PSA
International Golden Open,
Kalgoorlie, Australia
1st round:
[1] Mike Corren (AUS) bt Jamie Mcervale (AUS) 11-5, 11-4, 11-9
(22m)
[Q] Edward Dromgool (NZL) bt [8] Ben Werchon (AUS) 11-7, 11-7,
11-6 (25m)
[3] Justin Beard (AUS) bt James Skiffington (NZL) 11-4, 11-2, 11-6
(25m)
[7] Alex Grayson (NZL) bt [Q] Walter Koteka (AUS) 11-7, 11-1, 11-8
(27m)
[6] Peter Taylor (AUS) bt [Q] Jack Molloy (AUS) 11-8, 11-6, 11-9
(22m)
[4] Rex Hedrick (AUS) bt Tim Cowell (AUS) 11-4, 11-5, 11-5 (29m)
[5] Jacob Alexander (AUS) bt [Q] Jake Davidson (AUS) 11-2, 11-5,
11-4 (18m)
[2] Nathan Stevenson (AUS) bt Sunil Seth (AUS) 12-10, 8-11, 11-13,
11-4, 11-7 (65m)
Quarter-finals:
[1] Mike Corren (AUS) bt [Q] Edward Dromgool (NZL) 11-2, 11-2,
11-4 (16m)
[7] Alex Grayson (NZL) bt [3] Justin Beard (AUS) 5-11, 6-11,
14-12, 11-8, 11-7 (80m)
[4] Rex Hedrick (AUS) bt [6] Peter Taylor (AUS) 11-7, 11-8, 12-10
(44m)
[2] Nathan Stevenson (AUS) bt [5] Jacob Alexander (AUS) 11-6,
11-7, 5-11, 9-11, 11-7 (55m)
Semi-finals:
[1] Mike Corren (AUS) bt [7] Alex Grayson (NZL) 11-8, 11-4, 11-9
(34m)
[2] Nathan Stevenson (AUS) bt [4] Rex Hedrick (AUS) 6-11, 11-4,
11-9, 6-11, 11-9 (55m)
Final:
[1] Mike Corren (AUS) bt [2] Nathan Stevenson (AUS) 11-9, 11-2,
11-4 (21m)
Corren Claims
Golden 26th Tour Title In Kalgoorlie
Australian
Mike Corren claimed his 26th PSA World Tour squash title at the
Golden Open PSA International in Western Australia today (Monday) to
equal the current record total shared by Egyptian Amr Shabana and
illustrious compatriot David Palmer.
The South
Australian cruised to a straight games win over fellow countryman Nathan
Stevenson in the final of the $3,650 Satellite event at the YMCA
Squash Centre in Kalgoorlie.
Corren downed
second-seeded Queenslander Stevenson 11-9, 11-2, 11-4 to move alongside Palmer
and Shabana on the highest number of Tour titles won by current players.
Stevenson was
taken the distance in all his earlier rounds while Corren had an easier run to
the final, and this became obvious when after a tight first game the top seed
raced away with the second and third to clinch his second consecutive Golden
Open.
The
36-year-old has the chance to move ahead of Palmer and Shabana at this week's
South Australian Open, where Corren has been named as the second seed behind
compatriot Matthew Karwalski.
While former
top 40 player Corren is somewhat embarrassed when he is compared with his
colleagues, both ex-world number ones, his achievement cannot be underestimated.
Corren won his
first title in Hong Kong in 1996 and has been collecting them all over the world
ever since, despite missing significant parts of his career through a series of
injuries.
The colourful
Aussie, currently ranked 87th in the world, shows no signs of slowing down at a
time when most of his earlier opponents have retired from the Tour.
He claimed six
titles in 2009 including the Golden Open, and has already won two this
year while finishing as runner-up in two others.
He has given
himself a gruelling schedule this winter and has entered every tournament on the
Australian Squash Tour.
His next
target on the all-time winners' list is Canadian Jonathon Power's total
of 37 PSA Tour titles.
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