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Fitzherbert Rowe Lawyers NZ Classic 2016
07-12 Jun, Palmerston North, $15k |
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12-Jun, Final:
[1] Paul Coll (Nzl) 3-0 [2] Rex Hedrick (Aus) 11/5,
11/7, 11/1 (47m)
Coll Conquers NZ Classic
New Zealander Paul Coll took out the Fitzherbert
Rowe Lawyers New Zealand International Squash Classic at
SquashGym this afternoon in emphatic style, claiming his
9th career PSA title.
Coll entered the match as slight favourite but he had
never beaten Rex Hedrick in any of their previous
meetings. Coll’s Squash has come a long way in the past
twelve months though which started with him taking out
the Australian Open last August.
The match started at a frantic pace and both players
were looking to get in and cut the ball off where they
could. Coll’s Squash was tighter than Hedrick’s though
and he ground out a handy lead which Hedrick could not
get back. At 10 – 4 they played an epic rally that had
the large crowd at SquashGym in awe, Hedrick eventually
won it but that was only delaying the inevitable with
Coll taking the next point and an 11 – 5 first game win.
The second game was more of the same, fast paced and
intense rallies. It was Squash of the highest quality
but towards the end of the game Coll started to pull
away again. Hedrick had forced Coll to pull out his
trade mark slides and dives which at 10 – 7 to Coll
required him to leave the court to repair some blood on
his knee. He left the court for around six minutes and
both players would have appreciated the break.
 Coll
came back on and won the next The third was a one sided
affair. Hedrick tried hard but his spirit appeared to be
broken as Coll made no mistakes and dominated the ‘T’.
Coll raced out to a 10 – 0 lead before Hedrick finally
got his first point. Coll won the next and he was the
New Zealand International Squash Classic Champion for
2016.
"It was a fast paced game and my lungs were really
feeling it. I was able to recover in between points and
I was glad to come out on top in three games,” Coll said
after the match. “It was my first win over Rex and I
have played him a fair bit, he used to dominate when I
played the Aussie circuit."
Coll and the circuit move onto Christchurch next week
where he will be looking to win another title in front
of his home fans.
 The women’s final was played as the curtain raiser to
the men’s final which saw Wellington’s Emma Millar
taking on local teenage prodigy Kaitlyn Watts.
The women’s event was a closed satellite PSA but the
tournament became wide open when top seed and world
number 39 Belgium Nele Gilis had to pull out due to
sickness. This allowed Watts a free pass to the final
where Millar had beaten local Danielle Fourie in the
semi-final.
A close battle was had after Watts got off to a nervous
start and lost the first game easily. She then got into
her stride and won the next two to take a 2-1 lead.
Millar showed her experience and levelled it at 2 all
after working Watts around the court at the front and
the back. In the fifth Millar continued the momentum and
took the final game 11-7.
Watts really impressed with her ability to get around
the court and the SquashGym crowd have surely seen the
beginnings of what should be a top Squash career for the
15 year old.
