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Czech Classic 2004
11-15 Oct, Prague, Czech Republic, $10k


14-Oct, Final:
[3] Jan Koukal (Cze) bt [7] Raj Nanda (Aus)
      9/11, 7/11, 11/6, 11/4, 11/2 (66m)

Koukal completes
Czech Double in Prague

Eight months after winning the Czech Open, local favourite Jan Koukal completed a famous double when he lifted the title in the Czech Classic.

The 21-year-old, appearing in his fourth final of the year, went 2-0 down against Raj Nanda, but the Australian couldn't maintain his early pace as Koukal recovered, winning the fifth 11/2 as Nanda tired.

"It was an outstanding match that satisfied the spectators," said event spokesman Tomas Cvikl. "Of course winning in front of your home crowd is always the best bonus for everyone, the sport included. It was a very good performance from both players, but Jan truly deserved the title."
 

Czech Classic 2004
1st Round
Tue 12th
Quarters
Tue 12
th
Semis
Wed 13th
Final
Thu 14th
[1] Renan Lavigne (Fra)
11-9, 11-10 (5-3), 8-11, 11-4 (61m)
Scott Handley (Eng)
Renan Lavigne
9-11, 11-6, 11-6, 11-6 (36m)
Alex Stait
Alex Stait 

11-6, 10-11 (1-3), 11-4, 6-11, 11-7 (58m)

Raj Nanda
Raj Nanda 

9/11, 7/11, 11/6, 11/4, 11/2 (66m)

Jan Koukal 

[5] Alex Stait (ENG)
11-9, 11-8, 11-7 (41m)
David Barnett (ENG)
[4] Alister Walker (ENG)
8-11, 11-4, 11-5, 4-11, 11-7 (68m)
Callum O'Brien (NZL)
Alister Walker
11-10 (2-0), 11-10 (2-0), 11-8 (37m)
Raj Nanda
[7] Raj Nanda (AUS)
8-11, 7-11, 11-10 (2-0), 11-5, 11-5 (71m)
[Q] Mark Krajcsak (HUN)
[6] Peter Genever (ENG)
 11-10 (3-1), 11-4, 11-6 (28m)
[Q] Morten W Sorensen (DEN)
Peter Genever
11-8, 11-7, 11-1 (23m)
Jan Koukal
Jan Koukal 

11-9, 11-10(4-2), 9-11, 1-11, 11-7 (63m)

Jonathan Kemp
[3] Jan Koukal (CZE)
 11-10 (2-0), 11-8, 11-5 (20m)
Martin Stepan (CZE)
[8] Lars Harms (SUI)
8-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-2, 11-9 (78m)
[Q] Saurav Ghosal (IND)
Lars Harms
10-11 (1-3), 11-3, 11-8, 11-5 (41m)
Jonathan Kemp
[2] Jonathan Kemp (ENG)
11-3, 11-6, 11-8 (27m)
Q] Bradley Hindle (AUS)
 
 
Reports
13-Oct, Semi-Finals:
Koukal on Course in Prague

Home favourite Jan Koukal, winner of the Czech Open earlier this year, remained on course for a Prague double when he reached the final of the Czech Classic with a 3-2 victory over second seed Jonathan Kemp.

He will face seventh seed Raj Nanda in the final after the Australian completed his own five-game victory over Alex Stait, who had earlier put out top seed Renan Lavigne.

Two dramatic semi-finals left the crowd satisfied with the evening's entertainment, and with coverage in the main news slot on Czech TV the event is good news for squash in the Czech Republic.

Koukal Repeats Open
Success In Prague


Eight months after upsetting the top-seeded Englishman in the final of the Czech Open, local star Jan Koukal repeated his victory over Peter Genever in the quarter-finals of the Czech Classic to reach the semi-finals of the new $10,000 PSA Tour event in the country's capital city.

Now ranked 42 in the world and seeded above Genever, the 21-year-old third seed swept to an 11-8 11-7 11-1 victory in just 23 minutes to set up a meeting with another Englishman.

Jonathan Kemp, the No2 seed from England, overcame a tie-break loss in the first game of his quarter-final to beat Switzerland's eighth seed Lars Harms 10-11 11-3 11-8 11-5 in 41 minutes.

The other semi-final will be an unexpected clash between England's Alex Stait and Australia's Raj Nanda. Stait, the fifth seed from Gloucester, lost the first game against top seed Renan Lavigne, but then stormed to an impressive 9-11 11-6 11-6 11-6 upset in 36 minutes to reserve a place in the last four.

Seventh seed Nanda, however, put paid to an all-Gloucester clash when he upset the fourth-seeded Alister Walker 11-10 11-10 11-8 in 37 minutes in the other quarter-final in the top half of the draw.

 alanbrz@yahoo.com