Andrew Wagih 11-6, 11-7,
10-12, 8-11, 11-7 (90m)
Max Lee
Campbell Grayson (Nzl)
11/9, 6/11, 11/7, 12/10 (72 min.) [4] Max Lee (Hkg)
[3] Alan Clyne (Sco)
11/2, 14/12, 11/9 (42 min.)
Leo Au (Hkg)
Alan Clyne 7-11, 11-4, 11-7,
11-13, 11-6 (67m)
Matthew Karwalski
Alan Clyne 12-10, 11-7, 11-5
(48m) Stephen Coppinger
Omar Abdel Aziz (Egy)
11/9, 11/4, 11/6 (37 min.) [Q] Matthew Karwalski (Aus)
Cesar Salazar (Mex) 3-1
[Q] Charles Sharpes (Eng)
Cesar Salazar 11-2, 11-3, 11-4
(25m) Stephen Coppinger
Fred Reid (Can)
11/2, 11/4, 11/2 (20 min.) [2] Stephen Coppinger (Rsa)
Golan Grabs
Windy City Open Crown
Borja Golan
became Spain's first winner of the Metro Squash Windy City Open title
after prevailing in four games over South African Stephen Coppinger in
the final of the long-established PSA World Tour International 25 squash
event at the University Club of Chicago in Chicago, USA.
Second seed
Coppinger, riding high this week after becoming the first South African for over
three decades to make the world top 20, took the opening game - the first
dropped by favourite Golan this week in Chicago.
Golan, the
world No10, struck back in the second - moving 6-3 ahead before reaching
game-ball at 10-6. Coppinger saved two but was unable to prevent the 30-year-old
Spaniard from drawing level.
"In game
three, Coppinger tried to resume control by applying even more pressure,"
explained event spokesman William James. "Golan now seemed to absorb it
easily, and Coppinger errors started to creep in. This is the game where the
tide noticeably turned, Coppinger being pressured more than pressuring."
Golan's
intelligence and athleticism began to show as the Spaniard strengthened his grip
on the match to move on to his 5-11, 11-8, 11-6, 11-6 victory after 74 minutes.
"It was a
really intense match and Steve started really well," conceded Golan later. "In
the second, I started to mix my shots more, moving him away from the T - and it
was working!
"I kept doing
the same for the next two games, playing aggressive squash and keeping my focus
all the way."
The win takes
Golan's PSA Tour title tally to 28 - level with Egypt's world number one Ramy
Ashour and three ahead of England's world number two Nick Matthew!
"I'm happy
with this win - and now it's time to train hard for my next tournament: Kuwait,"
added Golan.
Top Seeds
Coppinger & Golan Go For Windy City Open Title
Top seeds
Borja Golan and Stephen Coppinger will line up in the final of the
Metro Squash Windy City Open - each bidding to be the first player from his
country to have his name on the trophy of the long-established PSA World Tour
International 25 squash event at the University Club of Chicago in
Chicago, USA.
Coppinger, the
No2 seed from South Africa, is enjoying the best form of his life - riding high
this week after becoming the first South African for over three decades to make
the world top 20.
After saving a
game-ball in the opening game against Alan Clyne, the 28-year-old from
Cape Town held off the third-seeded Scot in the second before imposing himself
in the third to take the match 12-10, 11-7, 11-5 in 48 minutes.
The win was
Coppinger's third successive straight games victory in the tournament - and
takes the new world No20 into the 14th Tour title of his career, but his first
for over a year.
Golan, the
favourite from Spain, faced Andrew Wagih Shoukry, an Egyptian qualifier
who made his breakthrough in the previous round by removing the No4 seed from
Hong Kong, Max Lee.
"The fans went
into this match wondering how a qualifier, ranked 57 in the world, who had
already spent three hours and 21 minutes on court, would do against a fresh,
top-ten player," said event spokesman William James. "Shoukry brought off
a lot of winners in game one, and you could tell, win or lose, he didn't want to
spend another 90 minutes on court tonight.
"Game three
saw Shoukry attempt even more crazy winners, but this time they went in, with
the crowd - and even Golan - applauding, and he took the game," James continued.
It was the
world number ten's first game dropped in the event - and Golan made sure that it
was the last of the match as he raised his game to secure an 11-6, 11-3, 5-11,
11-4 victory after 37 minutes.
"I'm glad to
be in the final of the Windy City Open," said the illustrious Spaniard later.
"It is the first tournament of the year for me and I hope I can keep the good
results from the last months of last year.
"I have played
three Egyptians in three days - which is very tough as they always attack well
and put you under a lot of pressure!
"Tomorrow I
will play Stephen, who is playing his best squash in the last months and it is
going to be a hard battle," continued the 30-year-old, now in the 37th Tour
final of his life. "It will be an interesting match and I hope the people from
the club enjoy it like us.
