12/05/2014
TOP END OPEN (Men) 2014
Corren Captures Historic Top End Title
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Corren Captures Historic Top
End Title
#PSAWorldTour
Australian veteran Mike Corren made squash history at
the Top End Open in Darwin on home
soil when he became the first 40-year-old ever to win a PSA
World Tour title.
It was after notching up his 70th appearance in a Tour final since 1996
– 10 more than his nearest rival on today's PSA Tour – that the
second-seeded South Australian defeated Hong Kong's No.4 seed
Tsz Fung Yip 11-7, 9-11, 11-8, 11-8 in the climax of the
PSA Challenger 5 event at Darwin Squash Centre
to register his historic achievement.
Tsz, a 20-year-old ranked outside the world top 130, made his
breakthrough in the semi-finals when he upset top-seeded Czech
Jan Koukal, ranked 67 in the world, to reach a second
successive Tour final.
But the day belonged to Corren – the world No.77 from Adelaide who was
already far-and-away the oldest player to win Tour events, with four to
his name over the previous 12 months.
The latest – his first at the Top End Open after finishing as runner-up
in 2012 and 2013 – brings up the 48th Tour title of his career, 14 more
than nearest rival Ramy Ashour!
"This win means a lot to me for many reasons," said Corren later.
"Firstly because it has been about seven months since my last success
and – let's be frank – I'm not getting any younger!
"Also, I have never won in Darwin and the conditions here are very
challenging: my last four opponents were sensational movers and
athletes and, as I am not, it is very satisfying to find the solution to
those 'issues'.
"Lastly, to win an event at 40 I find pleasing - mostly because most
folk say it can't be done!
"That aside, I just aim to continue enjoying every moment whilst it is
available to me."
RESULTS: PSA Challenger 5 Top End Open, Darwin,
Australia
1st round:
[1] Jan Koukal (CZE) bt Tim Cowell (AUS) 11-6, 11-2, 11-7
Darcy Evans (AUS) bt [Q] Guhan Senthilkumar (IND) 11-5, 11-6, 11-7
[Q] Diego Gobbi (BRA) bt Julian Tomlinson (ENG) 11-6, 13-11, 11-3
[5] Cheuk Yan Tang (HKG) bt [Q] Lewis Doughty (ENG) 11-7, 11-6, 11-4
[6] Rhys Dowling (AUS) bt [Q] Sindre Roaldsoy (NOR) 11-5, 11-7, 11-7
Will John (WAL) bt [WC] Joseph White (AUS) 11-5, 11-3, 11-6
[Q] Tsz Hei Ma (HKG) bt Pablo Rawden (ENG) 11-5, 11-8, 9-11, 11-9
[4] Tsz Fung Yip (HKG) bt Chris van der Salm (NZL) 10-12, 11-7, 11-8,
11-7
[3] James Huang (TPE) bt Matthew Hopkin (AUS) 4-11, 8-11, 11-8, 11-7,
11-9
[Q] JaeJin Yoo (KOR) bt Joel Luca (AUS) 11-9, 9-11, 11-1, 11-7
Mohd Syafiq Kamal (MAS) bt [Q] Solayman Nowrozi (AUS) 11-6, 11-5, 11-4
[8] Kwon Hyeon-Jun (KOR) bt Thomas Calvert (AUS) 6-11, 11-1, 11-5, 11-5
Chi Him Wong (HKG) bt [7] Steven Liu (MAC) 11-4, 11-9, 15-13
Sehyun Lee (KOR) bt Ben Grindrod (NZL) 11-4, 2-11, 3-11, 11-7, 11-5
Eain Yow Ng (MAS) bt [LL] Hoi Long Chan (MAC) 11-7, 11-2, 11-8
[2] Mike Corren (AUS) bt TJ French (AUS) 11-1, 11-4, 11-8
2nd round:
[1] Jan Koukal (CZE) bt Darcy Evans (AUS) 11-4, 11-3, 11-8
[5] Cheuk Yan Tang (HKG) bt [Q] Diego Gobbi (BRA) 11-9, 11-5, 8-11,
16-14
[6] Rhys Dowling (AUS) bt Will John (WAL) 11-5, 12-10, 11-3
[4] Tsz Fung Yip (HKG) bt [Q] Tsz Hei Ma (HKG) 11-8, 11-13, 11-6, 7-11,
11-9
[3] James Huang (TPE) bt [Q] JaeJin Yoo (KOR) 11-5, 13-11, 11-3
Mohd Syafiq Kamal (MAS) bt [8] Kwon Hyeon-Jun (KOR) 4-11, 11-8, 11-7,
11-7
Chi Him Wong (HKG) bt Sehyun Lee (KOR) 11-8, 9-11, 11-3, 11-6
[2] Mike Corren (AUS) bt Eain Yow Ng (MAS) 11-6, 11-7, 17-15
Quarter-finals:
[1] Jan Koukal (CZE) bt [5] Cheuk Yan Tang (HKG) 12-10, 11-6, 11-5
[4] Tsz Fung Yip (HKG) bt [6] Rhys Dowling (AUS) 11-5, 11-9, 11-3
[3] James Huang (TPE) bt Mohd Syafiq Kamal (MAS) 11-9, 11-7, 11-3
[2] Mike Corren (AUS) bt Chi Him Wong (HKG) 11-7, 5-11, 11-5, 11-6
Semi-finals:
[4] Tsz Fung Yip (HKG) bt [1] Jan Koukal (CZE) 10-12, 11-5, 11-6, 11-4
[2] Mike Corren (AUS) bt [3] James Huang (TPE) 9-11, 11-4, 11-5, 11-7
Final:
[2] Mike Corren (AUS) bt [4] Tsz Fung Yip (HKG) 11-7, 9-11, 11-8, 11-8
(47m)
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