England’s Charles Sharpes came out on top of an almighty clash with
Welshman Joel Makin in the final of the Flo.Money Stortford Classic,
with a 111 minute marathon deciding the fate of the PSA M10 title.
Both players came through brutal five-game affairs in the previous
round, with Sharpes seeing off compatriot Richie Fallows and Joel
Makin following up his earlier victory over top seed Ben Coleman
with a gladiatorial win over fellow Welshman Peter Creed.
The opening game set the stall out for the entire match with long,
punishing rallies being interspersed with decisions in an absorbing
and tightly-contested matchup.
Sharpes took a one-game lead, before Makin levelled things up on the
tie-break in the second. The next two games followed along the same
vein as both players were forced to dig in. Sharpes went ahead again
in the third, only to see Makin equalise once more to send the
fixture into a nail-biting decider.
The pair gave it their all in the fifth, and it was to be Sharpes
who pulled away to achieve the victory with an 11-8, 10-12, 11-7,
10-12, 11-5 scoreline, which sees him win his sixth PSA World Tour
event.
"I’m so happy to win my sixth PSA title, this time at Bishop's
Stortford," said Sharpes.
"I had to dig deep, but I came through in the end."
English duo Charles Sharpes and Richie Fallows will square off in
the semi-final stage of the Flo.Money Stortford Classic, PSA M10
tournament after overcoming Carlos Cornes Ribadas and Arthur Gaskin,
respectively, in straight games.
Sharpes came up against an in-form opponent after Cornes had broken
his PSA World Tour title duck just a week previously at the Seapiax
Open Lorient.
However, Sharpes put in a mature, consistent performance, and
dictated the tempo of the match to wrap up a comfortable win
courtesy of an 11-5, 11-7, 11-7 margin of victory.
“I’m really happy to get through in three today against Carlos,”
said Sharpes.
“He’s a tough player, but I managed to make it comfortable. Now it’s
on to tomorrow.”
His semi-final opponent, Fallows, was also in fine fettle against a
tenacious Gaskin and the 20-year-old World No.67 saw off his
opponent in 51 minutes to move through to the last four.
Welshman Peter Creed is also through after a strong display against
close friend Jaymie Haycocks. The first game went to a tie-break,
but Creed soon established himself on proceedings to take the next
two in comfortable fashion, setting up a meeting with compatriot
Joel Makin, who beat Chris Fuller, for a place in the final.
Welshman Joel Makin advanced to the quarter-final of a PSA World
Tour event for the first time in 2016 after upsetting top seed Ben
Coleman in a gruelling encounter in the Flo.Money Stortford Classic,
PSA M10 tournament.
Makin narrowly edged the opener, before a determined Coleman battled
back to bring the match all square again. A crucial third game went
all the way to a tie-break, which Makin won, and that acted as a
catalyst for his victory in game four, which enabled him to take an
11-9, 7-11, 13-11, 11-6 triumph in 96 minutes to reach the last
eight.
“I’m really happy to get a win against Ben tonight in a tough match
that lasted ages,” said Makin.
England’s Chris Fuller will go up against Makin for a place in the
semi-final after he came through a dramatic five-game affair against
compatriot Joe Green.
Coleman was the only seeded player to bow out in round one as second
seed Charles Sharpes led the charge through to the quarter-final
courtesy of a 3-1 win against Matthew Hopkin. Sharpes dropped the
first game, but stormed back to take the next three and secure his
place in the next round where he will face off with Carlos Cornes
Ribadas, who beat Rui Soares.
Elsewhere, England’s Richie Fallows will meet Ireland’s Arthur
Gaskin in the quarter-final after they achieved respective wins over
wildcard Nick Mulvey and Ashley Davies.
Number four seed Peter Creed and Jaymie Haycocks were the other
victors on the opening day of main draw action and are set to face
each other. Creed dispatched Michael Harris in straight games, while
Haycocks saw off Jamaica’s Lewis Walters in four.
English pair Joe Green and Michael Harris secured their main draw
berths in the Flo.Money Stortford Classic, PSA M10 tournament, after
achieving hard-fought victories over veteran Ben Ford and Welshman
Emyr Evans, respectively.
Green in particular had a tough test against 40-year-old stalwart
Ben Ford and fell 2-1 behind to his more experienced opponent, who
is 19 years his senior. However, Green dug in and came up with a
fine array of winners as he wiped out the deficit to claim an 11-5,
4-11, 9-11, 11-8, 11-8 triumph which sees him through to the main
draw.
“I’m glad to get through a very tough 5 gamer,” said Lee.
“I always wanted to thank my brother, Laurence Green, for his
support.”
A meeting with fellow Englishman Chris Fuller awaits Green in the
opening round of the main draw.
Harris, meanwhile, overcame Evans with a 3-1 victory to book his
place in the main draw. With the scores poised at one game apiece,
Harris, who last week reached the final of the Jersey Squash
Classic, pulled away to take the win and set up a first round
fixture with another Welshman, Peter Creed, who will look to avenge
his compatriot’s defeat.
Elsewhere, top qualifying seed Lewis Walters eased into the main
draw after seeing off South Africa’s Tristan Eysele in comfortable
fashion, while Portugal’s Rui Soares will join him in the next round
courtesy of a 3-1 victory against Ondrej Uherka.
Walters will lock horns with England’s Jaymie Haycocks next, and
Soares is set to face Spain’s Carlos Cornes Ribadas for a place in
the quarter-final.
The first qualifying round of the Flo.Money Stortford Classic, PSA
M10 tournament saw World No.140 Joe Green lead the English charge as
he fought to a 3-1 victory over compatriot Robert Dadds.
Dadds took the opening game after a fast start from the 24-year-old
prevented Green from finding his rhythm. Green edged the second
though and soon established himself on the match as he followed that
up with further victories in games three and four to reach the next
round courtesy of an 11-13, 11-9, 11-6, 14-12 triumph.
He will face off with 40-year-old veteran Ben Ford for a place in
the main draw, with Ford storming past Elliot Selby in a comfortable
three-game salvo as he failed to drop a single point in the first
game.
Michael Harris is the other Englishman through to the final
qualifying round on home soil. Harris, fresh off the back of a
maiden PSA World Tour final appearance in last week’s Jersey Squash
Classic, continued his fine form into his encounter with second
qualifying seed Lyell Fuller and dispatched him in four games to
secure his next round berth. Emyr Evans will lie in wait there after
he defeated Bermuda’s Micah Franklin in a hard-fought 3-2 victory.
Meanwhile, top qualifying seed Lewis Walters eased into the final
round of qualifying thanks to a routine win over Stefan Burkwood and
he will go up against South Africa’s Tristan Eysele, who saw off the
attentions of Cai Younger.
Portugal’s Rui Soares and Ondrej Uherka of the Czech Republic will
go head-to-head in the final qualifying round’s other fixture after
they claimed respective victories against Oliver Latham and Brian
Byrne.
