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Atlanta Open 2023
Men's Draw
19 - 23 Apr
Georgia, USA, $12k |
ROUND TWO
20 Apr |
QUARTERS
21 Apr |
SEMIS
22 Apr |
FINAL
23 Apr |
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[1] David Baillargeon (CAN)
11-4, 11-4, 11-5 (45m)
[9/16] Sanjay Jeeva (MAS) |
David Baillargeon
11-5, 13-11, 11-9 (48m)
Addeen Idrakie
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David Baillargeon
14-12, 11-2, 8-11, 11-4 (51m)
Ryunosuke Tsukue |
Ryunosuke Tsukue
11-9, 8-11, 9-11, 11-3, 11-7 (63m)
Zahed Salem |
[7] Addeen Idrakie (MAS)
9-11, 11-5, 11-3, 8-11, 11-3 (59m)
Babatunde Ajagbe (NGR) |
[8] Christopher Gordon (USA)
11-6, 11-13, 11-7, 2-11, 11-6 (71m)
Edgar Ramirez (COL) |
Christopher Gordon
11-8, 11-4, 11-3 (26m)
Ryunosuke Tsukue |
[9/16] Ryunosuke Tsukue (JPN)
11-7, 12-10, 4-11, 7-11, 11-7 (70m
[3] Juan Camilo Vargas (COL) |
[9/16] Seif Shenawy (EGY)
11-9, 11-8, 11-6 (48m)
[4] Leandro Romiglio (ARG) |
Seif Shenawy
9-11, 10-12, 11-2, 11-3, 11-7 (61m)
Zahed Salem
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Zahed Salem
12-10, 9-11, 9-11, 11-7, 11-8 (95m)
Timothy Brownell |
[5] Zahed Salem (EGY)
5-11, 11-7, 11-7, 8-11, 11-7 (62m)
[9/16] Nasir Iqbal (PAK) |
[6] Ivan Yuen (MAS)
11-6, 11-6, 11-6 (41m)
[9/16] Spencer Lovejoy (USA) |
Ivan Yuen
11-9, 11-8, 14-12 (43m)
Timothy Brownell |
[9/16] Mark Broekman (ENG)
11-5, 11-1, 11-5 (28m)
[2] Timothy Brownell (USA) |
[1] David Baillargeon (CAN) bye
[9/16] Sanjay Jeeva (MAS) bt Abdelaziz Hegazy (EGY) 11-5, 11-5, 11-4
(23m)
Babatunde Ajagbe (NGR) bt [9/16] Finnlay Withington (ENG) 5-11, 9-11,
11-2, 11-7, 11-8 (51m)
[7] Addeen Idrakie (MAS) bye
[8] Christopher Gordon (USA) bye
Edgar Ramirez (COL) bt [9/16] Noor Zaman (PAK) 11-7, 12-10, 11-1 (33m)
[9/16] Ryunosuke Tsukue (JPN) bt Jamie Ruggiero (USA) 11-1, 11-3, 11-2
(19m)
[3] Juan Camilo Vargas (COL) bye
[4] Leandro Romiglio (ARG) bye
[9/16] Seif Shenawy (EGY) bt Chris Fuller (ENG) 11-6, 11-8, 11-8 (32m)
[9/16] Nasir Iqbal (PAK) bt [WC] Fletcher Cline (USA) 11-2, 11-1, 11-4
(20m)
[5] Zahed Salem (EGY) bye
[6] Ivan Yuen (MAS) bye
[9/16] Spencer Lovejoy (USA) bt [WC] Muhammad Ibrahim Noorani (PAK)
8-11, 8-11, 11-5, 11-6, 11-5 (41m)
[9/16] Mark Broekman (ENG) bt [WC] Aaron Luque (USA) 11-6, 11-2, 11-4
(22m)
[2] Timothy Brownell (USA) bye |
Salem Wins For First Time in Five Years
Zahed Salem (left) with the Atlanta Open trophy
Egypt’s Zahed Salem is a winner again on Tour for the first time since
2018, as he claimed the Atlanta Open title this weekend.
The Egyptian reached as high as World No.14 prior to the COVID-19
pandemic, but has since dropped out of the world’s top 50. However, this
will be a big step in getting back into the major’s once again.
