Andrew Schnell (Can)
11-4, 11-5, 11-2 (22m)
Tom Ford (Eng)
Andrew Schnell
5-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-7 (84m) Martin Knight
Scott Arnold (Aus)
11-5, 11-9, 11-7 (33m) [2] Martin Knight (Nzl)
RESULTS: PSA Challenger 10 Prairie Auto Haus Saskatoon Boast Open,
Saskatoon, Canada
Ali Fathi
Flourishes In Saskatoon
Karim
Ali Fathi
became the first Egyptian winner of the Prairie Auto Haus Saskatoon
Boast Open in the 12-year history of the PSA World Tour
squash event in Canada when he beat New Zealander Martin Knight
in the final of the PSA Challenger 10 championship before a
capacity crowd at the Saskatoon YMCA in Saskatoon.
"Ali
Fathi certainly had the advantage in being able to hit more winners,
especially numerous backhand drives into the nick," reported tournament
promoter Brad Birnie. "After taking the first game handily, the
tide seemed to turn as Fathi made more mistakes with Knight taking the
second.
"The
crucial third game had Knight earning his way to game ball at 10-6. Ali
Fathi came back from a seemingly hopeless situation and battled hard in
winning the next six points to go to extras and finally winning 12-10.
It took its toll, however, as both players were gassed!
"After
a 16-minute break to have Ali Fathi treat and bandage a cut on his knee,
both players looked energized for the fourth. With Knight serving at
5-6, the players alternated every point after that, with Ali Fathi
claiming the title at 11-9 in the fourth. There was much rejoicing."
The
102-minute title triumph marks the world No 41 from Cairo's third PSA
Tour title in two months - and the eighth of the 20-year-old's brief
career to date.
Top Seeds
Survive Saskatoon Semis
Top seeds Karim Ali Fathi and
Martin Knight will contest the final of the Prairie Auto Haus
Saskatoon Boast Open in Canada after scoring almost identical
successes in the semi-finals of the PSA World Tour Challenger 10
squash event celebrating its 12th successive year at the Saskatoon
YMCA in Saskatoon.
Favourite Ali Fathi will be trying to
become the first Egyptian champion of the long-established event after
seeing off Canadian hope Dane Sharp, the fourth seed from
Toronto, 11-8, 11-9, 11-4 in 37 minutes.
"The first two games were closely
contested with Ali Fathi having the edge with tighter length and fewer
mistakes," reported tournament promoter Brad Birnie. "As Sharp
started to rally back to 9-8 in a crucial game two, Ali Fathi had the
answers and won the last three points to go up 2/0.
"In the third, Ali Fathi was too good for
Sharp - on this day, at least!"
20-year-old Ali Fathi is celebrating the
10th Tour final of his career - and his third this year.
Second seed Martin Knight ended
former champion Eric Galvez's run when he beat the unseeded
Mexican 11-8, 11-9, 11-5 in 44 minutes.
"Both Knight and Galvez have speed to
burn as they appear to be two of the quickest players in the
tournament," Birnie continued. "Already known for his spectacular
comeback against Andrew Schnell in the quarter-finals, Knight
went down 5-0 in the first and 7-1 in game two.
"Galvez was up 8-6 in game one before
Knight rattled off six straight points to take the early 1/0 lead in
games. In game two, down 7-1, he won 11 of 13 points to end game two.
The crowd is almost thinking that coming back from behind is
intentional!"
World No 50 Knight will be attempting to
keep the trophy in New Zealand hands after the 2012 triumph by his
compatriot Campbell Grayson. The 29-year-old from Auckland is
marking the 13th Tour final of his career - and his fifth in the past
three months!
Galvez Foils Farhan In Saskatoon Upset
Unseeded Mexican Eric Galvez claimed his first appearance in the
semi-finals of the Prairie Auto Haus Saskatoon Boast Open since
winning the title in 2006 after producing the only upset in the
quarter-finals of the PSA World Tour Challenger 10 squash event
celebrating its 12th successive year at the Saskatoon YMCA in
Saskatoon, Canada.
