Zaman & Kitchen Celebrate Hong Kong Challenge Cup Successes

Pakistan's Bilal Zaman and New Zealander Shelley Kitchen triumphed in the Buler Challenge Cup after both players survived dramatic five-game finals at the Squash Centre in Hong Kong.

Fifth seed Bilal Zaman made his breakthrough when he upset local hero Wai Hang Wong, the top seed, 8-11 9-11 11-6 11-10 11-10 in the semi-finals to earn his first appearance in a PSA Tour final.

In the hour-long final, the 17-year-old from Peshawar twice came from behind to beat England's No8 seed Chris Ryder 4-11 11-9 8-11 11-10 11-8 to claim his first PSA title.

The women's final was a repeat of the 2005 climax - but this time Kitchen avenged her defeat by Hong Kong's Asian Games champion Rebecca Chiu. Carrying off from where she left off twelve months earlier, second seed Chiu sped to an 8-1 lead in the opening game. But, after the New Zealander fought back to draw level, it was the local star who drew first blood to go a game up.

Favourite Kitchen came back to take the next two games, but Chiu repaired the damage by winning the fourth to force a fifth game decider.

At six-all, Chiu missed two shots to give Kitchen match-ball - then requested a three-minute break after being seized with cramp in her left thigh. Chiu returned the New Zealander's final serve, but Kitchen put it away for an easy win to record an 8-10 9-5 9-2 7-9 9-6 victory in 75 minutes. The triumph marks Kitchen's fifth WISPA World Tour title.

Men's final:
[5] Bilal Zaman (PAK) bt [8] Chris Ryder (ENG) 4-11, 11-9, 8-11, 11-10 (2-0), 11-8 (60m)

Women's final:
[1] Shelley Kitchen (NZL) bt [2] Rebecca Chiu (HKG) 8-10, 9-5, 9-2, 7-9, 9-6 (75m)