04/03/2006
SWISS OPEN
Briggs & Aziz Win Swiss Open Titles
Tournament
Sigma Swiss Open Squash Championships,
Geneva, Switzerland
Men's final:
[7] Omar Abdel Aziz (EGY) bt [1] Jesse Engelbrecht (ZIM) 11-6, 11-2, 11-4
Men's Semi-finals:
[1] Jesse Engelbrecht (ZIM) bt Andrea Capella (ITA)11-4, 11-6, 11-2
[7] Omar Abdel Aziz (EGY) bt [5] Mohd Ali Anwar Reda (EGY)11-9, 11-6, 11-5
quarter-finals:
[1] Jesse Engelbrecht (ZIM) bt [6] Romain Tenant (FRA)11-10 (2-0), 11-8, 11-9
Andrea Capella (ITA) bt Nick Wall (ENG)11-10 (4-2), 9-11, 11-3, 11-0
[5] Mohd Ali Anwar Reda (EGY) bt Ricky Davies (WAL)11-8, 11-6, 10-11 (0-2), 11-8
[7] Omar Abdel Aziz (EGY) bt Jonathan Harford (ENG)11-8, 11-3, 11-5
2nd round:
[1] Jesse Engelbrecht (ZIM) bt Stuart Crawford (SCO)11-3, 11-9, 11-5
[6] Romain Tenant (FRA) bt Thomas Phipps (ENG)11-3, 11-7, 11-7
Andrea Capella (ITA) bt [3] Andreas Fuchs (AUT)11-6, 11-5, 11-1
Nick Wall (ENG) bt [8] Petros Tzamaloukas (GRE)11-10 (3-1), 11-7, 11-4
[5] Mohd Ali Anwar Reda (EGY) bt [13] Aqeel Rehman (AUT)11-8, 11-6, 11-10 (5-3)
Ricky Davies (WAL) bt [4] Fabian Kalaitzis (GRE)9-11, 10-11 (0-2), 11-10 (4-2), 11-6, 11-4
[7] Omar Abdel Aziz (EGY) bt [9] Chris Ryder (ENG)7-11, 5-11, 11-5, 11-9, 11-10 (2-0)
Jonathan Harford (ENG) bt [2] Sam Miller (ENG)11-8, 10-11, 11-9, 2-11, 11-4
Men's 1st round:
[1] Jesse Engelbrecht (ZIM) bt Neil Hitchens (ENG) 11-4, 11-7, 11-6
Stuart Crawford (SCO) bt [11] Sam Atkins (NZL) 9-11, 11-9, 11-5, 11-5
[6] Romain Tenant (FRA) bt Yves Tastet (FRA) 9-11, 11-4, 11-9, 11-6
Thomas Phipps (ENG) bt Benjamin Fischer (SUI) 11-8, 10-11 (0-2), 11-5, 11-8
[3] Andreas Fuchs (AUT) bt Joan Lezaud (FRA) 11-7, 11-6, 7-11, 11-5
Andrea Capella (ITA) bt [15] Philip Nightingale (ENG) 11-7, 11-9, 11-5
[8] Petros Tzamaloukas (GRE) bt Paul Rawden (ENG) 11-8, 10-11 (0-2), 11-3, 11-1
Nick Wall (ENG) bt [14] Jason Barry (RSA) 11-8, 11-8, 11-10
[13] Aqeel Rehman (AUT) bt [Q] Reiko Peter (SUI) 11-5, 11-9, 11-3
[5] Mohd Ali Anwar Reda (EGY) bt Sebastian Victor (SWE) 11-7, 11-4, 11-2
Ricky Davies (WAL) bt [10] Rik Smet (BEL) 11-7, 11-9, 11-10 (2-0)
[4] Fabian Kalaitzis (GRE) bt Shaun le Roux (ENG) 11-8, 11-8, 11-10 (5-3)
[9] Chris Ryder (ENG) bt Ahmed Gamal Swaify (EGY) 11-3, 11-4, 11-1
[7] Omar Abdel Aziz (EGY) bt Matias Tuomi (FIN)11-10 (2-0), 11-6, 11-9
Jonathan Harford (ENG) bt [16] Nicolas Mueller (SUI)11-4, 11-9, 11-4
[2] Sam Miller (ENG) bt [Q] Galen le Cheminant (ENG)7-11, 11-1, 11-6, 11-8
Women's final:
[1] Lauren Briggs (ENG) bt [5] Orla Noom (NED) 1-9, 9-2, 9-6, 9-1
Women's Semi-finals:
[1] Lauren Briggs (ENG) bt [7] Aisling Blake (IRL)9-2, 9-1, 9-6
[5] Orla Noom (NED) bt [2] Sarah Kippax (ENG_9-4, 5-9, 9-3, 3-9, 9-7
quarter-finals:
[1] Lauren Briggs (ENG) bt [6] Jenna Gates (ENG)9-1, 9-3, 9-1
[7] Aisling Blake (IRL) bt [3] Karen Kronemeyer (NED)9-7, 10-9, 9-1
[5] Orla Noom (NED) bt [4] Charlie de Rycke (BEL)9-1, 9-8, 9-5
[2] Sarah Kippax (ENG) bt Daniela Schumann (GER)9-3, 9-5, 9-3
Women's 1st round:
[1] Lauren Briggs (ENG) bt [Q] Milja Dorenbos (NED)9-4, 9-3, 9-5
[6] Jenna Gates (ENG) bt Celia Allamargot (FRA)9-7, 9-4, 9-7
[3] Karen Kronemeyer (NED) bt Soraya Renai (FRA)9-0, 9-0, 9-0
[7] Aisling Blake (IRL) bt [Q] Jenny Wright (WAL)9-0, 9-4, 9-2
[5] Orla Noom (NED) bt [Q] Laura Mylotte (IRL)6-9, 9-4, 9-3, 9-2
[4] Charlie de Rycke (BEL) bt Sara Guebey (SUI)9-2, 9-5, 9-0
Daniela Schumann (GER) bt [8] Camille Serme (FRA)9-5, 9-6, 10-8
