Julian Illingworth
11/5, 11/3, 11/7 (38m) Laurens Jan Anjema
Karim Ali Fathi (Egy)
11/5, 11/9, 12/10 [2] Laurens Jan Anjema (Ned)
RESULTS: Hong Kong Football Club PSA International 25,
Happy
Valley, Hong Kong
Walker Scores Hong Kong
Football Club Success
Top seed Alister Walker overcame second-seeded Dutchman
Laurens Jan Anjema in the final of the Hong Kong Football
Club PSA International 25 in straight games to win the PSA
International 25 squash event in its second year at the Hong
Kong Football Club in Hong Kong.
It
was their eighth Tour meeting since 2004. Although Walker, the world
No14 from Botswana, prevailed in their most recent clash, it was
eight-time Dutch champion Anjema, ranked three places lower, who led
the pair's head-to-head tally 5/2 going into the final.
"With only three PSA world ranking positions between them, it was
always going to be more of a mental battle than one of technique,"
said event spokesman Dallas Reid. "Anjema benefited early on
from a series of uncharacteristic errors from Walker, but both soon
settled down into a solid rhythm hitting deep and waiting for
openings.
"These were quite rare, but when they came, both players showed
supreme execution in hammering high forehand volleys into the
opposite front nick to the delight of the crowd. With so little
separating the players in ability, unforced errors were bound to be
costly, and in the middle of the first game Anjema made several and
Walker seized the opportunity to pull level, and then close it out
11-8.
"The second game followed a similar pattern with solid depth squash
interspersed with sudden attacks - but, seemingly no matter how
tight and fast Anjema hit his drops and attacking boasts, Walker
would set off with his trademark expulsion of air from the lungs,
and not only reach it but return a strong attacking shot in reply.
Again Walker managed to retain his form with fewer unforced errors,
and ran out 11-6 up in the second.
"If anything Anjema started hitting even more dangerous attacking
shots in the third game, and at times had Walker launching himself
from corner to corner of the court to dig out one apparent dead kill
after another. Inevitably frustration set in with Anjema tinning the
ball in search of a shot that would not come back. Although always
under pressure, Walker kept a stranglehold on the match and
concluded the match with an 11-7 finish in the third game."
The US-based 30-year-old later acknowledged that the 3/0 score line
was very flattering as at any time Anjema could have got back into
the game and turned it around very easily. "Once you are ahead,
every rally you turn about is another nail in the coffin," said the
champion.
The title triumph marked Walker's second PSA World Tour title of the
year - and the ninth of his career.
Anjema Makes 30th Final In Hong Kong
Top-ranked Dutchman Laurens Jan Anjema reached the 30th
PSA World Tour final of his career when he beat Malaysia's
Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan in the semi-finals of the Hong Kong
Football Club PSA International 25, the PSA International 25
squash event in its second year at the Hong Kong Football Club
in Hong Kong.
"It was a straightforward match for Anjema, the number two seed,"
explained tournament spokesman Bill Cox. "He looks in good
shape and the Netherlands player always looked in control of the
match. Both players played a good range of shots to move each other
around the court but it was too many unforced errors that were the
downfall of Adnan."
It
took just 37 minute for Anjema to secure his 11-5, 11-8, 11-3
victory and a place in his first Tour final for more than a year -
but his 30th since making his final debut in the 2002 Swiss Open
in Geneva.
The 30-year-old world No17 acknowledged that he is playing well and
he has tried to make himself a much more three-dimensional player
than he used to be, and has worked hard at that.
Anjema now faces top seed Alister Walker, the world No14 from
Botswana. In a match which also took 37 minutes to resolve, Walker
ended qualifier Mohamed Abouelghar's run, beating the
Egyptian teenager 11-9, 12-10, 11-6.
Abouelghar, the lowest-ranked player in the draw, made his
breakthrough in the previous round where he beat fourth-seeded
compatriot Karim Abdel Gawad.
"Yes it was tough," conceded 30-year-old Walker after the semi. "The
kid is very talented and has got a lot of shots and there is no
rhythm, so you are always on your toes. I just managed trying to
keep it tight and close the court down. Every game was tight but
fortunately it worked."
