Arturo Salazar 11-6, 11-6, 11-13,
4-11, 11-5 (52m)
Jan Koukal
Yann Perrin (FRA) 11-4, 11-8, 11-6
(35m)
Thomas Brinkman (Can)
Scott Arnold (Aus) 11-5, 11-7, 10-12,
11-6 (38m Matthew Serediak
(CAN)
Scott Arnold
9-11, 11-5, 11-3, 11-8 (55m) Jan Koukal
[Q] Mike McCue (Can) 11-8, 11-7, 11-3
(42m)
[2] Jan Koukal (Cze)
Cesar
Scores Salazar Success For
Manitoba Title
Cesar
Salazar
justified his recent ranking supremacy over Arturo Salazar when
he beat his twin brother in the final of the Qualico Developments
Canada Ltd Manitoba Open in Canada - but it took the top seed 104
minutes to become the first Mexican winner of the PSA World Tour
Challenger 10 squash event in its tenth successive year at
Winnipeg Squash Racquet Club in Winnipeg.
"It
was a very exciting match just like it was predicted and expected from
everyone," said tournament promoter Gene Turk. "The two twins
went at it tooth and nail.
"Both
players were going short right off the bat and the fans witnessed
attacking shots and great gets. Those twins have lots of speed!
"They
traded back and forth all the way through until 3-4 of the fourth game.
Arturo showed some fatigue and then half way through the fifth, he ran
out of gas."
The
11-6, 6-11, 9-11, 11-8, 11-4 victory earns Cesar the third PSA World
Tour title of his career - and reduces the margin in the all-time Tour
head-to-head record over his brother to 3/2 in Arturo's favour.
Salazars Set Up Surprise Manitoba Final
A
five-game semi-final upset over No2 seed Jan Koukal in the
Qualico Developments Canada Ltd Manitoba Open in Canada has led to a
surprise final of the PSA World Tour Challenger 10 squash event
at Winnipeg Squash Racquet Club in Winnipeg between
Mexican twins Arturo Salazar and Cesar Salazar.
"Arturo came out flying," said tournament promoter Gene Turk of
the fourth seed. "He took the ball quickly, kept the pace high and
attacked short every chance he got. It looked like he was going to be
too strong today for Koukal.
"Jan,
in typical 'kouki' fashion, started clawing back. His counters became
tighter and he got his concentration zoned in. He survived one match
ball and pulled out the third 13-11.
"In
the fourth, Arturo looked like he was getting a little tired and Jan was
getting stronger. Jan took him out 11-4. The fans were amazed at the
turn of events.
"In
the fifth, Jan came out shooting too soon, made a few mistakes and got
down 5-0. It was too much of a lead to recover and Arturo sailed to a
11-5 victory."
The
52-minute 11-6, 11-6, 11-13, 4-11, 11-5 win takes Arturo into the ninth
PSA Tour final of his career - and the second final against his
25-year-old twin Cesar.
Top
seed Cesar ended the run of the new US national champion Christopher
Gordon, beating the third seed 13-11, 7-11, 11-2, 11-6 in 45 minutes
to reach his seventh Tour final.
The
final will be the fifth PSA meeting between the siblings from San Luis
Potosi. For most of their careers, Arturo has led Cesar in the rankings
- and boasts a 3/1 head-to-head lead.
But
world No52 Cesar is currently 20 places higher in the PSA world list -
and claimed his first victory in their most recent clash, in the climax
of the Internacional Sporta Open in Guatemala in May last year.
"The
final should prove to be an exciting match," added Turk.
Seeds
Safely Into Manitoba Semis
All
four seeds safely made it through to the semi-finals of the Qualico
Developments Canada Ltd Manitoba Open in Canada - but US champion
Christopher Gordon, the No3 seed, was taken the full distance before
overcoming local hope Andrew Schnell in the quarter-finals of the
PSA World Tour Challenger 10 squash event in its tenth successive
year at Winnipeg Squash Racquet Club in Winnipeg.
"What
a great match and what fabulous squash," said tournament promoter
Gene Turk. "Chris came out flying and dominated the game. Andrew
tried everything to get the ball by Chris but with no avail. Chris went
up 2/0 and in full command.
"In
the third game, Andrew changed his tactics and started to get to the T
and open his opportunities to execute some winning rallies. He was able
to take the next two games and was looking quite strong.
"Andrew started fast in the fifth and got up three points and it looked
like he might run with it. Chris showed his grit and fought back to go
up 5-4. Chris managed to stay 2-3 points ahead the rest of the game to
win."
The
11-5, 11-4, 9-11, 6-11, 11-8 victory in 75 minutes takes the New
York-born world No58 through to face Cesar Salazar, the top seed
from Mexico who beat Canadian Dane Sharp 11-9, 11-5, 12-10.
Cesar's twin brother Arturo Salazar will contest the other semi
after seeing off France's Yann Perrin 11-4, 11-4, 11-6.
Arturo
will face second-seeded Czech Jan Koukal who had to recover from
a game down to defeat Australian Scott Arnold 9-11, 11-5, 11-3,
11-8 in 55 minutes.
US
Champion Gordon Mighty In Manitoba
Just
days after becoming the US National squash champion for the first time,
Christopher Gordon maintained his winning run on the PSA World
Tour in Canada in the first round of the Qualico Developments
Canada Ltd Manitoba Open, the PSA Challenger 10 event in its
tenth successive year at Winnipeg Squash Racquet Club in
Winnipeg.
The
New York-born 26-year-old brushed aside England's Adam Murrills
11-2, 11-5, 11-7.
Third
seed Gordon will now face local hope Andrew Schnell, a
21-year-old from Calgary who beat Spanish qualifier Carlos Cornes
Ribadas 11-8, 12-10, 11-9.
Dane Sharp
will provide further Canadian interest in the last eight after
despatching English qualifier Richard Birks 11-9, 11-6, 11-4.
Sharp,
26, from Toronto, now takes on top seed Cesar Salazar, the 12-14,
11-4, 11-5, 11-6 winner of an all-Mexican clash with Eric Galvez.
Cesar
will be joined by his twin brother in the quarter-finals after fourth
seed Arturo Salazar beat Jamaican qualifier Christopher Binnie
11-4, 11-8, 11-6.
