Borja Barges Into Winnipeg Final by Howard Harding
19 March 2012-
Spain's Borja Golan grabbed a surprise place in the final of the
Winnipeg Building and Decorating Ltd Manitoba Open after upsetting
second seed Cameron Pilley in the semi-finals of the PSA World Tour
International 35 squash event in its ninth successive year at Winnipeg
Squash Racquet Club in Winnipeg, Canada.
The final will feature two players looking for a second title in
Winnipeg - fourth seed Golan, the 2008 champion, and top seed Laurens
Jan Anjema, the Dutchman who won the trophy in 2010.
It was a match too far for Pilley, the 2005 champion from New South
Wales who endured two 75-minute marathons en-route to the last four.
Golan, the former world No10 from Santiago de Compostela, was too
strong for Australia's world No15, beating Pilley 11-3, 11-8, 11-6 in
50 minutes to clock up his 35th appearance in a PSA Tour final.
"Lost to Hurricane Golan today 3-0," tweeted the tired Aussie overnight. "Body is done, time to recharge for Montreal."
Anjema, the world No9 from The Hague, stopped Tom Richards, the third
seed from England. Taking two minutes longer than the Spaniard, Anjema
despatched the world No20 11-5, 11-6, 11-5.
The seven-time Dutch national champion is celebrating the 29th Tour
final appearance of his career - but his first meeting with Golan since
December 2008.
It will be the pair's seventh Tour clash, with their head-to-head tally poised at three wins apiece.
But it was the lower-ranked Spaniard who emerged triumphant in their
three most recent meetings - and Golan was also successful in all three
Tour finals in which he competed last year.
RESULTS: PSA International 35 Winnipeg Building and Decorating Ltd Manitoba Open, Winnipeg, Canada