[2] Sarah Kippax (ENG) bt [Q] Susannah King (ENG)9-4, 9-0, 9-7
Briggs & Aziz Win Swiss Open Titles
England's Lauren Briggs and Egypt's Omar Abdel Aziz claimed the titles in the Sigma Swiss Open Squash Championships after convincing victories in the finals in Geneva.
After reaching the quarter-finals in 2003, the semi-finals in 2004 and finishing as runner-up last year, top seed Lauren Briggs marked her steady improvement in Geneva by fighting back from a nervous start – and a game down - to beat Orla Noom, the fifth seed from the Netherlands, 1-9, 9-2, 9-6, 9-1 in the 2006 final.
The victory marks Briggs' second WISPA World Tour title – and the tenth Swiss Open triumph by an English woman since 1988.
The men's final produced a major upset – and the first PSA Tour title success for Omar Abdel Aziz. After recovering from two games down to overcome England's Chris Ryder in the second round, Aziz made it through to the final without dropping a further game.
The 22-year-old from Cairo faced Jesse Engelbrecht, the top seed from Zimbabwe who was taken to five games in his semi-final battle with unseeded Italian Andrea Capella.
Aziz, playing fast and error-free squash, never allowed his higher-ranked opponent to get a foothold in the final, winning 11-6, 11-2, 11-4.
"I was pleased to reach the final not feeling tired as I felt I had a tough draw to reach the final," said the triumphant Egyptian afterwards. "I tried to keep the pace fast, keeping Jesse under pressure, and my short game worked well."
Aziz becomes the first Egyptian winner of the men's title in Geneva for more than a decade and a half.
Omar & Orla Battle Into Swiss Open Finals
Egypt's Omar Abdel Aziz and Orla Noom, from the Netherlands, pulled off significant upsets in the semi-finals of the Sigma Swiss Open Squash Championships in Geneva to earn their first Tour final places.
Aziz, the seventh seed in the men's event, despatched fifth-seeded compatriot Mohd Ali Anwar Reda 11-9, 11-6, 11-5. The 22-year-old from Cairo will now face top seed Jesse Engelbrecht, the UK-based Zimbabwean who beat unseeded Italian Andrea Capella 11-4, 11-6, 11-2.
Orla Noom, the fifth seed in the women's championship, twice stemmed comebacks by England's Sarah Kippax before beating the second seed 9-4, 5-9, 9-3, 3-9, 9-7.
The 20-year-old from Hoofddorp, in her maiden WISPA World Tour final, now meets another English opponent – top seed Lauren Briggs. The 26-year-old from London, who has not yet dropped a game in the tournament, defeated sixth-seeded compatriot Jenna Gates 9-1, 9-3, 9-1 to reach her fourth Tour final.
Seeds Scattered In Swiss Open
Zimbabwe favourite Jesse Engelbrecht became the only one of the top four seeds to earn a place in the men's quarter-finals of the Sigma Swiss Open Squash Championships when he beat Scotland's Stuart Crawford 11-3, 11-9, 11-5 in the second round in Geneva.
Jonathan Harford caused the biggest upset when he defeated fellow Englishman and club-mate Sam Miller, the second seed, 11-8, 10-11, 11-9, 2-11, 11-4. In his PSA Tour debut, Gloucestershire-based Harford goes on to meet Egypt's seventh seed Omar Abdel Aziz, who beat ninth-seeded Englishman Chris Ryder 7-11, 5-11, 11-5, 11-9, 11-10 (2-0).
The only upset in the women's event came when Germany's unseeded Daniela Schumann beat France's eighth seed Camille Serme 9-5, 9-6, 10-8 to earn a place in the last eight.
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