Eastside Open: Lam Sing Fung Beats Top Seed Endo In Tasmania

Tournament top seed Tomotako Endo was on the end of a shock defeat in round two of the Eastside Open 2023 as he lost out in five games to Hong Kong’s Lam Shing Fung at the Eastside Squash Centre in Hobart, Tasmania.

Fung was trailed twice in the match as he lost the first and the third games to trail 2-1 but managed to regroup yet again in the fourth game to draw level at 2-2 and set up a fifth and final game. With confidence running through his veins, the Hong Kong player went from strength to strength to take the fifth game 11-8 and move into the quarter finals.

That match wasn’t the only five-setter of the day as leading Australian player Rhys Dowling needed was pushed to five games by India’s Suraj Kumar Chand. Dowling came through two tight opening games to take a 2-0 lead, winning 13-11, 12-10 but Chand was not deterred. The Indian came back to win game three and four 11-7, 11-8 to set up a decider. Dowling managed to stay strong in the fifth to come through 11-9 and earn a spot in the quarter finals.

Dowling wasn’t the only home player to score a win on day two as Dylan Molinaro overcame No.3 seed Harley Lam to book his place in the last eight. Molinaro played amazing squash to lead the higher seed from Hong Kong 2-0 and despite Lam blitzing the the third game 11-2 to draw a game back, Molinaro would not be denied.

Scotland’s No.2 seed Alasdair Prott made light work of his last 16 opponent Shamil Wakeel as the Scot recorded a 3-0 win in less than half an hour. Prott won 11-6, 11-2, 11-9 to book his place in the quarter finals, where he will play Malaysia’s Bryan Lim The Kang, after he overcame USA’s Hollis Robertson in confident style.

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Results: Eastside Open 2023 – Round Two
Lam Shing Fung (HKG) bt [1] Tomotaka Endo (JPN) 3-2: 9-11, 11-6, 7-11, 11-7, 11-8 (45m)
[8] Ho Ka Hei (HKG) bt James Lloyd (AUS) 3-0: 11-7, 11-9, 11-1 (29m)
Paul Gonzalez (FRA) bt Mohamed Gohar (EGY) 3-1: 11-9, 11-8, 10-12, 11-9 (57m)
Dylan Molinaro (AUS) bt [3] Harley Lam (HKG) 3-1: 11-9, 11-8, 2-11, 11-7 (46m)
[4] Rhys Dowling (AUS) bt Suraj Kumar Chand (IND) 3-2: 13-11, 12-10, 7-11, 8-11, 11-9 (76m)
[7] Elijah Thomas (NZL) bt Tate Zak Norris (AUS) 3-1: 5-11, 11-5, 11-2, 11-6 (47m)
[6] Bryan Lim Tze Kang (MAS) bt Hollis Robertson (USA) 3-0: 11-6, 11-0, 11-5 (31m)
[2] Alasdair Prott (SCO) bt Shamil Wakeel (SRI) 3-0: 11-6, 11-2, 11-9 (28m)

Draw: Eastside Open 2023 – Quarter Finals
Lam Shing Fung (HKG) v [8] Ho Ka Hei (HKG)
Paul Gonzalez (FRA) v Dylan Molinaro (AUS)
[4] Rhys Dowling (AUS) v [7] Elijah Thomas (NZL)
[6] Bryan Lim Tze Kang (MAS) v [2] Alasdair Prott (SCO)