The final will mark Walker and Anjema's eighth Tour meeting since
2004. Although Walker prevailed in their most recent clash, in the
North American Open in February last year, it is eight-time
Dutch champion Anjema who leads the pair's head-to-head tally 5/2.
Qualifier Abouelghar Makes Hong Kong Semis
Victory over a fellow countryman ranked more than 45 places higher
has taken Egyptian qualifier Mohamed Abouelghar into the
semi-finals of the Hong Kong Football Club PSA International 25,
the PSA International 25 squash event in its second year at
the Hong Kong Football Club in Hong Kong.
The world No70 from Giza, the lowest-ranked player to survive the
qualifying competition, stemmed two fight-backs by Karim Abdel
Gawad to beat the No4 seed 11-8, 7-11, 11-6, 5-11, 11-5 in 60
minutes.
Abouelghar, 19, now takes on 30-year-old Alister Walker, the
top seed from Botswana. The favourite was up against local hero
Max Lee who, spurred on by the partisan crowd, opened up a
two-game lead.
It
was the Hong Kong number one's first meeting with Walker, the world
No14 ranked 18 places higher. Lee was in devastating form, taking
the second game despite a significant interruption while he received
treatment for a cut above his eye.
"Walker came back to win the third game 11-8 and then 11-8 in the
fourth," explained tournament spokesman Paul Errington. "But
Walker's experience and determination came through with a win of the
fifth game 11-2.
"This was squash at its best with good sportsmanship and amazing
skill by both players."
There was an upset in the other half of the draw where unseeded
Malaysian Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan came back from 2/1 down to
beat third-seeded Finn Olli Tuominen 11-8, 4-11, 8-11, 11-9,
11-8 in 66 minutes.
The 27-year-old from Terengganu will now face Dutchman Laurens
Jan Anjema after the second seed ended former US champion
Julian Illingworth's run, winning 11-5, 11-3, 11-7.
Walker Through In Hong Kong
Top seed Alister Walker secured his place in the
quarter-finals of the Hong Kong Football Club PSA International
25 after subduing Australian qualifier Rex Hedrick in the
opening round of the PSA International 25 squash event in its
second year at the Hong Kong Football Club in Hong Kong.
Hedrick arrived in Hong Kong fresh from two successive Tour titles
on home soil. But 24-year-old world No65 from Melbourne had no
answers for the experienced play of world No14 Walker as the
30-year-old from Botswana rallied to an 11-9, 11-8, 11-5 victory
after 43 minutes.
"Hedrick put up a very good fight against Walker but succumbed in
three," said event spokesman Julian Harniess. "However, he can
certainly walk tall, playing with aplomb against the number one
seed."
Walker will now have home opposition to deal with as he takes on the
Hong Kong number one Max Lee for a place in the last four.
The 25-year-old world No32 despatched Malaysian qualifier Muhd
Asyraf Azan 11-0, 11-7, 11-1.
There was an upset in the same half of the draw where Egyptian
qualifier Mohamed Abouelghar removed rising Finnish star
Henrik Mustonen 9-11, 11-9, 11-9, 4-11, 11-7 after 61 minutes.
"The young Egyptian played some outstanding squash and was the first
of the young qualifying guns to win through to the second round of
the main competition," explained Harniess.
Abouelghar, 19, from Cairo, now faces fellow countryman Karim
Abdel Gawad, the No4 seed also from Cairo, who needed 67 minutes
to quash Pakistan qualifier Nasir Iqbal 11-9, 4-11, 11-6,
12-10.
Former US national champion Julian Illingworth also claimed a
notable scalp when he beat higher-ranked Egyptian teenager Marwan
Elshorbagy 11-8, 5-11, 11-8, 11-6 in 45 minutes. The 29-year-old
from New York is enjoying a good spell on the PSA World Tour and
arrived in Hong Kong less than 24 hours after clinching the
Sekisui Open title in Switzerland.
World No55 Illingworth now faces Dutchman Laurens Jan Anjema,
the No2 seed ranked almost 40 places higher who defeated Egypt's
Karim Ali Fathi 11-5, 11-9, 12-10.
