Lucas Serme finishes runner-up after superb run in USA
By Squash Mad Reporter
Botswanan World No.30 Alister Walker halted the charge of qualifier Lucas Serme in the final of the ILEX Construction Charlottesville Open, defeating the Frenchman 3-1 to take home the PSA International 25 title.
Walker, who dropped only one game en route to the final, was forced to pull out his best squash to get the better of the 22-year-old who had claimed the scalps of number one seed Adrian Grant, number four seed Tom Richards and number six seed Ryan Cuskelly on his way to a second consecutive PSA World Tour final following his triumph in the Rotterdam Open in August.
And it was the Frenchman who took an early lead in the encounter, taking the first game 11-6, but Walker, who has ranked as high as No.12 on the PSA World Rankings, used all his experience to mount an impressive fightback that saw him take the next three games to complete an 6-11, 11-3, 16-14, 11-6 turnaround victory in 82-minutes.
It is a victory that sees Walker claim his tenth career title on the PSA World Tour and his first since winning the Hong Kong Football Club International in May 2013.
ILEX Construction Charlottesville Open – Final Result:
[3] Alister Walker (BOT) bt [Q] Lucas Serme (FRA) 3-1: 6-11, 11-3, 16-14, 11-6 [82mins]
Picture courtesy of PSA