Title Favourites Looking for Seasonal Cheer at Xmas Challenger

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The Airport Xmas Challenger, PSA M5 tournament starts on Friday December 4 with a competitive draw chasing honours at the Airport Squash and Fitness Club in Berlin, Germany.

Reiko Peter appears at his final PSA World Tour event of the season and is looking to end a successful year, where he has captured three PSA World Tour titles, in style.

The Swiss World No.67’s last piece of silverware came at the Pilatus Cup back in June and, despite dropping out of the PSA Men’s World Championship in the qualifying stages, has shown title-winning pedigree on a number of occasions this year.

Peter goes up against Bernat Jaume in the opening round as he looks to open with a victory.

Second seed Sebastiaan Weenink is also amongst the forerunners for the title and is looking to improve on his good form that has seen him reach two successive semi-finals at the Cleveland Skating Club Open and Life Time Fitness Minneapolis Open.

Italy’s Yuri Farneti stands in the Dutchman’s way in the opening round but Weenink will be expecting to win the encounter against an opponent making only his third PSA World Tour main draw appearance.

Benjamin Fischer has reached four quarter-finals in his last five PSA World Tour tournaments but needs to go further if he is to break his PSA World Tour title duck.

Fischer, who turns 28 the day the event begins, will be hoping for a late birthday present by lifting silverware in Berlin. He meets Daniel Mekbib for a place in the quarter-final.

France’s Baptiste Masotti has an outside chance of taking the crown and, like Fischer, is still yet to find success on the PSA World Tour. A runner-up finish at the Suez Helsinki Summer Challenger in August showed his ability to reach the latter stages and Masotti will be hoping for greater things this time around. He does battle with Tarek Shehata in round one.

Main Draw: PSA M5, Airport Xmas Challenger, Berlin, Germany
[1] Reiko Peter (SUI) v Bernat Jaume (ESP)
[Q] Patrick Rooney (ENG) v [6] Jaakko Vähämaa (FIN)
[7] Ahmed Hussein (EGY) v Steven London (ENG)
[Q] Tarek Shehata (EGY) v [4] Baptiste Masotti (FRA)
[3] Benjamin Fischer (SUI) v [Q] Daniel Mekbib (CZE)
[Q] Yannik Omlor (GER) v [5] Jonas Daehler (SUI)
[8] Manuel Wanner (SUI) v Jakob Dirnberger (AUT)
Yuri Farneti (ITA) v [2] Sebastiaan Weenink (NED)