Swiss Open: England’s Malliff and Smith Take Victory

The English duo of Katie Malliff and Ben Smith took the titles at the Swiss Open at Squash Arena Uster on Sunday afternoon.

Malliff came into the women’s Challenger 5 level tournament as the top seed, and after receiving a bye through the opening day, she she got the better of wildcard Caroline Bachem to move through to the quarter finals, winning in just 18 minutes.

The Englishwoman then downed compatriot Polly Clark in straight games in the last eight, before overcoming the challenge of Scotland’s Alison Thomson. She also defeated the Scot in straight games, to move through to the final in Uster.

The final saw Malliff take on Spain’s Marta Dominguez Fernandez, in a repeat of the Val de Reuil Normandie final from earlier this year. The Englishwoman won on that occasion, and she did the same in Switzerland as well. She came from a game down early on to lead 2-1, including winning the second on a tie-break 14-12, but then had to regroup to win the deciding fifth game. She did, taking it 11-7 to secure the victory.

Ben Smith was the No.2 seed for the men’s draw, and he started his campaign with a victory over Frenchman Toufik Mekhalfi. He had to survive in a fifth game decider, one that he eventually took 13-11 to book his spot in the quarter finals.

The Englishman then beat Italian No.1 Yuri Farneti in the last eight in a four-game battle, before then coming up against Austrian No.1 Aqeel Rehman, the No.3 seed, in the semis. Smith needed just half an hour to win his last four clash in Uster, winning in straight games.

Smith took on No.4 seed Marek Panacek in the final, and found himself behind twice in the match. The Czechian won the third 13-11 to hold the lead, but from there, it was the Englishman who went on to take victory, winning both the fourth and fifth games to secure the win.

Results: Swiss Open
Men’s Final
[2] Ben Smith (ENG) bt [4] Marek Panacek (CZE) 3-2: 6-11, 11-3, 11-13, 11-7, 11-4 (52m)

Women’s Final
[1] Katie Malliff (ENG) bt [2] Marta Dominguez Fernandez (ESP) 3-2: 9-11, 14-12, 11-2, 4-11, 11-7 (63m)

Men’s Semi-Finals
[4] Marek Panacek (CZE) bt [1] Yannick Wilhelmi (SUI) 3-1: 6-11, 11-2, 11-9, 11-7 (49m)
[2] Ben Smith (ENG) bt [3] Aqeel Rehman (AUT) 3-0: 11-3, 11-9, 11-5 (31m)

Women’s Semi-Finals
[1] Katie Malliff (ENG) bt [3] Alison Thomson (SCO) 3-0: 11-4, 11-8, 11-9 (30m)
[2] Marta Dominguez Fernandez (ESP) bt [4] Celine Walser (SUI) 3-2: 9-11, 11-5, 11-8, 13-15, 11-9 (54m)

Men’s Quarter Finals
[1] Yannick Wilhelmi (SUI) bt [6] Robin Gadola (SUI) 3-1: 12-14, 12-10, 11-6, 11-2 (58m)
[4] Marek Panacek (CZE) bt [7] Sam Buckley (IRL) 3-0: 11-7, 11-6, 11-8 (37m)
[3] Aqeel Rehman (AUT) bt [11] Nilo Vidal (ESP) 3-1: 11-9, 11-8, 7-11, 11-5 (44m)
[2] Ben Smith (ENG) bt [5] Yuri Farneti (ITA) 3-1: 11-6, 8-11, 11-5, 11-1 (52m)

Women’s Quarter Finals
[1] Katie Malliff (ENG) bt [8] Polly Clark (ENG) 3-0: 11-6, 11-4, 11-5 (19m)
[3] Alison Thomson (SCO) bt Ella Galova (FRA) 3-1: 7-11, 11-3, 11-7, 11-4 (39m)
[4] Celine Walser (SUI) bt Lowri Roberts (WAL) 3-0: 11-5, 11-8, 11-9 (23m)
[2] Marta Dominguez Fernandez (ESP) bt [5] Emilia Korhonen (FIN) 3-0: 11-5, 11-8, 11-5 (21m)

Men’s Second Round
[1] Yannick Wilhelmi (SUI) bt Conor Moran (IRL) 3-0: 11-7, 11-5, 11-4 (26m)
[6] Robin Gadola (SUI) bt [13] Nils Roesch (SUI) 3-0: 11-6, 11-4, 11-9 (29m)
[7] Sam Buckley (IRL) bt [12] Augusto Ortigosa (ESP) 3-0: 11-4, 11-4, 11-3 (30m)
[4] Marek Panacek (CZE) bt [WC] Louai Hafez (SUI) 3-0: 11-7, 12-10, 11-1 (29m)
[3] Aqeel Rehman (AUT) bt [15] Joel Arscott (NZL) 3-2: 8-11, 11-7, 5-11, 13-11, 11-4 (68m)
[11] Nilo Vidal (ESP) bt [8] Sean Conroy (IRL) 3-2: 6-11, 11-7, 11-7, 7-11, 11-8 (53m)
[5] Yuri Farneti (ITA) bt [9] David Zeman (CZE) 3-2: 11-8, 10-12, 4-11, 11-8, 11-6 (73m)
[2] Ben Smith (ENG) bt [10] Toufik Mekhalfi (FRA) 3-2: 11-9, 11-9, 8-11, 4-11, 13-11 (69m)

