#PSAWorldTour
Frenchman Geoffrey Demont claimed the first PSA World Tour title of his career when he upset No.2 seed Jan Koukal in a dramatic Romania PSA International final in the Romanian capital Bucharest.
Seeded three in the PSA Challenger 5 squash event at AEROSquash Baneasa Club, Demont survived a 78-minute semi-final clash with Thoboki Mohohlo, the No.8 seed from South Africa, to reach the second Tour final of his career.
Mohohlo reached the last four against expectations after a quarter-final win over Mark Fuller, the unseeded Englishman who produced the event’s biggest upset when he removed top-seeded Dane Kristian Frost Olesen in the opening round.
Experienced Koukal, the long-time Czech number one, cruised into the 53rd Tour final of his illustrious career when he despatched England’s Chris Fuller in straight games in the other semi-final.
The World No.70 from Prague took the opening game in the final – but Demont, ranked almost 40 places lower, held his nerve in three tie-break games which followed to clinch an epic 8-11, 13-11, 13-11, 14-12 victory.
“I am very happy to win my first Tour title here in Bucharest!” said the jubilant 23-year-old from Aix-en-Provence afterwards. “It wasn’t an easy one – from the quarters I had to fight in each game – but I knew I was ready for those kind of matches.
“I trained well in Aix this summer and it seems the hard work paid off. A big thanks to my coaches (Renan & Thomas) and to the people around me who are helping and supporting me every day.
“I hope I will be able to grab other Tour titles along the season which just started.”
Final:
[3] Geoffrey Demont (FRA) bt [2] Jan Koukal (CZE) 8-11, 13-11, 13-11, 14-12
Semi-finals:
[3] Geoffrey Demont (FRA) bt [8] Thoboki Mohohlo (RSA) 11-7, 9-11, 11-7, 4-11, 11-3 (78m)
[2] Jan Koukal (CZE) bt [4] Chris Fuller (ENG) 11-9, 11-6, 11-5 (48m)
Quarter-finals:
[8] Thoboki Mohohlo (RSA) bt Mark Fuller (ENG) 6-11, 11-5, 11-8, 11-3 (58m)
[3] Geoffrey Demont (FRA) bt Jan van den Herrewegen (BEL) 12-10, 10-12, 11-9, 11-6 (49m)
[4] Chris Fuller (ENG) bt [Q] Anthony Graham (ENG) 11-9, 7-11, 11-9, 2-11, 11-3 (110m)
[2] Jan Koukal (CZE) bt [7] Adam Murrills (ENG) 11-7, 11-8, 11-6 (50m)
1st round:
Mark Fuller (ENG) bt [1] Kristian Frost Olesen (DEN) 11-9, 9-11, 5-11, 11-8, 11-3 (102m)
[8] Thoboki Mohohlo (RSA) bt [Q] Auguste Dussourd (FRA) 7-11, 11-8, 12-10, 9-11, 11-7 (78m)
Jan van den Herrewegen (BEL) bt [5] Alex Ingham (ENG) 13-11, 11-7, 6-11, 12-10 (73m)
[3] Geoffrey Demont (FRA) bt [Q] Phil Nightingale (ENG) 11-3, 11-6, 11-8 (29m)
[4] Chris Fuller (ENG) bt Jonas Daehler (SUI) 11-9, 8-11, 11-4, 11-9 (59m)
[Q] Anthony Graham (ENG) bt [6] Robert Downer (ENG) 9-11, 11-4, 11-5, 9-11, 11-1 (76m)
[7] Adam Murrills (ENG) bt [Q] Manuel Wanner (SUI) 11-7, 11-5, 11-7 (52m)
[2] Jan Koukal (CZE) bt [WC] Gary Nisbet (ENG) 11-1, 11-3, 11-4 (28m)
Qualifying finals:
Anthony Graham (ENG) bt Stoil Krasimirov Zhilev (BUL) 11-4, 11-5, 11-3 (29m)
Auguste Dussourd (FRA) bt Andrei Luchian (ROM) 11-4, 11-2, 11-3 (29m)
Manuel Wanner (SUI) bt Jonathan Geekie (SCO) 11-7, 11-6, 11-7 (42m)
Phil Nightingale (ENG) bt Anthony Brindle (GIB) 11-2, 11-8, 11-3 (48m)
1st qualifying round:
Stoil Krasimirov Zhilev (BUL) bt Vasile Hapun (ROM) 11-8, 11-4, 11-9 (27m)
Andrei Luchian (ROM) bt Stefan Burlan (ROM) 11-5, 11-4, 11-8 (32m)
Auguste Dussourd (FRA) bt Marian Campean (ROM) 11-9, 11-9, 11-5 (21m)
Jonathan Geekie (SCO) bt Bogdan Ilie (ROM) 11-1, 11-2, 11-2 (26m)
Manuel Wanner (SUI) bt Horia Naumescu (ROM) 11-6, 11-2, 11-2 (23m)
Phil Nightingale (ENG) bt Stelian Dimitrov Stankov (ROM) 12-10, 11-7, 11-8 (35m)
Anthony Brindle (GIB) bt Teodor Ristea (ROM) 11-2, 11-7, 11-5 (23m)
