Kandra Cruises To PSA Gibraltar Crown from PSA Media June 29, 2014
- After finishing as runner-up in two PSA World Tour finals earlier in
the year, it was third time lucky for Raphael Kandra at the Gibraltar
Open when the German won the PSA Challenger 5 title after beating
Ireland's Arthur Gaskin at The Squash Centre in Gibraltar. Top seed Kandra, the
German number two, reached the 12th Tour final of his career without
conceding a game, beating England's No.4 seed Robert Downer in the
semi-finals. Second seed Gaskin,
the reigning Irish champion from Dublin, notched up the seventh final
appearance of his career when he recovered from a game down to see off
third-seeded Englishman Richie Fallows in the other semi. But Kandra (pictured
below, extreme right, with Gaskin) was in command in the final.
The 23-year-old World No.59 from Essen survived an opening game
tie-break to overcome Gaskin 13-11, 11-4, 11-4 in 40 minutes. The win marks the fifth Tour title of Kandra's career. RESULTS: PSA Challenger 5 Gibraltar Open, Gibraltar 1st round: [1] Raphael Kandra (GER) bt [Q] David Wardle (ENG) 11-7, 11-6, 11-3 (38m) Rui Soares (POR) bt [7] Anthony Brindle (GIB) 11-4, 11-8, 10-12, 11-8 (52m) Martin Svec (CZE) bt [8] Claudio Pinto (POR) 11-6, 11-3, 11-4 (44m) [4] Robert Downer (ENG) bt [Q] Joel Makin (WAL) 6-11, 9-11, 11-7, 11-5, 11-5 (98m) [3] Richie Fallows (ENG) bt Jakob Dirnberger (AUT) 14-12, 11-9, 12-10 (41m) [5] Jan van den Herrewegen (BEL) bt Phillip Bull (ENG) 11-3, 11-6, 11-4 (27m) [Q] Roman Svec (CZE) bt [6] Jonathan Geekie (SCO) 11-9, 3-11, 8-11, 11-3, 11-2 (60m) [2] Arthur Gaskin (IRL) bt [Q] Joshua Masters (ENG) 11-7, 11-5, 11-8 (37m)
Quarter-finals: [1] Raphael Kandra (GER) bt Rui Soares (POR) 11-2, 11-3, 11-4 (24m) [4] Robert Downer (ENG) bt Martin Svec (CZE) 11-6, 11-1, 11-5 (30m) [3] Richie Fallows (ENG) bt [5] Jan van den Herrewegen (BEL) 14-12, 11-1, 6-11, 12-10 (54m) [2] Arthur Gaskin (IRL) bt [Q] Roman Svec (CZE) 11-4, 12-10, 11-6 (54m)
