All-New Zealand decider as Coll and Williams make Australia Day final
By Squash Mad Reporter in Australia
New Zealander Paul Coll disappointed home hopes for the third year in a row when he lifted the Australia Day Challenge squash title at Ipswich PCYC Squash Centre in the Australian state of Queensland.
Coll, the 22-year-old World No.80 from Christchurch, was favourite to win the PSA Challenger 5 event for the third time since 2013 – and duly reached the final without dropping a game.
And to make matters even more galling for local hopes it was an all-Kiwi final which brought the event to a climax after unseeded Evan Williams recorded his best run since returning to the Tour after a year-long layoff following a wrist injury.
The 25-year-old from Wellington made his breakthrough in the quarter-finals where he ousted second-seeded Australian hope Matthew Hopkin. In the semis, the former World No.79 despatched fellow countryman Kashif Shuja, the fourth seed.
Williams then took the opening two games in the final to establish a surpass lead, but Coll – who had never before beaten his close friend – regained the upper hand to clinch the match 4-11, 10-12, 11-4, 11-6, 11-3 in 72 minutes.
“It was a bit tougher than last year’s final, given I won last year 3/0, and this one went to five,” Coll said.
“I had never beaten him, I always find him tough to play. It’s good to finally get one over him, but I’m also really happy just to see him coming back from injury.”
The triumph marks the fourth PSA World Tour title of Coll’s career.
RESULTS: PSA Challenger 5 Australia Day Challenge, Ipswich, Queensland, Australia
1st round:
Mithran Selvaratnam (MAS) bt [Q] Lachlan Coxsedge (AUS) 11-6, 11-1, 11-6
Solayman Nowrozi (AUS) bt [Q] Nicholas Calvert (AUS) 11-7, 11-4, 11-2
[7] Chris van der Salm (NZL) bt TJ French (AUS)
11-6, 11-8, 11-9
[Q] Matthew Karwalski (AUS) bt [8] Darcy Evans (AUS)
11-5, 11-4, 11-3
Joseph White (AUS) bt [Q] Josh Foyle (AUS)
11-1, 11-9, 11-4
[Q] Bradley Freeme (AUS) bt Joel Luca (AUS)
12-10, 11-6, 11-9
[4] Kashif Shuja (NZL) bt Rohan Toole (AUS)
11-6, 11-9, 11-4
Ben Takamizawa Harris (JPN) bt Taylor Horton (NZL)
11-8, 11-6, 12-14, 11-4
Dominique Ratcliffe (AUS) bt Jesse Keegan (AUS)
1-11, 11-6, 11-9, 11-9
[5] Rhys Dowling (AUS) bt [Q] Craig Rowland (AUS)
w/o
[6] Thomas Calvert (AUS) bt [Q] William Mountford-Jones (AUS) 11-3, 11-1, 11-3
Evan Williams (NZL) bt Alex Eustace (AUS)
11-4, 11-3, 11-9
[Q] Jon van der Kreek (AUS) bt Jason van der Walt (NZL)
11-7, 11-8, 12-10
2nd round:
[1] Paul Coll (NZL) bt Mithran Selvaratnam (MAS)
11-4, 11-3, 11-6 (25m)
[7] Chris van der Salm (NZL) bt Solayman Nowrozi (AUS)
11-8, 11-6, 10-12, 12-10 (45m)
[Q] Matthew Karwalski (AUS) bt Joseph White (AUS)
12-10, 11-3, 11-2 (25m)
[3] Joshua Larkin (AUS) bt [Q] Bradley Freeme (AUS)
11-8, 11-5, 11-4 (37m)
[4] Kashif Shuja (NZL) bt Ben Takamizawa Harris (JPN)
11-8, 11-8, 9-11, 11-5 (28m)
[5] Rhys Dowling (AUS) bt Dominique Ratcliffe (AUS)
11-4, 11-6, 13-11 (24m)
Evan Williams (NZL) bt [6] Thomas Calvert (AUS)
14-12, 11-9, 11-6 (40m)
[2] Matthew Hopkin (AUS) bt [Q] Jon van der Kreek (AUS)
11-0, 11-8, 11-4 (20m)
Quarter-finals:
[1] Paul Coll (NZL) bt [7] Chris van der Salm (NZL)
11-4, 11-9, 16-14 (46m)
[Q] Matthew Karwalski (AUS) bt [3] Joshua Larkin (AUS)
9-11, 11-5, 11-6, 11-8 (45m)
[4] Kashif Shuja (NZL) bt [5] Rhys Dowling (AUS)
11-7, 11-13, 11-4, 11-7 (45m)
Evan Williams (NZL) bt [2] Matthew Hopkin (AUS)
11-9, 11-9, 11-9 (43m)
Semi-finals:
[1] Paul Coll (NZL) bt [Q] Matthew Karwalski (AUS)
11-5, 11-9, 11-6 (33m)
Evan Williams (NZL) bt [4] Kashif Shuja (NZL)
7-11, 11-8, 11-3, 11-8 (43m)
Final:
[1] Paul Coll (NZL) bt Evan Williams (NZL)
4-11, 10-12, 11-4, 11-6, 11-3 (72m)