PSA: Lee wins Buler final in Hong Kong

July 7, 2013 - 7:10pm
0 comments
Tweet this Share on Facebook Print this Email this
Max Lee gets in front in the final

Max Lee gets in front in the final

Max Survives The Buler Challenge

7 July 2013

RESULTS: PSA Challenger 15 Buler Challenge Cup, Hong Kong

Semi-finals:
[1] Max Lee (HKG) bt Harinder Pal Sandhu (IND) 11-9, 11-8, 11-9 (43m)
Steven Finitsis (AUS) bt Ivan Yuen (MAS) 11-7, 11-9, 11-8 (47m)
Final:
[1] Max Lee (HKG) bt Steven Finitsis (AUS) 12-10, 11-3, 11-7

Home hero Max Lee has successfully retained the Buler Challenge Cup in Hong Kong after beating unseeded AustralianSteven Finitsis in today’s final of the PSA World Tour Challenger 15 squash event in its ninth year at the Hong Kong Squash Centre.

The 25-year-old Hong Kong number one battled through to the final – his 10th on the PSA World Tour - without dropping a game.

His 30-year-old opponent was marking his 20th final on the PSA Tour – and achieved this notable milestone after despatching Malaysia’s Ivan Yuen in straight games.

But Lee, spurred on by the home crowd, clinched the seventh title of his career – but his first since the 2012 Buler success – by overcoming Finitsis (both pictured in action above) 12-10, 11-3, 11-7.

Finitsis Finishes Off No2 Seed Adnan

5 July 2013

RESULTS: PSA Challenger 15 Buler Challenge Cup, Hong Kong China

1st round:
[1] Max Lee (HKG) bt [Q] Ammar Altamimi (KUW) 11-4, 11-6, 11-4 (25m)
Rex Hedrick (AUS) bt [WC] Hon Fung Wong (HKG) 11-9, 11-3, 11-3 (34m)
Harinder Pal Sandhu (IND) bt Leo Au (HKG) 12-10, 11-9, 9-11, 11-2 (56m)
[Q] Mahesh Mangaonkar (IND) bt [3] Abdullah Al Muzayen (KUW) 13-11, 11-7, 9-2 (39m)
Elvinn Keo (MAS) bt [4] Karim Ali Fathi (EGY) 4-11, 11-9, 11-4, 12-10 (51m)
Ivan Yuen (MAS) bt [Q] Shinnosuke Tsukue (JPN) 11-9, 11-6, 7-11, 11-9 (40m)
Steven Finitsis (AUS) bt [Q] Tsz Fung Yip (HKG) 11-7, 11-4, 11-1 (24m)
[2] Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan (MAS) bt Muhd Asyraf Azan (MAS) 10-12, 11-5, 11-4, 11-7 (60m)
Quarter-finals:
[1] Max Lee (HKG) bt Rex Hedrick (AUS) 11-4, 11-3, 11-4 (28m)
Harinder Pal Sandhu (IND) bt [Q] Mahesh Mangaonkar (IND) 11-3, 11-6, 5-11, 2-11, 11-6 (70m)
Ivan Yuen (MAS) bt Elvinn Keo (MAS) 11-9, 4-11, 11-7, 11-8 (46m)
Steven Finitsis (AUS) bt [2] Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan (MAS) 11-9, 6-11, 8-11, 11-5, 11-5 (72m)

Unseeded Australian Steven Finitsis produced the biggest shock in today’s quarter-finals of the Buler Challenge Cup inHong Kong when he ousted second-seeded Malaysian Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan to claim a surprise place in the semi-finals of the PSA World Tour Challenger 15 squash event in its ninth year at the Hong Kong Squash Centre.

But the 30-year-old Queenslander had to fight back from 2/1 down before overcoming the world No30 from Terengganu 11-9, 6-11, 8-11, 11-5, 11-5 in 72 minutes.

Steve Finitsis in action against Adnan in the semi-finals

Steve Finitsis in action against Adnan in the semi-finals

bulerfinad

Bidding to become the second Australian to win the title, Netherlands-based Finitsis now faces a further Malaysian, Ivan Yuen. The 22-year-old from Kuala Lumpur survived 46-minutes clash with fellow national Elvinn Keo, beating the lower-ranked 25-year-old, also from KL, 11-9, 4-11, 11-7, 11-8.

Defending champion Max Lee seems determined to keep the trophy in local hands. The top seed from Hong Kong scored his second successive straight games win in the event as he brushed aside Australian Rex Hedrick 11-4, 11-3, 11-4 in just 28 minutes.

The country’s top-ranked player will now face surprise Indian opponent Harinder Pal Sandhu. The 24-year-old from Chennai took the surprise scalp of newly-crowned Hong Kong champion Leo Au in the opening round – then held off a spirited challenge from fellow countryman Mahesh Mangaonkar before beating the 19-year-old qualifier 11-3, 11-6, 5-11, 2-11, 11-6 in 70 minutes.

Semi-final line-up:
[1] Max Lee (HKG) v Harinder Pal Sandhu (IND)
Steven Finitsis (AUS) v Ivan Yuen (MAS)

n/a