Costa North Coast Open: Hedrick and Yuk Claim Silverware

The Costa North Coast Open came to its conclusion on Sunday afternoon at the Coffs Harbour Squash & Swim Centre, with Australia’s Rex Hedrick and Hong Kong’s Chan Sin Yuk taking home the titles from the Challenger 10 level competition.

Hedrick, the former World No.48, came into the tournament unseeded, but the 33-year-old showed his class throughout. He started with a comfortable win over Hong Kong’s Wailok To, before taking out the first of three seeds, in No.8 seed and compatriot Joseph White, in the second round.

That was followed up with a victory over the tournament’s top seed, Hong Kong’s Henry Leung, with a fourth game tie-break going all the way to 19-17, as Hedrick won after 86 brutal minutes on court. He then defeated another unseeded player, in India’s Abhay Singh, in straight games in the semi-finals to move through to the final.

In the final on Sunday afternoon in Coffs Harbour, the Australian came up against Malaysia’s Addeen Idrakie, the No.3 seed for the event. He fell behind twice in the contest, but was able to regroup and fight back to level the scores on both occasions. Hedrick then went on to take the fifth game 11-5 to secure the victory, his 19th title on Tour.

While one champion was unseeded, the women’s winner was the top seed and Hong Kong’s Chan Sin Yuk dominated the competition, coming through her four matches in Australia without dropping a game. She started by dropping just six points against Pakistan’s Nour ul Huda, winning in 14 minutes, before then defeated Switzerland’s Celine Walser in straight games as well, to advance through to the last four.

Yuk, who broke into the world’s top 40 for the first time earlier this year, then got the better of compatriot and No.6 seed Cheng Nga Ching in another sub-20 minute match, before taking on Australian Jessica Turnbull in the final on Sunday. The final was a closer battle for the Hongkonger, but she won in straight games, 11-7, 11-6, 11-9, to secure the title, her fifth on Tour to date.

Results: Costa North Coast Open
Men’s Final
Rex Hedrick (AUS) bt [3] Addeen Idrakie (MAS) 3-2: 9-11, 11-6, 6-11, 11-2, 11-5 (78m)

Women’s Final
[1] Chan Sin Yuk (HKG) bt [5] Jessica Turnbull (AUS) 3-0: 11-7, 11-6, 11-9 (24m)

Men’s Semi-Finals
Rex Hedrick (AUS) bt Abhay Singh (IND) 3-0: 11-7, 11-6, 11-5 (43m)
[3] Addeen Idrakie (MAS) bt [6] Yannick Wilhelmi (SUI) 3-1: 12-10, 8-11, 11-7, 11-8 (56m)

Women’s Semi-Finals
[1] Chan Sin Yuk (HKG) bt [6] Cheng Nga Ching (HKG) 3-0: 11-7, 11-1, 11-5 (19m)
[5] Jessica Turnbull (AUS) bt [3] Sarah Cardwell (AUS) 3-1: 11-9, 11-9, 11-13, 11-2 (34m

Men’s Quarter Finals
Rex Hedrick (AUS) bt [1] Henry Leung (HKG) 3-1: 11-9, 13-11, 4-11, 19-17 (86m)
Abhay Singh (NID) bt [4] Lwamba Chileshe (NZL) 3-2: 6-11, 11-3, 3-11, 11-5, 11-8 (58m)
[3] Addeen Idrakie (MAS) bt [7] Tang Ming Hong (HKG) 3-0: 11-9, 13-11, 11-2 (33m)
[6] Yannick Wilhelmi (SUI) bt Matthew Lai (HKG) 3-1: 5-11, 11-9, 11-4, 11-5 (44m)

