Seventeen-year-old Peruvian World Junior Champion Diego Elias continued his outstanding form in Salt Lake City, Utah, where he defeated Scotland’s Greg Lobban, world No. 71, in the first round of the Squashworks Salt Lake City Open. The $10,000 U.S. Pro Series event runs from September 30-October 3 and is held at the Squashworks Racquet and Fitness Club.

On top of becoming the first South American World Junior Champion this summer, Elias reached a career high world ranking of 66 in October, mostly due to a quarterfinal run in the $70,000 Men’s Abierto Mexicano de Raquetas as a qualifier last month. In their first career match up, Elias is set to play second seed in the Open, New Zealand’s Martin Knight, world No. 47, in the quarterfinals today, October 1, 8:30pm local time.

The fifteen-player draw featured just one American: Faraz Khan, world No. 335, who fell to Malaysia’s Muhd Asyraf Azan, world No. 65 and fourth seed, in four games, 11-3, 8-11, 6-11, 12-14, in fifty-five minutes.

For more information, visit Squashworks Salt Lake City Open tournament page.

Salt Lake City Open Quarterfinals Draw:
[1] Ryan Cuskelly (AUS) vs. [8] Paul Coll (NZL)
[2] Martin Knight (NZL) vs. Diego Elias (PER)
[3] Steve Finitsis (AUS) vs. [5] Ben Coleman (ENG)
[4] Muhd Asyraf Azan (MAS) vs. [7] Peter Creed (WAL)

Top seeds Australian Ryan Cuskelly, recent Phoenix Open winner, and New Zealand’s Martin Knight, the Phoenix Open runner-up, are once again seeded to meet the final of another U.S. Pro Series event–the Squashworks Salt Lake City Open–which begins today, September 30, at Squashworks Racquet and Fitness Club in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The Professional Squash Association (PSA) Challenger 10 event has previously run in 2005 and 2011; this year marks its third iteration. The draw features a main pool only, with fifteen entrants, and number one seed, Cuskelly, starts his first round of play with a bye.

The sole American, Faraz Khan, world No. 395 and also a recent competitor in the Phoenix Open, takes on Malaysia’s Muhd Asyraf Azan, number four seed and world No. 65, in their first career match up. The two play at 7:30pm local time.

For more information, visit the Squashworks Salt Lake City Open tournament page.

Squashworks Salt Lake City Open Main Draw First Round:
[1] Ryan Cuskelly (AUS) vs. Bye
[2] Martin Knight (NZL) vs. Jan Van Den Herrewegen (BEL)
[3] Steven Finitsis (AUS) vs. [WC] Mark Broekman (ENG)
[4] Muhd Asyraf Azan (MAS) vs. Faraz Khan (USA)
[5] Ben Coleman (ENG) vs. Italo Bonatti (GUA)
[6] Greg Lobban (SCO) vs. Diego Elias (PER)
[7] Peter Creed (WAL) vs. Shahjahan Khan (PAK)

Report courtesy of the Professional Squash Association.

Ryan Cuskelly kept the Life Time Phoenix Open trophy in Australian hands after defeating New Zealander Martin Knight in the final of the PSA Challenger 10 squash event at Life Time Fitness Tempe in Tempe, Arizona.

Both finalists survived four-game semis – top seed Cuskelly beating England’s No. 3 seed Ben Coleman and second seed Knight eventually getting the better of in-form Frenchman Lucas Serme, the fourth seed who won the Rotterdam Open last month.

Cuskelly and Knight were marking their seventh meeting on the PSA World Tour—and the twenty-seven-year-old left-hander from New South Wales extended his unbeaten record over the Kiwi with his 11-7, 11-0, 11-6 triumph in forty-five minutes.

“Knight was saying he was still feeling his semifinal game against Serme from last night and was unable to get going today,” reported tournament promoter Andre Maur.

The win notches up Cuskelly’s ninth Tour title—but his first since winning the Toronto Cup in November 2012.

Final:
[1] Ryan Cuskelly (AUS) bt [2] Martin Knight (NZL) 11-7, 11-0, 11-6 (45m)

Todd Harrity, fifth seed in the Challenger 10 Life Time Phoenix Open and world No. 82, made it to the quarterfinals Thursday evening, September 25, in Tempe, AZ.
Continue reading Harrity Sole American in Phoenix Quarterfinals →

Report courtesy of the Professional Squash Association. 

New Zealand’s Campbell Grayson survived a ninty-five-minute Las Vegas Open final marathon to upset top seed Cesar Salazar and win the PSA Challenger 10 event in its second year at Life Time Athletic in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Incredibly, while Mexico’s top seed Salazar cruised to a straight games win over defending champion Julian Illingworth in one semifinal, second-seeded Kiwi Grayson needed more than 100 minutes to overcome fourth-seeded Mexican Alfredo Avila in five games in the other. Continue reading Grayson Grabs Las Vegas Jackpot →

American world No. 46 and 88 Julian Illingworth and Todd Harrity progressed to the $10,000 Professional Squash Association (PSA) Las Vegas Open quarterfinals at Life Time Athletic Thursday evening.

Harrity’s victory came with the misfortune of opposing world No. 81 Arthur Gaskin who was forced to retire mid-match due to injury. Twenty-three-year-old Harrity now faces twenty-two-year-old Alfredo Avila in the first PSA encounter of their young careers. Avila, a Mexican international ranked thirty places higher than Harrity at fifty-eight, defeated qualifier Tom Pashley 16-14, 11-7, 9-11, 11-8, in Thursday’s first round of main draw play. Continue reading Harrity and Illingworth Through to Las Vegas Quarters →