Salem came into the Atlanta Open as the No.5 seed for the Challenger 10
level competition. He would go on to play four matches at the Concourse
Athletic Club, with all four going the distance.
He received an opening round by, before then defeating Pakistan’s Nasir
Iqbal in a five-game battle, one that lasted just over an hour, to make
the quarter finals. In the last eight, he came up against compatriot
Seif Shenawy, who had caused an upset the previous day. It looked like
the same might happen again, with Shenawy taking a two-game lead, but
Salem fought back brilliantly to win the next three games, dropping just
12 points on the way.
The semi-finals saw the Egyptian take on No.2 seed and home favourite
Timothy Brownell. The American came form a game down to lead 2-1 after
winning both the second and third games 11-9, but Salem would fight back
one more. He won the fourth 11-7, before then taking the fifth 11-8 to
book his spot in the final after a 95-minute classic.
Salem would then complete the set, and go the distance in the final as
well. He took on the tournament’s surprise package, Japan’s Ryunosuke
Tsukue. The Japanese No.1 led after three games, but again, the former
World No.14 battled. He won the fourth comfortably, before then taking
the decider 11-7 to secure his first win in five years.
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Quarter Finals
Tsukue Gatecrashes Semi-Finals
Japan’s Ryunosuke Tsukue is into the semis of the Atlanta Open despite
being unseeded, after he beat Christopher Gordon in the last eight.
The Japanese No.1 had already defeated No.3 seed Juan Camilo Vargas to
make the quarter finals, and he came up against the USA’s Gordon for a
place in the last four of the Challenger 10 level competition.
Tsukue, who featured at the PSA World Championships Qualifying Event in
Birmingham last week, continued his good form. He won in straight games
against the No.8 seed, taking an 11-8, 11-4, 11-3 victory to book his
sei-final spot.
Japan’s No.1 will take on Canadian David Baillargeon in the last four.
The tournament’s top seed got the better of Malaysia’s Addeen Idrakie in
straight games. The second went to a tie-break, which the Canadian came
out on the right side of, 13-11, before then going on to win the third
11-9.
In the bottom half of the draw, Egypt’s Zahed Salem got the better of
compatriot Seif Shenawy in a tight five-game tussle. Salem went two
games down after losing the second on a tie-break, but dropped just
twelve points across the rest of the contest, to round off a great
fightback.
He will now face American Timothy Brownell, the No.2 seed, in the semis.
The World No.46 defeated Malaysia’s Ivan Yuen in the last eight, taking
the victory with a third game tie-break win, 14-12.
The semi-finals of the Atlanta Open will be played on Saturday, April
22, and you can keep up to date with daily updates from the tournament
on the PSA Challenger Tour’s Twitter and Facebook.
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Preview
One of three events taking place on the Tour in the USA this week is the
Atlanta Open, with the Concourse Athletic Club playing host.
The venue returns to the Tour after hosting the Concourse Athletic Club
Open in 2022, an event in which England’s Sam Todd secured his biggest
Challenger Tour victory to date.
This year’s event will be a Challenger 10 level prize, and will see a
quartet from the Americas as the top four seeds. Canadian No.1 David
Baillargeon will be the top seed this week in Atlanta.
However, American Timothy Brownell will be the highest-ranked player in
the competition, having moved up to World No.46 following his second
round result at the British Open in Birmingham. Colombia’s Juan Camilo
Vargas and Argentinian No.1 Leandro Romiglio make up the top four seeds.
Egypt’s Zahed Salem, the former World No.14, cannot be counted out,
while Malaysia’s Ivan Yuen was among those victorious on the final day
of the PSA World Championships Qualifying Event. He is joined in the top
eight seeds by compatriot Addeen Idrakie and a second American, in
Christopher Gordon.
Four more Americans will be in action on home soil this week, including
two of the three tournament wildcards. Spencer Lovejoy and Jamie
Ruggiero will feature, along with wildcards Aaron Luque and Fletcher
Cline. Nigerian Faruq Sulaimon will be the other wildcard this week in
Atlanta.
For more information on the event, Where available see the
PSA Live Scores page, or follow
on
PSAChallengerTourLivestreams,
Facebook,
Twitter,
Instagram
&
TikTok. Selected
events will also be streamed live on
SQUASHTV.
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