Le Roux Lifts Cape Town PSA Crown
by Howard Harding
7 May 2013 - An all-South African final brought the Keith Grainger Memorial UCT Open Championship to an appropriate climax in Cape Town where favourite Shaun le Roux prevailed over second seed Clinton Leeuw in 106 minutes to win the inaugural PSA World Tour Challenger 5 squash event at the University of Cape Town.
Le Roux, the Cape Town-born world No51, reached the 13th Tour final of his career after overcoming fellow countryman Thoboki Mohohlo, a qualifier, in the semi-finals.
Leeuw, the world No79 who was also born in the host city, took out Englishman Michael Harris in the other semi to reach his second Tour final on home soil within a month.
And after Le Roux took the opening two games in the final, Leeuw battled back to draw level - and then forced the decider to a tie-break.
But the higher-ranked top seed held his nerve as Le Roux closed out the match 11-7, 11-7, 9-11, 4-11, 12-10 to earn the eighth PSA World Tour title of his career - and his second in South Africa.
RESULTS: PSA Challenger 5 Keith Grainger Memorial UCT Open, Cape Town, South Africa
1st round:
[1] Shaun le Roux (RSA) bt Bader Al Hussaini (KUW) 11-4, 12-10, 12-10 (50m)
Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi (QAT) bt Alex Ingham (ENG) 10-12, 13-11, 11-3, 11-6 (52m)
[Q] Thoboki Mohohlo (RSA) bt Robert Downer (ENG) 5-11, 7-11, 11-8, 11-1, 11-7 (55m)
[3] Nathan Lake (ENG) bt [WC] Zuko Kubukeli (RSA) 11-8, 11-4, 11-3 (38m)
[Q] Kelvin Ndhlovu (ZAM) bt [4] Joan Lezaud (FRA) 9-11, 3-11, 11-6, 11-4, 11-3 (71m)
Michael Harris (ENG) bt Cameron Stafford (CAY) 13-15, 11-9, 11-6, 11-7 (45m)
[Q] Rodney Durbach (RSA) bt Steven London (ENG) 11-7, 11-7, 11-2 (41m)
[2] Clinton Leeuw (RSA) bt [Q] Gary Wheadon (RSA) 12-10, 11-6, 11-3 (34m)
Quarter-finals:
[1] Shaun le Roux (RSA) bt Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi (QAT) 11-5, 11-8, 11-7 (48m)
[Q] Thoboki Mohohlo (RSA) bt [3] Nathan Lake (ENG) 11-9, 5-11, 11-5, 11-8 (61m)
Michael Harris (ENG) bt [Q] Kelvin Ndhlovu (ZAM) 11-8, 7-11, 11-7, 11-5 (50m)
[2] Clinton Leeuw (RSA) bt [Q] Rodney Durbach (RSA) 11-8, 11-4, 11-4 (35m)
Semi-finals:
[1] Shaun le Roux (RSA) bt [Q] Thoboki Mohohlo (RSA) 11-7, 12-10, 11-4 (52m)
[2] Clinton Leeuw (RSA) bt Michael Harris (ENG) 11-9, 11-6, 11-6 (47m)
Final:
[1] Shaun le Roux (RSA) bt [2] Clinton Leeuw (RSA) 11-7, 11-7, 9-11, 4-11, 12-10 (106m)
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