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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."
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Czech Classic 2004 |
1st Round
Tue 12th |
Quarters
Tue 12th |
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) |
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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.
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alanbrz@yahoo.com
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