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Match Replays
Women's Results |
 
NZ Classic 2016
07-12 Jun, Palmerston North, $15k |
Round One
09 Jun |
Quarters
10 Jun |
Semis
11 Jun |
Final
12 Jun |
[1] Paul Coll (Nzl)
11/8, 11/6, 11/3
[Q] Mohd Syafiq Kamal (Mas) |
[1] Paul Coll
11/0, 11/8, 4/4 rtd
[8] James Huang |
[1] Paul Coll 9/11, 11/5, 7/11, 11/5,
11/9 (80m)
[3] Ivan Yuen |
9th PSA title for Paul
[1] Paul Coll
11/5, 11/7, 11/1 (47m)
[2] Rex Hedrick |
[8]
James Huang (Tpe)
11/9, 7/11, 4/11, 14/12, 11/7
[LL] Kashif Shuja (Nzl) |
[5] Peter Creed (Wal)
11/4, 11/3, 11/6
[wc] Luke Jones (Nzl) |
[5] Peter Creed
12/10, 11/3, 12/10
[3] Ivan Yuen |
[3] Ivan Yuen (Mas)
11/7, 11/5, 11/4
[Q] Ashley Davies (Eng) |
Lance Beddoes (Nzl)
7/11, 11/4, 11/5, 11/7
[4] Angus Gillams (Eng) |
[4] Angus Gillams
11/7, 11/8, 11/9
[6] Josh Masters |
[6] Josh Masters 11/13, 14/12, 11/5, 4/11,
14/12 (78m)
[2] Rex Hedrick |
[Q] Matias Tuomi (Fin)
11/7, 11/1, 11/8
[6] Josh Masters (Eng) |
[Q] Eain Yow Ng (Mas)
8/11, 11/6, 11/8, 9/11, 12/10
[7] Joshua Larkin (Aus) |
[Q] Eain Yow Ng
11/8, 11/7, 11/9
[2] Rex Hedrick |
Evan Williams (Nzl)
11/9, 11/5, 11/1
[2] Rex Hedrick (Aus) |
Qualifying:
08-Jun, Finals:
Mohd Syafiq Kamal (Mas) 3-0 Addeen Idrakie (Mas)
11/5, 12/10, 11/7
Eain Yow Ng (Mas) 3-0
Ben Grindrod (Nzl)
11/5, 11/7, 13/11
Ashley Davies (Eng) 3-2
Kashif Shuja (Nzl) 11/8,
15/13, 10/12, 9/11, 11/5
Matias Tuomi (Fin) 3-0
David Clegg (Aus)
11/6, 14/12, 11/8
07-Jun, Round One:
Addeen Idrakie (Mas) 3-1 Jason van der Walt (Nzl)
10/12, 11/4, 11/1, 11/9
Mohd Syafiq Kamal (Mas) 3-2 Sion Wiggin (Nzl)
11/2, 11/7, 14/12
Eain Yow Ng (Mas) 3-0 Zac Millar (Nzl)
11/9, 11/8, 11/8
Ben Grindrod (Nzl) 3-0 Scott Galloway (Nzl)
11/7, 11/7, 11/9
Ashley Davies (Eng) 3-0 Chang Wook Koo (Kor)
11/8, 11/7, 11/9
Kashif Shuja (Nzl) 3-0 Elliot Selby (Eng)
12/10, 11/7, 11/7
David Clegg (Aus) 3-1 Corbin Faint (Nzl)
11/4, 8/11, 11/3, 11/4
Matias Tuomi (Fin) 3-0 Stephen Bennett (Nzl)
11/8, 11/4, 11/9
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11-Jun, Semis:
Top seeds through in five
The finalists have been decided at the Fitzherbert
Rowe Lawyers New Zealand International Squash Classic at
SquashGym tonight. Both matches were played in front of
a full house and the spectators were not disappointed.
 The first semi featured top seed Paul Coll of New
Zealand taking on Ivan Yuen from Malaysia. The two had
met recently at a tournament in Hong Kong were Coll had
come out on top 3–2. Tonight’s match went down that same
track.
The first game was a tight battle with
long extended rallies with both players wanting to play
down the backhand side. The players went point for point
and it took a number of quality shots from Yuen to take
the first 11–9. Coll was at his athletic best and there
is hardly a ball that he cannot lay a racket on. The
final point of the first game typified this
with a
full length dive which on this occasion was to no avail.
In the second game Coll started to get on top and
dominate the ‘T’. He forced Yuen into a couple of loose
shots and he put them away with class. Coll took the
game 11–5.
Coll continued that momentum into the
third racing out to an early lead. Yuen fought back
though with some exquisite shots, combined with some
errors from Coll, Yuen took a 2–1 lead winning the game
11–7.
The fourth was a battle of attrition and
Coll’s mobility and conditioning came to the fore and
Yuen started to noticeably tire. Coll levelled the match
2 all winning 11 –5.
