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03/03/2022
Odense Open 2022

Odense Open 2022

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Odense Open  2022
Men's Draw
01 - 05 Mar
Odense, Denmark, $12k

ROUND TWO
02
Mar
QUARTERS
03
Mar
SEMIS
04
Mar
FINAL
05 Mar

[1] Mahesh Mangaonkar (IND)
11-5, 11-6, 11-5 (42m)
[9/16] Temwa Chileshe (NZL)

Mahesh Mangaonkar
11-6, 11-9, 11-4 (36m)
Juan Camilo Vargas
Mahesh Mangaonkar
12-10, 7-11, 11-9, 11-9 (68m)
Sam Todd
Sam Todd
11-8, 12-10, 2-11, 11-7 (53m)
Farkas Balazs
[7] Juan Camilo Vargas (COL)
11-7, 11-9, 8-11, 5-11, 12-10 (77m)
[9/16] Emyr Evans (WAL)
[6] Sam Todd (ENG)
16-14, 11-6, 11-3 (46m)
[9/16] Lwamba Chileshe (NZL)
Sam Todd
11-7, 7-11, 11-8, 3-11, 11-6 (60m)
Yahya Elnawasany
[3] Yahya Elnawasany (EGY)
11-8, 11-6, 14-12 (35m)
[9/16] Aqeel Rehman (AUT)
Leandro Romiglio (ARG)
11-13, 11-8, 11-8, 11-7 (66m)
[4] Rui Soares (POR)
Leandro Romiglio
9-11, 11-7, 13-11, 9-11, 12-10 (90m)
Farkas Balazs
Farkas Balazs
7-11, 11-8, 11-2, 6-11, 11-9 (74m)
Faraz Khan
[9/16] Farkas Balazs (HUN)
10-12, 11-9, 11-8, 11-6 (61m)
[5] Ben Coleman (ENG)
[8] Robert Downer (ENG)
11-9, 10-12, 11-8, 11-6 (67m)
[9/16] Yannik Omlor (GER)
Robert Downer
6-11, 11-8, 11-6, 12-10 (73m)
Faraz Khan
[9/16] Yuri Farneti (ITA)
11-5, 7-11, 11-5, 8-11, 11-4 (83m)
[2] Faraz Khan (USA)

ROUND ONE

[1] Mahesh Mangaonkar (IND) bye
[9/16] Temwa Chileshe (NZL) bt [WC] Magnus Laursen (DEN) 8-11, 11-7, 7-11, 11-4, 11-7 (55m)
[9/16] Emyr Evans (WAL) bt [WC] Theis Houlberg (DEN) 11-6, 8-11, 11-3, 11-4 (41m)
[7] Juan Camilo Vargas (COL) bye
[6] Sam Todd (ENG) bye
[9/16] Lwamba Chileshe (NZL) bt [WC] Tobias Weel (DEN) 11-7, 7-11, 11-5, 11-3 (35m)
[9/16] Aqeel Rehman (AUT) bt Roshan Bharos (NED) 11-9, 15-13, 13-11 (53m)
[3] Yahya Elnawasany (EGY) bye
[4] Rui Soares (POR) bye
Leandro Romiglio (ARG) bt [9/16] Valentin Rapp (GER) 11-7, 8-11, 13-11, 11-3 (71m)
[9/16] Farkas Balazs (HUN) bt Ben Smith (ENG) 9-11, 11-3, 11-6, 11-4 (41m)
[5] Ben Coleman (ENG) bye
[8] Robert Downer (ENG) bye
[9/16] Yannik Omlor (GER) bt Marcus Søby Jepsen (DEN) 11-8, 11-4, 11-4 (25m)
[9/16] Yuri Farneti (ITA) bt Lennard Hinrichs (GER) 11-3, 11-5, 11-3 (18m)
[2] Faraz Khan (USA) bye

Odense Open  2022
Women's Draw
01 - 05 Mar
Odense, Denmark, $12k

ROUND TWO
02 Mar
QUARTERS
03 Mar
SEMIS
04 Mar
FINAL
05 Mar

[1] Alexandra Fuller (RSA)
11-6, 11-5, 5-11, 11-6 (39m)
Saran Nghiem (ENG)

