VW Bega Open SF: Hedrick Carries Home Hopes Into Finals

The finals of the Volkswagen Bega Open are set, and Australia’s Rex Hedrick will be the sole home hope featuring on finals day at the Bega Country Club in New South Wales, after he won his semi-final against Japan’s Ryunosuke Tsukue.

The Australian came into the tournament unseeded, and took on another unseeded member of the competition in Tsukue in the last four. The pair were level after two games, before the former Wold No.48 was able to show his class, winning the third 11-6 before then taking a tight fourth game 11-9 to book his spot in the final.

He will now face Hong Kong’s Tsz Kwan Lau, the competition’s No.2 seed, for the title on Sunday afternoon in Bega, after the Hongkonger got the better of Malaysia’s Mohammed Syafiq Kamal in straight games. Lau required just 33 minutes on court in their last four clash, winning 11-7, 11-6, 11-9 to advance to the final.

The women’s final means there will be a guaranteed two-time winner on Tour this season, as Hong Kong’s Chan Sin Yuk and Malaysia’s Yee Xin Ying are set to do battle. Yuk, who won the Costa North Coast Open in July, came through her semi-final contest against Malaysia’s Chan Yiwen in four games, recovering after dropping the second to book her place in the final.

Ying is aiming for back to back titles after winning in New South Wales last weekend, and the young Malaysian got the better of compatriot Ainaa Amani in a thrilling five-gamer. Ying held a two game advantage, but saw her fellow Malaysian fight back to win the next two games, including the fourth by an 11-0 scoreline. However, she was able to regroup, and when the fifth and final are went to a tie-break, she came through it 12-10, to advance to Sunday’s final.

The finals of the Volkswagen Bega Open will take place on Sunday, September 4 at the Bega Country Club, where the winners of the Challenger 10 level competition will be decided. You will be able to watch all the action from finals day in Bega on the PSA Challenger Tour YouTube channel.

Men’s Semi-Final Results: Volkswagen Bega Open
Rex Hedrick (AUS) bt Ryunosuke Tsukue (JPN) 3-1: 11-7, 4-11, 11-6, 11-9 (63m)
[2] Tsz Kwan Lau (HKG) bt [3] Mohammad Syafiq Kamal (MAS) 3-0: 11-7, 11-6, 11-9 (33m)

Men’s Final Draw: To Be Played Sunday, September 4
Rex Hedrick (AUS) v [2] Tsz Kwan Lau (HKG)

Women’s Semi-Final Results: Volkswagen Bega Open
[1] Chan Sin Yuk (HKG) bt [3] Chan Yiwen (MAS) 3-1: 11-5, 9-11, 11-6, 11-6 (34m)
[8] Yee Xin Ying (MAS) bt Ainaa Amani (MAS) 3-2: 11-7, 11-5, 9-11, 0-11, 12-10 (45m)

Women’s Final Draw: To Be Played Sunday, September 4
[1] Chan Sin Yuk (HKG) v [8] Yee Xin Ying (MAS)