Fuller Forges Tour Title Breakthrough In Porto
by Howard Harding

25 November 2013 - Chris Fuller prevailed in a surprise unseeded all-English final of the Porto Cup in Portugal to claim the first PSA World Tour squash title of his career.

The PSA Challenger 5 championship at Complexo Desportive de Monte Aventino in Porto celebrated the first Tour event to be held in Portugal for more than ten years.

Fuller, the 22-year-old world No 123 from Nottingham, made his breakthrough in the quarter-finals where he battled from two games down to beat Spain's No 3 seed Alejandro Garbi Caro.

In the semis, underdog Fuller took the scalp of Ben Coleman when he upset his top-seeded compatriot 7-11, 11-8, 9-11, 14-12, 11-4 in 95 minutes - the longest match of the tournament - to reach the fourth Tour final of his career.

His opponent Alex Ingham, also unseeded and ranked two positions lower, took out two fellow Englishmen en-route to the final - needing just over an hour to overcome qualifier Ollie Holland in the semi-finals. The win took the 23-year-old from Surrey into the first Tour final of his career.

Honours were shared after the first two games of the final - but Fuller (pictured above, right, with Ingham) raised his game in the third before closing out the match 11-8, 6-11, 11-8, 11-4.

At the closing ceremony, hosted by tournament organiser Paulo Pinto and in the presence of Dr Luís Alves (New Executive Director of PORTO LAZER) and Dr Bruno Dias (President of the National Squash Federation), Fuller thanked the hosts and everyone in the tournament for helping him achieve his first victory in a PSA tournament.

"The PORTO CUP will be back next year," conclude Pinto. "Our only wish is that our sponsors such as the Hotel AC Porto, Squash On Fire, Head, VIP Domotec, ADC, Cinco Em Ponto the Loja A Vieira, the Squaty, the Nuno Alves Designe and our media partners PortugalSquash and Squashsite, remain faithful to this joint project and continue to work with the tripartite organization - Municipality of Porto Porto Lazer, National Squash Federation, and Oporto School of Squash."

RESULTS: PSA Challenger 5 Porto Cup, Porto, Portugal

1st round:
[1] Ben Coleman (ENG) bt [WC] Claudio Pinto (POR) 11-4, 11-4, 11-9 (42m)
Reiko Peter (SUI) bt [Q] Patrick Miescher (SUI) 11-8, 11-4, 11-6 (38m)
Chris Fuller (ENG) bt [Q] Jan van den Herrewegen (BEL) 7-11, 11-6, 11-7, 11-7 (50m)
[3] Alejandro Garbi Caro (ESP) bt [Q] Ashley Davies (ENG) 11-7, 11-9, 11-5 (39m)
James Earles (ENG) bt [4] Yann Perrin (FRA) 16-14, 12-10, 11-6 (46m)
Alex Ingham (ENG) bt Lukas Burkhart (SUI) 11-7, 11-4, 11-3 (38m)
[Q] Ollie Holland (ENG) bt Martin Mosnik (SLO) 11-5, 11-7, 11-6 (43m)
Joan Lezaud (FRA) bt [2] Johan Bouquet (FRA) 12-10, 3-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-7 (91m)

Quarter-finals:
[1] Ben Coleman (ENG) bt Reiko Peter (SUI) 11-7, 6-11, 5-11, 11-8, 11-9 (60m)
Chris Fuller (ENG) bt [3] Alejandro Garbi Caro (ESP) 7-11, 5-11, 11-9, 11-7, 11-7 (63m)
Alex Ingham (ENG) bt James Earles (ENG) 11-9, 11-9, 11-5 (41m)
[Q] Ollie Holland (ENG) bt Joan Lezaud (FRA) 5-11, 11-6, 12-10, 8-11, 11-8 (98m)

Semi-finals:
Chris Fuller (ENG) bt [1] Ben Coleman (ENG) 7-11, 11-8, 9-11, 14-12, 11-4 (95m)
Alex Ingham (ENG) bt [Q] Ollie Holland (ENG) 11-9, 3-11, 11-8, 11-8 (62m)

Final:
Chris Fuller (ENG) bt Alex Ingham (ENG) 11-8, 6-11, 11-8, 11-4