Final qualifying round results:
[1] Sam Ellis (ENG) 3-0 [L] Ricardo Santos (POR) 11-3, 11-8, 11-2 (15m)
[3] Pascal Gomez (ESP) 3-0 [L] Pedro Gomes (POR) 11-3, 12-10, 13-11
(18m)
[4] Omar El Tahry (EGY) 3-0 [L] Gonçalo Miranda (POR) 11-3, 11-3, 11-5
(13m)
[5] Brian Byrne (IRL) 3-1 [2] Roshan Bharos (NED) 11-8, 8-11, 11-1, 11-7
(39m)
First qualifying round results:
[1] Sam Ellis (ENG) 3-0 [L] António Gomes (POR) 11-2, 11-3, 11-1 (13m)
[L] Ricardo Santos (POR) 3-0 [L] Luis Ferreira (POR) 13-11, 11-2, 12-10
(25m)
[L] Pedro Gomes (POR) 3-0 [L] Carlos Delgado (POR) 11-2, 11-3, 11-9
(15m)
[3] Pascal Gomez (ESP) 3-0 [L] Milton Teixeira (POR) 11-3, 11-3, 11-4
(15m)
[4] Omar El Tahry (EGY) 3-0 [L] Michael Conroy (IRL) 11-0, 11-1, 11-5
(14m)
[L] Gonçalo Miranda (POR) 3-0 [L] Joao Gonçalves (POR) 11-1, 11-7, 11-2
(14m)
[5] Brian Byrne (IRL) 3-0 [L] Pedro Miranda (POR) 11-2, 11-1, 11-1 (8m)
[2] Roshan Bharos (NED) 3-0 [L] Ricardo Sardinha (POR) 11-1, 11-3, 11-2
(12m)
Click on images for larger view
Final
Serial Winner Koukal Triumphs In Madeira
Czech
No.1 Jan Koukal (right in red) has become the joint second most
successful player on the current PSA World Tour after notching his
33rd career title at the Madeira International Open in Caniço,
Portugal.
The second seed overcame English rising star George Parker 6-11,
11-9, 11-8, 11-6 to tie Amr Shabana and Nick Matthew in the title
stakes and inflict a third successive final defeat on Parker in as
many months.
Victory at the second edition of the PSA M5 event also secured
back-to-back titles for the 32-year-old from Prague, following his
success at the Château-Arnoux Open earlier this month.
“It was my first time playing in Madeira so it feels extra special
to win here,” said a delighted Koukal. “It was a really tough match,
especially after playing my semi final against Lyell [Fuller]
earlier in the day.
“George started really well and put me under a lot of pressure. He
actually surprised me with the way he was playing so it took me a
couple of games to adapt and change my strategy. I didn't feel very
sharp in the first game but I started moving a lot better in the
second and I managed to control the rest of the match.”
Parker
(left in white), meanwhile, was left to rue an error-strewn display
in which he accrued eight unforced errors in the third game alone.
The third seed from Leicester - positioned 35 places above Koukal in
the PSA World Rankings - appeared in cruise control in the opening
exchanges and punished a number of loose shots from Koukal to take
the first game at the Onda Revital Club in quickfire fashion.
The duo traded blows in the second game but with the scores tied at
nine-apiece, Parker tinned a routine drop shot to hand Koukal the
advantage. The former world No.39, who needed five games to defeat
Parker's fellow countryman Lyell Fuller in the last four, duly
converted his first game ball with a clinging backhand drive to
level the arrears.
A seething Parker took his frustrations out on his own racket, and
later received a conduct warning for equipment abuse as the world
No.113 struggled to hide his emotions. His mood was not helped by
the outcome of the third game, as Koukal benefitted from Parker's
generosity at the front of the court to strengthen his foothold on
proceedings.
With the error count racking up, Parker lost five of the first six
points in the corresponding game and appeared resigned to another
final defeat.
Three tinned drop shots from Koukal, punctuated by a fortuitous
bounce off the back wall, gave Parker hope, but the 16-time Czech
Nationals champion quickly regained the initiative and exploited
Parker's erratic hitting to prevail in 48 minutes.
Commenting on his 19-year-old opponent, Koukal added: “I know George
is desperate to win his first title but he is still young and will
have plenty of chances in the future. He deserves a big
congratulations for reaching the final because he caused a huge
upset beating the top seed [Alejandro Garbi Caro] in the semi
final.”