"It is a
really well-organised tournament and I want to thank John Flanigan,
Mark Heather and his team for their great effort and also to the sponsors of
this event.
"Finally I
want to give a special thanks to my billet Tim Corvino and his friend Mike
Twedell for his amazing hospitality."
Qualifier
Shoukry Makes Windy City Semis
Egyptian
qualifier Andrew Wagih Shoukry fought for 90 minutes in the
quarter-finals of the Metro Squash Windy City Open to pull off an
impressive upset over fourth seed Max Lee to reach the last four of the
long-established PSA World Tour International 25 squash event at the
University Club of Chicago in Chicago, USA.
In a clash
described as 'the match of the tournament', underdog Shoukry showed no signs of
his 74-minute battle 24 hours earlier as he took the first two games against his
Hong Kong opponent ranked 32 in the world - then had two match-balls at 10-8 in
the third.
"But Lee
responded with two nicks in a row and then took the game," said spokesman
William James. The 22-year-old from Cairo began to look more and more tired
as Lee took the fourth game to draw level.
"But somehow,
he not only continued, but continued to win rallies," James continued. "At 7-7
in the fifth Lee hit Shoukry in the head with the butt of his racquet, and
Shoukry looked hurt. But when he stood up, he hit a winner, and Lee followed
with two straight tins, which was completely out of character for him.
10-8...two more match balls...an unreachable cross-court...it was
over...standing ovation."
The shock
11-6, 11-7, 10-12, 8-11, 11-7 win takes world No57 Shoukry on to face top seed
Borja Golan for a place in the final. Spaniard Golan, ranked 10 in the
world, dismissed Egyptian teenager Karim Ali Fathi 11-6, 11-6, 11-3.
The other semi
will see third-seeded Scot Alan Clyne take on in-form South African
Stephen Coppinger.
World No27
Clyne ended qualifier Matthew Karwalski's run, beating the Australian
7-11, 11-4, 11-7, 11-13, 11-6.
Second seed
Coppinger, who earlier in the day became his country's first world top 20 player
for over three decades, took just 25 minutes to quash Mexican Cesar Salazar
11-2, 11-3, 11-4.
Qualifiers
Karwalski & Shoukry In Chicago Shake-Up
Qualifiers
Matthew Karwalski and Andrew Wagih Shoukry upset the form book in the
opening round of the Metro Squash Windy City Open, the long-established
PSA World Tour International 25 squash event at the University Club of
Chicago in Chicago, USA.
Australian
Karwalski, a 27-year-old from New South Wales, took out experienced Egyptian
Omar Abdel Aziz, ranked 46 in the world.
"Karwalski was
nearly flawless in stopping the tough Egyptian," said event spokesman William
James. "Aziz seemed out of sorts as his shots and strategy weren't coming
off, but all credit goes to Karwalski for applying basic pressure, taking the
ball early, winning points on volleys, drops and boasts, using every inch of the
court and rising to the occasion."
The 11-9,
11-4, 11-6 victory takes world No58 Karwalski through to a quarter-final clash
with third-seeded Scot Alan Clyne. The world No28 from Edinburgh denied
birthday boy Leo Au a place in the last eight, beating the Hong Kong
opponent on the eve of his 23rd birthday 11-2, 14-12, 11-9.
But Egyptian
Shoukry, lower-ranked than fellow qualifier Karwalski, also recorded a shock win
when he beat experienced Canadian and fellow Cairo-born Shahier Razik
11-8, 7-11, 11-6, 11-5 in 74 minutes.
"Razik didn't
apply enough pressure in game one, responding more than initiating, but
somewhere in game two he gained confidence," explained James. "This led Shoukry
to force his shots more as fatigue crept in.
"Razik's
patience and persistence were paying now and he took the game. But the Egyptian
had more fight left in him. In the end, 21-year-old Shoukry had too much speed,
strength and skill to be beaten tonight."
Shoukry,
ranked 68 in the world, progresses to play Max Lee, the fourth seed from
Hong Kong who put out New Zealander Campbell Grayson 11-9, 6-11, 11-7,
12-10.
There was
further New Zealand disappointment when world No43 Martin Knight went
down 11-7, 11-6, 11-5 to Egyptian teenager Karim Ali Fathi.
"Fathi was
fast, powerful, and inventive which relegated Knight to a reactionary role,"
said spokesman James. "Knight fought well for a while, but the Egyptian
ultimately forced him to make errors that cost him the match tonight."
The UK-based
19-year-old - competing in the USA for the first time - now faces top seed
Borja Golan for a place in the last four. Spaniard Golan, ranked ten in the
world, was stretched for 52 minutes before seeing off Egyptian Omar Abdel
Meguid 11-5, 11-3, 13-11.