Starting the fifth, the
SquashGym crowd would have expected Coll to power away
but the 90 second break did Yuen wonders and the fifth
was a tight affair. It went back and forward and got to
9 all. Once again Yuen started to fatigue and Coll took
his chances taking the fifth 11–9 after an hour and
twenty minutes.
“It was a tough win in five
and I am glad to come through it. I knew it would be
tough and I am really looking forward to the final,”
Coll said after the match.
 The second semi of the
night featured second seed Australian Rex Hedrick and
Englishman Joshua Masters. Masters was seeded sixth and
upset his countryman Angus Gillams in the quarter
finals.
It was a clash of two styles with Hedrick
a gritty runner who prominently plays the back of the
court and Masters a hard hitter who loves to play
attacking Squash.
The first two games seemed to
take an age, with Masters taking the first 13–11 and
Hedrick the second 14–12.
These two games took it
out of the players and the next two were split once
again with Masters winning the third 11–5 and Hedrick
the fourth 11-4.
A cracking final game was set up
and it did not disappoint with long intense rallies,
some superb winners from Masters, controversial
referring calls and the lights even went out at 11 all.
The second seed Hedrick was able to hold on through all
of this and win a gritty fifth game 14–12.
Hedrick joked after the match that he and Coll should
play a ‘best of one’ tomorrow after the exhausting
semi-finals.
“Joshua played some amazing
shots tonight and he really hit his targets at the front
of the court. My game is more of a longer one so I just
concentrated on hitting my targets at the back of the
court,” Hedrick said.
The two top seeds will
face of tomorrow when a big crowd should be in for a long, close match to
decide the New Zealand Classic Champion.
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Match Replays
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10-Jun, Quarters:
Top seeds power on in Palmerston
The quarter finals went to seeding in all bar one match at the
Fitzherbert Rowe Lawyers New Zealand International Squash
Classic at SquashGym tonight.
First on court was New Zealander and top seed Paul Coll
who met James Huang from Taiwan. Coll has been in great
form of late and is a big favourite this week.
 He
dominated Huang early but in the third game there was an
accidental collision that required Huang to take time off the
court. Huang returned but unfortunately had to retire hurt.
"You never like that to happen to your opponent and he showed
great sportsmanship to come back on and try to carry on,"
Coll said. Coll has had light work load so far this week and
will be fresh for the semi-finals.
"It's great to be playing at home in NZ. Great to have the
psa circuit in New Zealand for us. I've been overseas in Europe
training with a few top players and it's done me a lot of good.
I look forward to a good southern hemisphere season with the NZ
events this month and the Australian events in July"
 Coll
will play Malaysian Ivan Yuen who beat Peter Creed
from Wales in three straight games. Yuen was too precise and
accurate for the gritty Welshman who showed great athleticism
and fight against the classy Yuen.
Creed pushed two games to 12/10 but was unable to get across the
line in either in his straight games defeat. Yuen will be
looking for revenge against Coll who recently beat him 3-2 in
the semi-finals in Hong Kong. It sets up to be a fantastic match
on SquashGym’s main court tomorrow afternoon.
The only minor upset in the quarter finals came in the all
English clash between fourth seed Angus Gillams and sixth
seed Joshua Masters.
The English duo clearly knew each other’s game well and a tight
three game match was played out with the lower seeded Masters
taking it out 11/7, 11/ 8, 11/9.
 The
final match of the night pitted second seed Rex Hedrick
of Australia against Malaysian qualifier Eain Yow Ng.
Ng has had a big week with two rounds of qualifying before last
night’s first round where he upset seeded player Joshua Larkin.
Hedrick loves to play long and structured rallies and that
proved too much for Ng playing his fourth big match in the same
number of nights.
Hedrick will now play Joshua Masters in the other semi-final
tomorrow afternoon.
