Sharpes Too Sharp For Parker In Kent Open Final

England's second seed Charles Sharpes survived a nail-biting tie-break in the fifth game to win the Select Gaming Kent Open at The Mote Squash Club in Maidstone, England.

His opponent, George Parker, was playing his sixth match in six days after battling his way through the qualifying competition and taking out the No.8, No.3 and No.6 seeds in the main draw.

In a match that produced a mixture of high-quality squash and some physical exchanges between the players, Sharpes weathered a storming fight back from 19-year-old Parker at the end of a thrilling match.

Sharpes held match ball at 10-7 but Parker won three points in a row to draw level. A penalty stroke took Sharpes to his second match ball and Parker hit the tin in the next rally to end the match 11-4, 6-11, 11-8, 6-11, 12-10 after 74 minutes of brutal combat.

Ultimately, the week was a rewarding one for Sharpes and Parker in terms of ranking points.

It was Sharpes' fifth and biggest PSA World Tour title. "I am so happy to win the Kent Open and end the season on a high," said the London-born 23-year-old.

"I want to thank George for a great match. We are good friends off court and I look forward to many more battles with him in the future.

"This is a great tournament and all the players appreciate the way we have been looked after here in Kent."

Immediately after the match, title sponsors Select Gaming announced that they would be continuing their sponsorship of this PSA Challenger 10 event next year.

Host club The Mote have also announced an ambitious development plan that includes an all-glass showcourt.