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Win For Top Ranked Player In Week Two Of Squash Premier League

Sunday 24 May 2020, 9:59PM

By dave worsley

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There was plenty of intensity in the final day of week 2 of the Premier Squash League in Auckland as Joel Arscott prevailed in five games for the title.

After being a beaten finalist the previous week Arscott, 20 ranked at 235 in the world prevailed 9-11, 11-8, 11-9, 8-11, 11-2 in just over an hour for the title against 17-year-old Elijah Thomas 22 places below on the PSA world rankings.

No player dominated for the first few sets as each traded long rallies and physical play to try and gain the ascendancy. Only in the fifth game as the overall time extended past an 60 minutees play did Arscott manage a significant lead and was able to hold on to it as a couple of unforced errors crept in to his opponents game.

For Arscott it was a good finish to some concentrated training and play of the last eight weeks.

“I’m not overly sore or tired, it was a good contest. It was nice to have a battle like that again. It was a tight-fought contest, but I really enjoyed it,” said Arscott.

With the temperature dropping at the SquashXL venue on New Zealand’s only glass court which traditionally plays quick the finalist had to push forward or force their opponents deep into the corners.

“It stays very short and dies off at the back so there was some pretty dynamic movements from both of us. He’s (Thomas) a real battler, he plays some really disciplined squash, I just go momentum at the start of the fifth and managed to get away.”

In the third and fourth playoff the previous week’s title winner Temwa Chileshe was victorious over Leo Fatialofa in four games. Chileshe haven’t to keep a steady head against the shot making of Fatialofa who at times reeled off spectacular winners followed by the odd unforced error.

The fifth and sixth match had Glenn Templeton account for Michael Shelton-Agar in four games while in the seventh and eighth match Jack Conder won in five games in 40 minutes over teenage rival, Mason Smales in a tight contest.

Week three of the four-tournament series continues on Friday.

Results Unsquashable Premier League”

7/8th Jack Conder bt Mason Smales 5-11, 11-9, 7-11, 11-2, 11-8,

5/6th Glenn Templeton bt Michael Shelton Agar 11-4 , 11-4, 8-11, 11-7

3/4th Temwa Chileshe bt Leo Fatialofa 8-11, 11-8, 11-7, 11-9,

Joel Arscott bt Elijah Thomas 9-11, 11-8, 11-9, 8-11,11-2.