Part-timer Zac still too hot for rival pros in Mackay Open
By ROSS SOLLY and SEAN REUTHE
Top seed Zac Alexander captured the Mackay Open, PSA M5 title on home soil with a hard-fought straight games triumph over fellow Australian and number two seed Joshua Larkin to capture a second successive PSA World Tour crown.
Self-prescribed part-time player Alexander again showed his quality with a hard-fought win in Queensland. And 21-year-old Vanessa Chu from Hong Kong, a regular on the Australian tour in recent years, broke through for a much deserved title with a 3-1 over Australian top seed, Sarah Cardwell.
Alexander announced after this year’s Australian Open that he would be focusing less on playing and more on coaching, but has since gone out and won both Australian tour events he contested.
He had a solid run through the NSW Open, clinching the final over Scotland’s Douglas Kempsell in straight games, and then dropped just one game on his way to victory in Mackay.
World No.91 Alexander booked his place in the showpiece event with a fine 3-1 victory over compatriot Rhys Dowling while Larkin overcame a 2-1 deficit to move past England’s Adam Murrills in his semi-final fixture.
A number of long, gut-busting rallies set the tone in the early stages as both players patiently probed for an opening, with Alexander eventually taking the first game by a 12-10 margin.
The 26-year-old remained consistent in the second as he kept his opponent at arm’s-length for the majority of the game to double his advantage.
Game number three was the closest of the lot as Larkin redoubled his attempts to find a chink in Alexander’s armour. However, the latter stayed strong to complete a 12-10, 11-8, 14-12 victory, securing a 16th PSA World Tour title in the process.
Malaysia’s Vanessa Chu secured her third PSA World Tour title of 2015 with a 3-1 triumph over home favourite and number one seed Sarah Cardwell in the final of the Mackay Open, PSA W5 tournament.
The number two seed failed to drop a game as she stormed into the final, seeing off England’s Anna Kimberley in the previous round. Cardwell, who reached the final of this event last year, was similarly impressive, although she did face resistance from Tong Tsz-Wing in the semi-final where she eventually prevailed in four games.
Chu adapted well to the warm conditions on court but was still pegged close by Cardwell in an opening game that went all the way to a tie-break. After taking the first game by a 12-10 scoreline, Chu pressed on in the second and doubled her lead after mixing up the pace of her game well to dictate the tempo.
A resilient Cardwell, playing in front of a partizan crowd on home soil, reversed her fortunes in the third, winning 11-9 to set up a grandstand finish.
Chu came out all guns blazing though in the fourth, working Cardwell into all four corners of the court to claim a gritty 12-10, 11-8, 9-11, 11-6 triumph
Mackay Open 2015, Mackay Leisure Centre, Mackay, Queensland, Australia
Men’s Final:
[1] Zac Alexander (AUS) bt [2] Joshua Larkin (AUS) 12-10, 11-8, 14-12 (46m)
Semi-finals:
[1] Zac Alexander (AUS) bt [4] Rhys Dowling (AUS) 11-8, 4-11, 11-4, 13-11 (35m)
[2] Joshua Larkin (AUS) bt [3] Adam Murrills (ENG) 6-11, 11-5, 6-11, 11-6, 11-2
Quarter-finals:
