Golan Wins
Biggest Title In Winnipeg
Spain's
Borja Golan celebrated the biggest squash title of his career when he upset
top seed Laurens Jan Anjema in the final of the Winnipeg Building and
Decorating Ltd Manitoba Open, the PSA World Tour International 35
event in its ninth successive year at Winnipeg Squash Racquet Club in
Winnipeg, Canada.
The
42-minute 11-4, 11-5, 11-1 victory over the world No9 from the Netherlands - his
second triumph over a higher-ranked opponent in 24 hours - emphatically marks
Golan's comeback from a career-threatening knee injury which took the Spaniard
out of the game for eight months two years ago.
"My game
plan was to try and get a lead in each game so that LJ couldn't gain confidence
in his attacking shots," explained the former world No10, currently ranked just
outside the top 20.
"I also did
a very good job of getting LJ out of the T and keep control of it myself.
"The
greatest thing that I was proud of was my concentration," added the 29-year-old
from Santiago de Compostela. "I was able to stay focused all the way through the
match and especially at the end of each game.
"This was a
very good match for me and a very good win," exclaimed Golan, whose PSA Tour
title tally has now risen to 26.
A
despondent Anjema tweeted later: "Lost badly in the final today. This is not how
you want to play a final. You don't want to be flat vs the hurricane. Congrats
to BG!"
Borja Barges
Into Winnipeg Final
Spain's
Borja Golan grabbed a surprise place in the final of the Winnipeg
Building and Decorating Ltd Manitoba Open after upsetting second seed
Cameron Pilley in the semi-finals of the PSA World Tour International 35
squash event in its ninth successive year at Winnipeg Squash Racquet Club
in Winnipeg, Canada.
The final will
feature two players looking for a second title in Winnipeg - fourth seed Golan,
the 2008 champion, and top seed Laurens Jan Anjema, the Dutchman who won
the trophy in 2010.
It was a match
too far for Pilley, the 2005 champion from New South Wales who endured two
75-minute marathons en-route to the last four.
Golan, the
former world No10 from Santiago de Compostela, was too strong for Australia's
world No15, beating Pilley 11-3, 11-8, 11-6 in 50 minutes to clock up his 35th
appearance in a PSA Tour final.
"Lost to
Hurricane Golan today 3-0," tweeted the tired Aussie overnight. "Body is done,
time to recharge for Montreal."
Anjema, the
world No9 from The Hague, stopped Tom Richards, the third seed from
England. Taking two minutes longer than the Spaniard, Anjema despatched the
world No20 11-5, 11-6, 11-5.
The seven-time
Dutch national champion is celebrating the 29th Tour final appearance of his
career - but his first meeting with Golan since December 2008.
It will be the
pair's seventh Tour clash, with their head-to-head tally poised at three wins
apiece.
But it was the
lower-ranked Spaniard who emerged triumphant in their three most recent meetings
- and Golan was also successful in all three Tour finals in which he competed
last year.
Pilley
Survives Second Manitoba Marathon
Australia's
world No15 Cameron Pilley survived his second successive 75-minute
marathon in the Winnipeg Building and Decorating Ltd Manitoba Open before
claiming his anticipated place in the semi-finals of the PSA World Tour
International 35 squash event in its ninth successive year at Winnipeg
Squash Racquet Club in Winnipeg, Canada
After battling
past experienced Egyptian Mohammed Abbas, a former world No13, in the
first round, second seed Pilley was again taken to four games by determined
qualifier Shawn Delierre before extinguishing Canadian interest in the
event by beating the 29-year-old from Montreal 11-6, 9-11, 14-12, 11-5.
The tall
29-year-old from New South Wales, back in Winnipeg for the first time since
winning the title in 2005, now faces fourth seed Borja Golan for a place
in the final.
2008 champion
Golan, the top-ranked Spaniard, defeated England left-hander Jonathan Kemp
11-6, 11-4, 11-9.
"Managed
another 3-1 win tonight," tweeted Pilley overnight. "Playing my room mate
'Hurricane Golan' in the semis tomorrow afternoon. Should be a battle!"
The other
semi-final will also be the clash predicted by the draw, between favourite
Laurens Jan Anjema, the 2010 champion, and third seed Tom Richards.
Anjema, the
seven-time Dutch national champion, ended qualifier Raphael Kandra's
impressive Winnipeg run, beating the 21-year-old German 11-2, 11-7, 11-8.
The world No9
from The Hague was also quick to report his Manitoba win on Twitter: "Beat
Kandra 3-0 today," wrote Anjema. "The guy is lightning fast in the front that's
for sure! Tomo semis against mr Richards, Tom Richards."
Englishman
Richards, the 25-year-old world No20, survived an all-British encounter -
defeating newly-crowned Scottish champion Alan Clyne 11-7, 11-7, 11-5.
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