RESULTS: Buler Challenge Cup, Hong Kong China
Men’s Final:
[1] Aaron Frankcomb (AUS) bt Harinder Pal Sandhu (IND) 12-10, 11-6, 12-10 (65m)Women’s Final:
[1] Annie Au (HKG) bt [2] Donna Urquhart (AUS) 11-9, 7-11, 9-11, 11-8, 11-7 (56m)
Top Seeds Rise To The Buler Challenge
Event favourites Aaron Frankcomb and Annie Au emerged triumphant in today’s finals of the Buler Challenge Cup at the Hong Kong Squash Centre in Hong Kong China.
Australian Frankcomb finally ended the giant-killing run of unseeded Indian Harinder Pal Sandhu in the climax of the men’s PSA World Tour Challenger 10 event.
But it took the world No41 from Tasmania 65 minutes to see off Sandhu, ranked almost 100 places lower, 12-10, 11-6, 12-10.
Sandhu, the 22-year-old world No136 from Chennai, was playing in his first PSA Tour event of the year – but made his breakthrough in the quarter-finals where he ousted second seed Jan Koukal before going on to down Hong Kong’s fourth seed Dick Lau in the semis.
But it was Frankcomb’s day as the 26-year-old collected the third Tour title of his career.
Much to the delight of the local crowd, top-ranked Hong Kong player Annie Au justified her top billing in the women’s WISPA World Tour 12 event by beating second seed Donna Urquhart to avenge her defeat by the Australian in the 2010 climax.
But 22-year-old left-hander Au was taken the full distance before finally clinching the title after 56 minutes.
Au’s 11-9, 7-11, 9-11, 11-8, 11-7 victory marks up her tenth title on the WISPA Tour.
Men’s semi-finals:
[1] Aaron Frankcomb (AUS) bt [3] Max Lee (HKG) 11-4, 12-10, 2-11, 11-9 (58m)Harinder Pal Sandhu (IND) bt [4] Dick Lau (HKG) 8-11, 11-6, 11-5, 11-7 (57m)
Women’s semi-finals:
[1] Annie Au (HKG) bt [3] Dipika Pallikal (IND) 11-7, 11-2, 11-1 (21m) [2] Donna Urquhart (AUS) bt [4] Lisa Camilleri (AUS) 11-3, 11-5, 11-5 (23m)Sandhu Soars Into Hong Kong Final
Unseeded Indian Harinder Pal Sandhu maintained his giant-killing run in the Buler Challenge Cup by beating Hong Kong’s fourth seed Dick Lau to reach the final of the PSA World Tour Challenger 10 event at the Hong Kong Squash Centre in Hong Kong China.
Ranked 136 in the world, the 22-year-old from Chennai ousted second seed Jan Koukal in the quarter-finals – then in today’s semi-finals recovered from a game down to overcome home hope Lau 8-11, 11-6, 11-5, 11-7 in 57 minutes.
Now in his third PSA Tour final, Sandhu will face favourite Aaron Frankcomb, the world No41 from Tasmania who also downed a Hong Kong opponent Max Lee, the third seed, 11-4, 12-10, 2-11, 11-9.
The victory sets up Frankcomb’s seventh Tour final appearance.
Frankcomb will be aiming for his third PSA Tour victory and his first since the China Open in August last year.
Meanwhile defending champion Donna Urquhart looked in great touch as she had a surprisingly easy win over fellow Australian Lisa Camilleri.
The tall left-hander from Yamba in New South Wales eased into the final with an 11-3, 11-5, 11-5 victory
She now takes on top seed Annie Au from Hong Kong in a repeat of the 2010 final, which Urquhart won in five tight games.
The two have met six times previously with world number 11 Au holding a 4-2 advantage
Hopes of local success still ride high in the women’s WISPA World Tour 12 event, however, where top seed Annie Au took just 21 minutes to despatch India’s No3 seed Dipika Pallikal 11-7, 11-2, 11-1.
