Dane Sharp battles past Kam Hing Choong’s into semi final - Saskatoon Boast Open 2011
Canadian Dane Sharp finally ended Malaysian qualifier Kam Hing Choong’s winning streak in the quarterfinal of the Saskatoon Boast Open 2011.
The PSA World Tour Challenger 10 squash event is in its tenth year at the YMCA in Saskatoon and it took the Canadian 47 minutes of play but he eventually survived a mid match lapse to score 11-9, 11-8, 8-11, 11-5 against the Malaysian qualifier.
The 26 year-old from Toronto opted to serve first as he had won the service pitch and from the very start the two had taken on a competitive play. As two kept bagging points, the score progressed on even terms and both had the desire to reserve a spot in
the next round. Nonetheless, Choong had gotten to a good start and managed to level his points several times against his opponent’s but as Sharp scored two successive points, he bagged the opening round.
The goose chase was carried well into the second set as well and neither player wanted to throw in the towel. Though the set kicked off with Choong in the lead, towards the end he was unable to hold his serve and eventually fumbled a few times to end up
gifting the set to his adversary.
In a reversal of fate, this time Choong initiated the set and although he didn’t get off to a good start, by the middle of the match he had picked up his game. He took a notch higher in his performance and also showed off his skills by bagging a few points
as he smashed a couple of rail shots.
However, it was extremely unfortunate for Sharp as he was performing superbly in the previous two sets but in the third he nosedived. He was unable to get a grip on his serve and it constantly kept hitting below the service line, he also was unable to rotate
and hit a backhand shot. Mean while, Choong not only had improved his service game but also his return and he clogged the third set.
The fourth set was the decider and this time both should’ve locked into a fierce battle but Choong was out of breath and had drained his stamina. It seemed as if the Malaysian qualifier had reached the end of the road and was left with nothing. On the other
hand, Sharp had taken a notch down in the third set but recoiled in the fourth and as he rushed past his adversary, he clinched the set with a comfortable 11-5 score.
Next up for the Canadian is fourth seeded compatriot Andrew Schnell in the semi final of the tournament.
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