Ranked
76 in the world, 30-year-old Galvez despatched Pakistan's No 3 seed
Farhan Zaman - ranked 12 places higher - 11-9, 11-8, 10-12, 11-6 in
49 minutes.
The
former world No 33 from Puebla will now face second seed Martin
Knight. But the world No 50 from New Zealand had to call upon all
his experience to overcome unseeded Canadian Andrew Schnell -
fighting back from two games down to beat the 22-year-old world No 93
from Calgary 5-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-7 in 84 minutes.
"Schnell dominated Knight to go up 7-1, two games up in the third,"
reported tournament promoter Brad Birnie. "An incredible,
error-free comeback by Knight to win game three turned the match around.
Schnell wasn't done, however, as they battled closely in the fourth and
fifth. Great, close, late-night squash!"
Fellow
Canadian pro David Letourneau tweeted later: "Best I've seen
@a_schnell91 play!"
But
there will be Canadian interest in the other semi-final where Toronto's
Dane Sharp will take on top seed Karim Ali Fathi.
Fourth
seed Sharp was taken the full distance before overcoming unseeded
Englishman Michael Harris 8-11, 11-8, 12-10, 8-11, 11-1 in an
86-minute marathon.
Egyptian Ali Fathi, the 20-year-old world No 41, put paid to an
all-Canadian semi when he despatched Toronto-based Matthew Serediak
11-1, 11-4, 11-6.
Locals Boast Success In Saskatoon
All
but one of the quarter-finals of the Prairie Auto Haus Saskatoon
Boast Open will feature local interest after Canadian trio Dane
Sharp, Andrew Schnell and Matthew Serediak came
through the first round of the PSA World Tour Challenger 10
squash event celebrating its 12th successive year at the Saskatoon
YMCA in Saskatoon.
Fourth
seed Sharp led the domestic charge - but the 27-year-old from Toronto
was stretched for exactly an hour before prevailing 11-8, 8-11, 15-13,
12-10 over Qatar junior star Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi, the
18-year-old world No 99 from Doha making his Tour debut in Canada.
"This
much-anticipated matchup of the solid Sharp, a Saskatoon favourite, and
the up-and-coming Tamimi had the crowd abuzz - and it did not
disappoint," reported tournament promoter Brad Birnie. "Making
his first appearance at the Boast, Tamimi won the Sharp-partisan crowd
over with his speed and quick smile as the two players exchanged the
first two games.
"The
next two were classics, the gritty Sharp winning the crucial third after
saving three game-balls. Tamimi saved three match balls in the fourth,
but an unforced tin on a cross-court drive ended it."
Sharp
progresses to face England's Michael Harris - who denied the
crowd an all-Canadian quarter-final when he upset higher-ranked
Michael McCue, from Toronto, 11-7, 11-3, 11-5.
Canadian Matthew Serediak, celebrating his eighth successive
appearance in the event, made the last eight for the first time when he
defeated compatriot David Letourneau 11-5, 11-5, 11-8.
"Matt
just played better today," conceded 24-year-old Letourneau, from
Calgary.
Regina-born 29-year-old Serediak now faces the event's toughest
opponent, top seed Karim Ali Fathi. The 20-year-old Egyptian,
making his Saskatoon debut, defeated qualifier Carlos Cornes Ribadas
11-4, 4-11, 11-7, 11-7 - but it took the world No 41 65 minutes to
overcome the Spaniard ranked more than 120 places lower.
Calgary's Andrew Schnell completes the Canadian trio in the last
eight after beating Englishman Thomas Ford 11-4, 11-5, 11-2.
Unseeded Schnell now faces second-seeded New Zealander Martin Knight,
who survived a tough straight games battle with Australian Scott
Arnold.
2006
champion Eric Galvez took a step closer towards a second
appearance in the final after dismissing Justin Beard. But the
unseeded Mexican, who beat Beard 3/0 just a week ago at the GoodLife
Open, had a close shave this time when taken the full distance by
the Australian, before coming through 11-4, 9-11, 11-5, 9-11, 11-6 after
71 minutes.