Alexandra Fuller
11-6, 11-8, 11-8 (29m)
Marta Dominguez Fernandez
Alexandra Fuller
13-11, 11-8, 11-5 (32m)
Malak Khafagy
Alexandra Fuller
11-9, 11-8, 11-3 (31m)
Katie Malliff
[9/16] Marta Dominguez Fernandez (ESP)
11-6, 11-2, 11-7 (27m)
[8] Nadeen Kotb (EGY)
[7] Malak Khafagy (EGY)
11-7, 11-4, 11-5 (22m)
[WC] Klara Møller (DEN)
Malak Khafagy
9-11, 13-11, 11-9, 11-6 (49m)
Anna Kimberley
[9/16] Anna Kimberley (ENG)
11-6, 11-9, 11-8 (33m)
[3] Nadia Pfister (SUI)
[4] Menna Hamed (EGY)
5-11, 11-1, 11-13, 11-6, 11-7 (47m)
[9/16] Kaitlyn Watts (NZL)
Menna Hamed
9-11, 11-7, 11-6, 11-5 (57m)
Katie Malliff
Katie Malliff
13-11, 11-8, 11-5 (32m)
Salma Eltayeb
Katie Malliff (ENG)
9-11, 11-8, 11-6, 11-3 (38m)
[5] Nour Aboulmakarim (EGY)
[6] Salma Eltayeb (EGY)
11-2, 11-1, 11-5 (20m)
[9/16] Katerina Tycova (GER)
Salma Eltayeb
1-11, 11-8, 12-10, 11-9 (38m)
Julianne Courtice
[9/16] Saskia Beinhard (GER)
11-6, 12-10, 13-15, 11-0 (41m)
[2] Julianne Courtice (ENG)

ROUND ONE

[1] Alexandra Fuller (RSA) bye
Saran Nghiem (ENG) bt [9/16] Léa Barbeau (FRA) 11-7, 11-5, 11-9 (22m)
[9/16] Marta Dominguez Fernandez (ESP) bt [WC] Caroline Lyng (DEN) 11-5, 12-14, 11-7, 11-1 (30m)
[8] Nadeen Kotb (EGY) bye
[7] Malak Khafagy (EGY) bye
[WC] Klara Møller (DEN) bt [9/16] Taba Taghavi (FRA) 12-10, 9-11, 11-5, 5-11, 11-5 (51m)
[9/16] Anna Kimberley (ENG) bt Katie Wells (ENG) 11-8, 11-7, 11-5 (34m)
[3] Nadia Pfister (SUI) bye
[4] Menna Hamed (EGY) bye
[9/16] Kaitlyn Watts (NZL) bt [WC] Sarah Lauridsen (DEN) 11-9, 11-3, 11-7 (24m)
Katie Malliff (ENG) bt [9/16] Kenzy Ayman (EGY) 11-9, 12-10, 11-9 (29m)
[5] Nour Aboulmakarim (EGY) bye
[6] Salma Eltayeb (EGY) bye
[9/16] Katerina Tycova (GER) bt Sofia Aveiro Pita (POR) 13-11, 11-3, 11-6 (25m)
[9/16] Saskia Beinhard (GER) bt Andrea Fjellgaard (NOR) 11-1, 11-1, 11-2 (15m)
[2] Julianne Courtice (ENG) bye

REPORTS

Farkas And Fuller Secure World Championships Places After Odense Open Victories



Hungary’s Balazs Farkas and South Africa’s Alexandra Fuller were victorious at the Odense Open on Saturday evening, claiming the Challenger 10 level prizes, and guaranteeing their places at the sport’s premiere event, the 2021-2022 PSA World Championships.

Farkas made the final of last year’s event at Odense Squash Club, but lost out to Aly Hussein, and therefore missed out on a place at the World Championships. He came into this year’s Challenger 10 level tournament unseeded, and proceeded to go on a run, beating No.5 seed Ben Coleman and No.2 seed Faraz Khan en route to the final.

He came up against England’s Sam Todd, the tournament’s No.6 seed in the final on Saturday evening. Todd, also a previous runner-up in Odense, having made the final in 2020, started slowly, allowing the Hungarian No.1 to get away in the first game, one he would take to hold the advantage in the match.

