Adrian
Grant
became the first Londoner to win the Coronation London Open title
when he beat Chris Simpson in the all-English final of the PSA
World Tour International 25 squash event in its sixth year at
Cumberland Lawn Tennis Club in the England capital.
The
London-born-and-bred 33-year-old, who was making his debut in the event,
made his breakthrough in the previous round where he upset second-seeded
South African Stephen Coppinger.
Seeded
three, World No.23 Grant faced fellow countryman Simpson - a 26-year-old
from Guernsey, ranked just two places lower, to whom he had never lost
in three Tour meetings since 2009.
But
fourth seed Simpson took the opening game, determined to make a career
breakthrough.
However, the experienced left-hander Grant, a former World No.9 and a
Commonwealth Games gold medallist, turned the tables to take the next
three games to win 7-11, 11-9, 11-4, 11-6 in 60 minutes.
The
title triumph brings up Grant's 20th Tour title - a feat matched, or
bettered, by only 11 other players on the current PSA World Tour.
"I've
known Chris for years," Grant told Kate Mason later. "We're great
friends, on and off the court, we train together with the England squad
- there's a mutual respect there.
"I
know that he's improved a lot he's beaten a lot of people in the top
twenty so you know I was wary about him. I had to focus 100 per cent.
And I had a tough game yesterday and he had an easier game, you know so
I had to really come out of the blocks quick.
"But
the first game he came out quicker than me and I think as the match
progressed I got stronger and stronger."
Simpson, who celebrated a career-high 21 world ranking in October, said:
"I was disappointed not to finish the year on a win - but it's been a
good year overall and I played some good squash this week.
"I
felt like I was playing well for the first game and a half, then Adrian
found a great length and was in charge for the rest of the match," added
the runner-up as he headed back to Harrogate where he is now a proud
first-time house-owner.
"It
was a well-run tournament by Zubair Jahan Khan, who seems to have
good aspirations of growing the tournament in the future."
Simpson & Grant Make Surprise All-English London Open
Final
Chris
Simpson
will be looking for his first ever win over compatriot Adrian Grant
when the pair meet in a surprise all-English final of the Coronation
London Open at Cumberland Lawn Tennis Club in the England
capital.
Simpson, the No.4 seed from Guernsey, maintained a clean sheet in the
PSA World Tour International 25 squash event with his third
successive straight games victory - ending teenage Egyptian qualifier
Fares Mohamed Dessouki's run 11-7, 11-7, 11-8 in 45 minutes.
"Got a
3/0 win today against a very talented young Egyptian," tweeted the
26-year-old to his followers after reaching his ninth PSA World Tour
final. "Starting to feel like a veteran on the tour!
"Into
the final of the London Open tomorrow, hoping to finish the year off on
a high!" added the World No.25.
London
left-hander Grant, the third seed, avenged his career-first loss to
Stephen Coppinger in January's Tournament of Champions in New
York by upsetting the higher-ranked South African in the other
semi-final.
But
the 33-year-old World No.23 had to fight back from 2/1 down to overcome
the in-form Coppinger, ranked three places higher, winning 11-9, 7-11,
6-11, 11-5, 11-6 in 83 minutes to reach the 32nd Tour final of his
career.
Both
Grant and Simpson, appearing in the first all-English London Open final
since 2009, are celebrating their third Tour finals of the year.
Harrogate-based Simpson boasts an impressive seven title wins from his
eight final appearances - but has yet to beat his senior fellow
countryman after six national and international meetings since 2009.
Grant & Simpson Keep Home Hopes Alive
Londoner Adrian Grant and Guernsey's Chris Simpson kept
home hopes of success alive in the Coronation London Open after
prevailing in contrasting quarter-finals of the PSA World Tour
International 25 squash event in its sixth year at Cumberland
Lawn Tennis Club in the England capital.
Simpson, the Harrogate-based No.4 seed, took just 30 minutes to see off
Australian Rex Hedrick 11-0, 11-7, 11-9.
But
third seed Grant, the 33-year-old former World No.9 making his debut in
the event, had to battle for 77 minutes to overcome 21-year-old Egyptian
qualifier Zahed Mohamed 11-8, 11-9, 10-12, 11-9.
The
London left-hander will now face South African Stephen Coppinger,
the No.2 seed bidding to make the final for the second time in three
years. The Cape Town 29-year-old, ranked 20 in the world, defeated US
champion Christopher Gordon 11-4, 11-8, 11-2.
Simpson, the World No.25, takes on fast-rising Egyptian star Fares
Mohamed Dessouki for a place in the final. The 19-year-old from
Alexandria pulled off a mighty upset in the first round when he removed
top seed Alister Walker, the World No.17 from Botswana.
The
teenager, ranked 81 in the world, continued his giant-killing London run
by beating Frenchman Lucas Serme - ranked five places higher -
3-11, 12-10, 11-8, 11-6 in 61 minutes.
Dessouki Despatches Walker In
London Upset
Egyptian qualifier Fares Mohamed Dessouki claimed one of the
biggest scalps of his brief squash career to date when he despatched top
seed Alister Walker in five games in the Coronation London
Open to earn a place in the quarter-finals of the PSA World Tour
International 25 event at Cumberland Lawn Tennis Club in the
England capital.
Experienced Tour player Walker, the 31-year-old World No.17 from
Botswana, twice stemmed leads by the Egyptian teenager.
But,
undaunted, the 19-year-old from Alexandria - ranked 81 in the world -
maintained his composure to close out the match 11-9, 9-11, 11-5, 4-11,
11-9 in 85 minutes.
Dessouki, the reigning British Junior U19 Open champion, now
faces Lucas Serme for a place in the semi-finals. The unseeded
Frenchman also pulled off a notable upset, denying Charles Sharpes
an anticipated place in the last eight by beating the higher-ranked
London-born 21-year-old 11-7, 11-6, 10-12, 11-3.
Local
interest, however, will be satisfied in the next round by third seed
Adrian Grant after the World No.23 from London defeated Pakistan's
Shahjahan Khan 11-7, 11-7, 11-5.
Left-hander Grant will now line up against Zahed Mohamed after
the 21-year-old from Alexandria became the second Egyptian qualifier to
survive the first round when he beat fellow countryman Andrew Wagih
Shoukry 11-7, 8-11, 11-7, 11-7.
Chris
Simpson
also provides further home interest in the last eight. The
Harrogate-based No.4 seed took exactly an hour to overcome compatriot
Joel Hinds, a qualifier, 11-8, 11-7, 11-9.
