Carey Olsen Tortola Classic: Farkas Comes From Two Down To Win

Hungary’s Balazs Farkas took the victory at the Carey Olsen Tortola Classic, after he made an improbable comeback in the final to down No.2 seed David Baillargeon and take his second title of the season.

Farkas came into the Challenger 10 level competition at the Tortola Sports Club in the British Virgin Islands as the No.4 seed, and aiming to add to the Odense Open crown which he claimed in March, one which saw him qualify for the PSA World Championships in Cairo.

After receiving a bye through to the opening day’s action due to his seeding, the Hungarian then came up against Colombia’s Santiago Orozco in the second round, overcoming that challenge in straight games, before then defeating Jamaican No.1 Christopher Binnie in a four-game battle that lasted just less than an hour.

In the semi-finals, Farkas got the better of the unseeded Joeri Hapers, with the Belgian being one of the surprise packages in the competition. The Hungarian beat his fellow European 11-3, 11-6, 3-11, 11-3 to make it into the final where he took on Canada’s Baillargeon.

The final looked to be going in one direction, with the Canadian, ranked 16 places above Farkas in the World Rankings, taking a two game lead after winning both of the fist two games by 11-8 scorelines. However, from there it was the World No.77 that showed his class, dropping just 15 points across the next three games to secure a second title of the season, and the ninth of his career.

Results: Carey Olsen Tortola Classic
Final
[4] Balazs Farkas (HUN) bt [2] David Baillargeon (CAN) 3-2: 8-11, 8-11, 11-4, 11-7, 11-4 (72m)

Semi-Finals
[4] Balazs Farkas (HUN) bt Joeri Hapers (BEL) 3-1: 11-3, 11-6, 3-11, 11-3 (46m)
[2] David Baillargeon (CAN) bt [6] Andrew Douglas (USA) 3-1: 11-1, 3-11, 11-8, 11-7 (56m)

Quarter Finals
Joeri Hapers (BEL) bt Liam Marrison (CAN) 3-1: 3-11, 11-3, 11-6, 11-6 (47m)
[4] Balazs Farkas (HUN) bt [7] Christopher Binnie (JAM) 3-1: 11-7, 6-11, 11-7, 11-6 (57m)
[6] Andrew Douglas (USA) bt [3] Spencer Lovejoy (USA) 3-0: 11-9, 11-5, 11-4 (43m)
[2] David Baillargeon (CAN) bt [5] Simon Herbert (ENG) 3-0: 13-11, 11-6, 11-7 (44m)

Round Two
Liam Marrison (CAN) bt [1] Christopher Gordon (USA) 3-1: 11-9, 9-11, 11-6, 11-7 (55m)
Joeri Hapers (BEL) bt [8] Connor Turk (CAN) 3-1: 11-4, 8-11, 11-2, 11-5 (45m)
[7] Christopher Binnie (JAM) bt Adam Murrills (ENG) 3-0: 13-11, 12-10, 11-6 (43m)
[4] Balazs Farkas (HUN) bt Santiago Orozco (COL) 3-0: 11-5, 11-6, 11-6 (34m)
[3] Spencer Lovejoy (USA) bt [WC] Luca Reich (IVB) 3-0: 11-2, 11-3, 11-4 (29m)
[6] Andrew Douglas (USA) bt Mahmoud Abouelleil (EGY) 3-0: 11-1, 11-0, 11-2 (26m)
[5] Simon Herbert (ENG) bt Jonah Bryant (ENG) 3-0: 11-6, 12-10, 11-4 (42m)
[2] David Baillargeon (CAN) bt Petr Nohel (CZE) 3-0: 11-4, 11-4, 11-4 (35m)

Round One
Liam Marrison (CAN) bt [WC] Stuart Rau (IVB) 3-0: 11-2, 11-8, 11-2 (25m)
Joeri Hapers (BEL) bt [WC] Percy Rhoden (IVB) 3-0: 11-3, 11-1, 11-4 (23m)
Adam Murrills (ENG) bt [WC] Jonathan Addo (IVB) 3-0: 11-4, 11-3, 11-4 (27m)
Santiago Orozco (COL) bt [WC] Oliver Henderson (IVB) 3-0: 11-1, 11-2, 11-2 (24m)
Luca Reich (IVB) bt [WC] Eddie Brockbank (IVB) 3-0: 11-2, 11-5, 11-7 (27m)
Mahmoud Abouelleil (EGY) bt [WC] Dion Anselm (IVB) 3-1: 10-12, 11-6, 11-8, 11-1 (42m)
Jonah Bryant (ENG) bt [WC] Danny Henderson (IVB) 3-0: 11-2, 11-2, 11-4 (26m)
Petr Nohel (CZE) bt [WC] Tom Chapman (IVB) 3-0: 11-1, 11-1, 11-1 (23m)