RESULTS: PSA Challenger 5 Open du Gard, Nimes, France
Mahesh
Marches To Nimes Success
Mahesh
Mangaonkar
began the New Year the way he ended 2013 - with title success on the
PSA World Tour!
The
Indian teenager claimed the first Tour title of the year when he
despatched top-seeded Scot Greg Lobban in the final of the
Open du Gard, the PSA Challenger 5 squash event marking its
sixth year at Squash des Arenes in Nimes, France.
Third
seed Mangaonkar made his breakthrough in the semi-finals when he crushed
second-seeded Kuwaiti Ammar Altamimi in just 28 minutes,
Now in
the fourth Tour final of his career, the 19-year-old from Mumbai had a
point to prove when he faced Lobban, a 21-year-old from Edinburgh
enjoying his eighth Tour final.
Mangaonkar's success in last month's Imet Open in Slovakia came
after a five-game final victory over Lobban - the result of which is
that both now players share a World No.82 ranking.
Revenge looked on the cards when Lobban (pictured above, left, with
Mangaonkar) took the opening game - but Mangaonkar struck back to
win the next three to claim his 9-11, 11-3, 11-4, 11-5 title triumph in
64 minutes.
The
win, his third on the PSA Tour, also set up a nine-match winning streak
for the Mumbai teenager - the longest of his career.
"First
win of 2014 in Nimes," Mangaonkar told his Twitter followers later.
"Hopefully more to come this year. Now preparing for German league in
January and Finland next month."
