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Batch Open 2023
Men's Draw
18 - 22 Apr
Paris, France, $6k |
Final:
[9/16] Jakub Solnicky (CZE) bt [3] Ivan Perez (ESP) 4-11, 11-9,
11-4, 11-7 (66m)
Semi-finals:
[3] Ivan Perez (ESP) bt [9/16] Toufik Mekhalfi (FRA) 11-9, 6-11,
11-3, 12-10 (70m)
[9/16] Jakub Solnicky (CZE) bt [9/16] Macéo Lévy (FRA) 11-4, 11-7,
10-12, 11-9 (51m)
Quarter-finals:
[9/16] Toufik Mekhalfi (FRA) bt [1] Lwamba Chileshe (NZL) 11-2,
11-6, 11-3 (26m)
[3] Ivan Perez (ESP) bt [WC] Brice Nicolas (FRA) 5-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-5
(54m)
[9/16] Macéo Lévy (FRA) bt [4] Edwin Clain (FRA) 9-11, 7-11, 11-4, 11-6,
12-10 (65m)
[9/16] Jakub Solnicky (CZE) bt [2] Daniel Mekbib (CZE) 8-11, 11-4, 11-6,
11-6 (43m)
2nd round:
[1] Lwamba Chileshe (NZL) bt Manu Paquemar (FRA) 11-2, 6-11, 11-9,
11-7 (41m)
[9/16] Toufik Mekhalfi (FRA) bt [7] Dewald van Niekerk (RSA) 11-8, 5-11,
11-9, 11-2 (64m)
[WC] Brice Nicolas (FRA) bt [8] Temwa Chileshe (NZL) 11-6, 11-6, 7-11,
11-7 (51m)
[3] Ivan Perez (ESP) bt [9/16] Miko Äijänen (FIN) 14-12, 16-14, 11-8
(55m)
[4] Edwin Clain (FRA) bt [9/16] Aqeel Rehman (AUT) 11-13, 11-7, 11-6,
11-13, 11-7 (56m)
[9/16] Macéo Lévy (FRA) bt [6] James Peach (ENG) 11-0, 8-11, 6-11, 11-7,
11-6 (51m)
[9/16] Jakub Solnicky (CZE) bt [5] Owain Taylor (WAL) 11-8, 11-4, 11-4
(41m)
[2] Daniel Mekbib (CZE) bt [9/16] Chung Yat Long (HKG) 11-6, 11-8, 11-7
(30m)
1st round:
[1] Lwamba Chileshe (NZL) bye
Manu Paquemar (FRA) bt [9/16] Guilherme Melo (BRA) 11-8 ret. (8m)
[9/16] Toufik Mekhalfi (FRA) bt Lowie Delbeke (BEL) 10-12, 11-2, 11-3,
11-9 (38m)
[7] Dewald van Niekerk (RSA) bye
[8] Temwa Chileshe (NZL) bye
[WC] Brice Nicolas (FRA) bt [9/16] Nicholas Calvert (AUS) 11-5, 2-11,
10-12, 14-12, 11-5 (59m)
[9/16] Miko Äijänen (FIN) bt Paul Gonzalez (FRA) 11-8, 11-6, 11-8 (32m)
[3] Ivan Perez (ESP) bye
[4] Edwin Clain (FRA) bye
[9/16] Aqeel Rehman (AUT) bt Laouenan Loaëc (FRA) 11-3, 11-7, 8-11, 11-8
(41m)
[9/16] Macéo Lévy (FRA) bt [WC] Melvil Scianimanico (FRA) 11-5, 11-6,
11-2 (23m)
[6] James Peach (ENG) bye
[5] Owain Taylor (WAL) bye
[9/16] Jakub Solnicky (CZE) bt Elijah Thomas (NZL) 11-2, 11-2, 11-4
(27m)
[9/16] Chung Yat Long (HKG) bt [WC] Antoine Riehl (FRA) 11-7, 11-3, 11-6
(21m)
[2] Daniel Mekbib (CZE) bye |
Final
Solnicky Downs Three Seeds To Win Crown
Jakub Solnicky with the Batch Open title
The Czech Republic’s Jakub Solnicky was the victor at the Batch Open,
beating three of the top five seeds en route to the title.
Solnicky came in to the event as part of the 9/16 seeding bracket, and
started the Challenger 5 level competition with a victory over New
Zealand’s Elijah Thomas, where he dropped just eight points.
