Willstrop and Barker Set Up $88K Shanghai Showdown by Nathan Clarke September 6, 2014
- English World No.7 James Willstrop and World No.8 Peter Barker will
go head-to-head in the final of the 2014 China Open - Squash Stars On
The Bund, PSA International 70 tournament, in Shanghai, China tomorrow
to determine who will win the inaugural China Open title.
Separated by just one
place on the PSA World Rankings and having claimed silver and bronze in
the Commonwealth Games, respectively, the pairing are set to contest a
gripping finale that will take place on the 11th floor of the iconic
Shanghai Peninsula hotel, which overlooks the city's spectacular Bund.
Pontefract-based
Willstrop, the tournament's number one seed, booked his place in the
final courtesy of victory over Egyptian Omar Mossad, recovering from an
early setback after losing the opening game of the match to show his
experience and shot playing ability to rally back and complete an
impressive 3-1 win.
He will now face
Barker for the chance to win his first tournament since the 2013 Canary
Wharf Classic, when it was the Essex-man who he beat in the final that
day, after the physical left-hander ensured it would be an all-English
occasion in Shanghai following a comfortable 3-0 win over experienced
Dutch competitor Laurens Jan Anjema.
Anjema had ended
number two seed Borja Golan's hopes of tournament success at the
quarter-final stage, but Barker remained untroubled throughout the
contest, recording a win that sees him through to his first final since
finishing runner-up in January's Motor City Open.
2014 China Open - Squash Stars On The Bund: Semi-final Draw: [1] James Willstrop (ENG) bt [5] Omar Mosaad 3-1: 8-11, 11-5, 11-3, 11-4 (56m) [3] Peter Barker (ENG) bt [6] Laurens Jan Anjema (NED) 3-0: 11-5, 11-5, 11-2 (49m)
2014 China Open - Squash Stars On The Bund: Final: [1] James Willstrop (ENG) v [3] Peter Barker (ENG)
