Henderson Open 2012
Auckland, New Zealand, 23-26 Aug,
$5k
26-Aug, Final:
Koukal denies Williams again
Gary Denvir reports
New Zealand's Evan Williams came agonisingly close to his
first title on the PSA men's world squash tour.
Williams
was been beaten in five games by top seed Jan Koukal in the
final of the Henderson Open in Auckland.
The 22-year-old Kiwi started brilliantly, winning the opening two
games and appeared to be on track to avenge his two defeats to
Koukal earlier this year on tour.
However, the 29-year-old Czech refused to lie down, gradually
clawing his way back into the match and eventually wrapping up a
10-12, 7-11, 11-9, 11-4, 11-8 victory in 72 minutes to claim his
22nd PSA title.
Henderson
Open 2012
Auckland, New Zealand, 23-26 Aug,
$5k
Round One
24 Aug
Quarters
25 Aug
Semis
25 Aug
Final
26 Aug
[1] Jan Koukal (Cze)
11-13, 11-3, 6-11, 11-2, 11-3 (50m)
Tarek Salah Shehata (Egy)
[1] Jan Koukal
12-10, 11-9, 11-3 (35m)
[Q] Alex Grayson
[1] Jan Koukal
8-11, 11-8, 11-7, 9-11, 11-7 (67m
Greg Lobban
[1] Jan Koukal
10-12, 7-11, 11-9, 11-4, 11-8 (72m
[3] Evan Williams
Kevin Moran (Sco)
11-7, 11-9, 8-11, 11-2 (44m) [Q] Alex Grayson (Nzl)
Courtney West (Aus)
11-1, 11-6, 11-3 (24m) [2] Kashif Shuja (Nzl)
Qualifying: Alex Grayson (NZL) 3-1
Michael Sunderland (NZL)
11-7, 12-10, 8-11 11-8 (51m)
Sehyun Lee (KOR) bt Jaejin Yoo (KOR) walkover
Cameron Jamieson (NZL) 3-1 Gary Duberly (NZL)
15-13, 19-17, 9-11 11-9 (42m)
Michael Pittams (NZL) 3-1 Matiu Te Kani McQueen (NZL)
11-8, 9-11, 11-6, 11-5 (45m)
25-Aug, Quarters & Semis:
Williams gets another shot at Koukal
Gary Denvir reports
New Zealand's Evan Williams will be hoping for third time
lucky in the final of the PSA World Tour's Henderson Open in
Auckland.
Williams is through to the title decider after an upset win over
fellow Kiwi Kashif Shuja in the semis. The world number 108 gained
revenge for his loss to Shuja in the Central Open last month, with a
gruelling 4-11, 11-9, 11-6, 8-11, 11-7 victory in just over an hour.
The 22-year-old will face top seed Jan Koukal from the Czech
Republic in the final. Koukal advanced with an equally difficult
8-11, 11-8, 11-7, 9-11, 11-7 victory over Scotland's Greg Lobban.
The two finalists are at vastly different stages in their careers,
with Koukal chasing his 21st title on the PSA World Tour, while
Evans is hoping for his first.
The pair have already met twice on tour this year, with the
29-year-old Czech victorious on both occasions. However, Williams
will have taken heart from the second of those matches, when he took
Koukal to four.
Close call for Koukal in Henderson
Gary Denvir reports
A narrow escape for top seed Jan Koukal at the PSA World
Squash Tour's Henderson Open in Auckland.
Koukal twice fought back from a game down to win through to the
quarterfinals, edging out Pakistan's Naseem Khan 11-13, 11-3, 6-11,
11-2, 11-3. The world number 50 will face Kiwi qualifier Alex
Grayson in the last eight.
No such problem for the other three seeds in the draw. Second seed
Kashif Shuja made light work of his opening match against
Australian Courtney West, taking just 24 minutes to dispose of his
trans-Tasman rival 11-1, 11-6, 11-3. Third seeded Evan Williams
was also untroubled in an 11-9, 11-2, 11-5 victory over fellow New
Zealander Cameron Jamieson, while fourth seed Chris Lloyd
also won an all Kiwi battle, downing Michael Pittams 11-4, 11-4,
11-7.
Main draw complete in Auckland
Gary Denvir reports
Another title beckons Czech squash star Jan Koukal on the PSA
World Squash Tour this weekend.
The world number 50 is the top seed in the Henderson Open in New
Zealand, as he guns for the 21st PSA title of his career.
Standing in his way is second seeded Kiwi Kashif Shuja, who
has 13 titles of his own. The pair have only ever met once on tour,
with Koukal winning a very tight three game battle in the Czech
Republic last year.
Third seeded New Zealander Evan Williams will also fancy his
title chances, after making rapid inroads up the world rankings this
year. He's currently ranked number 108 in the world, and while he's
yet to win a tournament on the PSA Tour, he's made two semi-finals
and a final already this year.
Meanwhile, the draw for the tournament has just been completed, with
the final four places in the first round snapped up by three New
Zealanders and a South Korean in qualifying.
Kiwis Alex Grayson, Cameron Jamieson and Michael
Pittams all advanced with hard fought four game victories, while
Sehyun Lee is through on a walkover over compatriot Jaejin
Yoo.
Henderson
Open 2012