Bradley Hindle celebrated his second successive PSA World Tour title triumph in his former homeland when he lifted the North Coast Open trophy after surviving a 77-minute final of the PSA Challenger 5 event in its second year at Coffs Harbour Squash Centre in Coffs Harbour in the Australian state of New South Wales.
The Australian-born top seed, now representing Malta, coasted into the final without dropping a game - as did his opponent Rex Hedrick, the No2 seed from Australia who stopped surprise unseeded Malaysian opponent Valentino Bong in the semi-finals.
Hindle, who arrived in Coffs Harbour fresh from his Tour win in the SquashWorks Open last week in Western Australia, looked to be in complete control in the final. A packed crowd saw the 30-year-old take the first two games before Hedrick applied some pressure in the third game with some attacking volleys that unsettled Hindle.
"Hedrick's rhythm continued in the fourth before the game was halted at the end as Hindle was required to use the blood rule for treatment," explained tournament Peter Saxby.
Hindle came out for the decider full of determination - and opened up a 5-0 lead before Hedrick salvaged a point.
Favourite Hindle held onto his lead before closing out the match 11-8, 11-3, 3-11, 7-11, 11-6 to claim the sixth Tour title of his career - and the third in Australian this year.
RESULTS: PSA Challenger 5 North Coast Open, Coffs Harbour, NSW, Australia
1st round:
[2] Rex Hedrick (AUS) bt Luke Sims (AUS) 11-5, 11-4, 11-8 (30m)
[Q] T J Rarere (AUS) bt Dayne Gruenthal (AUS) 5-11, 11-13, 11-9, 11-7, 11-4 (40m)
Joseph Watts (NZL) bt Bradley Jake Williams (AUS) 11-6, 11-3, 9-11, 11-4 (35m)
[Q] Daniel Karwalski (AUS) bt [8] Ben Takamizawa Harris (JPN) 11-4, 9-11, 6-11, 13-11, 11-4 (45m)
[7] Hon Fung Wong (HKG) bt [Q] Geoffrey Salmon (AUS) 11-4, 11-2, 11-1 (28m)
Ben Marschall (AUS) bt Thomas Calvert (AUS) 11-7, 11-8, 9-11, 11-8 (35m)
[Q] Ed Swan (AUS) bt Rhys Dowling (AUS) 10-12, 11-7, 10-12, 11-6, 11-4 (48m)
Valentino Bong (MAS) bt [3] Nathan Stevenson (AUS) 4-11, 11-13, 11-4, 11-4, 11-9 (48m)
[4] Josh Cardwell (AUS) bt Joshua Southwell-Nobbs (AUS) 11-5, 11-4, 11-8 (41m)
Bryce Redman (NZL) bt [Q] Ben Somerville (AUS) 11-5, 11-5, 11-8 (24m)
[Q] Tarek Salah Shehata (EGY) bt Dylan Swanson (NZL) 11-7, 11-9, 11-8 (19m)
[5] Jamie McErvale (AUS) bt Paul Coll (NZL) 11-6, 12-10, 11-3 (29m)
[6] Ravi Dixit (IND) bt [Q] Nathan Turnbull (AUS) 9-11, 7-11, 12-10, 11-8, 18-16 (62m)
Courtney West (AUS) bt Luc Rance (AUS) 10-12, 11-5, 10-12, 11-3, 11-4 (55m)
James Skiffington (NZL) bt Joshua Stack-Masula (AUS) 11-3, 11-5, 11-6 (22m)
[1] Bradley Hindle (MLT) bt [Q] Michael Badenhorst (AUS) 11-0, 11-6, 11-2 (21m)
2nd round:
[2] Rex Hedrick (AUS) bt [Q] T J Rarere (AUS) 11-0, 11-7, 11-2 (17m)
[Q] Daniel Karwalski (AUS) bt Joseph Watts (NZL) 11-4, 9-11, 6-11, 13-11, 11-4 (41m)
[7] Hon Fung Wong (HKG) bt Ben Marschall (AUS) 11-4, 11-8, 11-2 (20m)
Valentino Bong (MAS) bt [Q] Ed Swan (AUS) 11-6, 11-7, 11-1 (25m)
[4] Josh Cardwell (AUS) bt Bryce Redman (NZL) 11-3, 11-6, 11-5 (37m)
[Q] Tarek Salah Shehata (EGY) bt [5] Jamie McErvale (AUS) 11-7, 14-12, 11-7 (26m)
[6] Ravi Dixit (IND) bt Courtney West (AUS) 11-5, 11-9, 11-1 (25m)
[1] Bradley Hindle (MLT) bt James Skiffington (NZL) 11-0, 11-4, 11-1 (20m)
Quarter-finals:
[2] Rex Hedrick (AUS) bt [Q] Daniel Karwalski (AUS) 11-5, 11-6, 11-6 (24m)
Valentino Bong (MAS) bt [7] Hon Fung Wong (HKG) 12-10, 11-9, 5-11, 11-9 (32m)
[4] Josh Cardwell (AUS) bt [Q] Tarek Salah Shehata (EGY) 7-11, 11-1, 11-7, 11-9 (60m)
[1] Bradley Hindle (MLT) bt [6] Ravi Dixit (IND) 11-6, 11-8, 14-12 (44m)
Semi-finals:
[2] Rex Hedrick (AUS) bt Valentino Bong (MAS) 11-3, 11-8, 11-4 (35m)
[1] Bradley Hindle (MLT) bt [4] Josh Cardwell (AUS) 11-6, 11-6, 11-9 (35m)
Final:
[1] Bradley Hindle (MLT) bt [2] Rex Hedrick (AUS) 11-8, 11-3, 3-11, 7-11, 11-6 (77m)