Challenger Tour Round-up: St Louis Open, Greenwich Open & La Classique de Gatineau

Aside from the Hamilton Open & Chicago Open, further Challenger Tour action comes from three events this week as players compete in the St Louis Open, Greenwich Open and La Classique de Gatineau.

The semi-finalists were decided in St Louis with all top four seeds progressing through to the final four. Top seed Curtis Malik will face young Egyptian Mohamed Zakaria in the semi-final after both recorded straight games wins against Jan Wipperfürth and Baptiste Bouin.

The bottom half semi-final will be played between No.3 seed Edgar Ramirez Bautista and No.2 seed Spencer Lovejoy. Bautista overcame USA’s Jamie Ruggiero in a 37-minute 3-0 whilst Lovejoy needed just three more minutes than that to defeat Finland’s Henrik Mustonen.

Results: Quarter Finals
[1] Curtis Malik (ENG) bt [7] Jan Wipperfürth (GER) 11-2, 11-8, 11-4 (30m)
[4] Mohamed Zakaria (EGY) bt [8] Baptiste Bouin (FRA) 11-6, 11-4, 11-6 (50m)
[3] Edgar Ramirez Bautista (COL) bt [5] Jamie Ruggiero (USA) 11-6, 11-7, 11-4 (35m)
[2] Spencer Lovejoy (USA) bt [9/16] Henrik Mustonen (FIN) 11-3, 11-8, 11-4 (40m)

Draw: Semi-Finals
[1] Curtis Malik (ENG) v [4] Mohamed Zakaria (EGY)
[2] Spencer Lovejoy (USA) v [3] Edgar Ramirez Bautista (COL)

Over in Greenwich, CT the event has reached the quarter finals stage as the round two matches came to a close last night at The Field Club Of Greenwich.

There were two upsets in the men’s draw as Egypt’s Mohamed Sharaf and Ecuador’s David Costales claimed scalps to reach the last eight. Both players recorded straight games wins with Sharaf overcoming Canada’s Conor Turk and Costales defeating fifth seeded Josue Enriquez.

The remaining top eight seeds progressed through with the No.1 and 3 seeds Rowan Damming and Emyr Evans surviving five game clashes to avoid early exits.

The women’s draw so no match last for longer than 31 minutes as all eight matches saw 3-0 victories, the only upset coming from Malaysia’s Vanessa Raj who defeated No.7 seed Bruna Marchesi Petrillo from Brazil to gatecrash the quarter finals.

Results: Men’s RD2
[1] Rowan Damming (NED) bt [WC] Tristan Eysele (RSA) 9-11, 7-11, 11-3, 11-4, 11-2 (53m)
[9/16] Mohamed Sharaf (EGY) bt [8] Connor Turk (CAN) 11-5, 11-8, 12-10 (26m)
[7] Veer Chotrani (IND) bt [9/16] Babatunde Ajagbe (NGR) 11-5, 10-12, 11-4, 10-12, 11-8 (52m)
[3] Emyr Evans (WAL) bt Sergio Garcia Pollan (ESP) 7-11, 9-11, 11-8, 11-7, 11-7 (96m)
[4] Finnlay Withington (ENG) bt [9/16] Mohamed Nabil (EGY) 11-7, 11-6, 11-7 (32m)
[9/16] David Costales (ECU) bt [5] Josue Enriquez (GUA) 11-9, 11-3, 13-11 (52m)
[6] Muhammad Ashab Irfan (PAK) bt [WC] David Beeson (USA) 11-9, 11-6, 9-11, 11-3 (41m)
[2] Seif Shenawy (EGY) bt [9/16] Sebastian Salazar (MEX) 11-0, 12-10, 12-10 (34m)

Results: Women’s RD2
[1] Akanksha Salunkhe (IND) bt [9/16] Jana Safy (EGY) 13-11, 11-5, 11-4 (20m)
[6] Heng Wai Wong (MAS) bt Min Jie Teh (MAS) 11-7, 13-11, 11-8 (26m)
Vanessa Raj (MAS) bt [7] Bruna Marchesi Petrillo (BRA) 11-3, 11-7, 11-1 (22m)
[3] Xin Ying Yee (MAS) bt [9/16] Avery Park (USA) 11-4, 11-2, 11-4 (17m)
[4] Caroline Fouts (USA) bt Sarita Popat (USA) 11-3, 11-5, 11-5 (20m)
[8] Hannah Craig (IRL) bt [9/16] Kara Lincou (FRA) 11-4, 11-2, 11-5 (24m)
[5] Wen Li Lai (MAS) bt [9/16] Madeleine Hylland (NOR) 11-9, 11-9, 11-8 (31m)
[2] Menna Hamed (EGY) bt [9/16] Mary Mijas (GUA) 11-6, 11-6, 11-3 (18m)

Draw: Men’s QFs
[1] Rowan Damming (NED) v [9/16] Mohamed Sharaf (EGY)
[3] Emyr Evans (WAL) v [7] Veer Chotrani (IND)
[4] Finnlay Withington (ENG) v [9/16] David Costales (ECU)
[2] Seif Shenawy (EGY) v [6] Muhammad Ashab Irfan (PAK)

Draw: Women’s QFs
[1] Akanksha Salunkhe (IND) v [6] Heng Wai Wong (MAS)
[3] Xin Ying Yee (MAS) v Vanessa Raj (MAS)
[4] Caroline Fouts (USA) v [8] Hannah Craig (IRL)
[2] Menna Hamed (EGY) v [5] Wen Li Lai (MAS)

Both rounds one and two took place on the opening day in Sporthèque for La Classique de Gatineau in Canada as the quarter finalists were decided in the Challenger 3 event.

No.2 seed Cory McCartney was beaten by compatriot Elliot Hunt in convincing style 11-2, 11-3, 11-5 and will now face another surprise quarter finalists in the form of Sudesh Kannah Mohan who needed four games to defeat No.5 seed Taylor Carrick. The only upset in the top half round two matches was provided by Blake Reinson who overcame No.8 seed Tyson Schille in three games to reach the final eight.

Results: Round 2
[1] Salah Eltorgman (CAN) bt Youssef Salah (CAN) 3-0: 11-1, 11-7, 11-6 (23m)
[6] Maximilien Godbout (CAN) bt Akifumi Murakami (HKG) 3-2: 11-7, 1-11, 11-5, 12-14, 11-6 (42m)
Blake Reinson (CAN) bt [8] Tyson Schille (CAN) 3-0: 11-6, 12-10, 11-3 (25m)
[3] Mitchell Kahnert (CAN) bt Abbas Nawaz (CAN) 3-0: 11-8, 11-8, 11-8 (42m)
[4] Amin Khan (CAN) bt Maxym Leclair (CAN) 3-0: 11-9, 6-11, 11-9, 11-7 (26m)
[7] Jayden Shortt (CAN) bt Nicolas Dupont (CAN) 3-0: 11-2, 11-4, 11-2 (17m)
Sudesh Kannah Mohan (CAN) bt [5] Taylor Carrick (BER) 3-1: 11-6, 9-11, 11-7, 11-1 (30m)
Elliott Hunt (CAN) bt [2] Cory McCartney (CAN) 3-0: 11-2, 11-3, 11-5 (25m)

Draw: QFs
[1] Salah Eltorgman (CAN) v [6] Maximilien Godbout (CAN)
Blake Reinson (CAN) v [3] Mitchell Kahnert (CAN)
[4] Amin Khan (CAN) v [7] Jayden Shortt (CAN)
Sudesh Kannah Mohan (CAN) v Elliott Hunt (CAN)