Savcor Finnish Open 2017
24-29 Jan, Mikkeli, Finland, $5k

The match was very entertaining and both players made some incredible shots and great retrieving.

The first game went to a tiebreak which Äijänen managet to win. Parker came well back in the socond and gave Äijänen few chances to score pointa 11-5 to Parker and the outcome could not be predicted. The third game was much like the second, but this time it wasÄijänen who was in charge. The fourth game started with Parkers dominance. He took an early 7-2 lead but Äijänen did not give up. He scored the next five points to even the score at 7 all and had his first matchball at 10-9. Parker then took four of the following five points and the match went to a fifth game.

In the beginning of the fifth Parker had an injury break. After the break both players scored in turns to reach 8-7 to Äijänen. This was how far Parker reached and when Äijänen scored the next three point he took the match and the Finnish Open Championship for the first time.

Äijänen was of course very pleased with his victory, but did politely comment: ”Maybe his injury made him to go for too difficult winners which favoured me”.

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Qualifying, 24-25 Jan:

Finals:
Bradley Masters (Eng) 3-0 Lewis Doughty (Eng)            11/3, 11/3, 11/5
Seigo Masuda (Jpn) 3-1 Hendrik Vossing (Ger)    14/16, 11/3, 11/3, 11/7
Stuart George (Sco) 3-0 Erno Teitti (Fin)                     11/4, 11/4, 11/8
Sam Ellis (Sco) 3-0 Michael Babra (Swe)                     12/10, 11/4, 11/7

Round One:
Lewis Doughty (Eng) 3-0 Marko Suistomaa (Fin)       11/7 11/4 11/3
Seigo Masuda (Jpn) 3-0 Mirko Muukkonen (Fin)         11/9 11/5 11/6
Hendrik Vossing (Ger) 3-0 Nuutti Ruokangas (Fin)      11/4 11/9 11/9
Erno Teitti (Fin) 3-2 Ville Karsikas (Fin)    7/11 11/4 9/11 12/10 11/5
Stuart George (Sco) 3-0 Oskari Valtola (Fin)            11/4 11/0 11/4
Michael Babra (Swe) 3-0 Riku Mehta (Fin)              12/10 11/8 11/5

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George Parker has been a favorite among the Mikkeli audience and he strengthend this position by beating top seed Aqeel Rehman in today's semifinals.



Rehman started strongly and had three game balls before Parker took the game 13-11. Rehman’s start was good also in the second game. A 4-1 lead was not enough as Parker took the following eight point and the game 11-9. In the third game Rehman managed to keep his lead and took the game 11-7.

In the fourth game Parker was the stronger player and took the match and a place in the final.

The other semi was a Finnish affair between 5th seed Jami Äijänen and unseeded Jaakko Vähämaa.



Vähämaa got off to a good start and took an easy 7-2 lead. That was not enough as Äijänen got his game together and took 9 of the next 10 points and the game 11-8. Äijänen continued dominating in the second and took it 11-6.

The third was much like the second, but this time Vähämaa was in charge. That was, however, all Vähämaa could produce and Äijänen cruised to a 11-2 win in the fourth and was ready for the final.
 

27-Jan: Quarters

Finland’s Jaakko Vähämaa was the name of the quarters by reaching the semis in the Savcor Finnish Open.

Vähämaa beat compatriot Matias Tuomi, the 2nd seed, in three staight games and took a place in the semifinals.

Vähämaa will meet Finland’s Jami Äijänen who beat Portugal’s Rui Soares also in three games. Äijänen had lost to Soares in December and was very happy to manage a win this time.

Top seed Aqeel Rehman had no problems with England’s Connor Sheen. George Parker had an easy night with Kyle Finch who managed to threaten Parker only in the first game.

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Top seed Aqeel Rehman had an easy night and got through in three games and 22 minutes. Connor Sheen, the 7th seed had to fight all five games and 51 minutes before securing his place for tomorrow.

fifth seed Kyle Finch took out Bradley Masters in 40 minutes and three even games.

The match of the day was between 4th seed George Parker and unseeded Kristian Rautiainen. Rautiainen started well and took the first game 12-10 but was not able to keep the winning pace. Parker took the next three games and made the quarters in 65 minutes.

The second Finn, wild card Tatu Knuutila did not manage to threaten Portugal’s Rui Soares. The match was over in 27 minutes and three games.

The rest of the night was all Finland. 5th seed Jami Äijänen took out qualifier Stuart George in four games and 54 minutes.

The only upset to the seedings was unseeded Jaakko Vähämaa’s victory over 8th seed David Clegg and in the last match 2nd seed Matias Tuomi was too strong for Sam Ellis.
 

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Top seeded Bradley Masters was clearly stronger than fellow Englishman Lewis Doughty and claimed a comfortable victory and a place in the main draw.

The second match of the evening was a much tighter affair. Fourth seed Hendrik Vössing of Germany started a bit stronger than Seigo Masuda from Japan, taking the first game after both players had had two game balls by 16-14. That game proved to be a bit too much for Vössing who was clearly tired in the three remaining games.

The only local remaining in the draw, Erno Teitti, took on Stuart George from Scotland. George was clearly the more consistent player and made almost no errors in the whole match.

The last match saw Scotsman Sam Ellis taking on Swede Michael Babra. Babra managed to take the first game to a tie break, but that was about all he could produce.
 

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