11-7, 11-7 (25m)