Corren Carries Off 24th PSA Tour Title In Canada

Australian Mike Corren continued his relentless bid to pick up PSA Tour squash titles around the world when he won the GoodLife Open in Canada - bringing his total for the year to six and his career-long haul to 24 Tour titles since October 1996.

The 35-year-old from South Australia started his latest bid, in the $6,000 Super Satellite event at the GoodLife Fitness Club in Ottawa, as the fourth seed.

Currently based in Hamilton, New Zealand, Corren made his breakthrough in the semi-finals where he removed USA's Gilly Lane, the top seed from Philadelphia.

There was also an upset in the other semi-final where Canada's third seed Robin Clarke, the defending champion from Ottawa, ousted second-seeded compatriot David Phillips.

The first game of the final was tight, with Clarke squandering a game ball at 10-9 to lose 12-10. The second saw players again exchange points to 8-8, when Clarke hit some killer shorts shot to close out the game.

In the third, Clarke again finished strongly by taking the ball in short and volleying Corren's defensive reply, to move into a 2/1 lead. Clarke seemed to lose focus in the fourth as Corren drew level.

The Australian appeared to save his best for the last game as he took control. To the local hero's credit, Clarke hung in to tie the game 7-7 - but he clipped the tin on a backhand short volley, which proved to be the turning point.

Corren quickly finished off the match to win 12-10, 8-11, 9-11, 11-7, 11-7, thus denying the host nation its fourth successive GoodLife Open win since 2006.

Final:
[4] Mike Corren (AUS) bt [3] Robin Clarke (CAN) 12-10, 8-11, 9-11, 11-7, 11-7 (79m)