Third Time Lucky For Finitsis In Tasmania by Howard Harding 22 July 2013
- Australia's Steven Finitsis made it third time lucky when he claimed
the Tasmanian Open title with a straight games win over India's Mahesh
Mangaonkar in the final of the PSA World Tour Challenger 5 squash event
at Eastside Squash Centre in Hobart in Tasmania.
Finitsis had been
runner-up at his last two tournaments in Hong Kong and Melbourne - but
was in superb touch in Hobart, not dropping a game on the way to his
11th title on the PSA World Tour.
The 30-year-old third
seed dominated the young Indian in the final, winning 11-5, 11-6, 11-7
to continue his impressive form over the last three weeks.
"I'm very pleased with
the last three tournaments I've played in - being runner-up in Hong
Kong and Melbourne and going one step further and winning the Tasmanian
Open," said the Amsterdam-based Queenslander.
"Some things have just
clicked and a big thanks has to go to my coach Willem (Van Kleeff) and
physical trainer Frank (Ruijne) in the Netherlands and my training
partners in The Hague.
"Of course also thanks
to Squash Australia and my sponsors AIS, Australian Sports Commission,
Burdock Group, Double AR, Wilson and Sportsplaza International for
their continued support in my professional career."
RESULTS: PSA Challenger 5 Tasmanian Open, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
1st round: [1] Mike Corren (AUS) bt Daniel Wright (AUS) 11-8, 11-1, 11-5 (19m) [Q] Mark Andrew Burke (BEL) bt Aidan Parkes (AUS) 11-5, 11-6, 11-3 (18m) James Skiffington (NZL) bt Matthew Bridle (AUS) 11-2, 11-3, 12-14, 11-7 (31m) [7] Sunil Seth (GUY) bt Kwon Hyeon-Jun (KOR) 11-7, 4-11, 6-11, 11-3, 11-7 (52m) [6] Mahesh Mangaonkar (IND) bt [Q] Paul Tuffin (NZL) 12-10, 11-4, 11-4 (23m) Darcy Evans (AUS) bt Thomas Calvert (AUS) 11-8, 11-6, 11-9 (31m) Chris van der Salm (NZL) bt [Q] Brendan Ward (AUS) 11-5, 11-3, 11-5 (14m) [4] Evan Williams (NZL) bt [Q] Mark de Vries (AUS) 11-5, 11-1, 11-1 (15m) [3] Steven Finitsis (AUS) bt David Crossley (AUS) 11-3, 11-3, 11-3 (21m) Jaakko Vahamaa (FIN) bt [Q] Rod Harker (AUS) 11-8, 11-3, 11-4 (23m) Ben Grindrod (NZL) bt [Q] Tom Strugnell (AUS) 11-3, 11-3, 11-5 (16m) Lance James Beddoes (NZL) bt [8] Jan van den Herrewegen (BEL) 11-9, 11-5, 7-11, 15-13 (61m) [5] Paul Coll (NZL) bt [Q] Matthew Creely (AUS) 11-7, 11-7, 11-4 (17m) Chris Lloyd (NZL) bt Adrian Leanza (USA) 8-11, 11-8, 11-9, 9-11, 11-6 (60m) Rhys Dowling (AUS) bt [Q] Brodie Stokes (AUS) 11-6, 11-2, 11-5 (21m) [2] Ivan Yuen (MAS) bt Jong Myoung Park (KOR) 4-11, 11-3, 11-3, 12-10 (34m)
2nd round: [1] Mike Corren (AUS) bt [Q] Mark Andrew Burke (BEL) 11-7, 11-7, 10-12, 11-6 (50m) [7] Sunil Seth (GUY) bt James Skiffington (NZL) 11-6, 11-5, 11-6 (25m) [6] Mahesh Mangaonkar (IND) bt Darcy Evans (AUS) 11-3, 11-6, 11-5 (30m) [4] Evan Williams (NZL) bt Chris van der Salm (NZL) 11-4, 11-5, 11-6 (25m) [3] Steven Finitsis (AUS) bt Jaakko Vahamaa (FIN) 11-6, 11-4, 11-1 (26m) Lance James Beddoes (NZL) bt Ben Grindrod (NZL) 12-14, 11-9, 11-9, 11-5 (39m) [5] Paul Coll (NZL) bt Chris Lloyd (NZL) 11-1, 11-7, 11-4 (20m) [2] Ivan Yuen (MAS) bt Rhys Dowling (AUS) 11-5, 3-11, 11-3, 8-11, 11-3 (54m)
Quarter-finals: [1] Mike Corren (AUS) bt [7] Sunil Seth (GUY) 11-5, 5-11, 11-4, 11-5 (39m) [6] Mahesh Mangaonkar (IND) bt [4] Evan Williams (NZL) 7-11, 11-7, 13-11, 11-5 (64m) [3] Steven Finitsis (AUS) bt Lance James Beddoes (NZL) 11-3, 11-4, 11-8 (31m) [5] Paul Coll (NZL) bt [2] Ivan Yuen (MAS) 11-1, 11-5, 11-9 (44m)
Semi-finals: [6] Mahesh Mangaonkar (IND) bt [1] Mike Corren (AUS) 11-4, 6-11, 11-3, 11-6 (43m) [3] Steven Finitsis (AUS) bt [5] Paul Coll (NZL) 11-5, 11-6, 11-7 (42m)