Now in her 14th WISPA final, last year’s runner-up and top-ranked Hong Kong player Au faces Australian title-holder Donna Urquhart in a repeat of the 2010 climax.
Second seed Urquhart, the world No16 from New South Wales, defeated fourth-seeded compatriot Lisa Camilleri 11-3, 11-5, 11-5.
Urquhart is celebrating the 11th Tour final of her career.
Men’s quarter-finals:
[1] Aaron Frankcomb (AUS) bt Leo Au (HKG) 11-6, 12-14, 9-11, 11-9, 11-1 (91m) [3] Max Lee (HKG) bt [Q] Yuta Fukui (JPN) 11-6, 11-7, 11-2 (30m) [4] Dick Lau (HKG) bt [Q] Zahed Mohamed (EGY) 13-11, 11-8, 12-10 (49m)Harinder Pal Sandhu (IND) bt [2] Jan Koukal (CZE) 11-9, 8-11, 8-11, 11-2, 11-9 (76m)
Women’s quarter-finals:
[1] Annie Au (HKG) bt [5] Joshna Chinappa (IND) 12-10, 14-12, 11-8 (42m) [3] Dipika Pallikal (IND) bt [8] Melody Francis (AUS) 11-9, 9-11, 11-6, 11-2 (36m) [4] Lisa Camilleri (AUS) bt [7] Siti Munirah Jusoh (MAS) 11-4, 11-7, 11-4 (23m) [2] Donna Urquhart (AUS) bt Carmen Lee (HKG) 11-7, 11-4, 11-2 (21m)Sandhu Salvages Semi-Final Slot
Indian outsider Harinder Pal Sandhu recovered from 2/1 down in today’s quarter-finals of the Buler Challenge Cup to upset second seed Jan Koukal to become the only unseeded player in the men’s semi-finals of the PSA World Tour Challenger 10 event at the Hong Kong Squash Centre in Hong Kong China.
Playing in his first PSA Tour event of the year, the 22-year-old from Chennai beat 12-times Czech national champion Koukal 11-9, 8-11, 8-11, 11-2, 11-9 in 76 minutes.
Sandhu will now face Hong Kong’s No4 seed Dick Lau, who held off the challenge of Egyptian qualifierZahed Mohamed 13-11, 11-8, 12-10.
There will also be local interest in the other semi-final where third seed Max Lee lines up against favouriteAaron Frankcomb.
In his second-longest recorded match this year, Australian Frankcomb battled for 91 minutes to beat Leo Au 11-6, 12-14, 9-11, 11-9, 11-1 – and deny the crowd an all-Hong Kong semi-final in the top half of the draw.
Top seed Annie Au kept home hopes alive in the women’s WISPA World Tour 12 event when she defeated India’s fifth seed Joshna Chinappa 12-10, 14-12, 11-8.
But another Indian now stands in Au’s way to the final: Third seed Dipika Pallikal, from Chennai, was stretched for four games before overcoming Australian Melody Francis 11-9, 9-11, 11-6, 11-2.
But an Australian is sure to make the final after Lisa Camilleri and Donna Urquhart prevailed in the other quarters.
Queenslander Camilleri, the fourth seed, removed Malaysia’s Siti Munirah Jusoh 11-4, 11-7, 11-4 – while Urquhart, the second seed from New South Wales, beat unseeded Hong Kong opponent Carmen Lee 11-7, 11-4, 11-2.