Semi
Finals
Parker Hopes For Third Time Lucky
English
teenager George Parker (right on left) will contest his third PSA World
Tour final in as many months after scalping top seed Alejandro Garbi
Caro (right on right) in the semi finals of the Madeira International
Open in Caniço, Portugal.
Parker, who was a losing finalist at the Inno Wood Open and Kent Open,
overturned a one game deficit to triumph 2-11, 11-3, 11-8, 11-6 in an
ill-tempered encounter at the Onda Revital Club on the Portuguese island
of Madeira.
The 19-year-old third seed will meet Czech number one Jan Koukal in the
final of the PSA Challenger 5 event on Saturday afternoon, after the
second seed survived a five game battle against Parker's compatriot
Lyell Fuller.
Fuller fought back from two games down to beat namesake Mark in the
quarter finals, and threatened to replicate his heroics after twice
levelling the scores.
Despite
a noticeable drop in intensity in the deciding game, Fuller ran out of
steam as Jan Koukal (left) kept his hopes of back-to-back PSA titles
alive.
Parker, on the other hand, is still seeking a maiden PSA title and was
steamrolled in the opening game of his semi-final clash as Caro flew out
of the blocks.
Parker's response was emphatic as the Spanish number three surrendered
his advantage in just eight minutes.
Not for the first time, the referee felt the brunt of Caro's
frustrations on court and his displeasure almost reached breaking point
as Parker held his nerve in the third game to move ahead for the first
time.
Trailing 6-1 in the fourth game, Caro capitalised on three unforced
errors to threaten a revival. A couple of ferocious rallies ultimately
proved Caro's undoing as Parker exploited his opponent's lethargy at the
front of the court to clinch victory in 37 minutes.
“He [Caro] is a tricky player to face but I was able to use my
physicality and short game to push him on the back foot,” said Parker. I
really struggled in the first game and I knew I had to step my game up.
It was a bit messy at times but I was happy overall with the way I
played.”
On the adjoining court, Koukal ended hopes of an all-English final after
edging a see-saw battle against fifth seed Fuller in just under an hour.
The 16-time Czech Nationals champion was twice pegged back by Fuller -
13 years his junior - but the pendulum swung in favour of Koukal in the
decider as the former world number 39 started to dictate proceedings.
A contentious drop shot, which appeared to catch the tin, gave Koukal
seven match balls and left Fuller incensed. The 19-year-old from
Devonshire responded with two winners before a tinned drop shot ended
his hopes of a maiden PSA final.
Victory against Parker would see Koukal tie Amr Shabana and Nick Matthew
on 33 PSA titles, but the 32-year-old from Prague remains unconcerned
about matching two greats of the game.
“I can't really compare myself to Shabana and Matthew,” said Koukal.
“They have obviously won bigger tournaments than me but I am just really
enjoying my squash at the moment. I have never played George before but
I am ready for the challenge. If I can add another title to my
collection, I will be delighted.”
Quarter
Finals
Click on images for larger view
Lyell Fuller Storms Back To Upset The Seedings
English
teenager Lyell Fuller (right in white) fought back from two games down
to edge a titanic tussle against fourth seed Mark Fuller (right in
black) and advance through to the semi finals of the Madeira
International Open in Caniço, Portugal.
Lyell, 19, had lost their previous encounter at the Brest International
Classic in April, and a similar scenario appeared to be unfolding as the
fifth seed's frustrations with a series of refereeing decisions
threatened to boil over.
But the world number 141 from Devonshire regained his composure to
complete an unlikely turnaround, triumphing 7-11, 5-11, 11-5, 11-8, 11-9
at the second edition of the PSA Challenger 5 event on the Portuguese
island of Madeira.
“The match was tough mentally and physically,” said Lyell. “It was
difficult trying to keep my emotions in check as we were both battling
incredibly hard on court. He started really strongly and I felt I was
being quite passive. I knew I had to change my tactics so I really tried
to take advantage of any openings and thankfully I managed to turn
things around.”
With just eight places separating Lyell and Mark in the PSA World
Rankings, the match turned into a war of attrition down the left-hand
side wall as a number of gruelling rallies ensued.
