RESULTS: DragonDoc Squash Championship, Atlanta, USA
1st round:
[1] Patrick Chifunda (ZAM) bt Christopher Callis (USA) 11-13, 11-8, 11-7, 11-6
[Q] Lekgotla Mosope (BOT) bt [8] Lefika Ragontse (BOT) 9-11, 11-7, 7-11, 11-9, 12-10
Tiago Cabral (BRA) bt [4] Matthew Serediak (CAN) 16-14, 11-6, 6-11, 14-12
[6] Salvador Martinez (MEX) bt Joe Millman (ENG) 11-9, 13-11, 11-4 (35m)
[Q] Benjamin Oliner (USA) bt [5] Jonas Laursen (DEN) 11-8, 11-3, 11-6 (35m)
Dane Sharp (CAN) bt [3] Ahmed Maged Hamza (EGY) 7-11, 13-11, 9-11, 12-10, 12-10
[7] Jacques Swanepoel (RSA) bt [Q] Italo Bonatti (GUA) 11-3, 11-3, 11-8
[2] Jose Angel Becerril (MEX) bt [Q] Richard Chin (USA) 11-7, 11-7, 7-11, 11-9
Quarter-finals:
[1] Patrick Chifunda (ZAM) bt [Q] Lekgotla Mosope (BOT) 5-11, 11-6, 13-11, 11-6
Tiago Cabral (BRA) bt [6] Salvador Martinez (MEX) 11-6, 5-11, 13-11, 11-9 (43m)
Dane Sharp (CAN) bt [Q] Benjamin Oliner (USA) 11-5, 6-11, 11-7, 7-11, 11-4 (73m)
[2] Jose Angel Becerril (MEX) bt [7] Jacques Swanepoel (RSA) 12-10, 11-9, 12-10 (39m)
Semi-finals:
[1] Patrick Chifunda (ZAM) bt Tiago Cabral (BRA) 12-14, 11-4, 7-11, 12-10, 11-9 (80m)
[2] Jose Angel Becerril (MEX) bt Dane Sharp (CAN) 14-12, 11-7, 11-4 (35m)
Final:
[1] Patrick Chifunda (ZAM) bt [2] Jose Angel Becerril (MEX) 7-11, 13-11, 6-11, 11-9, 11-9 (71m)
US-based Zambian Patrick Chifunda celebrated his maiden PSA Tour squash title in fine style when he beat Mexican Jose Angel Becerril in the final of the DragonDoc Championship at Midtown Athletic Club in Atlanta, USA.
The Richmond-based 33-year-old reached the final of the $5,000 Tour event after surviving an 80-minute five-game semi-final against unseeded Brazilian Tiago Cabral.
Second seed Becerril, 23, from Mexico City, claimed his fifth Tour final appearance in somewhat easier circumstances - despatching unseeded Canadian Dane Sharp in straight games in just 35 minutes.
But favourite Chifunda twice had to battle from behind before beating Becerril 7-11, 13-11, 6-11, 11-9, 11-9 in 71 minutes to celebrate his PSA breakthrough.
"It was a wonderfully competitive match, each of Chifunda’s three winning games could easily have gone the other way," commented event spokesman Thomas Rumpler.