Home Hero Miguel Makes Colombian Open Quarters
3 Sep 2010
Top-ranked Colombian Miguel Angel Rodriguez made swift work of reaching the quarter-finals of the 2010 Colombian Open by defeating his opponent in just 24 minutes in the opening round of the $30,000 PSA World Tour squash event at Club El Nogal in the country's capital Bogota.
Third seed Rodriguez, who celebrated his maiden Tour title at the event in 2008, delighted his loyal fans by despatching unseeded Canadian Robin Clarke 11-5, 11-9, 11-7. The 24-year-old from Bogota will now face fifth seed Stephane Galifi in a bid to make the semi-finals on his home club's courts for the third year in a row.
Italian Galifi recovered from a game down to beat unseeded American Christopher Gordon 6-11, 11-6, 11-7, 11-5.
Canada's second seed Shahier Razik was taken the full distance by Fabien Verseille before overcoming the French qualifier 11-8, 5-11, 1-11, 11-3, 11-5 in a 69-minute marathon.
Razik, the 32-year-old from Toronto who will lead Canada's medal bid in next month's Commonwealth Games in Delhi, will now face eighth-seeded Mexican Cesar Salazar - who also prevailed in a five-game battle, beating Finn Henrik Mustonen 9-11, 13-11, 11-6, 4-11, 11-5.
By contrast, Cesar's twin brother Arturo Salazar needed just 16 minutes to claim his place in the next round - beating Colombian wildcard Simon Martinez, aged just 17, 11-2, 11-2, 11-4.
Sixth seed Arturo will now line up against Brazil's Rafael F Alarcon, the fourth seed who beat Mexican qualifier Jorge Isaac Baltazar Ferreira 11-3, 4-11, 12-10, 11-4.
Quarter-final line-up:
[1] Olli Tuominen (FIN) v [7] Jan Koukal (CZE)
[4] Rafael F Alarcon (BRA) v [6] Arturo Salazar (MEX)
[3] Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL) v [5] Stephane Galifi (ITA)
[2] Shahier Razik (CAN) v [8] Cesar Salazar (MEX)
1st round:
[1] Olli Tuominen (FIN) bt [Q] Gonzalo Miranda (ARG) 11-1, 11-3, 11-3 (20m)
[7] Jan Koukal (CZE) bt [Q] Erik Tepos Valtierra (MEX) 11-4, 9-11, 11-8, 11-7 (42m)
[4] Rafael F Alarcon (BRA) bt [Q] Jorge Isaac Baltazar Ferreira (MEX) 11-3, 4-11, 12-10, 11-4 (37m)
[6] Arturo Salazar (MEX) bt Simon Martinez (COL) 11-2, 11-2, 11-4 (16m)
[5] Stephane Galifi (ITA) bt Christopher Gordon (USA) 6-11, 11-6, 11-7, 11-5 (47m)
[3] Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL) bt Robin Clarke (CAN) 11-5, 11-9, 11-7 (24m)
[8] Cesar Salazar (MEX) bt Henrik Mustonen (FIN) 9-11, 13-11, 11-6, 4-11, 11-5 (56m)
[2] Shahier Razik (CAN) bt [Q] Fabien Verseille (FRA) 11-8, 5-11, 1-11, 11-3, 11-5 (69m)