Liechtenstein Open: Allinckx and Mueller Take Titles

The Swiss duo of Nicolas Mueller and Ambre Allinckx tasted victory at the Liechtenstein Open on the PSA Challenger Tour this weekend, as both players won their respective finals in straight games.

The Challenger 10 level tournament was limited to cross-border participation, meaning that players from Austria, Switzerland and the host nation, Liechtenstein, could compete in the event at the Squash Rackets Club Vaduz.

In the women’s draw, there was a surprise match-up in the final, as No.3 seed Allinckx and No.4 seed Celine Walser knocked out the event’s top two seeds in the semi-finals.

Allinckx took out the No.2 seed, Nadia Pfister, while Walser got the better of the tournament’s top seed, Swiss No.1 Cindy Merlo, to book her spot in the final. It was the 18-year-old Ambre Allinckx that took the title in Vaduz, though, as she needed just 23 minutes to overcome Walser, winning her first title as a professional player in the process.

The men’s draw went pretty much as expected, with the top two seeds making it all the way through to the final of the Challenger 10 level tournament, as Nicolas Mueller and Dimitri Steinmann faced off on Sunday afternoon in Vaduz.

To make it to the final, the men’s World No.27 got the better of the event’s No.4 seed, Robin Gadola, in the semi-finals, having already defeated compatriot Cedric Kuchen and Liechtenstein No.1 David Maier.

The final saw Mueller take on Steinmann for the first time on the PSA World Tour, but they had already met several times in the Swiss Nationals. This one went the way of the World No.27, who won in straight games to take the 10th title of his career.

Result – Men’s Final: Liechtenstein Open
[1] Nicolas Mueller (SUI) bt [2] Dimitri Steinmann (SUI) 3-0: 11-4, 11-6, 11-6 (39m)

Result – Women’s Final: Liechtenstein Open
[3] Ambre Allinckx (SUI) bt [4] Celine Walser (SUI) 3-0: 11-6, 11-5, 11-6 (23m)