Men’s semi-final line-up:
[1] Aaron Frankcomb (AUS) v [3] Max Lee (HKG)Harinder Pal Sandhu (IND) v [4] Dick Lau (HKG)
Women’s semi-final line-up:
[1] Annie Au (HKG) v [3] Dipika Pallikal (IND) [2] Donna Urquhart (AUS) v [4] Lisa Camilleri (AUS)Men’s 1st round:
[1] Aaron Frankcomb (AUS) bt Sebastian Weenink (NED) 12-10, 11-8, 11-3 (39m)Leo Au (HKG) bt Aqeel Rehman (AUT) 11-9, 11-5, 11-6 (29m)
[Q] Yuta Fukui (JPN) bt Justin Beard (AUS) 11-9, 8-11, 5-11, 11-9, 11-5 (58m) [3] Max Lee (HKG) bt Choong Kam Hing (MAS) 11-3, 15-13, 10-12, 11-5 (37m) [4] Dick Lau (HKG) bt [Q] James Huang (TPE) 11-8, 11-4, 11-9 (43m) [Q] Zahed Mohamed (EGY) bt [Q] Elvinn Keo (MAS) 11-7, 13-11, 11-6 (40m)Harinder Pal Sandhu (IND) bt Bader Al Hussaini (KUW) 10-12, 11-2, 7-11, 11-9, 12-10 (74m)
[2] Jan Koukal (CZE) bt Hon Fung Wong (HKG) 11-6, 11-8, 11-9 (23m)Women’s 1st round:
[1] Annie Au (HKG) bt [Q] Choi Uen Shan (HKG) 11-5, 11-5, 11-5 (21m) [5] Joshna Chinappa (IND) bt [Q] Siyoli Waters (RSA) 11-6, 11-5, 11-7 (24m) [3] Dipika Pallikal (IND) bt Elise Ng (HKG) 11-6, 11-3, 11-6 (23m) [8] Melody Francis (AUS) bt [Q] Yu Ra Choi (KOR) 11-4, 11-4, 11-6 (19m) [7] Siti Munirah Jusoh (MAS) bt [Q] Lee Ka Yi (HKG) 11-9, 12-10, 11-6 (29m) [4] Lisa Camilleri (AUS) bt Sarah Cardwell (AUS) 11-1, 11-1, 11-8 (23m)Carmen Lee (HKG) bt [6] Song Sun-Mi (KOR) 11-8, 11-4, 8-11, 11-8 (35m)
[2] Donna Urquhart (AUS) bt Liu Tsz-Ling (HKG) 11-3, 11-8, 11-3 (20m)
Fukui Trims Beard In Hong Kong Upset
Japanese qualifier Yuta Fukui produced the biggest upset in today’s first round of the Buler Challenge Squash Cup when he beat Australia’s Justin Beard to reach the quarter-finals of the PSA World Tour Challenger 10 event at the Hong Kong Squash Centre in Hong Kong China.
From 2/1 down, the 23-year-old from Nagoya prevailed in a tight fourth game before romping to an 11-9, 8-11, 5-11, 11-9, 11-5 victory over the Australian, ranked more than 100 places above, in 58 minutes.
Fukui will now meet local hero Max Lee, the third seed from Hong Kong who defeated Malaysian Choong Kam Hing 11-3, 15-13, 10-12, 11-5.
Top seed Annie Au delighted her local fans by taking her anticipated place in the last eight of the women’sWISPA World Tour 12 event after beating Hong Kong qualifier Choi Uen Shan 11-5, 11-5, 11-5.
But there will be surprise further Hong Kong interest in the women’s quarter-finals when unseededCarmen Lee takes on Australia’s second seed Donna Urquhart.
Lee, the 19-year-old world No71 from Hong Kong, beat sixth seed Song Sun-Mi, the world No43 from Korea, 11-8, 11-4, 8-11, 11-8.
Men’s quarter-final line-up:
[1] Aaron Frankcomb (AUS) v Leo Au (HKG) [3] Max Lee (HKG) v [Q] Yuta Fukui (JPN) [4] Dick Lau (HKG) v [Q] Zahed Mohamed (EGY) [2] Jan Koukal (CZE) v Harinder Pal Sandhu (IND)
Women’s quarter-final line-up:
[1] Annie Au (HKG) v [5] Joshna Chinappa (IND) [3] Dipika Pallikal (IND) v [8] Melody Francis (AUS) [4] Lisa Camilleri (AUS) v [7] Siti Munirah Jusoh (MAS) [2] Donna Urquhart (AUS) v Carmen Lee (HKG)