14/05/2007
ITALIAN OPEN
Handley Grabs Italian Title
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TOURNAMENT:
Mega Italia Squash Open, Brescia, Italy
RESULTS
1st round:
[1] Davide Bianchetti (ITA) bt [Q] Yann Perrin (FRA) 11-10 (3-1), 11-8, 11-3
(42m)
[8] Luca Mastrostefano (ITA) bt [Q] Dick Lau (HKG) 8-11, 11-10 (2-0), 8-11,
11-10 (7-5), 11-9 (82m)
[4] Jorge Isaac Baltazar Ferreira (MEX) bt David Barnett (ENG) 11-6, 1-11,
11-5, 11-9 (43m)
Tony James (AUS) bt [6] Alex Stait (ENG) 10-11 (1-3), 10-11 (2-4), 11-7,
11-8, 11-8 (69m)
[Q] Stephen Coppinger (RSA) bt [7] Bradley Hindle (AUS) 7-11, 11-10 (2-0),
11-8, 11-4 (58m)
[3] Scott Handley (ENG) bt Jose Facchini (ITA) 11-3, 11-7, 11-7 (29m)
[5] Jan Koukal (CZE) bt [Q] Darren Lewis (ENG) 11-5, 11-3, 10-11 (0-2), 11-7
(49m)
[2] Rafael F Alarcon (BRA) bt Jesse Engelbrecht (ZIM) 11-1, 11-10 (5-3),
11-8 (38m)
Quarter-finals:
[8] Luca Mastrostefano (ITA) bt [1] Davide Bianchetti (ITA) 6-11, 11-10
(2-0), 11-6, 11-8 (68m)
Tony James (AUS) bt [4] Jorge Isaac Baltazar Ferreira (MEX) 11-5, 11-6,
6-11, 11-5 (46m)
[3] Scott Handley (ENG) bt [Q] Stephen Coppinger (RSA) 11-4, 11-4, 2-11,
11-9 (43m)
[2] Rafael F Alarcon (BRA) bt [5] Jan Koukal (CZE) 11-8, 2-11, 11-10 (2-0),
11-7 (83m)
Semi-finals:
Tony James (AUS) bt [8] Luca Mastrostefano (ITA) 11-3, 11-3, 11-10 (2-0)
(36m)
[3] Scott Handley (ENG) bt [2] Rafael F Alarcon (BRA) 11-6, 11-4, 9-11, 11-9
(71m)
Final:
[3] Scott Handley (ENG) bt Tony James (AUS) 11-7, 11-9, 11-5 (41m)
QUALIFYING
Qualifying finals:
Yann Perrin (FRA) bt Tom Pashley (ENG) 11-10 (6-4), 11-5, 7-11, 11-9 (50m)
Stephen Coppinger (RSA) bt Joe Lee (ENG) 11-7, 11-8, 11-5 (44m)
Dick Lau (HKG) bt Andre Haschker (GER) 11-7, 7-11, 11-9, 11-9 (54m)
Darren Lewis (ENG) bt Fabien Verseille (FRA) 11-10 (4-2), 5-11, 11-6, 11-9
(48m)
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REPORTS
FINAL
Handley Claims Mega Italia Title In Brescia
Scott Handley emerged as the champion of the Mega Italia Squash Open after
ending the run of unseeded Australian Tony James in the final of the 1-Star
PSA Tour event at the Millennium Sport & Fitness Centre in Brescia, Italy.
The third-seeded Englishman, who reached the climax after upsetting Brazil's
No2 seed Rafael F Alarcon in the semi-finals, denied James his first Tour
title when he beat the US-based 29-year-old 11-7, 11-9, 11-5 in 41 minutes.
Tony James had reached the final after beating local hero Luca Mastrostefano,
the No8 seed who had earlier ousted defending champion Davide Bianchetti in
the first ever win over his fellow Italian.
Handley, the world No65 from Oxfordshire in his 13th year on the Tour, was
celebrating his eighth PSA Tour title.
The win will boost the 32-year-old's confidence as he prepares for his next
PSA campaign later this month - much nearer to home, in the Hithercroft Open
in his home county of Oxfordshire. Third seed Handley will face a qualifier
in the opening round of the 1-star event which gets underway on 24th May.
SEMI-FINALS:
James & Handley Reach Mega Final In Brescia
England's Scott Handley and Australian Tony James claimed unexpected places
in the final of the Mega Italia Squash Open after beating higher-ranked
opponents in the semi-finals of the PSA Tour event at the Millennium Sport &
Fitness Centre in Brescia, Italy.
Unseeded James ended local interest in the event when he defeated eighth
seed Luca Mastrostefano 11-3, 11-3, 11-10 (2-0). The US-based 29-year-old
from Subiaco is celebrating his second PSA Tour final appearance - but his
first since finishing as runner-up in the Santiago Open in October 2002.
Third seed Handley, from Oxfordshire, battled for 71 minutes to overcome
second-seeded Brazilian Rafael F Alarcon 11-6, 11-4, 9-11, 11-9 to mark his
13th appearance in a Tour final.
QUARTER-FINALS:
Luca Lands Semi Slot After Beating Bianchetti
In Brescia
Eighth seed Luca Mastrostefano scored a notable triumph in the
quarter-finals of the Mega Italia Squash Open when he upset fellow Italian
Davide Bianchetti, the top seed and defending champion, in the PSA Tour
event at the Millennium Sport & Fitness Centre in Brescia, Italy.
It was Mastrostefano's first Tour win over his Italian rival - and almost
certainly the first defeat of the Brescia-based Bianchetti by a compatriot
in many years.
The 27-year-old underdog won 6-11, 11-10 (2-0), 11-6, 11-8 in 68 minutes -
and will meet another surprise semi-finalist when he takes on unseeded
Australian Tony James, the 11-5, 11-6, 6-11, 11-5 victor over Mexico's No4
seed Jorge Isaac Baltazar Ferreira.
1st ROUND
Qualifier Coppinger Captures Quarter-Final
Berth In Brescia
South African qualifier Stephen Coppinger upset seventh-seeded Australian
Bradley Hindle to secure a surprise quarter-final berth in the Mega Italia
Squash Open at the Millennium Sport & Fitness Centre in Brescia, Italy.
The UK-based 23-year-old recovered from a game down to defeat Hindle 7-11,
11-10 (2-0), 11-8, 11-4 in 58 minutes to set up a meeting with Scott
Handley, the No3 seed from England who despatched Italian Jose Facchini
11-3, 11-7, 11-7.
Eighth seed Luca Mastrostefano made sure that there will be Italian interest
in the semi-finals after he battled to an 8-11, 11-10 (2-0), 8-11, 11-10
(7-5), 11-9 in 82 minutes over Hong Kong qualifier Dick Lau.
The London-born 27-year-old now faces compatriot Davide Bianchetti, the
defending champion and top seed who beat French qualifier Yann Perrin 11-10
(3-1), 11-8, 11-3 to ensure his place in the last eight.
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QUALIFYING
Perrin Earns Bianchetti Prize In Mega Italia
Open
France's Yann Perrin battled through the qualifying finals of the Mega
Italia Squash Open to earn a meeting with defending champion and top seed
Davide Bianchetti in the first round of the one-star PSA Tour event at the
Millennium Sport & Fitness Centre in Brescia, Italy.
Perrin beat England's Tom Pashley 11-10 (6-4), 11-5, 7-11, 11-9 in 50
minutes and will join fellow qualifiers Stephen Coppinger (South Africa),
Dick Lau (Hong Kong) and Darren Lewis (England) in the main draw of the
established Tour event in its ninth year in Brescia.
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