Swiss Open Squash Championships,
Geneva, Switzerland
Shuja & Adel Celebrate Surprise Swiss
Open Successes
New Zealand’s Kashif Shuja and
Egyptian Yathreb Adel celebrated unexpected title triumphs in the
2011 Swiss Open Squash Championships at Geneva Squash Club
in Geneva.
Second seed Shuja reached the final of
the men’s PSA World Tour Challenger 5 event as expected – and did
so after winning four-game matches throughout the championship.
The 31-year-old from Auckland faced
surprise Australian opponent Steve Finitsis in the final. The
Netherlands-based third seed made his breakthrough in the previous round
where he overcame France’s top seed Julien Balbo in straight
games.
Finitsis, the first Australian in the
Swiss Open climax since Anthony Hill won the title in 1989, was
celebrating the 16th PSA Tour final appearance of his career.
But Shuja, ranked nine places above the
Aussie, celebrated his 17th Tour final in fine style, beating
Finitsis 12-10, 9-11, 11-5, 11-8 to claim the ninth PSA title of his
career.
The Pakistan-born Kiwi also became the
first New Zealander to win one of the Tour’s longest-established titles.
There was a massive shock in the women’s
WISPA World Tour Tour 4 event when unseeded Yathreb Adel brushed
aside all opposition to claim her first Tour title in her maiden
appearance in a final.
The 15-year-old from Heliopolis made her
breakthrough in the opening round – with a four-game defeat of
top-seeded compatriot Kanzy Emad El-Defrawy.
Wins over the third and fifth seeds took
the young teenager through to the final – where she faced France’s
Maud Duplomb.
But Adel was too strong for the
25-year-old sixth seed from Lyon – and stormed through to an 11-4, 11-4,
11-5 victory to become the first Egyptian winner of the women’s trophy.
Men’s 1st round:
[1] Julien Balbo (FRA) bt Fabien
Verseille (FRA) 11-4, 11-5, 11-2
[Q] Sebastian Weenink (NED) bt Lukas
Burkhart (SUI) 8-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-2
Anthony Graham (ENG) bt [Q] Frank
Hartkoren (NED) 11-8, 11-6, 11-6
[3] Steve Finitsis (AUS) bt Olivier Pett
(ENG) 7-11, 12-10, 7-11, 11-6, 11-9
[4] Jens Schoor (GER) bt [Q] Raphael
Kandra (GER) 11-9, 11-7, 10-12, 11-8
Piedro Schweertman (NED) bt Neil Hitchens
(ENG) 12-10, 11-8, 11-8
Alejandro Garbi Caro (ESP) bt [Q] Lucas
Serme (FRA) 11-7, 8-11, 11-9, 11-3
[2] Kashif Shuja (NZL) bt Chris Fuller
(ENG) 12-14, 11-9, 11-7, 11-6
Quarter-finals:
[1] Julien Balbo (FRA) bt [Q] Sebastian
Weenink (NED) 11-7, 11-4, 11-8
[3] Steve Finitsis (AUS) bt Anthony
Graham (ENG) 11-6, 11-4, 11-6
[4] Jens Schoor (GER) bt Piedro
Schweertman (NED) 11-4, 11-6, 4-11, 3-11, 11-7
[2] Kashif Shuja (NZL) bt Alejandro Garbi
Caro (ESP) 13-11, 11-5, 9-11, 11-7
Semi-finals:
[3] Steve Finitsis (AUS) bt [1] Julien
Balbo (FRA) 11-7, 11-9, 11-8
[2] Kashif Shuja (NZL) bt [4] Jens Schoor
(GER) 11-6, 7-11, 11-9, 11-7
Final:
[2] Kashif Shuja (NZL) bt [3] Steve
Finitsis (AUS) 12-10, 9-11, 11-5, 11-8
Women’s 1st round:
Yathreb Adel (EGY) bt [1] Kanzy Emad El-Defrawy
(EGY) 11-8, 6-11, 11-5, 11-7
[5] Laura Pomportes (FRA) bt [Q] Milja
Dorenbos (NED) 11-7, 11-8, 12-10
[3] Gaby Schmohl (SUI) bt Carrie Ramsey
(ENG) 4-11, 11-8, 11-1, 11-6
[7] Linda Hruzikova (SVK) bt [Q] Julia
Lecoq (FRA) 5-11, 11-8, 11-2, 11-9
[6] Maud Duplomb (FRA) bt [Q] Mennat
Nasser (EGY) 11-8, 13-11, 9-11, 11-8
[4] Olga Ertlova (CZE) bt [Q] Chloe Mesic
(FRA) 11-4, 11-7, 11-3
Salma Hany (EGY) bt [8] Lotte Eriksen
(NOR) 11-7, 11-5, 11-5
[2] Nicolette Fernandes (GUY) bt Merhan
Amr Mahmoud (EGY) 11-5, 13-11, 11-5
Quarter-finals:
Yathreb Adel (EGY) bt [5] Laura Pomportes
(FRA) 11-3, 11-7, 8-11, 11-6
[3] Gaby Schmohl (SUI) bt [7] Linda
Hruzikova (SVK) 11-3, 11-3, 11-5
[6] Maud Duplomb (FRA) bt [4] Olga
Ertlova (CZE) 11-7, 5-11, 12-10, 3-11, 11-6
Salma Hany (EGY) bt [2] Nicolette
Fernandes (GUY) 9-11, 11-8, 11-9, 16-14
Semi-finals:
Yathreb Adel (EGY) bt [3] Gaby Schmohl
(SUI) 11-9, 11-8, 11-7
[6] Maud Duplomb (FRA) bt Salma Hany (EGY)
11-9, 6-11, 6-11, 11-9, 14-12
Final:
Yathreb Adel (EGY) bt [6] Maud Duplomb (FRA)
11-4, 11-4, 11-5
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