Mark edged a 16 minute opening game and capitalised on Lyell's
frustrations with a series of refereeing decisions to double his
advantage.
Facing a sixth quarter-final exit this year, Lyell returned
reinvigorated and stormed back to level the arrears. With the momentum
behind him, Lyell forged ahead again early in the final game.
Trailing by five points, Mark dug deep to claw back the deficit but with
the scores locked at nine-apiece, a tinned drop and a stroke decision
handed Lyell victory in 66 minutes.
On
the adjacent court, experience prevailed over youth as second seed Jan
Koukal (left in blue) ended home hopes with a 7-11, 11-7, 11-6, 11-7
success over Portuguese number one Rui Soares (left in black).
Koukal, who will face Lyell for a place in the final, was pushed hard by
Soares - 11 years his junior - and looked in danger of falling to only
his fifth defeat on the PSA World Tour this year.
Buoyed by the support of a raucous home gallery, Soares seemed like a
man possessed as he scurried about the court and deservedly won the
opening game.
The 16-time Czech national champion remained unflustered, however, and
slowly wore down the 21-year-old sixth seed to keep his hopes of a 33rd
Tour title alive.
In the top half of the draw, third seed George Parker held off a late
fightback from South African Tristan Eysele to prevail 15-13, 11-6,
5-11, 11-9 at the Onda Revital Club.
The English teenager was forced to save four game balls in the first
game and saw a 6-2 lead in the fourth game evaporate as Eysele
threatened to take the match into a decider.
With the prospect of another tie-break looming, Parker gleefully
accepted two unforced errors from a weary-looking Eysele to advance in
37 minutes.
Success on Tour has so far eluded the 19-year-old from Leicester, and
Parker admits his current form is below the standard required to break a
run of two consecutive final defeats.
“My performance wasn't great,” admitted Parker. “There were far too many
errors and I wasn't moving that well. Credit to my opponent, though, he
pushed me hard and made it quite difficult in the end. But if I play
like that tomorrow, I don't think I stand a good chance of winning.”
Next up for the reigning European Junior Under 19 champion is top seed
Alejandro Garbi Caro who, like Parker, is looking to reach successive
PSA finals this week.
The 32-year-old Spaniard recaptured the form which earned him a
runner-up trophy at the Gibraltar Open last month as he powered past
seventh seed Joe Green 11-8, 11-1, 11-6.
Green, who was also knocked out of the competition at the quarter-final
stage in 2014, edged the opening exchanges before Caro reeled off six
points in a row to accrue four game balls.
The 20-year-old left-hander saved the first two but a mishit drop shot
handed Caro the ascendancy. The world number 110 from Castellon stormed
through the next game in just six minutes, and recovered from a 5-2
deficit in the corresponding game to remain on course for just a second
career title.
First
Round Report Click on images for larger view
Parker Leads English Charge In Madeira
World
number 113 George Parker (right in red top) led a quartet of English
players through to the quarter-finals of the Madeira International Open,
after sweeping past Remo Handl of Switzerland in straight games.
The third seed, who triumphed at the European Junior U19 Championship in
March, needed five game balls to take the opening game, but eased
through the next two untroubled to record a 12-10, 11-6, 11-6 success at
the PSA Challenger 5 event in Canico, Portugal.
The victory, Parker's 15th on the PSA World Tour this year, was the
teenager's first since losing the final of the Kent Open last month.
Parker was also joined in the last eight by Mark Fuller, Lyell Fuller
and Joe Green to cap a successful day for the English contingent.
There was heartbreak, however, for Irish qualifier Brian Byrne, who fell
to top seed Alejandro Garbi Caro in four games at the Onda Revital Club.
The 32-year-old from Castellon admitted he “did not expect such a tough
match” against Byrne, who is ranked 318 places below the Spanish number
three in the PSA World Rankings.
The Dublin-based deputy head teacher briefly threatened a major upset
after taking the second game, but Caro regained the initiative to
triumph 11-2, 5-11, 11-5, 11-7.
“The match was reasonably close but the games just ran away from me at
around five all in the third and fourth games,” lamented Byrne
afterwards. “I think I pushed him hard but his experience probably made
the difference in the end.”
