12:11 pm
10 Dec 2024

Borja Battles Through To La Ciotat Quarters

11 Jun 2010

Borja Golan, the top-ranked Spaniard making his PSA World Tour comeback after major knee surgery, upset third seed Steve Finitsis in the opening round of the inaugural $10,000 La Ciotat International Open at La Ciotat Squash Club in the French city of La Ciotat.

But the 27-year-old qualifier, a former world No10 now ranked 85 places lower, twice had to come from behind to overcome Finitsis, the world No68 from Queensland in Australia, 5-11, 11-4, 10-12, 11-4, 11-1 in 67 minutes.

Golan, who began his Tour comeback trail last month at the Internationaux de France in Bordeaux - where he also reached the last eight as a qualifier - will now face fellow qualifier Fabien Verseille.

The 24-year-old from Aix-en-Provence also recovered twice in a battle with fellow Frenchman Gregoire Marche before beating the No7 seed 4-11, 11-4, 8-11, 11-6, 11-4.

Meanwhile Verseille's half-brother Stephane Galifi secured his anticipated place in the quarter-finals after an 11-5, 4-11, 11-7, 11-4 win over French qualifier Joan Lezaud.

Based in Aix-en-Provence but now playing under the Italian flag, top seed Galifi will now take on eighth seed Henrik Mustonen after the Finn ousted unseeded Frenchman Antoine-Camille Petrucci 11-9, 11-6, 11-7.

Alan Clyne, the second-seeded Scot who is expected to meet Galifi in Sunday's final, repeated his win in last week's Kent Open over Piedro Schweertman in the first round. But this time the 23-year-old from Edinburgh despatched the Dutchman in straight games, winning 11-8, 11-7, 11-3 to set up the only quarter-final not to include French interest.

Clyne will meet Malaysian Ivan Yuen, the sixth seed who beat Egyptian Wael Farag 11-7, 7-11, 7-11, 11-4, 11-8 in 60 minutes.

Quarter-final line-up:
[1] Stephane Galifi (ITA) v [8] Henrik Mustonen (FIN)
[4] Yann Perrin (FRA) v [5] Max Lee (HKG)
[Q] Borja Golan (ESP) v [Q] Fabien Verseille (FRA)
[2] Alan Clyne (SCO) v [6] Ivan Yuen (MAS)

1st round:
[1] Stephane Galifi (ITA) bt [Q] Joan Lezaud (FRA) 11-5, 4-11, 11-7, 11-4 (47m)
[8] Henrik Mustonen (FIN) bt Antoine-Camille Petrucci (FRA) 11-9, 11-6, 11-7 (29m)
[4] Yann Perrin (FRA) bt Ben Ford (ENG) 11-6, 10-12, 11-9, 11-4 (51m)
[5] Max Lee (HKG) bt Amr Khaled Khalifa (EGY) 12-10, 11-8, 13-11 (49m)
[Q] Fabien Verseille (FRA) bt [7] Gregoire Marche (FRA) 4-11, 11-4, 8-11, 11-6, 11-4 (59m)
[Q] Borja Golan (ESP) bt [3] Steve Finitsis (AUS) 5-11, 11-4, 10-12, 11-4, 11-1 (67m)
[6] Ivan Yuen (MAS) bt [Q] Wael Farag (EGY) 11-7, 7-11, 7-11, 11-4, 11-8 (60m)
[2] Alan Clyne (SCO) bt Piedro Schweertman (NED) 11-8, 11-7, 11-3 (25m)