Kandra Captures Finnish Open Crown by Nathan Clarke February 2, 2015
- Raphael Kandra became the first German winner of the Savcor Finnish
Open title after beating England’s Declan James in the final of the
long-established PSA Challenger 10 squash event at the Shopping Center
Stella in Mikkeli, Finland.
Second seed Kandra, the left-hander who celebrated a career-high World
No.52 ranking in December, secured his anticipated place in the final
after ending the run of Egyptian qualifier Karim El Hammamy in a
straight games semi-final victory.
By contrast, Nottingham-based James was the event’s fifth seed – who
made his breakthrough in the quarter-finals when he broke local hearts
by ousting top seed Henrik Mustonen, the Finnish No.2 who was expected
to bring the country’s established national open title back home.
World No.73 James went on to overcome unseeded fellow countryman James Earles to reach the seventh PSA Tour final of his career.
The final was the pair’s second meeting in the climax of a Tour event
since last November in Canada. The 21-year-old Englishman took
the opening game in a tie-break after saving a game-ball.
Kandra looked on course to draw level quickly after taking an early
lead in the second – but James levelled from 3-7 down and saved
game-balls before the German eventually took the game 12-10.
But Kandra regained supremacy in the third and maintained the upper
hand for the next two games before closing out the match 10-12, 12-10,
11-6, 11-7 in 60 minutes.
The win, in his 15th final, marked 24-year-old Kandra’s eighth Tour title.
RESULTS: PSA Challenger 10 Savcor Finnish Open, Mikkeli, Finland
