Challenger Tour Roundup: Action in Hong Kong, Bangladesh & Mexico

KCC PSA Challenge Cup 2

Hong Kong duo Kwong Ena and Wailok To secured surprise semi-final spots at the KCC PSA Challenge Cup 2, PSA Challenger Tour 6 event earlier today with respective wins over Chung Yee Ling Elaine and Chung Yat Long at the Kowloon Cricket Club.

World No.247 Ena was up against a fellow unseeded player in Chung in the women’s event but dispatched her in just 22 minutes, sealing an 11-2, 11-7, 12-10 victory to set up a last four meeting with top seed Cheng Nga Ching.

Cheng got the better of Toby Tse in a gripping five-game contest, winning 11-7, 8-11, 11-6, 7-11, 11-8.

No.2 seed Akanksha Salunkhe and No.3 seed Chei Hei Fung will meet in the other semi-final following wins over Rathika Suthanthira Seelan and Thanusaa Uthrian, respectively.

To is the only unseeded player to reach the last four of the men’s event and followed up his round two win over No.6 seed Lam Shing Fung with a 3-0 victory against No.3 seed Chung Yat Long.

The World No.274 will play No.7 seed will play Hafiz Zhafri in the last four following Zhafri’s 3-1 win against No.2 seed Harley Lam.

Top seed Matthew Lai is also though to the semi-finals but was forced all the way to five games by fellow Hong Kong player Andes Ling. His opponent will be Ho Ka Hei, who beat India’s Rahul Baitha.

3rd Bangabandhu Squash Tournament presented by Ispahani

There were no upsets to be found in the second round of the 3rd Bangabandhu Squash Tournament presented by Ispahani as Egyptian top seed Kareem El Torkey led his fellow seeds through to the quarter-finals at the Gulshan Club Limited in Dhaka.

El Torkey, the World No.160, booked his place in the last eight courtesy of a comfortable 11-3, 11-7, 11-1 win over Sri Lanka’s Navindu Lakman and he is rewarded with a match against fellow Egyptian Abdul-Rahman Elnady, who beat Md Shohidul Islam.

No.2 seed Abdelrahman Abdelkhalek beat MD Parvez Karim to earn his place in the quarter-finals and will go up against Hazem Hossam after he dispatched Tuwin Nilakshana Herath in straight games.

There was also a win for Seif Tamer over India’s Shaan Dalal and his quarter-final opponent will be Iran’s Sepehr Etemadpoor.

Yusuf Elsherif and Sebastiaan Hofman have also reached the last eight of the PSA Challenger Tour 6 event.

Copa Mexico Temazcal

Play got under way at the Copa Mexico Temazcal, PSA Challenger Tour 6 event last night with seven home players battling through to round two at the Squash Temazcal club in Morelos.

Pablo Hernandez’s win over Nick Sutcliffe was the pick of the bunch, with the former winning 11-9, 11-4, 8-11, 11-5 in 39 minutes to earn a last 16 berth against top seed Alfredo Avila.

There were also wins for Alfredo Lopez and Allan Nuñez over wildcards Luis Aquino and Diego Toledo, respectively and they will go up against No.2 seed Ronald  Palomino and No.3 seed Alejandro Reyes.

Colombia’s Juan Pablo Gómez Ochoa was the only non-Mexican to win on day one as he beat Alan Garcia. He will play No.8 seed and compatriot Felipe Tovar for a place in the quarter-finals.

You can see all the results from this week’s PSA Challenger Tour events here.