Adrian Waller gains Australian Open momentum with Challenger 20 title in Canberra

World no. 32 Adrian Waller put his 2022 City Tattersalls Club Australian Open opponents on notice after securing the Jansher Khan Canberra Open title on Saturday.
 
Waller is seeded at no.2 in the men's draw of the Australian Open, which starts Wednesday in Sydney, and is one of the favourites for the prestigious title.
 
The English player confidently went through the Challenger 20 level competition at the ACT Woden Squash Centre without dropping a game. After getting a bye in the first round, he took consecutive straight-game victories against Valentin Rapp (GER), Owain Taylor (WAL) and Andrew Douglas (USA) before squaring off against Japanese Ryunosuke Tsukue in the final.
 
After a tight first game, Waller claimed the Canberra Open crown with yet another 3-0 win (12-10, 11-8, 11-5) for his tenth career title on the Tour.
 
Squash ACT president Michael Nuttall said the tournament was a great opportunity to inspire the current crop of juniors and bring new players into the sport.
 
“We had players from all around the world come to Canberra and compete before heading to the Australian Open,” he said. “Our timing could not have been better.”
 
The 2022 Jansher Khan Canberra Open was named after the Pakistani champion, widely regarded as one of the world's greatest-ever squash players, and organised with the generous support of the Australian Pakistani community, including the Pakistan High Commissioner, His Excellency Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri.
 
With the success of this year’s edition and the inclusion of a PSA Women's event to the program already in the plans, the Canberra Open aspires to become a major fixture on the Australian PSA squash calendar in the near future.
 
For the full results of the Jansher Khan Canberra Open, click here.

Photo | PSA World