Hauts de France SF: Clain Continues Run As Finalists Set

The finalists are set at the PA des Hauts de France, and while it will be the top two seeds in the women’s event, the men’s draw has been surprising from the off, and Frenchman Edwin Clain will be in Sunday’s final, taking on Colombia’s Andres Herrera.

Clain took out the tournament’s top seed, Ryosei Kobayashi, in the quarter finals of the competition, and found himself up against another unseeded player, in Englishman Perry Malik, with the pair both aiming to reach the final of the Challenger 5 level tournament in Lille.

It was Malik who took the first game, one where both players had their chances, 13-11, before Clain then stamped his authority on the contest. He won the second game 11-7 to level the scores, before then allowing the Englishman just a single point in the third. Another 11-7 win came in the fourth, and what would be, the final game, as he won 3-1 to advance to his first final on Tour.

He will now face Colombia’s No.5 seed Andres Herrera, who was the last remaining seed in the tournament after knocking out No.2 seed Aqeel Rehman in the last eight. He took on another Frenchman, in Toufik Mekhalfi, in the semis, and apart from losing a third game tie-break, he was in control throughout. The Colombian won in four to join Clain in reaching a maiden Tour final.

While all the surprises have been happening in the men’s event, the top seeds in the women’s tournament have been going about their business. The top four all made the semis and it will be the top two seeds, in Egypt’s Nardine Garas and Englishwoman Alicia Mead, that will do battle for the title on Sunday.

Mead won her semi-final against Switzerland’s Ambre Allinckx in straight games to make the final, while Garas had to fight her way past another English player, in No.3 seed Torrie Malik, winning in four games, as she booked her spot in her first final on Tour.

The finals of the PSA des Hauts de France will take place on Sunday, August 28, and you can keep up to date with all the live scores from Le Lil in Lille, France here.

Men’s Semi-Final Results: PSA des Hauts de France
Edwin Clain (FRA) bt Perry Malik (ENG) 3-1: 11-13, 11-7, 11-1, 11-7 (62m)
[5] Andres Herrera (COL) bt Toufik Mekhalfi (FRA) 3-1: 11-8, 11-6, 13-15, 11-7 (81m)

Men’s Final Draw: To Be Played Sunday, August 28
Edwin Clain (FRA) v [5] Andres Herrera (COL)

Women’s Semi-Final Results: PSA des Hauts de France
[1] Nardine Garas (EGY) bt [3] Torrie Malik (ENG) 3-1: 12-10, 3-11, 11-9, 11-9 (35m)
[2] Alicia Mead (ENG) bt [4] Ambre Allinckx (SUI) 3-0: 11-8, 11-5, 11-5 (25m)

Women’s Final Draw: To Be Played Sunday, August 28
[1] Nardine Garas (EGY) v [2] Alicia Mead (ENG)