Daryl Selby made it three BSPA Edinburgh titles in a row and five overall with a finely balanced win over second seed Shaun Le Roux on Sunday.The packed crowd in Edinburgh Sports Club’s “bearpit” court five were treated to two fiercely contested first games with neither player able to make any significant headway against the scoreboard.It was Le Roux who had the first opportunity, eking out a lead from 7-all, earning two game balls at 10-8. Essex star Selby, who has made a habit of saving game balls this weekend, did it again as he dug in for some long rallies, and took the next four points to lead 12-10.
The second game was a carbon copy, Le Roux again edged ahead for 10-8, Selby again taking the next four for another 12-10!
Le Roux came out firing in the third, was quickly 6-1 up and with Selby seemingly saving some energy it was quickly 10-1, then 11-3 to reduce the deficit.
It was pretty much the same story in the fourth, Le Roux again forging ahead, 7-3 and at 10-5 we were surely in for a decider. Not to be though, as Selby mounted another comeback, this time seven points in a row with Le Roux unable to find a finish. Selby’s precision was too much in the end as the South African maybe tried a little too hard to find a winner, clipping the tin three times before Selby finally took the match with a dropshot leaving his opponent stranded.
“I’ve certainly saved a few game balls this weekend,” said a delighted winner. “I’m very happy to win my fifth title here, I haven’t won a PSA title since 2012 so it’s nice to get a trophy on the shelf early in the year, hopefully there’s more to come!”
Meanwhile, Essex’s Peter Barker, the World No.8, has withdrawn from the CASE Swedish Open, PSA International 70 tournament that gets underway in Linkoping, Sweden on Thursday, due to injury.
The 31-year-old from Essex had been due to play South African Stephen Coppinger, the man who beat him at the quarter-final stage of the recent Suburban Collection Motor City Open, but will now miss the tournament entirely, meaning Coppinger moves up in the draw to face wildcard Rasmus Hult in the opening round.
Barker’s withdrawal also sees Adrian Waller profit as the 25-year-old automatically moves into the main draw where he will face German World No.10 Simon Rösner.
The amended first round draw is as follows:
Draw: First Round – CASE Swedish Open
[1] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) v Fares Dessouki (EGY)
[Qualifier] v [6] Nicolas Mueller (SUI)
[8] Stephen Coppinger (RSA) v [WC] Rasmus Hult (SWE)
Chris Simpson (ENG) v [3] James Willstrop (ENG)
[4] Simon Rösner (GER) v Adrian Waller (ENG)
[Qualifier] v [5] Marwan Elshorbagy (EGY)
[7] Cameron Pilley (AUS) v [Qualifier]
[Qualifier] v [2] Nick Matthew (ENG)
