Home Hero Golan Celebrates Santiago Success
23 October 2011
RESULTS: PSA International 25 Santiago Open, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Final:
[3] Borja Golan (ESP) bt [1] Adrian Grant (ENG) 14-12, 11-0, 8-11, 11-6 (76m)
Home town hero Borja Golan delighted the packed crowd at the Shopping Center Area Central in Santiago de Compostela in Spain when he upset England’s top seed Adrian Grant in the final of the Santiago Open to reclaim thePSA World Tour International 25 squash title he last won in 2008.
The triumph marks Golan’s biggest PSA Tour title success since the former world No10, Spain’s highest-ranked player of all-time, underwent major knee surgery in 2009.
The third seed, born and raised in Santiago, dropped just one game en-route to the final where he met Grant, the defending champion from London who was celebrating his third successive appearance in the event’s climax.
Golan survived the lengthy opening game after a tie-break – then moved 2/0 up after taking the second in a whitewash.
But Grant, the world No17 – ranked almost 20 places higher than his opponent – regrouped to reduce the deficit after the third.
Undoubtedly spurred on by the partisan crowd, however, Golan regained the upper hand in the fourth before closing out the match 14-12, 11-0, 8-11, 11-6.
The popular win extends Golan’s impressive PSA World Tour record to 24 title triumphs from 33 final appearances.
SEMI-FINALS:
Grant & Golan Reach Santiago Final
22 October 2011
RESULTS: PSA International 25 Santiago Open, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Semi-finals:
[1] Adrian Grant (ENG) bt Gregoire Marche (FRA) 8-11, 11-9, 11-4, 11-2 (49m)
[3] Borja Golan (ESP) bt [Q] Olivier Pett (ENG) 7-11, 11-7, 11-4, 11-6 (60m)
England’s defending champion Adrian Grant reached the final of the Santiago Open for the third year in a row – and will meet local hero and former champion Borja Golan in the climax of the PSA World Tour International 25 squash event at Shopping Center Area Central in Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
In a repeat of his first round match in Santiago last year, Londoner Grant took on Gregoire Marche. The Frenchman stretched Grant to five games in their 2010 clash, but this time the top-seeded Englishman had the measure of his lower-ranked opponent in four games, winning 8-11, 11-9, 11-4, 11-2.
World No17 Grant is celebrating the 27th PSA Tour final appearance of his career, and his second this year.
This seed Golan, born and raised in Santiago, is marking his fourth appearance in his hometown Tour event since 2007. After winning the title in 2008, he was forced to miss out the following year after undergoing major knee surgery.
The 28-year-old former world No10 – Spain’s highest-ranked player of all-time – faced Olivier Pett, a qualifier from England who upset second seed Stephen Coppinger in the quarter-finals.
Pett took the opening game, but – cheered on by the partisan crowd – Golan, now ranked 36 in the world, regained the upper hand to close out the match 7-11, 11-7, 11-4, 11-6.
The triumph takes Golan into the 33rd PSA Tour final of his career – but the second this month after winning the Valencia Open, also in Spain, two weeks ago.
Quarter-finals:
[1] Adrian Grant (ENG) bt Campbell Grayson (NZL) 9-11, 11-7, 8-11, 11-6, 11-9 (77m)
Gregoire Marche (FRA) bt Jan Koukal (CZE) 10-12, 11-3, 11-8, 11-7 (49m)
[3] Borja Golan (ESP) bt Carlos Cornes Ribadas (ESP) 11-5, 11-4, 11-1 (24m)
[Q] Olivier Pett (ENG) bt [2] Stephen Coppinger (RSA) 8-11, 11-4, 11-5, 18-16 (57m)
English qualifier Olivier Pett continued his giant-killing run in the Santiago Open in Spain when he upset second seedStephen Coppinger to reach the semi-finals of the PSA World Tour International 25 squash event at Shopping Center Area Central in Santiago de Compostela.
It was 24 hours earlier – on his 23rd birthday – that Pett made his breakthrough by beating higher-ranked fellow countrymanAdrian Waller to secure a surprise place in the quarter-finals
But the world No87 from Sussex secured one of the biggest scalps of his career when he recovered from a game down to beat South African number one Coppinger, ranked more than 50 places higher, 8-11, 11-4, 11-5, 18-16.
Pett now faces local hero Borja Golan, the top-ranked Spaniard from Santiago de Compostela who downed club-mateCarlos Cornes Ribadas, the event’s wildcard, 11-5, 11-4, 11-1.