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Draw & Results
Match Replays
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09-Jun, Round One:
Kiwis fail to fly in first round
The opening night of the Fitzherbert Rowe Lawyers International
Squash Classic was been a great one for the Kiwis.
The top seed Paul Coll will be the only one flying the
flag for the home country for the rest of the tournament after
his fellow countrymen were all
bundled out in the first round at SquashGym.
Coll was dominant first up beating Mohd Syafig Kamal from
Malaysia in three straight games. "
"I got off to a slow start but settled into my work well and
was pleased to get off the court in three games," Coll
reflected after the match. "I have had a heavy schedule of
late and after this New Zealand series of tournaments I will
definitely be taking a break."
 Home
town player Kashif Shuja played a five set thriller for
the second night in a row and for consecutive nights the result
did not go his way. Shuja went down in qualifying but received a
second chance by being drawn as the ‘lucky loser’ to enter the
main draw.
Shuja played well again but could not put his younger opponent
James Huang away in the fourth which he lost 14–12 after
being up two games to one. Huang out lasted Shuja in the fifth
11–7.
 Wildcard
local player Luke Jones played world number 80 Peter
Creed of Wales and Jones was up against it from the start.
The young Jones constructed some good rallies but was unable to
finish and the experience of Creed shone through.
"He has a good solid game that probably lacks a little bit of
a touch at this stage," Creed said of his opponent Jones
after the match.
Wellington’smultiple PSA tournament winner this year Evan
Williams was expected to challenge second seed Rex
Hedrick from Australia in what was tipped to be the match of
the night. It didn’t live up to expectation with Williams making
too many errors for the consistent Hedrick. Hedrick flourished
in the warm, bouncing conditions and retrieved everything
Williams threw at him. Hedrick won in a comfortable three games.
The match of the night was the last to be played, and the only
one in which the seeded player was beaten.
A marathon battle between Joshua Larkin and Eain Yo Ng.
Ng came through two rounds of qualifying and he came out strong
against Larkin taking a two games to one advantage. Larkin
pulled back the fourth and set up a grandstand finish in front
of a good crowd at SquashGym. In an enthralling final game Ng
came out the victor 12–10.
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Draw & Results
Match Replays
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08-Jun, Qualifying Finals:
Qualifying complete in Palmerston North
Qualifying was wrapped up for the Fitzherbert Rowe Lawyers New
Zealand International Squash Classic at SquashGym tonight. Some
exciting Squash was played but undoubtedly the match of the
night was played between Englishman Ashley Davies and
local Kashif Shuja in a five set thriller.
Shuja, playing in front of his home crowd, was fired up to make
the main draw but got off to a sluggish start with the hard
hitting Englishman taking the first 11/8. The second was a
classic back and forth battle. Shuja was pulling out all of his
tricks and deception skills which made Davies use the back glass
a number of times just to stay in rallies. Davies dug deep
though and took a 2–0 advantage 15/13.
 Shuja
looked down and out but some outstanding shot making over the
next two games made it two-all. Shuja made a very sluggish start
to the fifth and Davies pounced and didn’t let his chance slip
to take the match 11/5 in the decider. Davies will play
Malaysian Ivan Yeun in the first round of the main draw.
Malaysian Mohd Syafig Kamal upset his higher ranked
countryman Addeen Idrakie in three straight games to kick off
the night's qualifying. Kamal got on top early and never let it
slip. He now plays top seed Paul Coll in tomorrow night’s first
round.
Another Malaysian Eain Yow Ng extinguished New Zealander
Ben Grinrod’s hopes of qualifying in three games. Grinrod made
too many errors which allowed Ng a comfortable win. Ng received
a good first round match up against seventh seed Joshua Larkin
from Australia.
The final match of the night saw Finland’s Matias Tuomi
beat Australian David Clegg in a relatively straight forward
three game match. Tuomi now plays England’s Joshua Masters in
the first round.