The
world number 110 will take on Joe Green (left in grey) for a place in
the last four, after the seventh seed outgunned fellow compatriot Sam
Ellis in straight games.
Ellis, who was the top qualification seed, struggled to keep the ball
out of the tin for much of the match and eventually succumbed to an
11-8, 11-5, 11-8 defeat in just over half an hour.
Green said: “I have made three quarter finals in a row now and overall,
I am probably playing some of my best squash. It will be a tough game
[against Caro tomorrow] and he will be a heavy favourite. He is
definitely beatable, though, and I think I can cause him plenty of
problems.”
In the bottom half of the draw, fourth seed Mark Fuller brushed aside
Spanish qualifier Pascal Gomez 11-7, 11-4, 11-4 to book an all-English
clash with Lyell Fuller.
Lyell also advanced with relative comfort against home favourite Claudio
Pinto 11-6, 11-6, 11-5 and has already set his sights on avenging a four
game loss to Mark at the Brest International Classic earlier this year.
“I had a close match with Mark a couple of months ago, so I will
definitely be looking for a bit of revenge,” declared Lyell. “I have
been knocked out in too many quarter finals recently, but I have been
training really hard and I feel pretty confident about the state of my
game.”
Meanwhile, second seed Jan Koukal secured a safe passage through to the
quarter final stage following an 11-9, 11-9, 11-3 victory over Joeri
Hapers of Belgium.
Next up for Koukal, who is looking to tie Nick Matthew and Amr Shabana
on 33 PSA World Tour titles, is Portuguese number one Rui Soares, who
battled past Tom de Mulder 11-6, 11-5, 9-11, 11-5.
Tristan Eysele completed a clean sweep for all the seeded players after
overturning a 2-1 deficit to prevail 11-3, 3-11, 9-11, 11-4, 11-8
against Egyptian qualifier Omar El Tahry.
The South African eighth seed, who is rewarded with a last eight clash
against Parker, was indebted to fellow competitor Byrne, after snapping
the strings on two different rackets midway through the second game.
Armed with Byrne's spare racket, while his wife fetched another from
their hotel room, Eysele returned to the court and attempted to quell El
Tahry's impressive shot-making at the front of the court.
El Tahry, who studies mechanical engineering at Plymouth University, was
winning plenty of admirers with a number of deceptive drops and
nonchalant flicks, but Eysele managed to wrestle control back to deny
the 18-year-old a maiden quarter-final appearance in only his second PSA
tournament.
Final
Qualifying Round Report Click on images for larger view
Brilliant Brian Bounds Into Madeira International Open
First Round
For
the first time in almost a decade, Irish number four Brian Byrne secured
his first appearance in the main draw of a PSA World Tour event outside
of his homeland after battling past Dutchman Roshan Bharos in the final
round of qualifying at the Madeira International Open.
Byrne, who operates as a deputy head teacher at a local primary school
in Mayo, overcame a second game wobble to prevail 11-8, 8-11, 11-1, 11-7
and book a last 16 encounter with top seed Alejandro Garbi Caro at the
PSA Challenger 5 tournament in Canico, Portugal.
“I felt drained during little patches because of the heat and I almost
switched off completely in the second game,” revealed the 30-year-old.
“Thankfully, I managed to simplify things and played much better in the
third.”
With the games locked at one-apiece, Byrne regained the lead after
capitalising on a succession of unforced errors from the world number
293. The fourth game followed a similar pattern, and ended when Bharos
inexplicably served down whilst facing a second of four match balls.
“It wasn't the best way to end, but tomorrow will be a nice opportunity
to test myself against the top seed,” said Byrne. It is certainly not
the easiest draw, but these are the games you want to play.
“This is the first time I have been away from my family competing abroad
and the experience has been pretty new for me. The mindset is completely
different from working nine to five and then travelling to play a match
in the evening. Hopefully, I can put in a strong performance and catch
Garbi Caro on an off day.”
Byrne was joined in the main draw by Englishman Sam Ellis, who defeated
local favourite Ricardo Santos 11-3, 11-8, 11-2 at the Onda Revital
Club.
The world number 317 barely surrendered control in the opening game, but
was forced to come back from a 6-2 deficit in the second as Santos
reeled off four successive winners - much to the delight of a partisan
crowd.
