2023 Australian Doubles Open ends with a double win
Published Mon 13 Feb 2023
The 2023 Australian Doubles Open has come to a fanatic end with five finals played on Sunday 12 February. Hosted once again at Australian National Squash Centre in Carrara, Queensland who are hosts to the legacy courts from the 2018 Commonwealth Games providing athletes the opportunity to play on international sized doubles courts.
The pool rounds of the competition began on Saturday, with close contests across the divisions. Men's Doubles Pool B was incredibly close, with three teams on equal matches it was Nathan Turnbull/Brad Freeme topping the pool with seven game wins, Jordan Till/Thomas Calvert in second with six game wins and two game losses, and James Lloyd/Nicholas Calvert in third with six game wins and three game losses ahead of the Sunday playoffs.
The semi-finals were played on a scorching summer day, and the competitors had to overcome the heat to advance. Mixed doubles team Samatha Foyle and Brad Freeme doubled their run at the event making two finals each, across the mixed, women’s and men’s open draws. Bryan Lim was also on track to double his wins moving onto the mixed and mens finals.
In the finals, Foyle was able to take on the Womens Open with a win alongside doubles partner Heather Pilley with a 11-8, 11-5 win over runners up Sophie Fadaely/Shona Coxsedge. Unfortunately she couldn’t make it a double alongside her partner Freeme in the mixed open finals going down 3-11, 11-4, 11-7 to Colette Sultana/Bryan Lim.
In the Mens Open finals Nathan Turnbull/Brad Freeme battled it out against Bryan Lim/Rhys Dowling unfortunately Turnbull and Freeme couldn’t beat the duo meaning Lim walked away with both the Mixed and Men’s doubles crowns with his partners.
The tournament hosted two graded events, Combined A and B Grade. This event gave a great opportunity for players of different ages, skill to try the event.
Combined A grade went down to the last match to decide 2nd placing with 19 and 17-year old youngsters Zach Hilfstein and Benjamin Murray coming out victorious and ahead of another young team 12-year-old James Boswell and 13-year-old Joel Roshan Raj who’s last pool match against Brian Bond/Chris Joyce went down to the wire 11-9 11-10 to propel them into 2nd place.
Combined B Grade saw a fathers vs Sons in the round robin battle. Jackson Bradley/Tyler Stafleu both stepped up to play against their fathers Oliver Bradley/Florian Stafleu. The fathers didn’t take it easy on their own, taking home a 11-6, 11-9 win. Oliver/Florian were unable to beat their finals competitors with Hayan Kim/Mana Stack taking the title 11-6, 11-9.
The full results from the 2023 Australian Doubles Open can be found here.