The Czech start then defeated the first of those three seeds, getting
the better of Welshman Owain Taylor. He downed the No.5 seed in straight
games, before then coming up against compatriot Daniel Mekbib in the
quarter finals.
Mekbib was the No.2 seed for the tournament, and took the opening game.
However, Solnicky then fought through to win the next three games to
take the win. That was followed by another 3-1 victory, this time
against another unseeded player. He downed Frenchman Maceo Levy in four
games in the semis to move through to a first final since 2021.
In the final, Solnicky did battle with Spain’s Ivan Perez. The Spaniard
won the opening game 11-4, but the Czech man fought well. He won a tight
second game 11-9, before then going on to beat the No.3 seed in four
games, to secure the Challenger 5 level crown. |
Semi Finals
Home Hopes Knocked Out In Semis
Both semi-finals at the Batch Open had home interest, but Spain’s Ivan
Perez and the Czech Republic’s Jakub Solnicky will be the two men to
contest the final in Paris.
The Challenger 5 level competition has been played out at the Societe
Sportive du Jeu de Paume in the French capital, and the pair of Toufik
Mekhalfi and Maceo Levy both knocked out one of the top four seeds to
reach the semi-finals.
In the opening match of semi-finals night, Spain’s Ivan Perez, the only
seed left in the competition, downed Mekhalfi to reach his first final
since November, which also came on French soil at the PSA Cognac.
Perez took a tight opening game 11-9, but then saw the Frenchman fight
back to win the second. The third was easy for the Spaniard, but the
fourth went all the way to a tie-break, with the tournament’s No.3 seed
coming out the winner 12-10, to take a four-game victory and move
through to the final.
He will now take on the Czech Republic’s Jakub Sonlicky on Saturday
evening in Paris. The Czech man came into the event unseeded, and he
took on Maceo Levy on Friday evening.
Solnicky took a quick two-game lead, but Levy, who had downed compatriot
and No.4 seed Edwin Clain to make the semis, battled back. The Frenchman
won the third game on a tie-break 12-10, but Solnicky was able to
regroup, and he fought to win the fourth 11-9 to book his place in the
final. |
Quarter Finals
Seeds Fall On Quarter Finals Day
Maceo Levy (fore) in action against Edwin Clain (back)
in Paris
It was a surprising quarter finals day at the Batch Open in Paris, as
three of the top four seeds were defeated on Thursday.
The longest match of the day came between two Frenchman, as Maceo Levy
got the better of No.4 seed Edwin Clain. Clain was one of the twelve
winners on Finals Day at the PSA World Championships Qualifying Event
last week, and came into this tournament in good form.
He started the all-French semi-final strongly, winning the opening two
games to hold a commanding lead. However, Levy fought back, and despite
being ranked 64 places lower than his compatriot, he fought back
brilliantly. Two quick games and the match was level, and Levy then had
match balls in the fifth, at 10-6 up.
That’s when the match really got going, as Clain saved all four to send
the contest into a tie-break. Levy went 11-10 and a double bounce was
called to give the Frenchman the match. However, Clain swore that it was
good, and as training partners and close friends, Levy believed his
compatriot, and agreed to play a let. Clain then had match ball at
12-11, but Levy saved it before eventually going on to secure the
victory with a 17-15 win in the fifth.
“I hesitated for an instant, but the bottom line is I did not want to
win this way. Would have I had regrets if I’d lost? We’ll never know,”
Levy said after the match.
Levy will now take on the Czech Republic’s Jakub Solnicky after the
World No.127 got the better of the tournament’s No.2 seed, and fellow
Czech player, Daniel Mekbib. Solnicky lost the opening game 11-8, but
fought back to win the next three, dropping no more than six points in
any of those three games, to advance to the semis.
In the top half of the draw, there was more French delight. Toufik
Mekhalfi moved through to the semis as he downed top seed Lwamba
Chileshe. He sits 36 places below the Kiwi in the world rankings, but
dropped just 11 points in a comprehensive victory. Mekhalfi won 11-2,
11-6, 11-3 to advance to the last four in Paris.
Toufik Mekhalfi (right) got the better of top seed
Lwamba Chileshe (left)
The Frenchman will now take on Spain’s Ivan Perez, the only member of
the top four seeds to advance to the semi-finals. The Spaniard, who is
the No.3 seed for the competition, downed wildcard Brice Nicolas. The
Frenchman won the opening game, but Perez battled through to take the
win in four games to set up a clash with Mekhalfi in the last four. |
Round 2
Wildcard Nicolas Leads French Quartet Into Last Eight
Brice Nicolas
For the second day in a row, tournament wildcard Brice Nicolas caused an
upset, and he joins three more Frenchman in making the last eight at the
Batch Open.