The Hungarian then took a tight second game, one that was crucial in determining the winner of the match, as he held on for a 12-10 victory. Todd then ran away with the third, with Farkas keeping some energy back in reserve. That tactic worked, as he then won the fourth game, letting out a big roar of celebration at the end of the match, as the realisation of making the World Championships hit him.

“Before the tournament, I was thinking that there were a lot of good players playing here and maybe it was just a dream that I could play the final and to win the tournament,” Farkas admitted.


Balazs Farkas (left) and Sam Todd (right) on court during the men's final

“Firstly, I would like to say thanks to the organisers because I know in this situation, it is so hard to organise a tournament, but this one in Odense is always getting better and better. In the future, I will come back and enjoy everything here!

“The crowd was unbelievably good, and Sam, congrats to you because you played amazing from the first round to the end. You are just 18-years-old, so I think in the future we will play some really good matches. Finally, to everyone who was supporting me, thank you!”

South Africa’s Alexandra Fuller guaranteed her spot at the 2021-2022 PSA World Championships in Cairo with a commanding performance against young Englishwoman Katie Malliff, one of the surprise packages of the tournament.

Malliff came into the final having beaten four higher-ranked Egyptians, including three of the top six seeds, but it was Fuller, the top seed, was able to control the majority of the contest, making the 18-year-old move around the court into all four corners.

The Englishwoman’s resistance was broken by the end of the second game, and with the World No.40 holding a 2-0 advantage, she was able to run away with the third game and secure the victory in straight games. Fuller claimed the title, her ninth on Tour and her first since 2018, and with it, guaranteed her spot at the 2021-2022 PSA World Championships.

“It is always nerve-racking playing in a final, but it was really amazing playing here on the glass court with a packed crowd, it really did make a difference so thanks to everyone for coming out to watch!” Fuller said.


Alexandra Fuller (fore) and Katie Malliff (back) during the women's final

“Firstly, thanks to Katie, she wiped out all the Egyptian players on the way, and it was a really enjoyable final!

“I was lucky enough that my ranking allows me to get into the tournament [World Championships]. It is the big one, the million dollar event, so it is massive for squash and it is really great that we can have this event on the calendar!”

The second qualifying event for the 2021-2022 PSA World Championships in Cairo will be the Val de Reuil Normandie, which will take place between March 17-20 at the Val de Reuil Tennis Squash in France.

Meanwhile, live action continues on SQUASHTV with the Optasia Championships, a PSA World Tour Gold level men’s event, which takes place from Sunday, March 6 to Friday, March 11 in Wimbledon, England.
Farkas, Todd and Malliff Take Surprise Wins To Reach Odense Open Finals

Three of the four semi-finals at the Odense Open, the first qualifying event for the 2021-2022 PSA World Championships in Cairo, saw upsets, as Hungary’s Balazs Farkas, and the English pairing of Katie Malliff and Sam Todd, made it into the finals of the Challenger 10 level tournament at the Odense Squash Club.

England’s Sam Todd played in the final match of the evening, and came up against the men’s top seed, India’s Mahesh Mangaonkar. The pair had met once before on Tour, at the Madeira International last September, with the Indian having won in four games.



Their semi-final in Odense would see the same scoreline, but in favour of the Englishman in the end. It was Mangaonkar who started the quicker of the two, though, winning seven of the first eight points, but Todd then found his length to level the game at 7-7, before going on to take it on a tie-break 12-10.

The World No.49 fought back though to take the second game and level the contest, and with the possibility of making a final on the line, both players upped their games. It was eventually the Englishman who would take victory, winning both the third and fourth games 11-9 to advance to the final in Odense for the second time, after also reaching that stage of the tournament back in 2020.

“I think, overall, it was a bit of a scrappy match. There were a lot of decisions and we were getting frustrated with each other,” Todd admitted.

“I started off slowly, 7-1 down, and he was just picking me off because he’s so good around the middle on the volley. Once I got my length, I was able to build up from that and I was able to vary the pace, which favoured me, so I ended up winning the first, which was crucial for me!

“Each game was crucial, but the third to go 2-1 up… We were doing a lot of heavy movements into the front and we were trying really hard to get around each other. I just tried to relax, to refocus and move on to the next point!”

Todd will face Balazs Farkas in the final on Saturday evening, after the Hungarian No.1 overcame the challenge of USA’s Faraz Khan, the tournament’s No.2 seed, in a five-game battle that lasted well over an hour.

