Selby & Balbo To Contest Bishop's Stortford Festival Final
Semi-finals:
[1] Daryl Selby (ENG) bt [7] Luca Mastrostefano (ITA) 11-4, 11-9, 9-11, 11-9 (51m)
[5] Julien Balbo (FRA) bt [6] Mathieu Castagnet (FRA) 11-4, 7-11, 8-11, 11-4, 11-5 (88m)
England's top seed and local hero Daryl Selby will face Frenchman Julien Balbo in the final of the BAA Bishop's Stortford Squash Festival after surviving searching semi-final battles in the inaugural PSA Tour event at the Bishop's Stortford Squash Club in the English town of Bishop's Stortford.
Selby comfortably took the opening game against No7 seed Luca Mastrostefano. However, the London-born Italian took a 6-1 lead in the second, but Selby struck back to forge a 2/0 lead.
Again Mastrostefano led in the third, and Selby drew level to nine-all, but this time the Italian forced the advantage to reduce the deficit to 2/1. After a close fourth game, it was Essex man Selby who prevailed 11-4, 11-9, 9-11, 11-9 in 51 minutes to celebrate his maiden PSA Tour final appearance on home soil. The final marks the sixth of his career - and his fourth this year.
The second semi final produced an epic spectacle between two Frenchmen who know each others games inside out. Julien Balbo, the fifth seed, is only ranked slightly higher than his young opponent Mathieu Castagnet - seeded six - and the difference between them was also marginal.
Balbo won the opening game, but Castagnet then took the upper hand to take the next two to forge a 2/1 lead. After Balbo claimed the fourth to draw level, Castagnet looked a beaten man - particularly when he went 0-6 down in the fifth. With only token resistance from his opponent, Balbo managed to push through to take the final game, and the match 11-4, 7-11, 8-11, 11-4, 11-5 to claim a place in the final after 88 long minutes.
The triumph marks the 28-year-old from Chambery's fourth PSA final appearance - and, like Selby, his first in England.