Challenger Tour Round-Up: Top Four Seeds into Florida Semis, Phinera Sinks Loaëc in Finland

Expression Network LLC Kinetic Racquet Women’s Squash 

The top four seeds all progressed to the semi-finals of the Expression Network LLC Kinetic Racquet Women’s Squash, keeping hopes alive of an all-American final on home soil. 

Opening play on quarter-finals day was one of the two young US stars in action, Caroline Fouts, who was taking on Danielle Ray on the glass court at Kinetic Indoor Racquet Club. 

Fouts had beaten Ray 3-0 in January, but knew she was in for a test early on here, with the pair never separated by more than two points throughout the opening game. 

The 18-year-old eventually took it on a tiebreak, 13-11, but not before saving a game ball at 11-10 down, and Ray responded in style in game two. 

She raced out to an 8-1 lead inside four minutes, and soon converted that into 11-5, taking the match into a third all square. 

This time, though, it was Fouts who took control, needing little more than six minutes to clinch the game 11-4, but Ray was in no mood to give up without a fight. 

The Canadian moved 8-5 up and within three points of forcing a decider, but was unable to get over the line. 

Instead, Fouts showed exactly why she’s regarded as one of squash’s most talented young stars, winning six of the next seven points, scrambling to the back of the court on match ball to keep the rally alive before Ray hit the tin on a backhand boast. 

That result was followed by a far more straightforward win for fellow American Marina Stefanoni, who needed only 19 minutes to see off France’s Taba Taghavi. 

The 21-year-old dropped only 10 points in the match, closing out victory on a forehand boast to book her spot in a fifth straight Challenger Tour semi-final. 

Fouts and Stefanoni are in opposite halves of the draw so could meet in the final, but to do so, they’ll have to get past Farida Mohamed and Lucy Beecroft respectively. 

Top seed Mohamed eased past seventh seed Saran Nghiem 3-0, winning 11-7, 11-5, 11-6, while Beecroft overcame a slow start to sink Switzerland’s Nadia Pfister 3-1. 

The semi-finals of the Expression Network LLC Kinetic Racquet Women’s Squash kick off at 12pm ET/4pm GMT today, streaming live on the SQUASHTV Live Streaming YouTube channel. 

Hollolan Kuntokeidas PSA 

Joshua Phinera upset fellow Frenchman Laouenan Loaëc in a five-game thriller on quarter-finals day at the Hollolan Kuntokeidas PSA. 

No.6 seed Phinera had won the previous two PSA Tour matchups between the two lefties, but he was the lower seed going into this one, with Loaëc targeting a first PSA Tour final as the No.2 seed. 

Ultimately, though, he would fall agonisingly short of a semi-final spot, squandering match ball at 10-9 up in a game five, going on to lose the tiebreak 13-11. 

Elsewhere, Omar El Torkey continued his fine form with a ruthless display to sink Finland’s Henrik Mustonen, ending home hopes in the process. 

The Egyptian – winner of the Aldi Hinckley Challenge last week – needed only 20 minutes to beat the No.4 seed, winning 11-8, 11-4, 11-1. 

No.3 seed Manuel Paquemar and top seed Hafiz Zhafri also made it through, albiet in contrasting styles. 

Zafri needed all five games to beat Switzerland’s Louai Hafez in a 91-minute battle, which included a 27-minute third game, eventually won by the Malaysian 23-21, with the tiebreak alone taking more than 15 minutes. 

Paquemar, meanwhile, beat Denmark’s Theis Houlberg 3-0 in little more than half an hour. 

You can stay up to date with all the results and fixtures from the PSA Challenger Tour here.