RESULTS: PSA Northern Ontario Championship, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada
Semi-finals:
[Q] Shawn Delierre (CAN) bt [1] Shahier Razik (CAN) 11-7, 11-13, 11-5, 5-11, 11-5 (140m)
[2] Jan Koukal (CZE) bt [3] Zac Alexander (AUS) 12-10, 16-14, 11-7 (43m)
Just 17 months after contesting the longest match on record under the current scoring system, Canadians Shawn Delierre and Shahier Razik battled for 140 minutes in the semi-finals of the inaugural PSA Northern Ontario Championship before underdog Delierre again claimed victory to progress to the final of the $10,000 PSA World Tour squash event at Sudbury YMCA in Sudbury, Canada.
It was in Baltimore, USA, that the pair last crossed swords on the PSA Tour, with Montreal-based Delierre emerging triumphant against his national rival for only the second time ever - in 150 minutes!
This time Delierre, fighting back to full fitness after leg surgery last year, was a qualifier - and up against Torontonian Razik, the event favourite.
In the see-saw battle that graced the Sudbury YMCA courts, it was Delierre who finally emerged triumphant 20 minutes into the third hour of play, winning 11-7, 11-13, 11-5, 5-11, 11-5.
Now in his ninth Tour final, Delierre will meet Czech number one Jan Koukal after the second seed survived a close-fought match against Australian Zac Alexander, ultimately beating the third seed 12-10, 16-14, 11-7.
Koukal is celebrating the 19th final appearance of his career - but his fourth in North America this year.