Life Time Johns Creek Open: Salazar’s Second Win Of July

At the start of this month, Mexico’s Arturo Salazar had been waiting for more than five years since his most recent victory on Tour. Three weeks later, and the Mexican has now claimed two titles in the space of a month, following his win at the Life Time Optimus BT Johns Creek Open in Georgia, United States.

Salazar came into the Challenger 10 level competition as the top seed, and after receiving a bye through the opening day’s play in Johns Creek, the World No.63 kicked off his campaign with a victory over Pakistan’s Hamza Sharif, winning in straight games to move through to the quarter finals.

In the last eight, the Mexican took on Jamaican No.1 Christopher Binnie for a place in the semis, and after a winning a couple of crucial tie-breaks, he won out in four. He then went on to face the unseeded Ryunosuke Tsukue in the last four, downing the Japanese player in a four-game battle which lasted just under the hour mark.

The final saw Salazar take on compatriot Alfredo Avila, with the pair having faced off in the final of the HSC Open – presented by Cotidie earlier this month. The result went the same way in Johns Creek, with the tournament’s top seed winning in four, battling back after losing the second game 11-1 to claim his second title of the month, and the 13th of his career.

*Results: Life Time Optimus BT Johns Creek Open*
*Final*
[1] Arturo Salazar (MEX) bt [3] Alfredo Avila (MEX) 3-1: 11-4, 1-11, 11-9, 11-7 (53m)

*Semi-Finals*
[1] Arturo Salazar (MEX) bt Ryunosuke Tsukue (JPN) 3-1: 11-9, 4-11, 11-7, 11-6 (54m)
[3] Alfredo Avila (MEX) bt [2] Sam Todd (ENG) 3-0: 11-9, 11-6, 11-6 (35m)

*Quarter Finals*
[1] Arturo Salazar (MEX) bt [5] Christopher Binnie (JAM) 3-1: 15-13, 9-11, 12-10, 11-7 (45m)
Ryunosuke Tsukue (JPN) bt [4] Michael McCue (CAN) 3-0: 11-2, 11-2, 11-2 (22m)
[3] Alfredo Avila (MEX) bt [6] Edgar Ramirez Bautista (COL) 3-0: 11-7, 11-5, 11-3 (30m)
[2] Sam Todd (ENG) bt Muhammad Farhan Hashmi (PAK) 3-0: 11-8, 11-7, 11-2 (33m)

*Round Two*
[1] Arturo Salazar (MEX) bt Hamza Sharif (PAK) 3-0: 11-8, 11-4, 11-6 (31m)
[5] Christopher Binnie (JAM) bt Salah Eltorgman (CAN) 3-2: 11-5, 11-9, 8-11, 9-11, 11-5 (51m)
Ryunosuke Tsukue (JPN) bt [7] Mark Broekman (ENG) 3-0: 11-7, 11-4, 11-4 (31m)
[4] Michael McCue (CAN) bt Alex Smith (IRL) 3-1: 11-9, 5-11, 11-7, 11-8 (54m)
[3] Alfredo Avila (MEX) bt Asyraf Azan (MAS) 3-0: 11-4, 12-10, 11-3 (29m)
[6] Edgar Ramirez Bautista (COL) bt Lewis Doughty (ENG) 3-1: 9-11, 11-2, 11-7, 13-11 (45m)
Muhammad Farhan Hashmi (PAK) bt [8] Babatunde Ajagbe (NGR) 3-2: 6-11, 4-11, 11-5, 11-7, 11-9 (62m)
[2] Sam Todd (ENG) bt Jamie Ruggiero (USA) 3-0: 11-5, 13-11, 11-5 (25m)

*Round One*
Hamza Sharif (PAK) bt Muhammad Ibrahim Noorani (PAK) 3-0: 11-6, 11-1, 11-1 (21m)
Salah Eltorgman (CAN) bt Milan Tahliani (USA) 3-0: 11-5, 11-2, 11-8 (19m)
Ryunosuke Tsukue (JPN) bt Shoumik Mohapatra (USA) 3-0: 11-4, 11-4, 11-2 (31m)
Alex Smith (IRL) bt Quinlan Jeudy (USA) 3-0: 11-6, 11-6, 11-5 (40m)
Asyraf Azan (MAS) bt Muhammad Sami Ullah (UAE) 3-1: 11-9. 11-7, 8-11, 11-9 (71m)
Lewis Doughty (ENG) bt Jaiveer Bagga (USA) 3-0: 11-1, 11-2, 11-3 (23m)
Muhammad Farhan Hashmi (PAK) bt Karamatullah Khan (PAK) 3-0: 11-2, 11-4, 11-6 (24m)
Jamie Ruggiero (USA) bt Wajiullah Nasim (USA) 3-0: 11-5, 11-2, 11-5 (32m)