Czech squash star Jan Koukal remains on course to reach his second PSA World Tour final in a row in South America after beating New Zealand’s Evan Williams in straight games in the quarter-finals of the Tour de las Americas Paraguay Open, the PSA Challenger 5 event in its fourth year at Club Internacional de Tenis in Asuncion.
Top-seeded Koukal, runner-up in last week’s Regatas Resistencia Open in Argentina, despatched the 22-year-old from Wellington 11-8, 13-11, 11-7 and will now face Joan Lezaud, the No3 seed from France who ousted Spaniard Leandro Romiglio Fernandez 11-9, 11-7, 11-3.
There was an upset in the lower half of the draw when unseeded Argentinean Gonzalo Miranda battled for almost an hour to overcome fourth-seeded Frenchman Fabien Verseille 11-5, 11-6, 11-13, 11-8.
The 22-year-old from La Plata will now take on fellow South American Rafael Alarcon, the No2 seed from Brazil. The 35-year-old from Sao Paulo, competing in his first Tour event of the year, defeated Argentina’s Juan Pablo Roude 11-5, 11-9, 11-7.
Semi-final line-up:
[1] Jan Koukal (CZE) v [3] Joan Lezaud (FRA)
[2] Rafael Alarcon (BRA) v Gonzalo Miranda (ARG)
Quarter-finals:
[1] Jan Koukal (CZE) bt Evan Williams (NZL) 11-8, 13-11, 11-7 (50m)
[3] Joan Lezaud (FRA) bt Leandro Romiglio Fernandez (ESP) 11-9, 11-7, 11-3 (38m)
Gonzalo Miranda (ARG) bt [4] Fabien Verseille (FRA) 11-5, 11-6, 11-13, 11-8 (59m)
[2] Rafael Alarcon (BRA) bt Juan Pablo Roude (ARG) 11-5, 11-9, 11-7 (35m)
1st round:
[1] Jan Koukal (CZE) bt Luke Butterworth (ENG) 11-9, 11-6, 8-11, 11-8 (38m)
Evan Williams (NZL) bt Vinicius Rodrigues (BRA) 11-3, 11-1, 14-16, 11-4 (36m)
Leandro Romiglio Fernandez (ESP) bt [Q] Nicolas Caballero (PAR) 11-6, 11-5, 11-13, 11-6 (39m)
[3] Joan Lezaud (FRA) bt [Q] Bryan Bonilla (GUA) 11-9, 11-6, 11-4 (24m)
[4] Fabien Verseille (FRA) bt [Q] Andre L’Heureux (PAR) 11-3, 2-11, 11-4, 11-3 (28m)
Gonzalo Miranda (ARG) bt Hernan D’Arcangelo (ARG) 12-10, 12-10, 11-9 (51m)
Juan Pablo Roude (ARG) bt Fernando Lopez (MEX) 11-8, 11-7, 1-11, 11-5 (38m)
[2] Rafael Alarcon (BRA) bt [Q] Esteban Casarino (PAR) 11-3, 7-11, 11-9, 11-5 (46m)
Qualifying finals:
Bryan Bonilla (GUA) bt Fernando Santamaria (PAR) 11-2, 11-6, 11-9 (17m)
Nicolas Caballero (PAR) bt Mario Dominguez (PAR) 11-6, 11-9, 12-10 (25m)
Esteban Casarino (PAR) bt Fernando Molina (ARG) 11-2, 11-9, 11-3 (23m)
Andre L’Heureux (PAR) bt Micah Franklin (BER) 11-7, 11-6, 11-9 (41m)
1st qualifying round:
Bryan Bonilla (GUA) bye
Fernando Santamaria (PAR) bt David Decoud (PAR) 11-4, 10-12, 11-9, 11-6 (46m)
Mario Dominguez (PAR) bt Cristian Storm (PAR) 11-5, 11-5, 11-1 (28m)
Nicolas Caballero (PAR) bt Julio C Silva Caseiro (BRA) 11-7, 11-9, 11-8 (31m)
