Koukal Makes It Ten In 2011
by Howard Harding
23 December 2011 - Czech squash star Jan Koukal celebrated the return to his home city of Prague at the end of a historic year on the PSA World Tour by notching up his tenth final appearance of 2011 at the SYNOT TIP Open.
The 28-year-old world No52 is making squash history this week by competing in his 25th PSA Tour event of the year.
But his 11-8, 11-8, 11-7 victory over France's fourth seed Joan Lezaud in the semi-finals of the PSA Challenger 5 SYNOT TIP Open at the Squash Club Praha takes Koukal into the 33rd Tour final of his career - and the tenth of the year, which also included final appearances in USA, Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Canada and Slovakia.
Koukal, the top seed, will face third-seeded New Zealander Kashif Shuja, the world No95 from Auckland who resisted a spirited fightback from Lucas Serme to beat the unseeded Frenchman 11-8, 13-11, 7-11, 9-11, 11-3 in 70 minutes in the other semi.
Shuja, aged 32, is celebrating his 20th Tour final appearance.
Despite both players having a world ranking history stretching back to the beginning of the last decade, the Prague final will mark Koukal and Shuja's first ever meeting.
RESULTS: PSA Challenger 5 SYNOT TIP Open, Prague, Czech Republic
1st round:
[1] Jan Koukal (CZE) bt Roman Svec (CZE) 11-8, 11-9, 11-6 (28m)
Fabien Verseille (FRA) bt [Q] Chris Ferguson (SCO) 12-10, 9-11, 11-8, 6-11, 11-8 (64m)
Steven London (ENG) bt [Q] Frank Hartkoren (NED) 6-11, 16-14, 7-11, 11-7, 11-6 (101m)
[4] Joan Lezaud (FRA) bt [Q] Mohd Essam El Sherif (EGY) 8-11, 8-11, 11-7, 11-9, 11-9 (62m)
[3] Kashif Shuja (NZL) bt [Q] Robert Downer (ENG) 11-5, 4-11, 11-3, 11-9 (35m)
Petr Martin (CZE) bt Adrian Dudzicki (CAN) 11-7, 7-11, 11-3, 11-7 (40m)
Lucas Serme (FRA) bt Andre Haschker (GER) 11-8, 11-8, 6-11, 11-7 (66m)
Ondrej Ertl (CZE) bt [2] Bradley Hindle (MLT) 12-10, 21-19, 5-6 ret. (78m)
Quarter-finals:
[1] Jan Koukal (CZE) bt Fabien Verseille (FRA) 11-8, 11-4, 11-8 (30m)
[4] Joan Lezaud (FRA) bt Steven London (ENG) 9-11, 12-10, 11-4, 11-7 (46m)
[3] Kashif Shuja (NZL) bt Petr Martin (CZE) 11-8, 11-9, 11-4 (27m)
Lucas Serme (FRA) bt Ondrej Ertl (CZE) 11-7, 11-2, 11-8 (36m)
Semi-finals:
[1] Jan Koukal (CZE) bt [4] Joan Lezaud (FRA) 11-8, 11-8, 11-7 (43m)
[3] Kashif Shuja (NZL) bt Lucas Serme (FRA) 11-8, 13-11, 7-11, 9-11, 11-3 (70m)
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