Mega Italia Open 2003
15-18 May, Brescia, $10k

Final:
[5] Borja Golan (Esp) bt [2] Davide Bianchetti (Ita)
     15/14, 15/9, 12/15, 15/11

BORJA BREAKS ITALIAN
HEARTS IN BRESCIA
Spain's Borja Golan successfully defended his Mega Italia Open title in Brescia, beating home favourite Davide Bianchetti in the final, just as he did to win the title in 2002.

Golan started off strongly, but Bianchetti stayed in contention in the first game until Golan took the crucial point at 14-all on a winning nick. The Spaniard looked to be dominating the match as he took the second game, but egged on by the home crowd, five-time Italian champion Bianchetti pulled a game back to trail 1/2.

Both players were tiring in the fourth, but Golan's extra speed allowed him to capitalise and claim the match and the title in just over an hour's play.

This was Golan's fourth PSA final appearance, and his fourth tour title - another impressive performance from the fifth seed.
 

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Hisham Ashour

15/14, 15/9, 12/15, 15/11
 

Davide Bianchetti

Davide Bianchetti

 
Qualifying finals:
Laurens Anjema (Ned) - Andre Holderegger (Sui) - 1-0 rtd - 15-14, 10-3
Joey Barrington (Eng) - Marc Reus (Ned) - 3-0 - 15-7, 15-7, 15-2
Ben Howell (Eng) - Luca Mastrostefano (Ita) - 3-0 - 17-14, 15-10, 15-14
Stacey Ross (Eng) - Jan Koukal (Cze) - 3-1 - 15-7, 7-15, 17-14, 15-12

Qualifying first round:
Laurens Anjema (Ola) - Bye
Andre Holderegger (Svi) - Mirko Pareccini (Ita) - 3-1 - 15-8, 15-10, 16-17, 15-12
Joey Barrington (Ing) - Stefan Leifels (Ger) - 3-0 - 15-12, 15-11, 15-7
Marc Reus (Ola) - Jesse Engelbrecht (Zim) - 3-2 - 14-15, 15-11, 12-15, 15-8, 15-9
Luca Mastrostefano (Ita) - Fabian Kalaitzis (Gre) - 3-0 - 15-9 ,15-12, 15-12
Ben Howell (Ing) - Filippo Bettinzoli (Ita) - 3-0 - 15-6, 15-3, 15-6
Stacey Ross (Ing) - Jago Cornes (Spa) - 3-0 - 15-6, 15-12, 17-14
Jan Koukal (Cec) - Simone Rocca (Ita) - 3-2 - 15-12, 8-15, 15-10, 16-17, 17-15

Semi-finals:
BIANCHETTI SEEKS HOME WIN
IN BRESCIA REPEAT FINAL
History will repeat itself when Spaniard Borja Golan and local hero Davide Bianchetti meet in the final for the second year in a row.

Bianchetti, the five-times Italian national champion who hails from Brescia, was seeded to reach the final, but fifth-seeded Golan did so after pulling off the biggest upset in the quarter-finals where he triumphed over top-seeded Dutchman Tommy Berden.

Golan, who claimed his maiden PSA Tour title in Brescia twelve months ago as a qualifier, eased into the final of this year's $10,000 event with a 3/0 victory over unseeded Egyptian Hisham Ashour, a shock five-game victor over England's eighth seed Ben Garner.

Second-seeded Bianchetti cruised into his third successive Mega Italia Open final with a straight games win over France's fourth seed Jean-Michel Arcucci - his third consecutive straight games victory in the event.

While the Italian is seeking his first PSA Tour event success since July 1998, three-times Tour title winner Golan will be hoping to maintain his impressive record of never having been beaten in a PSA final.

First Round:
Anjema & Ashour Break Through in Brescia
Egypt's Hisham Ashour and Dutchman Laurens Anjema caused notable upsets on the opening day of the Mega Italia Squash Open to earn unexpected places in the quarter-finals of the $10,000 PSA Tour event in Brescia, Italy.

Ashour fought back from a game down to beat third-seeded compatriot Mohammed Essam Hafiz 15-17 15-5 17-14 15-4. The 20-year-old from Cairo now meets 8th seed Ben Garner, who survived a 12-hour flight delay from England to overcome Brescia-based Andrea Bianchetti 15-6 15-9 15-5.

Anjema, a 20-year-old qualifier from The Hague, defeated Switzerland's sixth seed Lars Harms 15-10 15-14 15-4. Now based at London's Connaught Club under world No1 Peter Nicol's coach Neil Harvey, Anjema next faces fourth-seeded Frenchman Jean-Michel Arcucci.

History
2002: Borja Golan bt Davide Bianchetti  15-12, 15-4, 15-11
2001: Adrian Grant bt  Derek Ryan  15-6, 12-15, 17-15, 14-17, 15-13
2000: Ong Beng Hee bt Davide Bianchetti  15-10, 15-12, 15-0
1999: David Palmer bt Lee Beachill   15-10, 11-15, 8-15, 15-9, 15-10
1998: John White bt Amr Shabana  15-13, 15-12, 13-15, 15-8
1997: Billy Haddrell bt John White  13-15, 15-9, 15-12, 13-15, 15-12