PSA Challenger Le Reve RD1: Mandil Gets Surprise First Round Win

Frenchman Rohan Mandil took a surprise victory in his first match of 2022, as he got the better of Austria’s Lukas Windischberger to make the quarter finals of the PSA Challenger Le Reve.

Mandil, who sits 45 places below Windischberger in the World Rankings, seemed to have control throughout, after taking the first two games 11-6 and 11-7, respectively. The third was much loser, with hit going to a tiebreak, but the Frenchman took it 12-10 to advance to the quarter finals, where he will face compatriot, and the tournament’s No.3 seed, Edwin Clain.

Elsewhere, top seed Emyr Evans made his way into the quarter finals with a comprehensive victory against Netherlands’ Marc ter Sluis. He will now face Italian No.1 Yuri Furneti in the last eight on Saturday.

The French duo of Toufik Mekhalfi and Joshua Phinera are also into the last eight on home soil, and they will face the Czech Republic’s Ondrej Vorlicek and Switzerland’s Yannick Wilhelmi, respectively, in the quarters.

You can watch all the action live from Squash Du Reve on the club’s YouTube channel, with action from the quarter finals and semi-finals taking place on Saturday, January 29.

First Round Results: PSA Challenger Le Reve
[1] Emyr Evans (WAL) bt Marc ter Sluis (NED): 3-0: 11-8, 11-6, 11-3
[5] Yuri Farneti (ITA) bt [WC] Titouan Isambard (FRA): 3-0: 11-3, 11-4, 11-5
Rohan Mandil (FRA) bt [7] Lukas Windischberger (AUT): 3-0: 11-6, 11-7, 12-10
[3] Edwin Clain (FRA) bt Pablo Dolz (ESP): 3-0: 11-2, 11-5, 11-3
[4] Toufik Mekhalfi (FRA) bt Baptiste Bouin (FRA): 3-1: 12-14, 11-2, 13-11, 11-3
[6] Ondrej Vorlícek (CZE) bt Laouenan Loaec (FRA): 3-0: 11-7, 11-9, 11-7
[8] Joshua Phinera (FRA) bt Adam Sinkule (CZE): 3-1: 11-6, 11-3, 8-11, 11-4
[2] Yannick Wilhelmi (SUI) bt Brice Nicolas (FRA): 3-0: 11-7, 11-1, 11-7

Quarter Final Draw: To Be Played Saturday, January 29
[1] Emyr Evans (WAL) v Marc ter Sluis (NED)
Rohan Mandil (FRA) v [3] Edwin Clain (FRA)
[4] Toufik Mekhalfi (FRA) v [6] Ondrej Vorlicek (CZE)
[8] Joshua Phinera (FRA) v [2] Yannick Wilhelmi (SUI)