Boswell & Tuominen Set Up Maiden Tour Meeting In Mikkeli
Semi-finals:
[1] Stewart Boswell (AUS) bt [7] Omar Abdel Aziz (EGY) 12-14, 11-6, 11-0, 11-2 (60m)
[2] Olli Tuominen (FIN) bt [4] Omar Mosaad (EGY) 8-11, 7-11, 11-5, 11-4, 11-4 (44m)
The top two seeds Stewart Boswell and local hero Olli Tuominen will meet in the final of the Savcor Finnish Open after overcoming Egyptian opposition in the semi-finals of the established $25,000 PSA Tour squash event at Mikkeli Squash Club in Mikkeli, Finland.
Remarkably, for two players who have been on the Tour for more than 10 years - both of whom have been regulars in the world top 20 for much of that period - it will be the pair's maiden meeting!
In the first semi, Australian favourite Boswell got off to a good start and took an early 6-2 lead against Omar Abdel Aziz. But the No7 seed from Cairo fought back to draw level at eight-all, then reached his first game ball at 10-8 before clinching the opener 14-12.
The Egyptian led 5-3 in the second - but thereafter it was all Boswell. Abdel Aziz only managed a further three points in the match as the 30-year-old from Canberra cruised to a 12-14, 11-6, 11-0, 11-2 victory in 60 minutes - and his 31st appearance in a PSA Tour final.
Rallies were short in the later semi-final where Omar Mosaad, the fourth seed from Cairo, managed to hit a variety of winners to take a two-game lead over the defending champion from Helsinki.
But the 20-year-old's five-game matches in the previous two rounds began to take their toll as Tuominen regained the initiative.
The 29-year-old second seed delighted the packed crowd by taking the next three games to win 8-11, 7-11, 11-5, 11-4, 11-4 in 44 minutes - and earn himself a place in his 13th Tour final.