Mathieu Castagnet overcomes Cam Pilley to reach his first PSA 50 final
By NATHAN CLARKE – Squash Mad PSA Correspondent
Colombian Miguel Angel Rodriguez, the highest ranked South American squash player of all-time, will compete in one of his biggest PSA World Tour finals to date after taking out top seed Borja Golan in the semi-finals of the Open de squash Financière Banque Nationale 2014, PSA International 50 tournament in Montreal, Canada.
The World No.14 from Bogota, who’s only previous victory in a PSA International 50 tournament came in his home town this summer, will be aiming to win his third title so far in 2014 and will go into the final in confident form having scalped World No.7 Golan.
Fans in Montreal were treated to a marathon encounter between the duo, who were meeting for the eighth time on the PSA World Tour, as they took each other to the brink in a 107-minute duel that saw Rodriguez storm into an early two-game lead before Golan, the 31-year-old from Santiago De Compostela, fought back to level the match and force a decisive fifth game.
However, it was the dynamic Colombian who asserted his dominance to win 11-6, 11-6, 10-12, 11-13, 11-4 and book his place in the final where Frenchman Mathieu Castagnet lies in wait, after the 27-year-old recorded his third consecutive PSA World Tour victory over Australian No.1 Cameron Pilley.
Castagnet saw off Pilley 11-8, 6-11, 11-7, 12-10 in a difficult 85-minute match-up that sees him progress to the final of an International 50 event for the first time in his career.
Open de squash Financière Banque Nationale 2014, Montreal, Canada.
Semi-Finals:
[3] Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL) bt [1] Borja Golan (ESP) 3-2: 11-6, 11-6, 10-12, 11-13, 11-4 [107m]
[4] Mathieu Castagnet (FRA) bt [5] Cameron Pilley (AUS) 3-1: 11-8, 6-11, 11-7, 12-10 [85m]
Final:
[3] Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL) v [4] Mathieu Castagnet (FRA)
Pictures courtesy of PSAÂ