Turnbull, Calvert claim Queensland Open titles

After returning from a semi-final performance at the PSA Challenger event in Canada last week, Australian No.1 Jess Turnbull turned on a stellar performance to win the 2023 Moreton Bay Regional Council Queensland Open at Scarborough Squash Club.

Turnbull was near-perfect throughout the PSA Satellite tournament, not dropping a game as she accounted for Norway's Irene Fossen and fellow club player Madison Lyon in the quarters and semis.

In the final Turnbull was up against in-form second seed Sophie Fadaely, runner-up from the previous week’s Gympie Open. The 19-year-old also made her way to the final without dropping a game, however Turnbull was far too strong in the decider winning 11-6, 11-3, 11-5.

Like the women’s draw, the men’s PSA event saw the top two seeds progress to the final where Rhys Dowling was up against Nicholas Calvert. Calvert was a semi-finalist at last week’s Gympie Open where he was knocked out by Bryan Lim, the same man who accounted for Dowling in the tournament final.

Dowling drew first blood in the decider, but Calvert clawed his way back to a game apiece. The third game was a nail biter with Calvert eventually outlasting the top seed 13-11. That shifted momentum and Calvert was able to run away for a 7-11, 11-5, 13-11, 11-2 victory.

In the Men’s Plate competition, Brad Freeme - who was knocked out in the opening round of the Satellite in an hour-long marathon - defeated Kenneth Lamb in the final 11-9, 11-5, 11-7.

In the A Grade final Mark Arici defeated Doug Campbell (14-12, 11-0, 15-13), Michael Kavanagh topped the B Grade round robin while Gary Smith fought back from dropping the first game to beat Mark Hanna in the C Grade final (7-11, 11-6, 11-0, 11-8).

Squash Queensland and Squash Australia would like to acknowledge Moreton Bay Regional Council for their support of this PSA Satellite event, and to thank Cr Sandra Ruck for her attendance and participation in the presentations.