Frost wins fourth 2015 title in Gibraltar
By HOWARD HARDING – Squash Mad Correspondent
Danish squash star Kristian Frost Olesen produced a sensational fourth title triumph in only his fifth appearance in the main draw of a PSA World Tour event this year when he lifted the Gibraltar Open trophy.
It was after surviving a 100-minute semi-final battle with Jan Koukal, the No.3 seed, that the second-seeded Dane faced Spaniard Alejandro Garbi Caro in the final of the PSA Challenger 5 event in its fourth year at The Squash Centre in Gibraltar.
Caro, the 32-year-old No.4 seed from Valencia, made his breakthrough in the other semi where he upset top-seeded Dutchman Piedro Schweertman in four games.
But despite his energy-sapping marathon less than 24 hours earlier, the Danish champion Olesen despatched Caro 11-6, 11-4, 11-4 in 44 minutes to win the 13th Tour title of his career.
The 26-year-old from Odense also becomes the first player to win four PSA Tour titles in 2015.
$5,000 Men’s Gibraltar Open 2015, The Squash Centre, Gibraltar (June 25-27, 20150
Final:
[2] Kristian Frost Olesen (DEN) bt [4] Alejandro Garbi Caro (ESP) 11-6, 11-4, 11-4 (44m)
Semi-finals:
[4] Alejandro Garbi Caro (ESP) bt [1] Piedro Schweertman (NED) 11-4, 11-1, 10-12, 11-7 (55m)
[2] Kristian Frost Olesen (DEN) bt [3] Jan Koukal (CZE) 11-6, 12-10, 4-11, 11-5 (100m)
Quarter-finals:
[1] Piedro Schweertman (NED) bt [6] Lyell Fuller (ENG) 6-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-5 (45m)
[4] Alejandro Garbi Caro (ESP) bt [8] Jakob Dirnberger (AUT) 11-8, 10-12, 11-1, 11-2 (38m)
[3] Jan Koukal (CZE) bt [7] Iker Pajares Bernabeu (ESP) 12-10, 11-8, 11-7 (62m)
[2] Kristian Frost Olesen (DEN) bt [5] Robert Downer (ENG) 11-4, 11-6, 11-3 (44m)
1st round:
[1] Piedro Schweertman (NED) bt Daniel Mekbib (CZE) 11-5, 11-4, 11-5 (28m)
[6] Lyell Fuller (ENG) bt [Q] David Haley (WAL) 11-4, 13-11, 11-9 (50m)
[8] Jakob Dirnberger (AUT) bt [Q] Julian Tomlinson (ENG) 11-6, 11-9, 11-1 (39m)
[4] Alejandro Garbi Caro (ESP) bt Claudio Pinto (POR) 11-9, 11-5, 13-15, 11-4 (55m)
[3] Jan Koukal (CZE) bt [Q] Mike Lewis (USA) 11-5, 11-8, 11-6 (26m)
[7] Iker Pajares Bernabeu (ESP) bt Bernat Jaume (ESP) 11-7, 11-2, 11-8 (30m)
[5] Robert Downer (ENG) bt [WC] Anthony Brindle (GIB) 11-2, 11-8, 11-9 (31m)
[2] Kristian Frost Olesen (DEN) bt [Q] Nick Mulvey (ENG) 11-5, 11-2, 11-5 (31m)
Qualifying finals:
Mike Lewis (USA) bt Mark Tewkesbury (GIB) 11-8, 11-5, 11-4 (29m)
David Haley (WAL) bt Pablo Rawden (ENG) 11-7, 13-11, 11-9
Julian Tomlinson (ENG) bt Robert Dadds (ENG) 11-7, 11-8, 11-4 (39m)
Nick Mulvey (ENG) bt Phil Nightingale (ENG) 11-6, 11-9, 11-0 (36m)
1st qualifying round:
Mike Lewis (USA) bt Lenny Westover (SUI) 11-4, 11-3, 11-6 (21m)
Mark Tewkesbury (GIB) bt Thomas Dasilva (GIB) 11-6, 11-9, 11-4 (22m)
David Haley (WAL) bt Christian Navas (GIB) 11-7, 13-11, 11-9 (19m)
Pablo Rawden (ENG) bt Phil Ashman (GIB) 11-7, 15-13, 8-11, 10-12, 11-8 (40m)
Julian Tomlinson (ENG) bt Adam Newnham (GIB) 11-3, 11-3, 11-4 (15m)
Robert Dadds (ENG) bt Ian Clark (GIB) 11-5, 11-5, 11-3 (18m)
Nick Mulvey (ENG) bt Stephen Shacaluga (GIB) 11-7, 11-6, 12-10 (25m)
Phil Nightingale (ENG) bt Carl Gomez (GIB) 11-2, 11-4, 11-4 (20m)
Picture by KIM ROBERTS