Challenger Tour Round-Up: Rodriguez Claims Home Title; Ward Denies Marshall to Clinch Maiden Crown

PSA Club Campestre De Cali 2024  

Miguel Rodriguez capped a dominant week on home soil at the PSA Club Campestre De Cali, beating Leonel Cardenas to clinch his 31^st PSA Tour title, and his first in Colombia since 2014. 

The No.1 seed had not played on Cololmbian soil in a PSA Tour event since 2016, but entered here as the No.1 seed, and proceeded to the final without dropping a game. 

Standing between him and the trophy on finals day was the ever-improving Cardenas, who is currently at a career-high ranking of No.22 in the world having enjoyed a successful season, highlighted by a win over Joel Makin in El Gouna. 

Like Rodriguez, Cardenas had also reached the final without losing a game, but he knew he was in for a battle early on here, with the first two rallies both lasting more than 30 shots. 

A 25-minute first game went Rodriguez’s way when a forehand boast found the tin from Cardenas’ racquet, and he didn’t have to wait long for a two-game lead, reeling off seven points in a row to move from 2-2 to 9-2 before closing out the game. 

Determined not to go down without a fight, the young Mexican got himself on the board by taking game three on his third game ball, hitting a soft backhand volley winner after seeing the first two saved. 

But Rodriguez was quickly back in the ascendancy in game four, turning a 5-4 lead into a 10-5 lead, with six championship balls at his feet. 

Cardenas saved the first when Rodriguez tinned a forehand, with the Mexican even keeping the point alive with a ‘tweener’ early in the rally, but the Colombian was determined to finish in style. 

He slammed a backhand return of serve into the nick on the very next point, falling to the floor and letting out a huge cry of emotion as the partisan home crowd rose to their feet. 

Result: 
[1] Miguel Rodriguez (COL) bt [2] Leonel Cardenas (MEX) 3-1: 11-7, 11-4, 9-11, 11-6 (92m) 

Investimax Brussels Open 2024 

Hayley Ward became the first South African woman to win a PSA event since 2018, beating England’s Kiera Marshall to claim the Investimax Brussels Open crown. 

Ward – the No.2 seed – had won all three matches 3-0 en route to this final, but was facing a player in Marshall who was not only the No.1 seed, but who had also comfortably beaten her in their only previous PSA Tour meeting. 

Marshall was appearing in her sixth PSA Tour final but was still seeking a maiden title, while the South African was appearing at this stage of an event for the first time, and perhaps played with more freedom as a result. 

She took game one and two 11-7, and showed little sign of any nerves in game three, clinching it 11-6 to get her hands on the trophy. 

Victory for Ward also makes her the first South African to win a Challenger Tour title outside of her native country since Alexandra Fuller’s win at the Open International des Volcans six years ago. 

Result: 
[1] Kiera Marshall (ENG) bt [2] Hayley Ward (RSA): 11-7, 11-7, 11-6