The pair were meeting for the first time on Tour, and it was the American that got off to a fast start, playing with high pace to take the first game. Farkas then was able to wrestle the momentum back his was, to win both of the next two games and hod the lead in the contest for the first time. Khan was able to fight back to send the match into a decider, but it was the Hungarian that was able to clinch the victory, winning in five for the second straight day, to advance to the final in Odense.

“I really like squash, so I spend more time on court! Unfortunately, I can’t finish in four games, but I think it was a really good battle, a good semi-final! We tried to push as hard as we can,” the Hungarian said.



“I was thinking after the fourth game that I had to leave everything on court if I was going to win, and I did that to win this match and to go into the final.”

There was also another shock in the women’s event, as England’s Katie Malliff caused an upset once again, beating a higher-ranked Egyptian player for the fourth day in succession. Kenzy Ayman, No.5 seed Nour Aboulmakarim and No.4 seed Menna Hamed had all fallen to the Englishwoman in earlier rounds, and she was able to defeat No.6 seed Salma Eltayeb in the semis to make it four in a row.

The pair had never played on Tour before, but were well matched in the first game, with Malliff eventually taking it on a tie-break. The young Englishwoman was able to continue that momentum through the rest of the contest, winning in straight games to reach the biggest final of her career.



“I am feeling really happy! I kind of can’t believe it, so I am really pleased! It was really cool. The last few days have been a little bit quiet, but today was a much bigger crowd, and it’s good to have the crowd behind you, so it’s good!” Malliff said after her win.

She will face top seed Alexandra Fuller in the final, after the South African No.1 got the better of No.7 seed Malak Khafagy in a tight four-game battle to reach finals day, where those World Championships spots are up for grabs.

The finals of the Odense Open will take place at the Odense Squash Club on Saturday, March 5, with the action starting at 17:00 (GMT+1). Both finals will be shown live on SQUASHTV.

For more information on the event, visit the tournament website or follow the PSA World Tour on Twitter or Facebook, InstagramYouTube and TikTok.
 
Eltayeb and Malliff Set Up Surprise Semi-Final Contest In Odense

Egypt’s Salma Eltayeb and England’s Katie Malliff will meet in the semi-finals of the Odense Open, the first qualifying event for the 2021-2022 PSA World Championships in Cairo, after downing higher-ranked players in their respective last eight contests.



Malliff came into her quarter final full of confidence, having already caused upsets to knock out Egypt’s Kenzy Ayman and Nour Aboulmakarim, the latter of which being the No.5 seed for the competition.

She faced another Egyptian in the last eight, in No.4 seed Menna Hamed, and after starting well in the first game, the Englishwoman saw her opponent come from behind to take the first and hold the advantage in the match.

The 18-year-old fought back though, and after taking both the second and third games, she then held a comfortable lead in the fourth before Hamed went down with an injury. After a 15-minute pause in play, the Egyptian returned to the court, but Malliff was able to keep her composure to wrap up the win, and move through to the semi-finals.



“I was really pleased with how I played. [It was] my first match on the glass court, so I was a bit worried because I wasn’t used to it, but it felt really good and I got used to it really quickly,” Malliff said.

“I was a little bit frustrated because I think I was 7-3 up [in the first game] so I was a bit disappointed. The first few points, I was really getting stuck in and volleying loads, but then I just stopped doing, and she started to play better.

“I am really looking forward to it. I haven’t played her [Eltayeb] for about two years so both of our games have probably changed a little bit, hopefully improved. It will be another tough match but I am looking forward to it!”

Malliff will now face Salma Eltayeb in the last four of the Challenger 10 level tournament at the Odense Squash Club, after the Egyptian came back from behind to take out the No.2 seed in the women’s draw, Julianne Courtice.

The 17-year-old found herself a game down in quick time, as she took just a single point in the opening game. However, from there she was able to fight back to win the second, before then clinching the third on a tie-break. An 11-9 score-line in the fourth saw Eltayeb take the win, to advance to the last four in Odense.

“I am feeling so happy. It was my first time playing Julianne and she is so good. I was worried because she is more experienced than me, so it was worrying to play someone like that,” Eltayeb admitted.

