Shawn Delierre Wins PSA Paraguay Open from PSA Media June 6, 2014
- Canadian number one Shawn Delierre claimed the 13th PSA World Tour
squash title of his career when he upset top seed Andrew Wagih Shoukry
in the final of the Tour de las Americas Paraguay Open, the PSA
Challenger 10 event celebrating its sixth successive year at Club
Internacional de Tenis in the Paraguay capital Asuncion. Remarkably, the
32-year-old from Montreal (pictured below, left, with Shoukry) reached
his 20th Tour final without facing any seeds – in the semi-finals
battling for 77 minutes to overcome experienced Robertino Pezzota, a
qualifier from Argentina. Shoukry, a 23-year-old
ranked 70 in the world, overcame a notable hurdle in the quarter-finals
– 17-year-old Peruvian qualifier Diego Elias to whom he had lost a week
earlier in the Regatas Resistencia Open in Argentina. "Wagih dictated the
pace in the final up to 10-8 when Shawn had to save two game balls to
then take it on the tie break," explained tournament promoter Esteban
Casarino. "In the second, from
4-1 up, Delierre lost concentration and tried to refocus, playing long
rallies, but the lack of aggressiveness gave the control to Wagih – who
closed it out 11-6. "The last two games
had a similar pattern - long rallies, many lets, and really well-fought
squash. It was definitely mental and again, as in the semis, the
experience from the older player paved his way to the title." After his 12-10, 6-11,
11-5, 11-9 triumph in 90 minutes, second seed Delierre said:
“Another hard fought mental battle tonight. A well-rested Andrew
came out and was firing his talent. All I could do was relay on
good basic squash, something I’m not familiar with! "I know when he starts
playing this way, I want to join him. So I just kept the ball in
play just long enough for an error to happen. "I won 3/1 tonight, but three out of the four games were won in hell - is that possible? "I am very grateful to win and feel at my best again! Thank you to Esteban for a great tournament!” Shoukry added:
“I'm very happy that I played the final after having hard matches all
week. It was a great final and it took almost two hours for four
games, so I wasn't easy to beat today! "Shawn is a very good player, he was top 40. It was a very mental battle, tough also physically. "I would like to thank
the sponsors and the crowd, it kept increasing every day so to play in
the final after losing in the second round in Resistencia - especially
in front of these people - make me very happy." RESULTS: PSA Challenger 10 Tour de las Americas Paraguay Open, Asuncion, Paraguay 1st round: [1] Andrew Wagih Shoukry (EGY) bt [Q] Josue Enriquez (GUA) 11-5, 11-8, 11-5 (33m) [Q] Diego Elias (PER) bt [8] Robert Downer (ENG) 11-9, 11-4, 11-7 (34m) [7] Matthew Serediak (CAN) bt Jonas Daehler (SUI) 12-10, 11-2, 11-5 (36m) [4] Lewis Walters (ENG) bt Micah Franklin (BER) 11-5, 11-1 ret. (22m) [3] Gonzalo Miranda (ARG) bt [WC] Nicolas Caballero (PAR) 11-6, 11-5, 11-3 (29m) [Q] Robertino Pezzota (ARG) bt [6] Michael McCue (CAN) 5-11, 11-5, 11-5, 11-9 (69m) [Q] Leandro Romiglio (ARG) bt [5] Alex Ingham (ENG) 11-2, 11-7, 11-9 (44m) [2] Shawn Delierre (CAN) bt Hernan D'Arcangelo (ARG) 11-8, 11-5, 11-9 (56m) Quarter-finals: [1] Andrew Wagih Shoukry (EGY) bt [Q] Diego Elias (PER) 9-11, 11-3, 11-1, 11-4 (65m) [4] Lewis Walters (ENG) bt [7] Matthew Serediak (CAN) 11-6, 2-11, 11-7, 11-4 (57m) [Q] Robertino Pezzota (ARG) bt [3] Gonzalo Miranda (ARG) 12-10, 13-11, 2-11, 11-9 (75m) [2] Shawn Delierre (CAN) bt [Q] Leandro Romiglio (ARG) 6-11, 11-1, 11-5, 11-7 (47m) Semi-finals: [1] Andrew Wagih Shoukry (EGY) bt [4] Lewis Walters (ENG) 11-4, 11-7, 11-9 (46m) [2] Shawn Delierre (CAN) bt [Q] Robertino Pezzota (ARG) 11-9, 11-5, 13-11 (77m) Final: [2] Shawn Delierre (CAN) bt [1] Andrew Wagih Shoukry (EGY) 12-10, 6-11, 11-5, 11-9 (90m)
