Borja Battles To Motor City Success

Spain's Borja Golan made the most of his first appearance in the Motor City Open by taking the $30,000 PSA Tour squash event title after beating top seed Adrian Grant at Birmingham Athletic Club in Detroit, USA.

The second seed took home $5,000 and a Rolex watch after an emotionally-tense, physical struggle that lasted over 90 minutes, not including a break in play to dress a wound suffered by Grant.

Golan triumphed 10-12, 11-9, 11-5, 14-12 in a battle that featured 71 lets, a whack to Grant's shoulder and that six-minute delay to bandage a deep scrape on Grant's knee.

"When there's two clashing styles like that, it gives way to a lot of lets," judged referee Julian Wellings, head pro of the host club. "They kept going for drop-counter-drop and, because these guys are so quick to the ball, you're bound to get in each other's way and that was lending to a lot of lets because they couldn't get through each other."

Grant, starting composed, took the opening game - but the Englishman quickly grew frustrated with Golan, who gave little ground to allow Grant around him to retrieve balls.

"I found it quite frustrating to get around him," conceded the Londoner after the match. "On these courts you have to win six or seven shots to actually win the rally. It's not like a glass court where you get rewarded for attacking, attacking. Here, you really have to work it.

"In the beginning of the fourth I got a cramp in my leg. I've never had a cramp, so once that happened I started compensating and using my left leg a lot. And then I started getting it in both, so, once that happens, I felt I needed a wheelchair or something! I knew I was pretty much done after that because I couldn't run."

Golan kept up the pressure to earn his 19th title on the PSA Tour.

"He's a very good player," said the victorious Spaniard of his opponent. "He plays very tight shots and has one the best basic games in the tour. And in his forehand he's very dangerous, so I just tried to put more pressure on his backhand, and tried to make longer and put a lot of pace all the time, and it paid off because he was more tired than me and he started to cramp."

Final:
[2] Borja Golan (ESP) bt [1] Adrian Grant (ENG) 10-12, 11-9, 11-5, 14-12