Cuskelly Crowned BC Honda Open Champion
Australian Ryan Cuskelly celebrated the biggest win of his career
at the BC Honda Open in Canada when he defeated Canadian opponent
Shahier Razik in the final of the established PSA World Tour
Challenger 15 squash event at Jericho Tennis Club in
Vancouver.
Cuskelly was leading 11-5, 11-9, 7-7 when Razik, the Canadian number
one, walked off court after receiving a conduct stroke against him.
The
24-year-old from New South Wales had struggled through the
quarter-finals against young Egyptian Mohamed Abouelghar but was
in superb touch in the semi-finals and final to claim the seventh title
of his career, but the first since he took out the China Open two
years ago.
"It
was a tough week, especially in the quarter-finals where I was down 8-3
in the fifth against Abouelghar and I came back and won 12-10 to take
the match," Cuskelly said.
"I
just kept digging in and it paid off.
"I
played very well in the semis against Joe Lee of England and I
played my best squash in the final. It was unfortunate to finish the way
it did in the third," added the New York-based Aussie.
"Razik
got a couple of bad calls then a conduct stroke and then walked off
court, so it was a pretty weird ending."
Razik Rallies To Second Vancouver Final
Four years after becoming the last home winner of the title, Shahier
Razik is back in the final of the BC Honda Open in Canada
after beating unseeded Dane Rasmus Nielsen in the semi-finals of
the established PSA World Tour Challenger 15 squash event at
Jericho Tennis Club in Vancouver.
The
33-year-old from Toronto eased into the 36th PSA World Tour final of his
career after overcoming Nielsen 11-5, 11-6, 11-5 in 34 minutes - ending
the brave run of the 28-year-old from Odense who made his breakthrough
in the first round where he upset third seed Jan Koukal.
Top
seed Razik, the reigning Canadian national champion celebrating his
second Tour final appearance of the year, will face Ryan Cuskelly,
the No2 seed from Australia.
New
York-based Cuskelly, from New South Wales, battled for 54 minutes to
defeat England's No4 seed Joe Lee 11-6, 12-10, 11-3.
The
Australian is marking the 11th Tour final of his career.
Nielsen Knocks Out Koukal In Vancouver
Denmark's Rasmus Nielsen claimed an unexpected place in the
quarter-finals of the BC Honda Open in Canada when he crushed
third seed Jan Koukal in the opening round of the established
PSA World Tour Challenger 15 squash event at Jericho Tennis Club
in Vancouver.
It was
an out-of-sorts Koukal, the Czech number one who reached the semi-finals
in 2010, who went down 11-2, 11-2, 11-3 to the Odense-based Dane in just
19 minutes.
Nielsen progresses to meet Germany's Jens Schoor, an 11-7, 11-1,
11-7 winner over French qualifier Geoffrey Demont.
But
Canada are assured of interest in the semi-finals after both Shahier
Razik and Dane Sharp recorded first round wins. Top seed
Razik, the world No31 from Toronto, beat fellow countryman Thomas
Brinkman 11-4, 11-3, 11-4, while Sharp, also from Toronto,
despatched Canadian qualifier Fred Reid 11-5, 11-8, 6-11, 11-9.
The pair will meet in the quarter-finals.
Fourth
seed Joe Lee came through in a tight fourth game against
promising Canadian Andrew Schnell and was relieved that he closed
it out.
"Andrew got some of the momentum but I was happy to close it out and
didn't have to go to five," said the 22-year-old Englishman after his
11-8, 11-5, 8-11, 12-10 victory in 50 minutes.
Tournament organiser Shauna Flath added: "Andrew is coming up and
started to get the belief in his match and put in a great effort.
There's lots to come from him as far as the future of Canadian squash."
Mohamed Abouelghar
became the youngest player to make the last eight when he beat England's
Charles Sharpes. The 18-year-old Egyptian entertained the crowd
with his 4-11, 11-9, 12-10, 11-7 win over 19-year-old Sharpes.
"Charles put in a fantastic effort but just fell short in the end," said
Flath.
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