Dutchman Piedro Schweertman emerged victorious in the Assore Central Gauteng Open in South Africa just two months after returning to the PSA World Tour following a two year layoff from professional squash.
The 30-year-old from Hoofddorp, who ‘retired’ from the Tour in April 2012 after reaching a career-high 89 world ranking, came into the PSA Challenger 5 event at the Parkview Squash Centre in Johannesburg unseeded – with a current world ranking of 315.
But a series of upsets, including a quarter-final win over fourth-seeded Pakistani Muhammad Saqib Yousaf, took Schweertman into his first Tour final since November 2011 – against third seed Tom Ford.
The 20-year-old Englishman from Cheltenham was celebrating his second Tour final appearance in South Africa in a week.
But the experienced Dutchman was on fire – beating World No.113 Ford 11-2, 11-5, 11-1 to secure the third PSA Tour title of his career, four years after winning his first.
Final:
Piedro Schweertman (NED) bt [3] Tom Ford (ENG) 11-2, 11-5, 11-1
Semi-finals:
Piedro Schweertman (NED) bt [Q] Oliver Pett (ENG) 7-11, 11-6, 11-3, 11-9
[3] Tom Ford (ENG) bt Michael Wood (RSA) 8-11, 7-11, 11-8, 11-1, 11-9
Quarter-finals:
[Q] Oliver Pett (ENG) bt [1] Aqeel Rehman (AUT) 11-3, 11-2, 11-5
Piedro Schweertman (NED) bt [4] Muhammad Saqib Yousaf (PAK) 11-3, 12-10, 11-9
[3] Tom Ford (ENG) bt Amaad Fareed (PAK) 11-7, 5-11, 9-11, 11-2, 11-9
Michael Wood (RSA) bt [8] Arthur Moineau (FRA) 11-7, 11-13, 11-4, 11-6
2nd round:
[1] Aqeel Rehman (AUT) bt Hesham Mohamed Aly (EGY) 11-9, 11-9, 12-10
[Q] Oliver Pett (ENG) bt [WC] Kyle Maree (RSA) 11-1, 11-7, 11-9
Piedro Schweertman (NED) bt [5] Thoboki Mohohlo (RSA) 11-6, 14-12, 6-11, 11-7
[4] Muhammad Saqib Yousaf (PAK) bt [Q] Andrew Martin (RSA) 12-10, 11-5, 11-13, 11-6
[3] Tom Ford (ENG) bt [Q] Zuko Kubukeli (RSA) 14-12, 12-10, 13-11
Amaad Fareed (PAK) bt [Q] Ray Simbule (ZAM) 11-9, 11-5, 11-2
[8] Arthur Moineau (FRA) bt [Q] Michael Tootill (RSA) 11-9, 4-11, 7-11, 11-5, 11-6
Michael Wood (RSA) bt [Q] Devon Hendrikse (RSA) 7-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-9
1st round:
[1] Aqeel Rehman (AUT) bt Haseeb Gul (PAK) 11-3, 11-3, 11-8
Hesham Mohamed Aly (EGY) bt Mubarak Mohsin (UAE) 11-7, 12-10, 11-9
[Q] Oliver Pett (ENG) bt Baba Tunde Ajagbe (NGR) 11-9, 11-5, 11-3
[WC] Kyle Maree (RSA) bt [6] Anthony Graham (ENG) 11-5, 11-7, 11-8
[5] Thoboki Mohohlo (RSA) bt Sanjay Singh (MAS) 11-8, 12-10, 7-11, 11-8
Piedro Schweertman (NED) bt Gareth Naidoo (RSA) 11-8, 11-9, 11-4
[Q] Andrew Martin (RSA) bt Diego Gobbi (BRA) 13-11, 11-5, 11-4
[4] Muhammad Saqib Yousaf (PAK) bt [Q] Lawrence Kuhn (RSA) 13-11, 12-10, 14-12
[3] Tom Ford (ENG) bt [Q] Tom Bamford (ENG) 11-1, 11-8, 11-9
[Q] Zuko Kubukeli (RSA) bt Benjamin Coates (ENG) 11-7, 11-7, 11-6
[Q] Ray Simbule (ZAM) bt [LL] Ahmed Effat Ashoush (EGY) 9-11, 8-11, 12-10, 11-9, 11-8
Amaad Fareed (PAK) bt [7] Jean-Pierre Brits (RSA) 4-11, 11-7, 11-2, 11-2
[8] Arthur Moineau (FRA) bt Alex Noakes (ENG) 6-11, 13-11, 11-6, 11-6
[Q] Michael Tootill (RSA) bt Chaudhary Nasir Anwar (PAK) 11-3, 11-3, 11-3
[Q] Devon Hendrikse (RSA) bt Tristan Eysele (ENG) 9-11, 11-8, 11-7, 11-7
Michael Wood (RSA) bt [2] Tayyab Aslam (PAK) 3-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-4
Qualifying finals:
Lawrence Kuhn (RSA) bt Brett van Rensburg (RSA) 11-7, 11-4, 11-5
Tom Bamford (ENG) bt Wesley Daniels (RSA) 6-11, 11-6, 11-2, 11-5
Devon Hendrikse (RSA) bt Darren Helwick (RSA) 11-4, 11-3, 11-5
Ray Simbule (ZAM) bt Kudanji Kalenga (ZAM) w/o
Oliver Pett (ENG) bt Ahmed Effat Ashoush (EGY) 11-6, 6-11, 1-11, 11-2, 11-0
Zuko Kubukeli (RSA) bt Ray Diamini (RSA) 11-4, 11-4, 11-1
Andrew Martin (RSA) bt Wayne Sithole (RSA) 11-6, 11-4, 11-3
Michael Tootill (RSA) bt Dylan Groenewald (RSA) 12-10, 9-11, 16-14, 11-6
1st qualifying round:
Lawrence Kuhn (RSA) bt Munro Montanus (RSA) 9-11, 11-8, 12-10, 11-5
Brett van Rensburg (RSA) bt Kenny Mwape (RSA) 11-5, 11-6, 11-7
Wesley Daniels (RSA) bt Request Sinyadiwo (RSA) 11-5, 11-5, 11-2
Tom Bamford (ENG) bt Tyrone Dial (RSA) w/o
Devon Hendrikse (RSA) bt Ahsan Ayaz (PAK) 8-11, 10-12, 11-8, 11-9, 11-9
Darren Helwick (RSA) bt Sipho Ncube (RSA) 11-6, 11-6, 11-6
Kudanji Kalenga (ZAM) bt Makashonke Ntuli (RSA) 11-3, 11-6, 11-5
Ray Simbule (ZAM) bt Ruan Olivier (RSA) 11-8, 11-6, 11-2
Ahmed Effat Ashoush (EGY) bt Liam Boyd (RSA) 11-2, 11-5, 11-4
Oliver Pett (ENG) bt Grant Viljoen (RSA) 11-5, 11-2, 11-3
Ray Diamini (RSA) bt Mike Veliades (RSA) 11-13, 7-11 ret.
Zuko Kubukeli (RSA) bt Brad Gallivan (ENG) 11-4, 11-1, 11-9
Andrew Martin (RSA) bt Jesper Skarman (SWE) 11-5, 11-3, 11-5
Wayne Sithole (RSA) bt Sylvester Mabote (RSA) 11-8, 9-11, 11-5, 11-9
Michael Tootill (RSA) bt Nell van der Merwe (RSA) 11-5, 11-7, 13-11
Dylan Groenewald (RSA) bt Nasr Khan (PAK) 11-6, 11-5, 11-2