[1] Zac Alexander (AUS) bt Mithran Selvaratnam (MAS) 11-1, 12-10, 11-6 (20m)
[4] Rhys Dowling (AUS) bt Solayman Nowrozi (AUS) 11-8, 11-1, 11-8 (32m)
[3] Adam Murrills (ENG) bt [7] Rohan Toole (AUS) 11-8, 11-1, 11-6 (24m)
[2] Joshua Larkin (AUS) bt [6] Darcy Evans (AUS) 11-4, 11-7, 11-4 (18m)
2nd round:
[1] Zac Alexander (AUS) bt Andrew Ollett (AUS) 11-2, 11-1, 11-3
Mithran Selvaratnam (MAS) bt Caillin Austin (AUS) 11-6, 11-4, 11-7
Solayman Nowrozi (AUS) bt [5] Thomas Calvert (AUS) 6-11, 6-11, 11-5, 11-4, 12-10
[4] Rhys Dowling (AUS) bt Joel Luca (AUS) 11-6, 11-4, 11-7
[3] Adam Murrills (ENG) bt Vivian Rhamanan (SIN) 12-10, 11-5, 11-6
[7] Rohan Toole (AUS) bt TJ French (AUS) 11-4, 11-9, 11-4
[6] Darcy Evans (AUS) bt [Q] Bryce King (AUS) 11-6, 11-5, 11-4
[2] Joshua Larkin (AUS) bt Stuart Hadden (IRL) 11-2, 11-2, 11-7
1st round:
[1] Zac Alexander (AUS) bye
Andrew Ollett (AUS) bt Zac Dowling (AUS) 10-12, 11-6, 11-8, 13-15, 11-6
Caillin Austin (AUS) bt Craig Middendorp (AUS) 11-3, 11-9, 11-7
Mithran Selvaratnam (MAS) bt [8] Alex Eustace (AUS) 11-9, 12-10, 11-2
[5] Thomas Calvert (AUS) bt Waseem Gul (SIN) 9-11, 11-3, 13-11, 14-12
Solayman Nowrozi (AUS) bt Ben Courtice (AUS) 11-5, 11-0, 11-1
Joel Luca (AUS) bt Darryn Dyer (AUS) 11-4, 11-6, 11-1
[4] Rhys Dowling (AUS) bt Nicholas Calvert (AUS) 11-3, 11-1, 11-1
[3] Adam Murrills (ENG) bt Ben Tobin (AUS) 11-3, 11-7, 11-7
Vivian Rhamanan (SIN) bt Jayden Wadd (AUS) 10-12, 11-6, 11-3, 11-5
TJ French (AUS) bt Darren Moss (AUS) 11-7, 11-6, 12-10
[7] Rohan Toole (AUS) bt Peter Nuttall (AUS) 11-4, 11-6, 12-10
[6] Darcy Evans (AUS) bt Dominique Ratcliffe (AUS) 11-6, 11-7, 11-5
[Q] Bryce King (AUS) bt Jason van der Walt (NZL) w/o
Stuart Hadden (IRL) bt [WC] Jeremy Barnes (AUS) 11-7, 18-16, 11-3
[2] Joshua Larkin (AUS) bye
Qualifying finals:
Bryce King (AUS) bt Grant Polley (AUS) 9-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-3, 11-7
Women’s Final:
[2] Vanessa Chu (HKG) bt [1] Sarah Cardwell (AUS) 12-10, 11-8, 9-11, 11-6 (42m)
Semi-finals:
[1] Sarah Cardwell (AUS) bt [5] Tong Tsz-Wing (HKG) 11-9, 5-11, 11-8, 12-10
[2] Vanessa Chu (HKG) bt Anna Kimberley (ENG) 11-8, 11-9, 11-6 (29m)
Quarter-finals:
[1] Sarah Cardwell (AUS) bt Stephanie Wighton (AUS) 11-4, 11-3, 11-3 (17m)
[5] Tong Tsz-Wing (HKG) bt [3] Cheyna Tucker (RSA) 11-6, 7-11, 11-8, 11-13, 11-6 (52m)
Anna Kimberley (ENG) bt [4] Lisa Camilleri (AUS) 8-11, 8-11, 11-9, 12-10, 11-8 (53m)
[2] Vanessa Chu (HKG) bt [7] Jessica Turnbull (AUS) 11-9, 11-6, 11-8 (32m)
1st round:
[1] Sarah Cardwell (AUS) bt [Q] Janelle Scobie (AUS) 11-1, 11-1, 11-1
Stephanie Wighton (AUS) bt [8] Samantha Calvert (AUS) 6-11, 11-4, 11-4, 13-11
[5] Tong Tsz-Wing (HKG) bt Moana Gray (AUS) 11-6, 11-5, 11-8
[3] Cheyna Tucker (RSA) bt [Q] Song Sun-Mi (KOR) 11-7, 11-5, 3-11, 11-7
[4] Lisa Camilleri (AUS) bt Taylor Jones (AUS) 11-2, 11-5, 11-2
Anna Kimberley (ENG) bt [6] Lakeesha Rarere (AUS) 9-11, 11-7, 11-8, 12-10
[7] Jessica Turnbull (AUS) bt [Q] Vicki Polley (AUS) 11-1, 11-0, 11-6
[2] Vanessa Chu (HKG) bt [Q] Sung Hee Oh (KOR) 11-4, 11-7, 11-5
Qualifying finals:
Janelle Scobie (AUS) bt Tia McLennan (AUS) 11-1, 11-2, 11-4
Song Sun-Mi (KOR) bt Rachel McDermott (AUS) 11-3, 11-4, 11-2
Vicki Polley (AUS) bt Jessica Green (AUS) 11-5, 11-5, 11-2
Sung Hee Oh (KOR) bye
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