Currently adjacent in the PSA world top 20, David Palmer prot\u00e9g\u00e9s Miguel Angel Rodriguez and Stephen Coppinger had all to play for in the opening round of the Abierto Mexicano de Raquetas, the PSA World Tour International 70 squash event in its second year in Toluca, Mexico.<\/p>\n
Both players (pictured in action above) have credited their recent arrival amongst the world’s top 20 elite to working with Palmer, the illustrious US-based Australian former world number one and twice world champion.<\/p>\n
But it was Rodriguez, the world No16 from Colombia, who prevailed on the all-glass court at Alameda Park – beating 17th-ranked South African Coppinger 11-8, 11-3, 11-7 in 42 minutes.<\/p>\n
The 27-year-old Pan American champion from Bogota now meets fourth seed Omar Mosaad, the world No11 from Egypt who was stretched to four games by Nicolas Mueller (both pictured below) before seeing off his top-ranked Swiss opponent 11-9, 9-11, 11-8, 11-6.<\/p>\n
But the Mexican crowd was treated to a significant upset when qualifier Alfredo Avila battled from a game down to beat England’s world No34 Adrian Waller 8-11, 11-7, 11-7, 16-14 in 55 minutes.<\/p>\n
The 22-year-old world No58 from Mexico City – the lowest-ranked player in the draw – progresses to face third seed Borja Golan for a place in the semi-finals.<\/p>\n
Spaniard Golan quashed Egyptian qualifier Karim Ali Fathi 11-5, 12-10, 11-6.<\/p>\n
It was a good night for Egypt’s Elshorbagy family after brothers Mohamed Elshorbagy and Marwan Elshorbagy both secured places in the quarter-finals.<\/p>\n
Second seed Mohamed beat Mexican wild card Cesar Salazar 11-5, 11-5, 11-7, while younger brother Marwan, the 20-year-old former world junior champion ranked 29 in the world, upset England’s world No22 Tom Richards 11-5, 11-2, 11-4.<\/p>\n
RESULTS: PSA International 70 Abierto Mexicano de Raquetas, Toluca, Mexico<\/strong><\/p>\n 1st round:<\/strong><\/p>\n [1] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt [Q] Matthew Karwalski (AUS) 11-5, 11-3, 11-3 (27m)<\/p>\n Marwan Elshorbagy (EGY) bt Tom Richards (ENG) 11-5, 11-2, 11-4 (31m)<\/p>\n Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL) bt Stephen Coppinger (RSA) 11-8, 11-3, 11-7 (42m)<\/p>\n [4] Omar Mosaad (EGY) bt Nicolas Mueller (SUI) 11-9, 9-11, 11-8, 11-6 (50m)<\/p>\n [3] Borja Golan (ESP) bt [Q] Karim Ali Fathi (EGY) 11-5, 12-10, 11-6 (45m)<\/p>\n [Q] Alfredo Avila (MEX) bt Adrian Waller (ENG) 8-11, 11-7, 11-7, 16-14 (55m)<\/p>\n Gregoire Marche (FRA) bt [Q] Henrik Mustonen (FIN) 11-13, 11-6, 5-11, 11-4, 11-2 (55m)<\/p>\n [2] Mohamed Elshorbagy (EGY) bt [WC] Cesar Salazar (MEX) 11-5, 11-5, 11-7 (27m)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Currently adjacent in the PSA world top 20, David Palmer prot\u00e9g\u00e9s Miguel Angel Rodriguez and Stephen Coppinger had all to play for in the opening round of the Abierto Mexicano de Raquetas, the PSA World Tour International 70 squash event in its second year in Toluca, Mexico. Both players (pictured in action above) have credited […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16790","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-others"],"yoast_head":"\n