Pader Open: Swiss No.4 Celine Walser Produces Only Upset on Day One in Germany

Round one of the Pader Open concluded yesterday with all but one of the 9/16 seeds advancing to the next round of the Challenger 12 events, with Swiss No.4 Celine Walser scoring the only upset as she defeated home favourite Katerina Tycova in four games to reach the second round.

In what was a competetive contest throughout, after Walser secured a 1-0 lead she then managed to close out a very tight second game in a tiebreak 13-11 to move two games clear of Tycova and place one foot in the next round. The home favourite responded by taking the third game 11-7 but Walser returned to top form in the fourth game to take it 11-9 and cause the only seeding shock of the opening round.

France’s Léa Barbeau narrowly avoided a first round shock as she needed all five games to overcome Germany’s Franziska Hennes. Local player Hennes isn’t on the PSA Tour but managed to force a fifth game against the World No.112 after winning the fourth game emphatically 11-2. Barbeau made light work of the local player in the decider as she romped to victory winning 11-4.

In the men’s event, the home crowd were treated to a home victory as Valentin Rapp defeated Ireland’s Amsterdam-based Sean Conroy to advance to the second round. Both players scored wins in the opening two games and with the scores level at 1-1, it was the German who rallied with the home crowd behind him to take the next two games 11-8, 11-6 to reach round two.

The only other match that went to four games was between the leading Irishman in the draw, Sam Buckley and France’s Manu Paquemar. In a topsy-turvy affair, the score reached 1-1 with both players winning 11-4 in the opening two games. But from there, Buckley found his rhythm as he confidently secured the following games 11-4, 11-5 to reach the next round.

The top eight seeds now join the action as the quarter finalists will be decided in Paderborn today.

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Results: Women’s Round One
Celine Walser (SUI) bt [9/16] Katerina Tycova (GER) 3-1: 11-8, 13-11, 7-11, 11-9 (48m)
[9/16] Ambre Allinckx (SUI) bt Taba Taghavi (FRA) 3-0: 11-3, 11-9, 11-5 (25m)
[9/16] Kiera Marshall (ENG) bt [WC] Lea-Iris Murrizi (GER) 3-0: 11-4, 11-3, 11-5 (16m)
[9/16] Alison Thomson (SCO) bt [WC] Maya Weishar (GER) 3-0: 11-9, 12-10, 11-3 (28m)
[9/16] Jacqueline Peychär (AUT) bt Sofía Mateos (ESP) 3-0: 11-8, 11-9, 11-9 (35m)
[9/16] Léa Barbeau (FRA) bt Franziska Hennes (GER) 3-2: 5-11, 11-7, 11-7, 2-11, 11-4 (37m)
[9/16] Asia Harris (ENG) bt [WC] Aylin Günsav (GER) 3-0: 11-8, 11-3, 11-4 (28m)
[9/16] Élise Romba (FRA) bt Ali Loke (WAL) 3-1: 11-6, 6-11, 11-6, 11-9 (30m)

Draw: Women’s Round Two
[1] Cindy Merlo (SUI) v Celine Walser (SUI)
[8] Rana Ismail (EGY) v [9/16] Ambre Allinckx (SUI)
[5] Nadia Pfister (SUI) v [9/16] Kiera Marshall (ENG)
[4] Marta Dominguez Fernandez (ESP) v [9/16] Alison Thomson (SCO)
[3] Saskia Beinhard (GER) v [9/16] Jacqueline Peychär (AUT)
[7] Haya Ali (EGY) v [9/16] Léa Barbeau (FRA)
[6] Alicia Mead (ENG) v [9/16] Asia Harris (ENG)
[2] Nardine Garas (EGY) v [9/16] Élise Romba (FRA)

Results: Men’s Round One
[9/16] Valentin Rapp (GER) bt Sean Conroy (IRL) 3-1: 11-7, 8-11, 11-8, 11-6 (46m)
[9/16] Edmon Lopez (ESP) bt Noah Meredith (ENG) 3-0: 11-7, 11-9, 11-7 (31m)
[9/16] Anthony Lepper (NZL) bt [WC] Dennis Welte (GER) 3-0: 11-6, 11-8, 11-3 (28m)
[9/16] Joeri Hapers (BEL) bt [WC] Finn Koch (GER) 3-0: 11-6, 11-8, 11-0 (29m)
[9/16] Matthew Lai (HKG) bt [WC] Tobias Weggen (GER) 3-0: 11-5, 11-3, 11-4 (22m)
[9/16] Robin Gadola (SUI) bt David Bernet (SUI) 3-0: 11-1, 11-7, 11-8 (31m)
[9/16] Sam Buckley (IRL) bt Manu Paquemar (FRA) 3-1: 11-4, 4-11, 11-4, 11-5 (48m)
[9/16] Robert Downer (ENG) bt Nilo Vidal (ESP) 3-0: 11-7, 11-6, 11-7 (26m)

Draw: Men’s Round Two
[1] Raphael Kandra (GER) v [9/16] Valentin Rapp (GER)
[5] Daniel Poleshchuk (ISR) v [9/16] Edmon Lopez (ESP)
[6] Ivan Perez (ESP) v [9/16] Anthony Lepper (NZL)
[3] Yannik Omlor (GER) v [9/16] Joeri Hapers (BEL)
[4] Tang Ming Hong (HKG) v [9/16] Matthew Lai (HKG)
[8] Dewald van Niekerk (RSA) v [9/16] Robin Gadola (SUI)
[7] Wong Chi Him (HKG) v [9/16] Sam Buckley (IRL)
[2] Viktor Byrtus (CZE) v [9/16] Robert Downer (ENG)