Gillams Downs Dussourd to reach Angers Semis

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Top seed Angus Gillams remains on course to lift a fourth PSA World Tour title following an impressive display against Frenchman Auguste Dussourd in the quarter-final of the PSA Angers tournament.

Gillams was in fine fettle and surged into a two-game lead, before an improvement from Dussourd in the third saw the World No.159 halve the deficit.

It didn’t take long for Gillams to get back on top though, and the 20-year-old wrapped up a victory in game four to advance to the semi-final stage of the PSA M5 tournament.

Gillams will meet home qualifier Vincent Droesbeke for a place in the final, with the Frenchman scalping compatriot Baptiste Masotti to progress.

“It was a good match,” said Gillams.

“I didn’t start too well in the first, but I made it hard, and then towards the end of the first game he got a bit worse and hit a few tins so I won it. In the second, I made it hard from the start and won it 11-4. I lost concentration and he went 6-0 up, but in the fourth I managed to come through it, and I’m happy with the 3-1 win.

“My biggest strength is my physicality and my fitness, so I always try to bring that in to every match. If I can control the rallies and keep the balls tight, there’s not much that my opponents can do, so they have to play long rallies. The longer the rally goes on, the better it is for me, so that’s the way I like to play.

“I’ve never seen him [Droesbeke] play before this tournament, so he’s a bit of an unknown quantity. It should be good and I’ll enjoy it definitely.”

Spain’s Carlos Cornes Ribadas will clash with local player Fabien Verseille in the next round, with Cornes dispatching Yann Perrin, while Verseille received a walkover against Robert Downer after the Englishman was forced to pull out.

Check out the ‘Shot of the Day’ from Yann Perrin below

Results – Quarter-Final: PSA Angers 2016
[1] Angus Gillams (ENG) bt [7] Auguste Dussourd (FRA) 3-1: 11-8, 11-4, 8-11, 11-4
[Q] Vincent Droesbeke (FRA) bt [5] Baptiste Masotti (FRA) 3-1: 11-4, 12-10, 8-11, 13-11
[Q] Fabien Verseille (FRA) bt [3] Robert Downer (ENG) w/o
[2] Carlos Cornes Ribadas (ESP) bt [Q] Yann Perrin (FRA) 3-0: 11-8, 11-8, 14-12

Draw – Semi-Final
[1] Angus Gillams (ENG) v [Q] Vincent Droesbeke (FRA)
[Q] Fabien Verseille (FRA) v [2] Carlos Cornes Ribadas (ESP)

By James Hall