Any joy ultimately proved short-lived for the Portuguese 42-year-old,
who managed to win just four of the next 24 points as Ellis booked an
all-English clash with seventh seed Joe Green.
Elsewhere, Spaniard Pascal Gomez will meet fourth seed Mark Fuller in
the first round, after holding off a spirited fightback from Pedro Gomes
to advance in straight games.
Gomez, 20, was forced to save two game balls in the final game, before
eventually securing victory at the third time of asking 11-3, 12-10,
13-11.
To complete a trio of Portuguese exits, Gonçalo Miranda
was blitzed by Omar El Tahry 11-3, 11-3, 11-5 in just 13 minutes. The
Egyptian teenager, who is competing in only his second PSA tournament,
will now face South African Tristan Eysele for a spot in the last eight.
Elsewhere, second seed Jan Koukal begins his quest for a 33rd Tour title
when he faces Belgium's Joeri Hapers.
In the opposite end of the draw, third seed George Parker will be
looking to bounce back after two consecutive final defeats when he
tackles Remo Handl of Switzerland.
All Four Qualifiers
Click on images for larger view
Qualifying
First Round Report Click on images for larger view
Ellis Moves Closer To Madiera Main Draw
Englishman Sam Ellis moved within one victory of his first appearance in
the main draw of a PSA World Tour event since September 2014, after
cruising past unranked Portuguese opponent António Gomes in the first
round of qualifying at the Madeira International Open.
Ellis, who was born in New Mexico but now resides in Bristol, recorded
an impressive 15 winners en route to an emphatic 11-2, 11-3, 11-1
success at the PSA Challenger 5 event in Canico, Portugal.
“I started off strongly with a good attitude and I tried to play quite
solidly without many mistakes,” said the world number 317.
“As the match progressed, I was able to have a bit of fun and attempt
some shots I wouldn't normally play. There are always some nerves in the
first match, so it was a nice way to relax and build some confidence for
the rest of the week.”
On
a day where the longest match lasted less than half an hour, Ellis' 13
minute triumph set the tone for a number of one-sided encounters. In the
penultimate matchup, Irish number four Brian Byrne (left) needed just
eight minutes to romp past Pedro Miranda 11-2, 11-1, 11-1.
Byrne, 30, will now meet Roshan Bharos for a place in the last 16 at the
Onda Revital Club, after the Dutchman notched his first win on Tour
since early January.
Bharos had lost three consecutive qualifying matches heading into the
event, but the 20-year-old brushed aside co-tournament organiser Ricardo Sardinha 11-1, 11-3, 11-2.
Sardinha's Portuguese compatriot and colleague Milton Teixeira endured a
similar fate, losing 11-3, 11-3, 11-4 to Spanish youngster Pascal Gomez,
while unranked Irishman Michael Conroy suffered a thrashing at the hands
of Egyptian Omar El Tahry.
Conroy, who won the pre-qualification regional tournament at the
weekend, was bagelled in the opening game by the world number 428 and
fared little better in the next two as El Tahry advanced 11-0, 11-1,
11-5.
Elsewhere,
Portuguese trio Ricardo Santos, Pedro Gomes and Gonçalo Miranda all moved
within one victory of a maiden PSA first round
appearance after overcoming fellow countrymen Luis Ferreira, Carlos
Delgado and Joao Gonçalves respectively.
Santos plays Ellis for a place in the main draw, while Gomes takes on
Gomez and Miranda faces El Tahry.
Brian Byrne beat
Pedro Miranda
Madeira
International Open Preview
click on Poster for larger view
Rising
English star George Parker will attempt to put his final woes behind him
when he begins his quest for a maiden PSA World Tour title at the
Madeira International Open next week.
The European Junior U19 champion, who reached a career-high 113 in the
July world rankings, was a losing finalist at the Kent Open in June -
less than two weeks after suffering a similar fate at the Inno Wood
Open.
Parker, 19, is seeded third at the second edition of the PSA 5
Challenger event on the Portuguese island of Madeira, and will hope to
avoid a repeat of last year's first round exit when he plays Remo Handl
of Switzerland.
Top seed Alejandro Garbi Caro, who is expected to face Parker in the
last four, also returns to action after suffering final heartbreak at
the Gibraltar Open last month.
