After surviving two four-games matches en-route to today's final of the Victorian Open in Melbourne, Hong Kong's Leo Au despatched England's Lewis Walters in straight games to win the PSA World Tour Challenger 5 squash event at the Melbourne Sports & Aquatic Centre.
While second seed Au took 52 minutes to overcome Austrian Aqeel Rehman, third seed Walters battled for 76 minutes in the other semi-final earlier in the day to upset home favourite Rex Hedrick, recovering from 2/1 down to beat the top seed from Melbourne 12-10, 7-11, 4-11, 11-6, 11-5.
But Au always looked like taking the Victorian title after surviving a close second game against Walters, who later admitted he was disappointed to let his opponent open a two-game lead.
"I was upset to lose that second game, but a few close calls went against me," Walters said after the 21-year-old from Hong Kong's 11-5, 11-9, 11-8 victory in 51 minutes.
"We were both a bit patchy in the third - we both had close matches in the morning and it was difficult to come back and play again," added 23-year-old the Walters, from Nottingham.
Au, boasting a career-high world No 106 ranking, was celebrating the second PSA Tour title of his career - but his first on foreign soil.
RESULTS: PSA Challenger 5 Victorian Open, Melbourne, Australia
1st round:
[1] Rex Hedrick (AUS) bt Luke Sims (AUS) 11-6, 11-1, 11-7 (26m)
[Q] Norman Junge (GER) bt [Q] Alex Phillips (ENG) 9-11, 11-6, 11-4, 11-3 (27m)
Raphael Kandra (GER) bt Chris Ferguson (SCO) 12-10, 11-4, 14-12 (31m)
[7] Anthony Graham (ENG) bt Ben Takamizawa Harris (JPN) 11-6, 11-9, 11-2 (26m)
[5] Justin Beard (AUS) bt [Q] Daniel Wright (AUS) 11-1, 11-5, 11-1 (24m)
Roman Svec (CZE) bt [Q] Nathan Sneyd (LUX) 11-5, 11-5, 17-15 (38m)
Courtney West (AUS) bt [Q] Joshua Southwell-Nobbs (AUS) 7-11, 11-9, 11-4, 11-6 (47m)
[3] Lewis Walters (ENG) bt Rhys Dowling (AUS) 11-0, 11-7, 11-3 (20m)
[4] Nathan Stevenson (AUS) bt Jamie Mcervale (AUS) 11-5, 12-10, 11-5 (35m)
Kevin Moran (SCO) bt [Q] Steve Salter (AUS) 11-8, 11-4, 10-12, 11-4 (40m)
Tsukue Shinnosuke (JPN) bt [Q] Cheuk Yan Tang (HKG) 11-5, 11-8, 11-2 (21m)
[6] Aqeel Rehman (AUT) bt [Q] Cameron White (AUS) 11-6, 11-6, 11-8 (42m)
Hon Fung Wong (HKG) bt [8] Josh Cardwell (AUS) 13-11, 5-11, 11-3, 9-11, 11-6 (75m)
Rory Pennell (ENG) bt Jonas Daehler (SUI) 11-5, 11-2, 4-11, 11-9 (35m)
Owais Khan (PAK) bt Lukas Burkhart (SUI) 5-11, 11-8, 13-15, 11-5, 13-11 (57m)
[2] Leo Au (HKG) bt Ondrej Ertl (CZE) 11-7, 11-6, 11-7 (29m)
2nd round:
[1] Rex Hedrick (AUS) bt [Q] Norman Junge (GER) 11-7, 11-3, 11-4 (33m)
[7] Anthony Graham (ENG) bt Raphael Kandra (GER) 5-11, 11-9, 11-7, 10-12, 11-7 (65m)
[5] Justin Beard (AUS) bt Roman Svec (CZE) 7-11, 11-5, 11-8, 9-11, 11-5 (63m)
[3] Lewis Walters (ENG) bt Courtney West (AUS) 11-8, 11-4, 11-6 (25m)
Kevin Moran (SCO) bt [4] Nathan Stevenson (AUS) 11-8, 14-16, 10-12, 11-3, 11-7 (59m)
[6] Aqeel Rehman (AUT) bt Tsukue Shinnosuke (JPN) 11-9, 11-1, 11-6 (28m)
Rory Pennell (ENG) bt Hon Fung Wong (HKG) 8-11, 11-3, 13-11, 11-2 (37m)
[2] Leo Au (HKG) bt Owais Khan (PAK) 11-5, 11-8, 11-4 (20m)
Quarter-finals:
[1] Rex Hedrick (AUS) bt [7] Anthony Graham (ENG) 5-11, 11-4, 7-11, 11-2, 11-4 (77m)
[3] Lewis Walters (ENG) bt [5] Justin Beard (AUS) 11-6, 11-7, 11-8 (47m)
[6] Aqeel Rehman (AUT) bt Kevin Moran (SCO) 11-9, 11-8, 11-5 (45m)
[2] Leo Au (HKG) bt Rory Pennell (ENG) 11-6, 7-11, 11-6, 11-8 (43m)
Semi-finals:
[3] Lewis Walters (ENG) bt [1] Rex Hedrick (AUS) 12-10, 7-11, 4-11, 11-6, 11-5 (76m)
[2] Leo Au (HKG) bt [6] Aqeel Rehman (AUT) 12-10, 5-11, 11-8, 11-7 (52m)
Final:
[2] Leo Au (HKG) bt [3] Lewis Walters (ENG) 11-5, 11-9, 11-8 (51m)