Women’s Second Round
[1] Katie Malliff (ENG) bt [WC] Caroline Bachem (SUI) 3-0: 11-3, 11-7, 11-2 (18m)
[8] Polly Clark (ENG) bt Juliette Permentier (NED) 3-0: 14-12, 11-5, 11-6 (24m)
Ella Galova (FRA) bt [7] Taba Taghavi (FRA) 3-2: 11-9, 11-8, 4-11, 6-11, 11-7 (52m)
[3] Alison Thomson (SCO) bt Kara Lincou (FRA) 3-0: 11-4, 11-7, 11-7 (31m)
[4] Celine Walser (SUI) bt Alina Poessl (SUI) 3-0: 11-5, 11-3, 11-5 (17m)
Lowri Roberts (WAL) bt [6] Breanne Flynn (IRL) 3-2: 10-12, 11-3, 11-9, 8-11, 11-8 (42m)
[5] Emilia Korhonen (FIN) bt Teresa Siroka (CZE) 3-1: 1-11, 11-9, 11-6, 11-4 (32m)
[3] Marta Dominguez Fernandez (ESP) bt Tamara Holzbauerova (CZE) 3-0: 11-5, 11-6, 11-3 (20m)

Men’s First Round
[1] Yannick Wilhelmi (SUI) bt [WC] Noah Mannhart (SUI) 3-0: 11-1, 11-4, 11-2 (17m)
Conor Moran (IRL) bt [14] Jakob Dirnberger (AUT) 3-0: 11-4, 11-7, 11-4 (22m)
[13] Nils Roesch (SUI) bt David Bernet (SUI) 3-1: 9-11, 12-10, 11-9, 11-6 (51m)
[6] Robin Gadola (SUI) bt [WC] David Maier (LIE) 3-0: 11-3, 11-7, 11-5 (24m)
[7] Sam Buckley (IRL) bt [WC] Lasse Widmer (SUI) 3-0: 11-0, 11-4, 11-2 (19m)
[12] Augusto Ortigosa (ESP) bt Laouenan Loaec (FRA) 3-0: 11-9, 11-7, 11-9 (37m)
[WC] Louai Hafez (SUI) bt [16] Tobias Weggen (GER) 3-2: 8-11, 11-3, 11-4, 12-14, 11-6 (53m)
[4] Marek Panacek (CZE) bt Filip Jarota (CZE) 3-0: 11-6, 11-6, 11-6 (32m)
[3] Aqeel Rehman (AUT) bt [WC] Jakob Kanel (SUI) 3-0: 11-6, 11-4, 11-7 (33m)
[15] Joel Arscott (NZL) bt Noah Meredith (ENG) 3-0: 11-4, 11-8, 11-9 (34m)
[11] Nilo Vidal (ESP) bt [WC] Miguel Mathis (SUI) 3-0: 12-10, 11-9, 11-9 (43m)
[8] Sean Conroy (IRL) bt Adam Sinkule (CZE) 3-0: 11-3, 11-4, 11-1 (22m)
[5] Yuri Farneti (ITA) bt [WC] Joel Siewerdt (SUI) 3-0: 11-4, 11-8, 11-7 (29m)
[9] David Zeman (CZE) bt [WC] Luca Zatti (SUI) 3-0: 11-3, 11-8, 11-2 (18m)
[10] Toufik Mekhalfi (FRA) bt Lukas Windischberger (AUT) 3-0: 11-9, 11-9, 16-14 (35m)
[2] Ben Smith (ENG) bt Alex Smith (IRL) 3-0: 11-6, 11-3, 11-5 (22m)

Women’s First Round
[WC] Caroline Bachem (SUI) bt Kincso Szasz (HUN) 3-0: 11-3, 11-1, 11-5 (16m)
Juliette Permentier (NED) bt [WC] Stephanie Muller (SUI) 3-1: 11-8, 11-2, 4-11, 11-5 (25m)
Ella Galova (FRA) bt Ana Munos (FRA) 3-1: 11-9, 8-11, 11-8, 11-3 (37m)
Kara Lincou (FRA) bt Andrea Fjellgaard (NOR) 3-0: 11-2, 11-1, 11-4 (11m)
Alina Poessl (SUI) bt Arisha Khan (USA) 3-1: 11-4, 11-13, 11-8, 11-7 (28m)
Lowri Roberts (WAL) bt [WC] Stella Kaufmann (SUI) 3-0: 11-9, 11-5, 13-11 (24m)
Teresa Siroka (CZE) bt [WC] Kate Gadola (SUI) 3-2: 7-11, 11-8, 11-3, 4-11, 11-7 (39m)
Tamara Holzbauerova (CZE) bt Jasmin Kalar (ENG) 3-1: 11-6, 11-4, 6-11, 11-7 (33m)