RESULTS: Dutch Open Squash Championship, Rotterdam, Netherlands
Semi-finals:
[2] Cameron Pilley (AUS) bt [3] Mohd Azlan Iskandar (MAS) 6-11, 11-8, 11-3, 12-10 (65m)
[4] Daryl Selby (ENG) bt [1] Laurens Jan Anjema (NED) 11-2, 3-0 ret. (8m)
Final:
[4] Daryl Selby (ENG) bt [2] Cameron Pilley (AUS) 11-9, 4-11, 11-7, 12-10 (102m)
England's Daryl Selby celebrated his second successive upset in the Dutch Open Squash 2009 to win the $40,000 PSA World Tour title after surviving a 102-minute marathon final today (Sunday) against Australian Cameron Pilley at Victoria Squash in Rotterdam.
The 27-year-old fourth seed made his breakthrough in the semi-finals when local hero Laurens Jan Anjema, the top seed, was forced to retire as the result of an injury to his right knee sustained during the previous day's match.
By contrast, second seed Pilley took more than an hour to come through the other semi - but was in high spirits after securing his first win over Malaysian Mohd Azlan Iskandar, the third seed, in five Tour meetings since the beginning of 2003.
With both players taking few risks in the early stages of the final, the opening game alone took 30 minutes - which finally went Selby’s way, despite trailing for most of the game. The Australian came out firing in the second though, putting in more attacks and taking the game comfortably in just 11 minutes to level the match.
It was back to business for Selby in the third as the Essex man kept his opponent on a much tighter leash. From six-all, the Englishman took the initiative and after another 30-minute game, it was 2/1 to Selby.
The fourth was another gruelling game, with both players more eager to pounce on a good opportunity now. There was nothing in it up to eight-all, when Selby played a long drop shot and got a stroke to take him to 10-8.
However the fourth seed tinned on the next two rallies, before regaining his third match ball shortly afterwards. Five scrambling rallies led to five lets - but Selby finally put in a shot that was too tight for Pilley to retrieve, and it was game and match to the English underdog 11-9, 4-11, 11-7, 12-10.
Selby was naturally delighted with the eighth - and biggest - Tour win of his career: "It was pretty crucial to come back and take the first game, because he just played too well in the second. Then it was just a question of hanging in there," said the world No17.
"We both wanted to win obviously - it's a big tournament, a four star, which means lots of points," added Selby. "It feels great to win the Dutch Open and I would like to thank Tommy (Berden) and his team who always organise them so well."
For more details, visit the tournament website www.dutchopensquash.nl