VANCOUVER, Canada, CMC – Nicolette Fernandes failed in her bid to reach the final of the Sun & Surf Open, when American Latasha Khan knocked her out in the semi-finals, with a straight games victory on Saturday.

It was a match too far for the 27-year-old Fernandes, the fourth seed from Guyana, who had breezed through earlier matches in the competition, as she continued her comeback to top-level competition, following knee surgery a couple of years ago.

Top-seed Khan brought her experience to bear as she claimed a 16-14, 11-6, 11-9 victory in 34 minutes.

World No. 29 Khan, the 37-year-old from Seattle, chased her eighth Women’s International Squash Players Association World Tour title yesterday when she faced second seed Alana Miller of Canada in the final.

Miller outlasted sixth-seed and compatriot Carolyn Russell 11-9, 11-3, 11-8 in 25 minutes in the other semi-final.

Earlier in the competition, World No. 57 Fernandes beat unseeded Thaisa Serafini of Brazil 11-9, 11-6, 12-10 in half-hour in the first round.

She then toppled another unseeded player, Milou van er Heijden of the Netherlands in the quarter-finals, 12-10, 11-7, 11-6, in half-hour on Friday.