The 32-year-old Spaniard has reached at least the quarter-final stage in
all but one of his last nine PSA outings and begins his campaign against
a qualifier on Thursday evening.
South African Tristan Eysele and seventh seed Joe Green are also
scheduled to do likewise, with the latter seeded to meet Caro for a
semi-final berth.
In the bottom half of the draw, Czech No.1 Jan Koukal will be gunning
for back-to-back titles after triumphing at the Château-Arnoux Open last
Sunday.
The former world number 39 became the first player in history to win a
PSA World Tour final for a 12th consecutive year with victory in France.
Koukal has been drawn against Joeri Hapers of Belgium in the first round
but could face a quarter-final clash with Portuguese No.1 Rui Soares,
whose last 16 opponent is Tom de Mulder.
Elsewhere, English duo Lyell Fuller and Mark Fuller will need to
overcome Claudio Pinto and a qualifier respectively to set-up a repeat
of their last eight encounter at the Brest International Classic in
April.
The Madeira International Open will take place at the Onda Revital Club
in Canico from 21 to 25 July. The main draw, which follows two rounds of
qualifying, gets underway on Thursday, with the final concluding on
Saturday week (July 25).
First round draw (July 23):
[1] Alejandro Garbi Caro (ESP) v Qualifier
[7] Joe Green (ENG) v Qualifier
[8] Tristan Eysele (RSA) v Qualifier
[3] George Parker (ENG) v Remo Handl (SUI)
[4] Mark Fuller (ENG) v Qualifier
[5] Lyell Fuller (ENG) v Claudio Pinto (POR)
[6] Rui Soares (POR) v Tom de Mulder (BEL)
[2] Jan Koukal (CZE) v Joeri Hapers (BEL)
First qualifying round draw (July 21):
[1] Sam Ellis (ENG) v [L] António Gomes (POR)
[L] Ricardo Santos v [L] Luis Ferreira (POR)
[L] Carlos Delgado v [L] Pedro Gomes (POR)
[3] Pascal Gomez (ESP) v [L] Milton Teixeira (POR)
[4] Omar El Tahry (EGY) v [L] Michael Conroy (IRL)
[L] Gonzalo Miranda (POR) v [L] Joao Gonçalves (POR)
[5] Brian Byrne (IRL) v [L] Pedro Miranda (POR)
[2] Roshan Bharos (NED) v [L] Ricardo Sardinha (POR)
Madeira
International Open Preview
click on Poster for larger view
Rising
English star George Parker will attempt to put his final woes behind him
when he begins his quest for a maiden PSA World Tour title at the
Madeira International Open next week.
The European Junior U19 champion, who reached a career-high 113 in the
July world rankings, was a losing finalist at the Kent Open in June -
less than two weeks after suffering a similar fate at the Inno Wood
Open.
Parker, 19, is seeded third at the second edition of the PSA 5
Challenger event on the Portuguese island of Madeira, and will hope to
avoid a repeat of last year's first round exit when he plays Remo Handl
of Switzerland.
Top seed Alejandro Garbi Caro, who is expected to face Parker in the
last four, also returns to action after suffering final heartbreak at
the Gibraltar Open last month.
The 32-year-old Spaniard has reached at least the quarter-final stage in
all but one of his last nine PSA outings and begins his campaign against
a qualifier on Thursday evening.
South African Tristan Eysele and seventh seed Joe Green are also
scheduled to do likewise, with the latter seeded to meet Caro for a
semi-final berth.
In the bottom half of the draw, Czech No.1 Jan Koukal will be gunning
for back-to-back titles after triumphing at the Château-Arnoux Open last
Sunday.
The former world number 39 became the first player in history to win a
PSA World Tour final for a 12th consecutive year with victory in France.
Koukal has been drawn against a qualifier in the first round but could
face a quarter-final clash with Portuguese No.1 Rui Soares, whose last
16 opponent is Tom de Mulder of Belgium.
Elsewhere, English duo Lyell Fuller and Mark Fuller will need to
overcome Claudio Pinto and a qualifier respectively to set-up a repeat
of their last eight encounter at the Brest International Classic in
April.
The Madeira International Open will take place at the Onda Revital Club
in Canico from 21 to 25 July. The main draw, which follows two rounds of
qualifying, gets underway on Thursday, with the final concluding on
Saturday week (July 25).