Coll enjoys trip back home to NZ
By SEAN REUTHE
New Zealand’s Paul Coll claimed a third successive PSA World Tour title after overcoming Hong Kong’s Tsz Fung Yip in the final of the ILT – Community Trust NZ Southern Invercargill Open, PSA M15 tournament held in the Squash City club in Invercargill.
Top seed Coll came into the event following back-to-back victories on home soil at the Fitzherbert Rowe Lawyers New Zealand PSA Classic and the Squashways Christchurch Open, and dropped just one game, against semi-final opponent Rex Hedrick, en route to the final.
Fung Yip, meanwhile, was also in fine fettle in the build up to the showpiece finale, and the number two seed followed up wins over Evan Williams and Joshua Larkin by triumphing over the in-form Englishman Angus Gillams in the last four.
It was Fung Yip who started the brighter of the two, and the World No.49 went 6-3 up in game one, before Coll found his range and rattled off eight points in succession to go 1-0 up.
A dominant display from Greymouth-born Coll then saw him concede just three points in the second game as he doubled his advantage.
Fung Yip dug in his heels though, and won the battle of wills in the third after overturning a match ball for Coll to claw a game back and send the match into a highly-charged fourth game.
A vociferous crowd was treated to a series of gruelling rallies which saw both players exhibit great energy, athleticism and agility as they sought to push each other to the limit.
Coll, the World No.34, came out on top in the crucial moments and snuck ahead towards the end of the game to close out a hard-fought 11-6, 11-3, 13-15, 11-8 victory in 54 minutes to lift his 11th PSA World Tour title and extend his unbeaten run to 12 matches.
PSA M15 ILT Community Trust Invercargill NZ Southern Open 2016, Squash City, Invercargill, New Zealand.
Final:
[1] Paul Coll (NZL) bt [2] Tsz Fung Yip (HKG) 11-6, 11-3, 13-15, 11-8 (54m)
Semi-finals:
[1] Paul Coll (NZL) bt [3] Rex Hedrick (AUS) 11-4, 9-11, 11-4, 11-4 (60m)
[2] Tsz Fung Yip (HKG) bt [4] Angus Gillams (ENG) 11-9, 11-6, 9-11, 11-2 (34m)
Quarter-finals:
[1] Paul Coll (NZL) bt [7] Joshua Masters (ENG) 11-5, 11-8, 11-1 (31m)
[3] Rex Hedrick (AUS) bt [5] Peter Creed (WAL) 11-7, 11-2, 11-8 (36m)
[4] Angus Gillams (ENG) bt [8] James Huang (TPE) 11-3, 11-5, 10-12, 11-3 (46m)
[2] Tsz Fung Yip (HKG) bt [6] Joshua Larkin (AUS) 11-6, 11-5, 11-8 (36m)
1st round:
[1] Paul Coll (NZL) bt Lance Beddoes (NZL) 11-1, 11-4, 11-3 (23m)
[7] Joshua Masters (ENG) bt [Q] Rhys Dowling (AUS) 9-11, 11-13, 11-7, 11-8, 11-5 (62m)
[5] Peter Creed (WAL) bt [WC] Ben Grindrod (NZL) 11-8, 11-6, 11-4 (28m)
[3] Rex Hedrick (AUS) bt [Q] Ashley Davies (ENG) 5-11, 11-7, 11-9, 11-9 (60m)
[4] Angus Gillams (ENG) bt [Q] Sion Wiggin (NZL) 11-4, 11-2, 11-6 (21m)
[8] James Huang (TPE) bt [Q] Mohd Syafiq Kamal (MAS) 11-7, 11-9, 11-7 (21m)
[6] Joshua Larkin (AUS) bt Matias Tuomi (FIN) 11-1, 11-4, 11-4 (35m)
[2] Tsz Fung Yip (HKG) bt Evan Williams (NZL) 11-5, 11-4, 11-7 (29m)
Qualifying finals:
Ashley Davies (ENG) bt Mitchell Kempton (NZL) 11-6, 11-8, 11-9
Rhys Dowling (AUS) bt Luke Jones (NZL) 10-12, 11-7, 11-5, 11-5
Sion Wiggin (NZL) bt Elliot Selby (ENG) 11-9, 11-6, 6-11, 11-9
Mohd Syafiq Kamal (MAS) bt Scott Galloway (NZL) 12-10, 11-8, 7-11, 12-10
1st qualifying round:
Ashley Davies (ENG) bye
Mitchell Kempton (NZL) bt Regan McNaught (NZL) 14-12, 11-7, 11-8
Luke Jones (NZL) bt Adrian Mennell (NZL) 12-10, 11-6, 11-6
Rhys Dowling (AUS) bye
Elliot Selby (ENG) bye
Sion Wiggin (NZL) bt Shane Hatwell (NZL) 11-7, 11-8, 11-1
Scott Galloway (NZL) bt Brendan Frew (NZL) 11-8, 11-9, 3-11, 11-6
Mohd Syafiq Kamal (MAS) bye
Pictures courtesy of PSA