Women’s Quarter Finals
[1] Chan Sin Yuk (HKG) bt Celine Walser (SUI) 3-0: 11-5, 11-1, 11-5 (18m)
[6] Cheng Nga Ching (HKG) bt [4] Alex Haydon (AUS) 3-2: 9-11, 9-11, 11-6, 11-3, 13-11 (48m)
[3] Sarah Cardwell (AUS) bt [8] Au Yeong Wai Yhann (SGP) 11-5, 14-12, 11-8 (25m)
[5] Jessica Turnbull (AUS) bt [2] Grace Gear (ENG) 3-1: 11-9, 11-5, 11-13, 11-7 (38m)

Men’s Round Two
[1] Henry Leung (HKG) bt Nicholas Calvert (AUS) 3-0: 11-2, 11-6, 11-8 (30m)
Rex Hedrick (AUS) bt [8] Joseph White (AUS) 3-0: 15-13, 11-3, 11-5 (43m)
Abhay Singh (IND) bt [5] Chi Him Wong (HKG) 3-0: 11-7, 11-6, 11-7 (40m)
[4] Lwamba Chileshe (NZL) bt [WC] Elijah Thomas (NZL) 3-2: 11-7, 11-7, 8-11, 6-11, 11-7 (57m)
[3] Addeen Idrakie (MAS) bt Harley Lam (HKG) 3-0: 11-6, 11-8, 11-3 (29m)
[7] Tang Ming Hong (HKG) bt Rhys Dowling (AUS) 3-1: 9-11, 12-10, 11-7, 11-4 (39m)
[6] Yannick Wilhelmi (SUI) bt Chung Yat Long (HKG) 3-0: 11-8, 11-3, 11-2 (21m)
Matthew Lai (HKG) bt [2] Muhammad Asim Khan (PAK) 3-1: 11-3, 11-5, 7-11, 11-5 (44m)

Women’s Round One
[1] Chan Sin Yuk (HKG) bt Noor ul Huda (PAK) 3-0: 11-1, 11-0, 11-5 (14m)
Celine Walser (SUI) bt [7] Rachael Grinham (AUS) 3-0: 11-6, 11-2, 11-9 (21m)
[6] Cheng Nga Ching (HKG) bt Aiman Shahbaz (PAK) 3-0: 11-4, 11-2, 11-1 (14m)
[4] Alex Haydon (AUS) bt Colette Sultana (MLT) 3-1: 11-5, 11-4, 9-11, 11-4 (31m)
[3] Sarah Cardwell (AUS) bt Tayla Mounter (ENG) 3-0: 11-8, 11-9, 11-3 (13m)
[8] Au Yeong Wai Yhann (SGP) bt Urwashi Joshi (IND) 3-1: 11-9, 11-8, 4-11, 12-10 (27m)
[5] Jessica Turnbull (AUS) bt Yasshmita Jadishkumar (MAS) 3-0: 11-6, 11-5, 11-3 (19m)
[2] Grace Gear (ENG) bt Ching Hei Fung (HKG) 3-1: 7-11, 11-4, 11-6, 11-8 (36m)

Men’s Round One
Nicholas Calvert (AUS) bt Robert Andrew Garcia (PHI) 3-2: 13-11, 11-7, 9-11, 12-14, 13-11 (88m)
Rex Hedrick (AUS) bt Wailok To (HKG) 3-0: 11-5, 11-2, 11-9 (37m)
Abhay Singh (IND) bt Damon MacMillan (AUS) 3-0: 11-7, 11-7, 11-7 (29m)
[WC] Elijah Thomas (NZL) bt Temwa Chileshe (NZL) 3-2: 7-11, 11-6, 6-11, 11-9, 11-8 (74m)
Harley Lam (HKG) bt Joel Arscott (NZL) 3-2: 12-10, 11-8, 2-11, 9-11, 11-9 (85m)
Rhys Dowling (AUS) bt [WC] James Lloyd (AUS) 3-0: 13-11, 11-4, 11-6 (30m)
Chung Yat Long (HKG) bt Robin Gadola (SUI) 3-1: 5-11, 11-9, 11-6, 16-14 (40m)
Matthew Lai (HKG) bt [WC] Dylan Molinaro (AUS) 3-1: 11-7, 11-5, 8-11, 11-6 (45m)