“But then, I felt like I was getting into the match and feeling myself getting more and more confident on court. I then started to get in front and that made me more and more confident as well!

“After the first game, I knew I shouldn’t put so much pressure on myself because she is the No.2 seed and she is expected to win, so I didn’t need to pressure myself. I just had to play my squash and to be confident, and that’s what I did.”

There was also an upset in the men’s event, as England’s Sam Todd, the No.6 seed for the event, defeated the draw’s No.3 seed, Egypt’s Yahya Elnawasany, in a five-game battle which lasted exactly an hour.

The young Englishman came in to the match as the underdog, but played well throughout, holding the lead on two occasions after winning both the first and third games of their contest. The Egyptian levelled twice, but it was Todd who was able to take the win in the fifth, to set up a clash with India’s Mahesh Mangaonkar, the top seed, in the semis on Friday evening.



“I am over the moon. It’s my first win over Yahya, and we have played since juniors, from when I was under-13s,” he explained.

“I have had a couple of five-gamers with him as well, so when I was ahead in that fifth game, I was never comfortable because he is so good with the racket. I know he can fire off winners, so I was just over the moon to get it done with and I am excited for tomorrow!”

The other women’s semi-final will see top seed Alexandra Fuller take on No.7 seed Malak Khafagy for a place in Saturday’s final. Hungarian No.1 Balazs Farkas downed Argentina’s Leandro Romiglio in a 90-minute battle to make the other men’s semi-final, where he will face USA’s Faraz Khan.

The Odense Open continues on Friday, March 4, with semi-final action starting at 17:00 (GMT+1). All the action will be shown live on SQUASHTV.

For more information on the event, visit the tournament website or follow the PSA World Tour on Twitter or Facebook, InstagramYouTube and TikTok.
 
Quintet Of Seeds Fall On Surprising Second Day In Odense



The second day of the Odense Open, the first of four qualifying events for the 2021-2022 PSA World Championships in Cairo, saw plenty of surprises, with no less than five seeded players being knocked out in the last 16, including two of the top four seeds.

England’s Katie Malliff caused an upset for the second straight day, as she got the better of another Egyptian. After overcoming Kenzy Ayman on Tuesday, the young Englishwoman defeated No.5 seed Nour Aboulmakarim to book her spot in the quarter finals of the Challenger 10 level tournament.

The pair had never played on the PSA World Tour before, but the Egyptian came in as the favourite, sitting 40 places above Malliff in the updated March World Rankings. That looked to be the case in the first game, as Aboulmakarim was able to take a close 11-9 win to hold the advantage in the match.

However, from there, the 18-year-old Englishwoman would go on to take the victory, winning the next three game quite comfortably to keep her great run of form going in Odense. She eventually won out 9-11, 11-8, 11-6, 11-3 in 38 minutes, and will face another Egyptian, in No.4 seed Menna Hamed in the second round, after she defeated New Zealand’s Kaitlyn Watts in a lengthy five-game battle.

“I am really pleased to get a 3-1 victory. I wasn’t sure what to expect again, but I knew it would be a close game!” Mallliff said.

“In the second game, I knew I had to try and volley everything and make the rallies long. I have been working on my fitness quite a lot, so I have been working on the advantage of having a better physicality than my opponent, so I was trying to make it as long as I could.”

Malliff will be joined in the quarter finals by compatriot Anna Kimberley, after the World No.85 overcame Switzerland’s No.3 seed Nadia Pfister in straight games on the glass court at the Odense Squash Club.


Ana Kimberley (left) and Nadia Pfister (right) on court in Odense

The pair had met once before, at the Czech Open in November, with Kimberley running out the winner on that occasion as well. She came in to this match full of confidence after defeating fellow Englishwoman Katie Wells, and she spent just 33 minutes on court on the second day, winning 11-6, 11-9, 11-8 to set up a meeting with Egypt’s Malak Khafagy in the last eight.

“I feel good about that win. Last time I played her was in November time and we had a close battle, where I won in four. Coming into it, I was thinking whether it would go the same,” Kimberley said.

“I know she is quite strong across the middle, so any time that I put it on her volley, she was quite good at playing short kills and putting the ball away. I knew I had to get the ball high, and with the lights, if you get a good lob through, it can make it a bit awkward. I just made sure the ball got to the back and did the simple stuff across the middle.”

