Challenger Tour Round-Up: Lyon Survives Tricky Auckland Test, Chuah Through in Johor

ECP Open 2024 

Diego Gobbi and Pedro Mometto set up an all-Brazilian quarter-final clash at the ECP Open, winning their respective round-two encounters. 

Gobbi and Mometto are Brazil’s No.1 and 2 in the men’s game but only one of them will progress into the final four on home soil, as they go head-to-head for the fifth time on the PSA Tour. 

Gobbi has won three of those previous four encounters, but needed to come from behind to claim his spot in the last eight here, beating France’s Manuel Paquemar 3-1 in 48 minutes. 

Mometto, meanwhile, will be hoping his fresher legs come into the equation after spending less than half an hour in beating Sayed Fawzy, losing only 12 points across the match. 

Top seed Rowan Damming is also through after overturning a one-game deficit of his own to knock out another Brazilian, Rhuan Sousa, while third seed Stuart MacGregor beat Guilherme Melo. 

In the women’s draw, the top two seeds both put in ruthless 16-minute performances in round one to send a message the rest of the field. 

No.1 seed Catalina Pelaez beat Brazil’s Carolina Raucci 11-1, 11-2, 11-3, while second seed Laura Silva – the 16-year-old Brazilian national champion – ousted Giulia Colleoni 11-5, 11-3, 11-2. 

Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Open 2024 

Top seed Madison Lyon overcame a tricky test against defending champion and home favourite Lana Harrison on day one of the Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Open. 

The 16-player women’s draw meant the top eight seeds were all in round-one action, and 18-year-old Lyon could hardly have had a tougher test, facing the 32-year-old Auckland native who won this event in 2023. 

After losing the opening game, Lyon got herself back on levels terms with a forehand drop out of Harrison’s reach, and cruised through game three to give herself a 2-1 lead, taking it 11-4. 

The New Zealander, though, fought back to send the match to a decider, winning game four 11-9 on a no-let decision after Lyon had held her swing on the backhand, hoping for a stroke. 

Harrison would have then been sensing a big win against the young Australian at 4-2 up in the fifth, but Lyon kept her cool, clawing her way back to 4-4 and then 6-6, before reeling off five points on the bounce to book her spot in round two, with a well-disguised backhand drop sending Harrison the wrong way on match ball.

Lyon was joined in round two by New Zealand’s No.2 seed Ella Lash, who recorded a straight-games win over Lisa Ashton.

ACE Challenger 6K 2024 

Wildcard Joachim Chuah fought back from two games down to knock out fourth seed Ong Sai Hung at the ACE Challenger 6K.

19-year-old Chuah had not played on the Challenger Tour since reaching the quarter-finals of last year’s WSF World Junior Squash Championships, but has won a pair of Satellite events in 2024. 

He will now face left-hander Hafiz Zhafri in the last eight after fighting back from 2-0 to win in 56 minutes, taking the last three games 11-6, 11-9, 11-2. 

There were also impressive wins for Shota Yasunari and Wailok To, who knocked out the No.2 and 3 seeds respectively. 

Like Chuah, both players fought back from 2-0 down to book their spot in the quarter-finals, with Yasunari beating Vladislav Titov, while Hong Kong’s To knocked out compatriot Ka Hei Ho.

The biggest upset in the women’s draw came courtesy of Kirstie Wong, who beat Korea’s Min-gyeong Heo 3-0, although it truly could have gone either way, as all three games finished 12-10.

You can stay up to date with all the Challenger Tour results here.