Finitsis Finishes Off No2 Seed Adnan In PSA Hong Kong by Howard Harding 5 July 2013
- Unseeded Australian Steven Finitsis produced the biggest shock in
today's quarter-finals of the Buler Challenge Cup in Hong Kong when he
ousted second-seeded Malaysian Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan to claim a surprise
place in the semi-finals of the PSA World Tour Challenger 15 squash
event in its ninth year at the Hong Kong Squash Centre.
But the 30-year-old Queenslander had to fight back from 2/1 down before
overcoming the world No30 from Terengganu 11-9, 6-11, 8-11, 11-5, 11-5
in 72 minutes (both pictured in action below).
Bidding to become the second Australian to win the title,
Netherlands-based Finitsis now faces a further Malaysian, Ivan Yuen.
The 22-year-old from Kuala Lumpur survived 46-minutes clash with fellow
national Elvinn Keo, beating the lower-ranked 25-year-old, also from
KL, 11-9, 4-11, 11-7, 11-8.
Defending champion Max Lee seems determined to keep the trophy in local
hands. The top seed from Hong Kong scored his second successive
straight games win in the event as he brushed aside Australian Rex
Hedrick 11-4, 11-3, 11-4 in just 28 minutes.
The country's top-ranked player will now face surprise Indian opponent
Harinder Pal Sandhu. The 24-year-old from Chennai took the surprise
scalp of newly-crowned Hong Kong champion Leo Au in the opening round -
then held off a spirited challenge from fellow countryman Mahesh
Mangaonkar before beating the 19-year-old qualifier 11-3, 11-6, 5-11,
2-11, 11-6 in 70 minutes.
RESULTS: PSA Challenger 15 Buler Challenge Cup, Hong Kong China
1st round:
[1] Max Lee (HKG) bt [Q] Ammar Altamimi (KUW) 11-4, 11-6, 11-4 (25m)
Rex Hedrick (AUS) bt [WC] Hon Fung Wong (HKG) 11-9, 11-3, 11-3 (34m)
Harinder Pal Sandhu (IND) bt Leo Au (HKG) 12-10, 11-9, 9-11, 11-2 (56m)
[Q] Mahesh Mangaonkar (IND) bt [3] Abdullah Al Muzayen (KUW) 13-11, 11-7, 9-2 (39m)
Elvinn Keo (MAS) bt [4] Karim Ali Fathi (EGY) 4-11, 11-9, 11-4, 12-10 (51m)
Ivan Yuen (MAS) bt [Q] Shinnosuke Tsukue (JPN) 11-9, 11-6, 7-11, 11-9 (40m)
Steven Finitsis (AUS) bt [Q] Tsz Fung Yip (HKG) 11-7, 11-4, 11-1 (24m)
[2] Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan (MAS) bt Muhd Asyraf Azan (MAS) 10-12, 11-5, 11-4, 11-7 (60m)
Quarter-finals:
[1] Max Lee (HKG) bt Rex Hedrick (AUS) 11-4, 11-3, 11-4 (28m)
Harinder Pal Sandhu (IND) bt [Q] Mahesh Mangaonkar (IND) 11-3, 11-6, 5-11, 2-11, 11-6 (70m)
Ivan Yuen (MAS) bt Elvinn Keo (MAS) 11-9, 4-11, 11-7, 11-8 (46m)
Steven Finitsis (AUS) bt [2] Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan (MAS) 11-9, 6-11, 8-11, 11-5, 11-5 (72m)
Semi-final line-up:
[1] Max Lee (HKG) v Harinder Pal Sandhu (IND)
Steven Finitsis (AUS) v Ivan Yuen (MAS)