 The
tournament lost third seed Mahesh Mangaonkar who withdrew due to
visa issues which meant a lucky loser was required to fill the
spot left in the draw after the reshuffle. Tournament official
Troy Ramsay drew a name from the hat and local Kashif Shuja was
the one to receive another life.
Shuja must have had ‘karma’ on his side after playing an
entertaining and quality match and losing in five. His luck
continued when he was drawn to play eight seed James Huang in
what he will see as an excellent opportunity to progress
further.
07-Jun, Qualifying Round One:
Malaysian trio advance in NZ
Qualifying for the 2016 edition of the
NZ Classic got under way at Palmerston North with Malaysians Addeen Idrakie,
Mohd Syafiq Kamal and Eain Yow Ng all winning
through to tomorrow's finals.
Home interest was maintained with wins for Ben Grindrod
and Kashif Shuja.
Idrakie and Kamal play each other in the finals while Ng meets
Grindrod. Shuja will be up against England's Ashley Davies
while Finland's Matias Tuomi faces Australian David
Clegg.
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Draw & Results
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Preview:
Coll Favourite for Squash Classic
This week InspireNet SquashGym in Palmerston North hosts
the Fitzherbert Rowe Lawyers New Zealand International Squash
Classic. This is the fifth year the event has included a PSA
section and the Women’s Classic will also be a Closed Satellite
professional event.
The tournament has 21,660 NZD prize money for the men’s main
draw which has attracted an international field.
Tournament Director Ed Burston says an incredible
international flavour will be seen at SquashGym. “Players in
the men’s and women’s draws have come from 8 different countries
including England, Belgium, India, Malaysia, Australia as well
as New Zealand.”
 Last
year's champion Nafizwan Adnan from Malaysia will not be back to
defend his 2015 title which makes New Zealand’s Paul Coll
the favourite. Coll has risen to 34 in the World and recently
finished runner up at the Hong Kong International.
The 24 year old from Greymouth has made rapid progress in the
last two years which includes a victory over Australian number 1
and world number 14 Cameron Pilley in last year’s Australian
Open final. Coll has been a regular visitor to Palmerston North
and will feel comfortable on the SquashGym courts.
Coll’s main competition should come from second seed Rex
Hendrick of Australia. Hendrick is ranked 62 in the world
but he faces a very tricky first round opponent in New Zealand’s
Evan Williams. Williams has been in red hot form this
year taking out two PSA titles in recent times in Tauranga and
Hamilton which has moved his ranking inside the top 100 for the
first time.
Indian visitor Mahesh Mangaonkar has travelled a long way
to compete in the New Zealand International Classic and will
also be looking to contend for the title. He starts as third
seed and is ranked 59.
Palmerston North’s Luke Jones who was the New Zealand
Junior Champion in 2014 has been given a wildcard into the first
round where he will meet Peter Creed from Wales. Jones
will have his work cut out against the experience of the
Welshman who has been inside the top 70 in recent years.
Qualifying for the final four spots in the Men’s draw begins
Tuesday and finishes Wednesday with the main draw underway
Thursday evening. Players looking to qualify for the main draws
have come from far and wide with a number of New Zealand
hopefuls looking to upstage international opponents. The men’s
final is set for 2.00pm on Sunday.
The women’s draw sees Belgium visitor and world 39 Nele Gilis
as the one to beat.
Her main competition will come from New Zealand players Emma
Millar and Danielle Fourie in what is a great
opportunity for these two locals to test themselves against a
world class player. Palmerston North’s Kaitlyn Watts will be
looking to continue her march up the New Zealand Squash rankings
with another strong tournament.
This event is the first of three PSA tournaments to be held in
New Zealand with Christchurch and Invercargill to
follow. These tournaments are using the 17 inch lower tin which
will make for some exciting Squash and favour the attacking
players.
The wider tournament this week has attracted 110 players
throughout the grades which will make for a busy weekend at the
SquashGym Club. Entry to the tournament for spectators is free.
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