Kubukeli & Smith Snatch World Masters Final Slots In Hong Kong by Howard Harding
Brett Martin v Peter Hill
July 10, 2014
- Seeded only to make the quarter-finals, South African Zuko Kubukeli
and Australian Kelvin Smith carved out places in the finals of the WSF
World Masters Squash Championships in Hong Kong after successful upsets
in today's semi-finals of the Men's Over-40 and Over-55 events,
respectively.
Kubukeli, a
41-year-old from Johannesburg who only just made it into the top 300 on
the PSA World Tour, took just 26 minutes to see off second-seeded
compatriot Craig Wapnick, a former world No32, 11-5, 11-3, 11-5.
Underdog Kubukeli
(pictured above in World Masters action with Wapnick, rear) will now
have another Craig to contend with when he takes on Craig Rowland, the
top seed and ex-world No7 from Australia, in Friday's Over-40 final.
Kelvin Smith, a world
top ten player in the mid-80s, wound back the clock to despatch
Singapore's No2 seed Zainal Abidin 11-8, 14-12, 11-9 to earn a surprise
place in the Men's Over-55 final. The 55-year-old will line up in the
final against fellow countryman Geoffrey Davenport, the 56-year-old top
seed looking for his fifth World Masters title since 2003.
In what was described
as the 'Match of the Day', Australian squash hero Brett Martin - the
51-year-old former world No2 making his World Masters debut - recovered
from 2/1 down to beat Hong Kong-based former Singapore international
Peter Hill 11-3, 12-14, 8-11, 11-9, 11-7 in 49 minutes.
Top seed in the Men's
Over-50 event, Martin (pictured above in action with left-hander Hill)
will now face second seed Willie Hosey after the Irishman beat
England's Jonathan Clark 11-13, 11-7, 11-9, 11-5.
South Africa are
already assured of two titles, while Australians feature in ten of the
finals and are guaranteed three gold medals.
RESULTS: WSF World Masters Squash Championships, Hong Kong China
Men's Over-50 semi-finals: [1] Brett Martin (AUS) bt [3/4] Peter Hill (HKG) 11-3, 12-14, 8-11, 11-9, 11-7 (49m) [2] Willie Hosey (IRL) bt [5/8] Jonathan Clark (ENG) 11-13, 11-7, 11-9, 11-5 (35m)
Men's Over-55 semi-finals: [1] Geoffrey Davenport (AUS) bt Dave Fuller (AUS) 11-1, 11-5, 11-4 (17m) [5/8] Kelvin Smith (AUS) bt [2] Zainal Abidin (SIN) 11-8, 14-12, 11-9 (30m) Kubukeli & Smith Snatch World Masters Final Slots In Hong Kong
