PAC Open de Squash Preview: Bautista Happy After Maiden Title

The next event on the Latina Tour de las Americas, the PAC Open de Squash, begins on Thursday, and Colombia’s Lucia Bautista will be aiming for back-to-back wins.

The Colombian came into last week’s Regatas Resistencia Open unseeded, and defeated four of the tournament’s top five seeds en route to claiming her maiden Tour title.

“I felt very happy. I trained very hard to win this tournament which was my goal and I could do it with the help of my coaches,” she explained.

“I feel very lucky for winning this tournament so early and to be one of the first Colombian players in achieving it.”

With two more events on the Latina Tour de las Americas to come, the PAC Open de Squash and the Paraguay Open next week, Bautista is looking at making it three wins from three.

Last week’s victory saw the 20-year-old move up to World No.116, and to become the Colombian No.2. She is ready to take the next step, to move into the world’s top 100, and to become her nation’s No.1.

“At this moment I feel a bit more pressure to win my matches but I feel I can win these two coming PSA tournaments,” she explained.

“I already saw myself being the No.2 of the Colombian team and it’s something I’ve always dreamt since I was a little girl. Breaking into the top 100 this year is my goal. I hope to be top 80 or more at the end of the year.

“I already feel like I’m the No.1 in Colombia, because I beat Laura [Tovar] in the semi-finals but getting a better ranking and beating her, I would feel so proud of what I achieved and what I’m achieving.”

Once again, Bautista will be unseeded this week, but will of course be one to watch after what she achieved last week in Resistencia. Dutchwoman Tessa ter Sluis will be the top seed at the PAC Open de Squash, in a draw that resembles last week’s in Argentina. 

Colombian No.1 Laura Tovar and the Ukrainian duo of Alina Bushma and Anastasiia Kostiukova will make up the top four seeds, with the latter taking on Bautista in the opening round of this week’s Challenger 5 level competition.

Egypt’s Sohaila Ismail, England’s Polly Clark, Hungarian Kincso Szász and Japan’s Erisa Sano Herring will all be seeded. Maria Tovar will join her compatriots on home soil, with the Scottish duo of Ellie and Carys Jones both in action. Brazil’s Laura Silva will be the tournament wildcard.

The event takes place from Thursday, May 18 to Sunday, May 21 at the Paissandu Athletic Clube in Rio de Janeiro. Follow the PSA Challenger Tour on Twitter and Facebook for daily updates from the event.

First Round Draw: Latina Tour de las Americas – PAC Open de Squash
[1] Tessa ter Sluis (NED) v Maria Tovar (COL)
Carys Jones (SCO) v [5] Sohaila Ismail (EGY)
[6] Polly Clark (ENG) v Ellie Jones (SCO)
Ingy Hammouda (EGY) v [3] Alina Bushma (UKR)
[4] Anastasiia Kostiukova (UKR) v Lucia Bautista (COL)
Sanne Veldkamp (NED) v [7] Kincso Szasz (HUN)
[8] Erisa Sano Herring (JPN) v [WC] Laura Silva (BRA)
Mary Mijas (GUA) v [2] Laura Tovar (COL)