Clyne Clinches Final Berth In Dublin, Takes On NY-Based Walker
by Howard Harding
28 April 2012 - Alan Clyne became the first Scot to reach the final of the Cannon Kirk Homes Irish Open for 12 years when he survived a marathon battle against No2 seed Borja Golan in the semi-finals of the PSA World Tour International 25 squash event in its tenth year at the Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club in Dublin.
Golan, the 2006 champion from Spain, took the opening two games - albeit after tie-breaks in both games.
"But Clyne came back blazing in the third game, winning 11-2 in five minutes," said event spokesman Sarah King.
"Clyne took the fourth game with more of a battle from Golan. The fifth turned into a marathon of tight squash with rallies regularly lasting more than 100 shots.
"The decider alone took 30 minutes and Borja was clearly tiring," King continued. "Clyne moved with perfect discipline around the court, repeatedly getting back to the T and retrieving every shot."
But it was the Spaniard, on the verge of his fourth appearance in the final, who first reached match ball - at 10/9.
"After another seemingly endless rally, Clyne saved match ball and went on to get his own - winning 12-10, with Golan showing sportsmanship by acknowledging his own ball was down," concluded King.
Clyne's 10-12, 11-13, 11-2, 11-8, 12-10 victory in 110 minutes makes the 25-year-old from Edinburgh the first Scot to make the Irish Open final since his illustrious predecessor Peter Nicol in 2000.
In the tenth Tour final of his career, third seed Clyne will face favourite Alister Walker after the world No18 from Botswana beat England's No4 seed Jonathan Kemp 11-2, 7-11, 11-4, 11-4.
New York-based Walker is marking the 11th Tour final of his career - but the second this month after winning the Berkshire Open two weeks ago in the USA.
RESULTS: PSA International 25 Cannon Kirk Homes Irish Open, Dublin, Ireland
Semi-finals:
[1] Alister Walker (BOT) bt [4] Jonathan Kemp (ENG) 11-2, 7-11, 11-4, 11-4 (46m)
[3] Alan Clyne (SCO) bt [2] Borja Golan (ESP) 10-12, 11-13, 11-2, 11-8, 12-10 (110m)
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