After two successive runners-up finishes for Daryl Selby in Canada, it was third time lucky for the fast-rising Englishman in Calgary when he won the Calgary Winter Club Rocky Mountain Open, the inaugural $30,750 3-star PSA World Tour squash event at Calgary Winter Club.
The second-seeded 27-year-old faced surprise opponent Hisham Mohd Ashour, the third seed from Egypt who upset Dutch favourite Laurens Jan Anjema in the semi-finals.
It was Anjema, the world No15 from The Hague, who defeated Selby in the finals of both the National Bank Financial Group International in Montreal and the Manitoba Open in Winnipeg earlier in the month.
But a determined Selby, ranked 12 in the world, took on the 27-year-old from Cairo with only one thing on his mind – title success.
And after surviving a tie-break first game, the England international from Essex took control to carve out an impressive 12-10, 11-4, 11-7 victory in 45 minutes.
The title triumph brought to an end a hugely successful visit to North America in which he boosted his number of PSA Tour final appearances to 14 and his titles total to nine.
“It was a great end to the tour,” said Selby afterwards. “And it hopefully gives me a good chance to be in the top ten at the end of the month.
“But I’ve got Canary Wharf to look forward to first!” added the new champion.
Selby is eighth seed in this week’s ISS Canary Wharf Classic and will be keen to maintain his winning momentum on home soil in this 5-star PSA Tour event at Canary Wharf in London.
The Essex man faces Egypt’s world No25 Tarek Momen in the first round tomorrow (Monday) before a likely clash with England team-mate James Willstrop, the world No4 and a three-time winner of the title, in the quarter-finals.
Final:
[2] Daryl Selby (ENG) bt [3] Hisham Mohd Ashour (EGY) 12-10, 11-4, 11-7 (45m)
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Semi-finals:
[3] Hisham Mohd Ashour (EGY) bt [1] Laurens Jan Anjema (NED) 4-11, 11-7, 11-9, 11-7 (51m)
[2] Daryl Selby (ENG) bt [4] Shahier Razik (CAN) 11-7, 11-4, 11-6 (45m)
Anjema Upset Takes Hisham Into Calgary Final
Laurens Jan Anjema’s bid to win three successive PSA World Tour squash titles in Canada came unstuck when the Dutchman was beaten by Hisham Mohd Ashour in the semi-finals of the Calgary Winter Club Rocky Mountain Open, the $30,750 3-star event at Calgary Winter Club in Calgary.
“He played like he can,” said the five-time Dutch national champion on Twitter after his first championship defeat this year. “One match too many for me: Oh well, I had a good run.”
Third seed Ashour, the older brother of world number one Ramy Ashour, is widely-regarded as one of the game’s most dangerous opponents.
The 27-year-old from Cairo recovered from a game down to topple top seed Anjema, the world No15, 4-11, 11-7, 11-9, 11-7 in 51 minutes.
The unexpected win takes Ashour senior to the seventh Tour final of his career – but his first for a year.
The world No23 will face Daryl Selby, the second seed from England who battled to his third consecutive Tour final in Canada when he dashed local hopes by beating Canada’s fourth seed Shahier Razik 11-7, 11-4, 11-6.
The 45-minute win was Selby’s third in a row over the 32-year-old from Toronto on his home soil – but the first in straight games.
The 27-year-old world No12 from Essex – now hoping it will be ‘third time lucky in Canada’ – is celebrating the 14th PSA final of his career, where he will be meeting Ashour for the first time.
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1st round:
[1] Laurens Jan Anjema (NED) bt [Q] John Rooney (IRL) 11-1, 13-11, 11-4 (35m)
Stephane Galifi (ITA) bt [6] Aaron Frankcomb (AUS) 6-11, 11-8, 11-9, 1-11, 11-9 (90m)
[3] Hisham Mohd Ashour (EGY) bt Andrew McDougall (CAN) 11-9, 11-4, 11-8 (34m)
[8] Eric Galvez (MEX) bt [Q] Matthew Giuffre (CAN) 11-5, 16-14, 11-7 (44m)
Gilly Lane (USA) bt [5] Martin Knight (NZL) 11-5, 11-7, 12-10 (14m)
[4] Shahier Razik (CAN) bt [Q] Zac Alexander (AUS) 11-9, 11-3, 11-3 (41m)
[Q] Clinton Leeuw (RSA) bt [7] Campbell Grayson (NZL) 3/2
[2] Daryl Selby (ENG) bt Jan Koukal (CZE) 11-5, 2-11, 11-9, 11-9
Quarter-finals:
[1] Laurens Jan Anjema (NED) bt Stephane Galifi (ITA) 11-5, 11-8, 11-6 (41m)
[3] Hisham Mohd Ashour (EGY) bt [8] Eric Galvez (MEX) 11-0, 7-11, 11-3, 11-3 (35m)
[4] Shahier Razik (CAN) bt Gilly Lane (USA) 11-9, 11-5, 11-4 (43m)
[2] Daryl Selby (ENG) bt [Q] Clinton Leeuw (RSA) 11-9, 12-10, 14-12 (33m)
Seeds Safely Through In Calgary
After a cull of three seeds in the opening round of the Calgary Winter Club Rocky Mountain Open, order was restored in the quarter-finals when the top four seeds prevailed to reach the semi-finals of the $30,750 PSA World Tour squash event at Calgary Winter Club in Calgary, Canada.
Unseeded Gilly Lane ousted fifth seed Martin Knight in the first round, but the US number two was unable to repeat his run in the next when Canada’s fourth seed Shahier Razik defeated the 24-year-old from Philadelphia 11-9, 11-5, 11-4.
Razik, the 32-year-old from Toronto now in his third successive Tour semi-final on home soil, will face second seed Daryl Selby.
The Englishman beat South African qualifier Clinton Leeuw 11-9, 12-10, 14-12 to set up his third meeting with the Canadian in two weeks.
Dutch favourite Laurens Jan Anjema will take on third seed Hisham Mohd Ashour in the other semi. Anjema, looking for his third Tour title in a row in Canada, dismissed Italian Stephane Galifi 11-5, 11-8, 11-6, while Ashour knocked out Mexico’s No8 seed Eric Galvez 11-0, 7-11, 11-3, 11-3.