There will also be English interest in the other semi-final where top seed Adrian Grant takes on Frenchman Gregoire Marche. Londoner Grant, the defending champion looking to make the final for the third year in a row, twice had to fight back from behind to see off New Zealander Campbell Grayson 9-11, 11-7, 8-11, 11-6, 11-9.
Unseeded Marche maintained his impressive Santiago run by following his first round upset over fourth seed Chris Simpsonwith a 10-12, 11-3, 11-8, 11-7 victory over higher-ranked Czech number one Jan Koukal.
Semi-final line-up:
[1] Adrian Grant (ENG) v Gregoire Marche (FRA)
[Q] Olivier Pett (ENG) v [3] Borja Golan (ESP)
thday Boy Pett Scores In Santiago
20 October 2011
RESULTS: PSA International 25 Santiago Open, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
1st round:
[1] Adrian Grant (ENG) bt Stephane Galifi (ITA) 11-5, 9-11, 11-4, 11-7 (50m)
Campbell Grayson (NZL) bt Mathieu Castagnet (FRA) 11-9, 11-5, 11-4 (35m)
Jan Koukal (CZE) bt [Q] Charles Sharpes (ENG) 10-12, 11-7, 11-1, 11-4 (33m)
Gregoire Marche (FRA) bt [4] Chris Simpson (ENG) 8-11, 11-5, 11-8, 4-11, 11-8 (66m)
[3] Borja Golan (ESP) bt [Q] Joe Lee (ENG) 11-7, 11-3, 11-6 (41m)
Carlos Cornes Ribadas (ESP) bt Mark Krajcsak (HUN) 11-7, 6-11, 3-11, 13-11, 12-10 (63m)
[Q] Olivier Pett (ENG) bt Adrian Waller (ENG) 8-11, 11-5, 11-7, 11-8 (56m)
[2] Stephen Coppinger (RSA) bt [Q] Fabien Verseille (FRA) 11-5, 11-4, 11-2 (15m)
English qualifier Olivier Pett celebrated his 23rd birthday in fine style in the first round of the Santiago Open in Spain when he upset fellow countryman Adrian Waller to secure a surprise place in the quarter-finals of the PSA World Tour International 25 squash event at Shopping Center Area Central in Santiago de Compostela.
Pett, from Sussex, battled back from a game down to beat 21-year-old Waller, ranked 32 places higher, 8-11, 11-5, 11-7, 11-8 in 56 minutes.
But it was Frenchman Gregoire Marche who earned the biggest scalp when he despatched England’s No4 seed Chris Simpson 8-11, 11-5, 11-8, 4-11, 11-8.
The unseeded 21-year-old from Aix-en-Provence goes on to meet Czech number one Jan Koukal, who beat English qualifier Charles Sharpes 10-12, 11-7, 11-1, 11-4.
And wildcard Carlos Cornes Ribadas set up a dream all-Santiago quarter-final clash when he stunned experienced Hungarian Mark Krajcsak 11-7, 6-11, 3-11, 13-11, 12-10.
Ranked outside the world top 400, 22-year-old Santiago club hero Cornes now faces Santiago-born and raised Borja Golan, the top-ranked Spaniard.
Third seed Golan, the event’s champion in 2008, ousted English qualifier Joe Lee 11-7, 11-3, 11-6.
Quarter-final line-up:
[1] Adrian Grant (ENG) v Campbell Grayson (NZL)
Gregoire Marche (FRA) v Jan Koukal (CZE)
[3] Borja Golan (ESP) v Carlos Cornes Ribadas (ESP)
[2] Stephen Coppinger (RSA) v [Q] Olivier Pett (ENG)
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WISPA Santiago Open
Birgit Coufal beat Lisa Aitken in the Santiago Open final after both players’ ejected higher seeds during Friday’s semi-finals.
Fifth seed Coufal beat the tournament favourite Alexandra Norman 11-2, 11-9, 5-11, 11-4 in 22 minutes.
Final:
[5] Birgit Coufal (AUT) bt [3] Lisa Aitken (SCO) 11/9, 11/7, 11/5 (21mins)Semi-finals:
[3] Lisa Aitken (SCO) bt [2] Siyoli Waters (RSA) – 11/7, 11/9, 11/5 (18mins) [5] Birgit Coufal (AUT) bt [1] Alexandra Norman (CAN) – 11/2, 11/9, 11/4 (22mins)