The men’s event saw a pair of shocks in the second round, with an unseeded player now guaranteed to make it into the last four of the Challenger 10 level tournament. Argentina’s Leandro Romiglio claimed the biggest scalp of the day, beating Portuguese No.1, and the competition’s No.4 seed, Rui Soares, in a tight four-game battle on the glass court.


Leandro Romiglio (fore) during his second round encounter with Rui Soares

The pair were meeting for the first time on the PSA World Tour, after a tight first game, it was the World No.61 who took it on a tie-break 13-11. However, from there it was Romiglio, the World No.140, who was able to take control of the contest, to advance to the quarter-finals after 66 minutes of fast-paced action. The Argentinian will now face Hungary’s Balazs Farkas in the last eight, after he defeated England’s No.5 seed Ben Coleman on Wednesday.

“I am feeling great! Firstly to have the opportunity to be streamed on SQUASHTV is great, a lot of family and friends in Argentina have been watching,” Romiglio said.

“It was a good match. I have never played him before but I have known him for a long time. He is a tough player so I am happy to get through that one!”
Danish Wildcard Møller Reached Second Round Of Odense Open

Danish wildcard Klara Møller gave the home fans a treat as the Challenger 10 level Odense Open got underway on Tuesday, as she got the better of France’s Taba Taghavi to reach the second round at the Odense Squash Club.

The tournament is the first of four qualifying events for the 2021-2021 PSA World Championships, scheduled to be held in Cairo in May, with the winners of this week’s competition being guaranteed a place at the sport’s premiere event.

Møller was one of seven Danes in action on the opening day, and she featured on the glass court against Taba Taghavi. The first two games were very tight, with both players finding their lines well. The Dane took the first on a tie-break, but was immediately pegged back, with the match level at 1-1 after two.

She then took the third quite comfortably, but once again found herself level in the match, as Taghavi refused to be beaten. It would eventually be success for the home hope, as she claimed the fifth game 11-5, to book her spot in the second round of the Challenger 10 level competition, and Møller will now face Egypt’s No.7 seed Malak Khafagy in the last 16.



“I am just super happy to win. It was a tough match, and we both played really well. I am just so happy to pull through and win the match,” Møller said.

“It [the home crowd] gives me extra energy but I also put more pressure on myself, because I want to perform well, but it is always nice. I think it gets a bit tougher because people know you are playing, and you have to perform. When you also get offered a wildcard, there’s so much pressure.

“I didn’t know who I was playing because I didn’t want to look further in the draw. I am just excited to play again and to see what happens!”

The other major surprise of the day saw England’s Katie Malliff overcome Egypt’s Kenzy Ayman on the traditional courts, with the World No.110 winning in straight games over her opponent, ranked 27 places higher than her in the World Rankings.

The Englishwoman, who has been in front of the SQUASHTV cameras before, at the British National Squash Championships in 2021, won all three games in a tight manner, taking the victory 11-9, 12-10, 11-9 to advance to the last 16 of the competition, where she will face No.5 seed Nour Aboulmakarim.

“I am really pleased with it. I had never played her before so I wasn’t really sure what to expect. I went in there with a good gameplan and I stuck to it, so yeah, I am really pleased with the win!” Malliff said.



“I did see a small clip on YouTube, but that was it, only about four minutes, so I didn’t get to see much. I tried to watch her a little bit in her solo hit today, so I could see what her game was like.

“I am used to it now, so I know how it plays, whereas I don’t think she has, so that is one advantage for me. I played her three years ago at the British Open. I’m not sure if her game has changed, I will probably take a look on YouTube or SQUASHTV to check that!”

New Zealand’s Temwa Chileshe survived a tough five-gamer to end the evening’s glass court action, coming through in the deciding game to get the better of Danish wildcard Magnus Nørtoft Laursen. Older brother Lwamba also made his way through to the second round, beating another wildcard, in Tobias Fritz Weel.

The Odense Open continues on Wednesday, March 2, with second round action starting at 14:00 (GMT+1). The glass court action will be shown live on SQUASHTV.

For more information on the event, visit the tournament website or follow the PSA World Tour on Twitter or Facebook, InstagramYouTube and TikTok.