Tayyab Aslam (Pak)
11/5 rtd
[3] Clinton Leeuw (Rsa)
[4] Andrew Schnell (Can)
11/, 13/11, 11/9 Aqib Hanif (Pak)
Aqib Hanif 11-1,
11-5, 11-8
Nicholas Sachvie
Nicholas Sachvie
12-10, 11-3, 11-5 Syed Hamzah Shah Bukhari
Hernan D'Arcangelo (Arg)
11/6, 12/10, 11/7 [Q]
Nicholas Sachvie (Can)
Reuben Phillips (Eng)
11/9, 11/6, 11/8 [Q] Robert Downer (Eng)
Robert Downer 11-3,
11-9, 11-8 Syed
Hamzah Shah Bukhari
[Q] Syed Hamzah Shah Bukhari (Pak)
11/9, 11/7, 7/11, 11/6
[2] Farhan Zaman (Pak)
RESULTS: PSA Challenger 10 Phoenix Open,
Tempe, USA
Hedrick Flourishes In Phoenix
After becoming the sole seed to survive the first round of the
Phoenix Open in Tempe in the US state of Arizona,
Australian Rex Hedrick continued all the way through to the
winner's podium after beating Pakistan's Syed Hamzah Shah Bukhari
in the final of the PSA World Tour Challenger 10 squash event
at Life Time Fitness.
The top seed from Melbourne was taken the full distance in the
semi-finals before overcoming unseeded Pakistani Tayyab Aslam
in a 100-minute marathon.
The other semi was a surprise clash between two qualifiers - with
Bukhari emerging victorious after seeing off Canadian Nicholas
Sachvie in straight games to reach the first Tour final of his
career.
"The first game lasted nearly an hour with 80 to 100 shot rallies
making it hard to play winners on a hot and bouncy court," reported
tournament director Andre Maur. "Hedrick seemed to be the
more patient player and won the first game 11-9.
"The second game was a Hitchcock with every rally played to the full
limit. This game had it all, lets strokes, blocking, arguments with
the ref, but at the end Hedrick came through with a clear stroke at
10-9 to win the second game.
"Both players came out of the blocks for the third and eventually
Bukhari was feeling the Aussie's hard and tight pace to take a
comfortable lead of 8-5 before closing the deal at 11-7 to win his
first Phoenix Open."
The win marks the eighth PSA Tour title of Hedrick's career - and
his third this year.
Presentation picture includes Hedrick (third from right); Bukhari
(second from left); and Maur (far left)
Pakistanis Prevail In Phoenix
Tayyab Aslam
and Syed Hamzah Shah Bukhari are one match away from a shock
all-Pakistani Phoenix Open final after claiming unexpected
semi-final berths in the PSA World Tour Challenger 10 squash
event at Life Time Fitness in Tempe in the US state of
Arizona.
Aslam survived a marathon quarter-final against fellow countryman
Shahjahan Khan, a qualifier. The 17-year-old from Lahore fought
back from 2/1 down to win 12-10, 5-11, 8-11, 11-9, 12-10 after 115
minutes.
"Both players collapsed after their games from exhaustion and
cramps," said tournament director Andre Maur.
In
the other half of the draw, Bukhari beat fellow qualifier Robert
Downer of England 11-3, 11-9, 11-8.
Hedrick Sole Seed Survivor In Phoenix
In
a remarkable opening round of the Phoenix Open - in which
all four qualifiers prevailed - Australia's Rex Hedrick
emerged as the only seed to reach the quarter-finals of the PSA
World Tour Challenger 10 squash event at Life Time Fitness
in Tempe in the US state of Arizona.
And even top seed Hedrick, the world No 67 from Melbourne, had to
fight back from 2/1 down to overcome Pakistan's Muhammad Saqib
Yousaf 8-11, 11-7, 8-11, 11-7, 11-4.
The biggest upset was provided by 19-year-old qualifier Syed
Hamzah Shah Bukhari who despatched second seed and fellow
Pakistani Farhan Zaman - ranked more than 50 places higher -
11-9, 11-7, 7-11, 11-6.
Tayyab Aslam
and Aqib Hanif - both unseeded - provided further unexpected
Pakistani success. Aslam, a 17-year-old from Lahore, prevailed when
South Africa's No 3 seed Clinton Leeuw was forced to retire
after just one game, suffering a with a groin strain.
Hanif, also from Lahore, upset Canada's fourth seed Andrew
Schnell 11-7, 13-11, 11-9.