Nicolas took on New Zealand’s Temwa Chileshe and he was in control from
the off, winning both of the opening two games by an 11-6 scoreline. The
Kiwi fought back to win the third game, but Nicolas regrouped, and
delighted the home crowd by winning the fourth and securing his spot in
the quarter finals. He will now take on Spain’s Ivan Perez in last
eight.
He will be joined in the top half of the quarter final draw by
compatriot Toufik Mekhalfi. The Frenchman defeated South African No.1
Dewald van Niekerk, battling back after losing the second game to win in
four.
Maceo Levy also caused an upset, as he defeated England’s James Peach,
the No.6 seed. He won the first game without dropping a point, but then
had to fight back after being 2-1 down. He did so well, winning both the
fourth and fifth to book his last eight spot, where he will take on
compatriot Edwin Clain.
Clain, who booked his place at the PSA World Championships after winning
his final match at the Qualifying Event in Birmingham, downed Austrian
No.1 Aqeel Rehman in a tough five-game clash, which included two
tie-break losses.
Elsewhere, the Czech duo of Daniel Mekbib and Jakub Solnicky will meet
in the last eight after both winning their respective second round
matches in straight games. Top seed Lwamba Chileshe is also through,
after beating France’a Manu Paquemar in a four-game contest. Leads
French Quartet Into Last Eight |
Round 1
Wildcard Nicolas Among First Round Winners
Brice Nicolas
Wildcard Brice Nicolas caused an upset on the opening day of the Batch
Open, as he moved through to the second round in Paris.
The World No.305 is the tournament’s wildcard, and took on Australian
Nicholas Calvert in the opening round of the Challenger 5 level event,
which is taking place at the Societe Sportive du Jeu de Paume in the
French capital.
Nicolas, who was featuring on the Tour for the first time in 2023, fell
behind after losing a third game tie-break 12-10. He then had to save
match balls in the fourth game, but fought through to win it 14-12,
before going on to claim the fifth game comfortably to take the victory.
He will now face New Zealand’s Temwa Chileshe, the No.8 seed, in the
last 16.
Nicolas was one of four French winners on the opening day. Compatriots
Manu Paquemar, Toufik Mekhalfi and Maceo Levy were all victorious as
well. The latter downed fellow Frenchman, and the second tournament
wildcard, Melvil Scianimanico, in straight games.
Elsewhere, last week’s PSA de Normandie victor, Finland’s Miko Aijanen,
secured an opening day win. The Finn got the better of Paul Gonzalez to
reach the second round. He is joined by Austrian No.1 Aqeel Rehman, Hong
Kong’s Chung Yat Long and Jakub Solnicky of the Czech Republic. |
Preview
The first of five tournaments taking place on the Challenger Tour this
week will be the Batch Open, which will begin on Tuesday, April 18.
The Societe Sportive du Jeu de Paume will host a tournament for the
second time, after playing host to the Open Feminin du Jeu de Paume in
2022, an event that Switzerland’s Ambre Allinckx was victorious at.
This will be the first men’s event to be held there on Tour, and New
Zealand’s Lwamba Chileshe will be the tournament’s top seed. His younger
brother, Temwa, will also feature, as one of the members of the 9/16
seeding bracket.
After securing his place at this year’s PSA World Championships
presented by the Walter Family, Frenchman Edwin Clain will be looking to
take a third title of the season. He will be the leading home hope at
the event, with Spaniard Ivan Perez as the other member of the world’s
top 100 in action.
Czech Republic’s Daniel Mekbib, Switzerland’s Yannick Wilhelmi, Welshman
Owain Taylor, England’s James Peach and South African No.1 Dewald van
Niekerk will make up the rest of the top eight seeds for the event.
Following his first win in four years, Miko Aijanen will come into this
event in good form. He won the men’s trophy at the PSA de Normandie on
Sunday, and will be aiming to go back-to-back on French soil.
Along with Clain, there will be seven other Frenchman in action. Toufik
Mekhalfi, Maceo Levy, Laouenan Loaec, Manu Paquemar and Brice Nicolas
will all feature, with Antoine Riehl and Melvil Scianimanico as the two
wildcards for the event.
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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