Qualifier powers through to beat home hope Le Roux in Cape final
By Squash Mad Correspondent
The extraordinary squash career of Englishman Oliver Pett reached another milestone in South Africa today when the 25-year-old qualifier overturned top-seeded local hero Shaun le Roux in the final of the Keith Grainger Memorial UCT Open Squash Championship to win the third PSA World Tour title of his career – all of which he achieved unseeded!
The extraordinary squash career of Englishman Oliver Pett reached another milestone in South Africa today when the 25-year-old qualifier overturned top-seeded local hero Shaun le Roux in the final of the Keith Grainger Memorial UCT Open Squash Championship to win the third PSA World Tour title of his career – all of which he achieved unseeded!
The Sussex man, now based in Gosport in Hampshire, was competing in only his third event in three weeks following his return to the international circuit after taking a year off.
It was a straight games semi-final upset victory over Pakistan’s No2 seed Tayyab Aslam that took Pett (pictured below, foreground, in action with Le Roux) into the final of the PSA Challenger 5 event marking its second year at the University of Cape Town in Cape Town.
Cape Town-born Le Roux, the defending champion ranked 54 in the world, marched in to the final – his third in succession on the PSA Tour and looking for his third win – after downing England’s No4 seed Nathan Lake in four games.
“It was an epic final that was watched by a packed crowd of enthusiastic supporters,” said tournament promoter Kerr Rogers. “The first game lasted 22 minutes with Oliver winning 11-9, followed by 11-5 and a nail biting 12-10 in the third with Shaun a few game points up not able to finish off the game.
“Credit to Oliver for remaining patient and forcing the error with intense pressure squash. Oliver gave an emotional response at the prize-giving, thanking various sponsors and friends for all their support over the past year, which has been the toughest one for him, with a special mention of his mother who is fighting cancer in England.”
Pett’s latest success follows his maiden Tour title triumph at the Windy City Open in Chicago, USA, in February 2011 – when he was also a qualifier, yet overturned both the top two seeds en-route to the title – and later in April the same year when he lifted the West of Ireland Open trophy, unseeded, after upsets over the No1 and No3 seeds.
The UCT Open was held in the memory of young squash player Keith Grainger, who died in 2001. He was the brother of former women’s world No.1 Natalie Grainger.
Keith Grainger Memorial UCT Open Squash Championship, Cape Town, South Africa:
1st round:
[1] Shaun le Roux (RSA) bt [Q] Paul Atkinson (RSA) 11-4, 11-2, 11-2 (28m)
[Q] Rudi Willemse (RSA) bt Haseeb Gul (PAK) 11-1, 11-6, 11-8 (23m)
[Q] Hossam Nasser (EGY) bt Nasr Khan (PAK) 11-0, 11-5, 11-8 (15m)
[7] Thoboki Mohohlo (RSA) bt Mubarak Mohsin (UAE) 10-12, 11-2, 13-11, 11-3 (40m)
[Q] Ahsan Ayaz (PAK) bt [8] Anthony Graham (ENG) 11-9, 11-1 ret. (20m)
Amaad Fareed (PAK) bt [WC] Munro Montanus (RSA) 11-6, 11-4, 11-4 (20m)
[Q] Gary Wheadon (RSA) bt Tristan Eysele (ENG) 11-4, 11-3, 3-11, 11-9
[4] Nathan Lake (ENG) bt Jonathan Maloney (ENG) 11-6, 11-6, 11-2
Shehab Essam Hosny (EGY) bt [3] Tom Ford (ENG) 11-3, 11-9, 11-9 (35m)
Jean-Pierre Brits (RSA) bt Courtney West (AUS) 11-2, 11-5, 11-2 (25m)
[Q] Oliver Pett (ENG) bt Gareth Naidoo (RSA) 11-5, 11-5, 11-1 (29m)
[5] Alex Ingham (ENG) bt Diego Gobbi (BRA) 11-6, 11-7, 11-2 (25m)
[6] Muhammad Saqib Yousaf (PAK) bt Marc ter Sluis (NED) 11-8, 3-11, 8-11, 11-3, 11-4 (75m)
[Q] Rodney Durbach (RSA) bt Baba Tunde Ajagbe (NGR) 11-6, 8-11, 11-6, 11-9 (44m)
Arthur Moineau (FRA) bt [Q] Aaron Fuchs (RSA) 11-7, 11-6, 11-5 (25m)
[2] Tayyab Aslam (PAK) bt Kyle Maree (RSA) 11-5, 11-3, 11-8
2nd round:
[1] Shaun le Roux (RSA) bt [Q] Rudi Willemse (RSA) 11-6, 11-7, 11-4 (30m)
[7] Thoboki Mohohlo (RSA) bt [Q] Hossam Nasser (EGY) 11-7, 11-8, 4-11, 2-11, 11-7 (50m)
Amaad Fareed (PAK) bt [Q] Ahsan Ayaz (PAK) 11-7, 11-8, 8-11, 10-12, 11-6 (80m)
[4] Nathan Lake (ENG) bt [Q] Gary Wheadon (RSA) 11-7, 11-3, 11-9 (42m)
Shehab Essam Hosny (EGY) bt Jean-Pierre Brits (RSA) 11-2, 11-4, 11-6 (28m)
[Q] Oliver Pett (ENG) bt [5] Alex Ingham (ENG) 11-9, 11-2, 11-8 (37m)
[Q] Rodney Durbach (RSA) bt [6] Muhammad Saqib Yousaf (PAK) 11-5, 7-11, 11-9, 7-11, 13-11 (70m)
[2] Tayyab Aslam (PAK) bt Arthur Moineau (FRA) 11-8, 11-6, 11-3 (28m)
Quarter-finals:
[1] Shaun le Roux (RSA) bt [7] Thoboki Mohohlo (RSA) 11-6, 11-0, 11-7 (25m)
[4] Nathan Lake (ENG) bt Amaad Fareed (PAK) 11-8, 11-4, 8-11, 11-8 (70m)
[Q] Oliver Pett (ENG) bt Shehab Essam Hosny (EGY) 11-8, 12-10, 8-11, 11-7 (70m)
[2] Tayyab Aslam (PAK) bt [Q] Rodney Durbach (RSA) 11-9, 11-8, 7-11, 14-12 (63m)
Semi-finals:
[1] Shaun le Roux (RSA) bt [4] Nathan Lake (ENG) 11-6, 8-11, 11-6, 11-4 (65m)
[Q] Oliver Pett (ENG) bt [2] Tayyab Aslam (PAK) 11-2, 11-9, 11-9 (35m)
Final:
[Q] Oliver Pett (ENG) bt [1] Shaun le Roux (RSA) 11-9, 11-5, 12-10 (60m)
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