Hong Kong number one beats Malaysian rival Adnan to keep winning run going
By Squash Mad Australia Special Correspondent
Hong Kong number one Max Lee established his longest winning streak on the PSA World Tour today in Australia when he won the Victorian Open, the PSA Challenger 15 squash event at the Melbourne Sports & Aquatic Centre in Melbourne.
The 26-year-old World No.25 began his Melbourne campaign after title success in his previous Tour event, the HKFC International on home soil in May.
Lee reached the final – his 12th on the PSA Tour – without dropping a game. Awaiting the top seed was Malaysian Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan, the No.2 seed who had been taken the full distance in the other semi-final before prevailing over fourth-seeded New Zealander Martin Knight after 89 minutes.
Adnan boasted a 2/1 career head-to-head advantage over Lee going into the final, but the Hong Kong champion had the upper-hand in the previous meeting more than two years earlier – and repeated his straight games success with a commanding 11-9, 11-3, 11-5 victory in 44 minutes.
Lee received his trophy from Australian legend Geoff Hunt, the eight-time British Open champion and four-time World champion (both pictured below).
The title triumph brings up the ninth Tour title of Lee’s career – and marks his longest winning Tour streak of nine matches without defeat.
PSA Challenger 15 Victorian Open, Melbourne, Australia
1st round:
[1] Max Lee (HKG) bt Chi Him Wong (HKG) 11-9, 11-8, 11-7 (28m)
Pablo Rawden (ENG) bt [Q] Tyler Hawkins (AUS) 12-10, 11-4, 11-3 (21m)
Joshua Larkin (AUS) bt [Q] Mike Lewis (USA) 11-5, 11-7, 11-7 (28m)
[7] Matthew Karwalski (AUS) bt Sanjay Singh (MAS) 11-9, 11-7, 11-5 (29m)
[8] Paul Coll (NZL) bt [Q] Cameron White (AUS) 6-11, 11-5, 11-5, 11-2 (42m)
[WC] Matthew Hopkin (AUS) bt Cheuk Yan Tang (HKG) 11-7, 11-9, 9-11, 11-8 (49m)
Lance Beddoes (NZL) bt [Q] David Crossley (AUS) 11-3, 11-3, 11-6 (16m)
[3] Leo Au (HKG) bt Ben Grindrod (NZL) 11-9, 11-4, 11-0 (31m)
[4] Martin Knight (NZL) bt [Q] Sam Ejtemai (AUS) 11-8, 11-5, 11-2 (27m)
Tsz Fung Yip (HKG) bt [Q] Mohd Syafiq Kamal (MAS) 11-8, 5-11, 11-5, 14-12 (46m)
Addeen Idrakie (MAS) bt Hannan Tarmidi (MAS) 9-11, 12-10, 11-9, 11-8 (54m)
[5] Rex Hedrick (AUS) bt Rhys Dowling (AUS) 11-5, 11-3, 11-2 (32m)
[6] Ivan Yuen (MAS) bt James Huang (TPE) 11-9, 7-11, 11-9, 11-6 (41m)
Arthur Moineau (FRA) bt [Q] David Clegg (AUS) 11-9, 11-4, 11-2 (17m)
Joe Chapman (IVB) bt [Q] Alex Eustace (AUS) 11-2, 11-5, 11-7 (26m)
[2] Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan (MAS) bt Thomas Calvert (AUS) 11-4, 11-6, 11-6 (30m)
2nd round:
[1] Max Lee (HKG) bt Pablo Rawden (ENG) 11-5, 11-5, 14-12 (29m)
[7] Matthew Karwalski (AUS) bt Joshua Larkin (AUS) 12-10, 11-5, 9-11, 11-6 (41m)
[WC] Matthew Hopkin (AUS) bt [8] Paul Coll (NZL) 11-6, 11-6 ret. (10m)
[3] Leo Au (HKG) bt Lance Beddoes (NZL) 11-4, 11-6, 9-11, 11-7 (55m)
[4] Martin Knight (NZL) bt Tsz Fung Yip (HKG) 9-11, 11-1, 11-4, 11-6 (45m)
[5] Rex Hedrick (AUS) bt Addeen Idrakie (MAS) 11-3, 11-2, 11-1 (31m)
[6] Ivan Yuen (MAS) bt Arthur Moineau (FRA) 11-8, 10-12, 11-5, 7-11, 11-6 (55m)
[2] Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan (MAS) bt Joe Chapman (IVB) 11-4, 11-6, 11-7 (33m)
Quarter-finals:
[1] Max Lee (HKG) bt [7] Matthew Karwalski (AUS) 11-7, 11-1, 11-8 (36m)
[3] Leo Au (HKG) bt [WC] Matthew Hopkin (AUS) 6-11, 11-3, 12-10, 11-7 (52m)
[4] Martin Knight (NZL) bt [5] Rex Hedrick (AUS) 11-9, 11-9, 11-2 (68m)
[2] Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan (MAS) bt [6] Ivan Yuen (MAS) 11-6, 11-9, 13-11 (51m)
Semi-finals:
[1] Max Lee (HKG) bt [3] Leo Au (HKG) 11-9, 11-9, 12-10 (60m)
[2] Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan (MAS) bt [4] Martin Knight (NZL) 11-5, 14-12, 9-11, 10-12, 11-7 (89m)
Final:
[1] Max Lee (HKG) bt [2] Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan (MAS) 11-9, 11-3, 11-5 (44m)
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Picture courtesy of PSA