Charles Sharpes
11/7, 9/11, 11/5, 11/3 (52m) Adrian Waller
[Q] Alex Ingham (Eng)
11/6, 11/3, 11/6 (30m) [2] Adrian Waller (Eng)
RESULTS:
PSA Challenger 15Bedell Jersey Classic,
St Clement, Jersey
Simpson
Retains Jersey Classic Crown
#PSAWorldTour
England's Chris
Simpson
successfully retained his Bedell Jersey Classic
title on the Channel Island of Jersey
but the top-seeded Englishman prevailed in the longest winning match
of his career to hold off fellow countryman Adrian Waller
in the final of the PSA Challenger 15
squash event at the Jersey Squash & Racketball Club
in St Clement.
Simpson, born in the neighbouring Channel Island of Guernsey, had to
survive two matches lasting more than an hour to reach the Jersey climax
the tenth Tour final of his career.
By contrast, Waller waltzed to his semi-final victory over surprise
opponent Greg Lobban
the eighth-seeded Scot who surprised No.3 seed Omar Abdel Meguid
in the previous round in just 24 minutes.
The first game of the final alone took 29 minutes, with World No.22
Simpson edging it after a tie-break.
Waller, ranked just four places behind, responded by taking the second
and then the fourth after Simpson again regained the lead by winning the
third.
Underdog Waller had a match-ball in the decider, but it was defending
champion Simpson who eventually sealed victory 12-10, 8-11, 14-12, 3-11,
11-6 after 104 minutes to record his historic win.
The was a really, really tough match, played at a ridiculous pace on a
hot court, said the exhausted 27-year-old, based in Harrogate in
Yorkshire.
He had me on the ropes for a while and I was doing a lot of work, but I
was really pleased to come through to win the third especially.
I ran out of steam a bit in the fourth but I knew I had to give it one
more push in the fifth - my plan was to try to stay with him to say
five-all, then really go for one last surge and it worked to perfection!
Its been a great week here, massive thanks to all the supporters,
sponsors and especially Nick Taylor for making this a really great
event, long may it continue.