Kiwi Coll Wins Colossal Canary Wharf First Round Clash by Nathan Clarke
photos PSA
March 6, 2017
- New Zealand's Paul Coll pushed through the pain barrier to emerge
victorious in a mammoth 116 minute first round battle with Simon Rösner
during the first round of action at the 2017 Canary Wharf Classic -
setting up a quarter-final encounter with local favourite Daryl Selby
at the East Wintergarden, London.
In what was the longest match of his career, World No.16 Coll was
forced to fight off impending cramp during a decisive fifth game after
negotiating his way through a match played at the very highest level.
The pair engaged in rally after rally of the sublime squash with Coll
using his phenomenal physical stamina and strength to extend the action
from the off - winning a huge 26 minute opening game 11-8.
World No.9 Rösner responded in kind in the second and there was little
to separate them as the match went into a fifth. Suffering from cramp
in his legs and having let a 7-2 lead slip, Coll gave it one last push
and emerged victorious courtesy of an 11-9 fifth game win.
"That was definitely tough," said Coll. "It was all a bit up and down and a real mental battle.
"Physically it was very draining. I felt pretty flat in the fourth and
the start of the fifth - I was just hanging on in there. I started
cramping up but I just told myself to push through the pain.
"I'm really happy kept it together in the fifth and didn't give away
any cheap errors. I got a second wind towards the latter stages and
started to step up the court a bit. I'm happy with how I stuck in there
and pushed through that flat patch."
Coll will now face Selby, who beat qualifier Charles Sharpes 3-0, on
Wednesday while top seeded Nick Matthew, the 36-year-old gunning for
his sixth title in London, came through a tough 3-0 encounter with
Australia's Ryan Cuskelly.
Matthew started slowly, falling 1-6 behind in the opening game before
settling into the match and allowing his fierce determination to come
to the fore. 'The Wolf' battled through to take the first 15-13,
setting up the platform for a hard earned win that came after 65
minutes.
"I started poorly," said Matthew.
"I was lucky to get that first game and I think that turned the match.
Then the second was almost role reversal, I was ahead and he was back
in it and I was lucky to get that one too. I think 2-0 certainly
flattered me.
"But I'm experienced enough to make sure those opportunities don't slip."
Matthew will face fellow PSA World Tour veteran Cameron Pilley in the
quarter-finals after the Australian got past qualifier Joel Makin of
Wales 3-0.
Results (Top half) First Round - 2017 Canary Wharf Classic
[1] Nick Matthew (ENG) bt Ryan Cuskelly (AUS) 3-0: 15-13, 12-10, 11-2 (65m)
[8] Cameron Pilley (AUS) bt [Q] Joel Makin (WAL) 3-0: 11-2, 11-8, 11-4 (57m)
[6] Daryl Selby (ENG) bt [Q] Charles Sharpes (ENG) 3-0: 14-12, 11-6, 12-10 (46m)
Paul Coll (NZL) bt [3] Simon Rösner (GER) 3-2: 11-8, 9-11, 12-10, 9-11, 11-9 (116m)
Draw (Bottom Half) First Round
[4] Fares Dessouky (EGY) v Tom Richards (ENG)
[WC] Lyell Fuller (ENG) v [5] Mathieu Castagnet (FRA)
[7] Borja Golan (ESP) v [Q] Declan James (ENG)
[Q] Lucas Serme (FRA) v [2] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY)
