Challenger Events Round-Up: Hani Goes Back-to-Back: Schille & Craig Win Maiden Titles

Paraguay Open 2024 

Irish No.1 Hannah Craig claimed her maiden PSA Tour title, beating Colombia’s Lucia Bautista 3-2 in the Paraguay Open final. 

The Harvard alumn was playing a PSA Tour event in South America for the first time since finishing as runner-up at last season’s Costa Rica Open, her only previous Tour final appearance, and she entered here as the No.1 seed. 

A second-round bye was followed by a dominant win over Antonia Vera, in which Craig lost only five points, before she saw off the threat of Mexico’s Diana Garcia 3-1 in the semi-finals. 

That set up a final showdown with second seed Bautista, who had beaten 16-year-old home favourite Fiorella Gatti – one of the most exciting prospects in South American squash – to reach the final. 

Only 10 places separated Craig and Bautista in the world rankings going into this matchup, with the pair having played out an hour-long epic in their only previous Tour meeting, which was won by the Colombian 13-11 in game five. 

It was, therefore, little surprise that the pair were so evenly matched throughout, splitting the first four games in symmetrical fashion, with the first two games ending 11-8 – one each way – and the third and fourth both 11-9. 

Ultimately, though, it was Craig who came out on top in game five, closing it out 11-7 to secure the glory.

KCC 120th Anniversary Challenge Cup 2024  

Yassin Shohdy continued his fine start to the season with glory at the KCC 120th Anniversary Challenge Cup, which saw home favourite Heylie Fung win the women’s title. 

19-year-old Shohdy claimed victory at the ACE Challenger 6K 2nd Leg to open his season a few weeks ago, but came into this one as the No.6 seed, putting him in the same quarter of the draw as top seed Tang Ming Hong. 

But the young Egyptian proceeded to knock out both Tang and fifth seed Andes Ling in the quarter- and semi-finals respectively, setting up a matchup with second seed Wong Chi Him for the trophy. 

Two games in, it looked as though Shohdy was easing to a comfortable win, but Wong had other ideas, taking the next two games to force a decider, which went all the way to a tiebreak. 

With the score at 10-10 and having seen a two-game lead evaporate, it would have been easy to see Shohdy wilt under the pressure. But despite his comparative lack of experience – being 11 years younger than his opponent – Shohdy kept his cool, winning the next two points to get his hands on the silverware. 

That result followed a more comfortable win for top seed Fung in the women’s draw. 

Only 21 herself, Fung was playing talented 16-year-old Ena Kwong, who was appearing in her maiden PSA Tour final. 

The teenager won the Asian Junior U17 Championships a few weeks ago, and beat experienced Filipino Jemyca Aribado in the semi-finals. 

She also came into this final having beaten Fung in their only previous Tour encounter, but she would fall short of a second victory over her opponent here, going down 11-9, 11-9, 11-5. 

Success for Fung represents her second Tour title but her first on home soil in Hong Kong, moving her back inside the world’s top 90.

Genesee Valley Club Open 2024 

Habiba Hani claimed her second title in the space of eight days, winning the Genesee Valley Club Open in Rochester, New York. 

The 19-year-old battled to a hard-fought success at the Squash Inspire – Abbas Family 9K, presented by Play Squash Academy last week, winning three five-game matches in a row to get her hands on the trophy. 

This time around though, she was far more dominant, not dropping a game en route to the final, where she was taking on fellow Egyptian Jana Safy. 

This was the pair’s first ever meeting on the PSA Tour, and it was the unseeded Safy – ranked exactly 80 places below Hani – who took game one, threatening an upset. 

But Hani clinched a close game two, 11-9, and took control from there, racing through game three for the loss of only three points, before closing it out 11-6 in the fourth.

Life Time Metro West 2024 

Veer Chotrani successfully defended his Life Time Metro West title, completing a full-circle moment in what has been a successful 12 months for the Indian player. 

Just over 12 months ago, Chotrani collected his maiden PSA Tour title at Life Time Metro West, and went on to win a further two PSA Tour events last season. 

He also claimed victory at the National Collegiate Individual Championships, becoming the first male player from Cornell to collect that crown, ending his senior year in fairytale fashion. 

Playing his first PSA Tour event of the new season, Chotrani entered the 2024 edition of Life Time Metro West not only as defending champion, but also the No.1 seed. 

His oppening match of the week proved to be his toughest, as he needed all five games to get past the unseeded Mohamed Sharaf, although he ultimately eased through game five 11-2. 

A 3-0 win over Ahsan Ayaz and a 3-1 success against Dillon Huang followed, sending him into the final, where Yee Xian Siow awaited. 

Yee – a student at Yale – was a finalist for the prestigious Skillman award last season, which was ultimately won by Chotrani, but the Indian player proved his class on finals day here, winning all three games 11-6, clinching his fourth PSA Tour title.

Jack Fairs Open 2024 – Vet CPA 

Canada’s Brett Schille secured his maiden PSA Tour title with victory at the Jack Fairs Open – Vet CPA on home soil in London, Ontario. 

The tournament had been split over three separate venues, with the quirky Maple City Squash Club and the stunningly-located Sarnia Riding Club – located on the banks of Lake Huron – hosting rounds one, two and three. 

The action then moved to the London Squash & Fitness Club, home of the first ever PSA Tour Copper event – the NASH Cup – NASH Family Wealth Management – meaning the semi-finals and final were played in front of a healthy crowd. 

Schille – a Calgary native – prodcued a stunning comeback to beat Liam Marrison from 2-0 down in the semi-finals, pitting him against fellow Canadian Connor Turk in the final. 

Schille’s tight schedule to catch a flight after his final created a somewhat unusual scenario which saw both players pose with the trophy before the final, with the official trophy presentations not set to take place until after the NASH Cup finals had happened, by which time Schille was hoping to be in the air.

When the players did step on court, they went toe-to-toe throughout a tense opening game, which finished 11-9 to Turk, leaving a few inside the club worrying that Schille might not make his flight at all. 

But the 26-year-old turned things around and dominated proceedings from there, winning the next three games 11-4, 11-1, 11-7, wrapping up victory in just enough time to post for another quick photo with the trophy, this time in the knowledge that he’d truly earned it.