Serme Spoils British Sweep To Complete Canary Wharf Main Draw

Frenchman Lucas Serme prevented a British sweep during the final round of qualification at the 2017 Canary Wharf Classic to down England's Nathan Lake in a five-game battle and secure his place in the main draw of the PSA M70 tournament which begins tomorrow in London's East Wintergarden.


Serme twice saw one game leads eroded by the tenacious Lake but had enough to see out the match in a tense fifth to join Welshman Joel Makin, conquerer of number six seed Ben Coleman, and English duo Charles Sharpes and Declan James in the main draw - with James coming through an epic 15-13 fourth game to defeat Egypt's Mohamed Reda.


"I think my wife’s match was on my mind and I was finding it hard to focus," said Serme, who's wife was competing in the final of the Czech national squash championships.


"It’s a shame because it’s a match I could have won easier today if I played the right tactic. It wasn't my best match, but my shots still went in ok and I think we both performed well."


Serme will now face recent Windy City Open runner-up Marwan ElShorbagy in the first round, where he will look to knock the number two seed out of the event, while James will be eying up his first round encounter with the in-form Borja Golan - a semi-finalist in Chicago.


Makin will go up against hard-hitting Australian Cameron Pilley with Sharpes taking on fellow Englishman Daryl Selby.


The first round action gets underway from 5:00pm Monday March 6 from the East Wintergarden, London.


Results - Qualification Final: 2017 Canary Wharf Classic

[7] Charles Sharpes (ENG) bt Richie Fallows (ENG) 3-2: 11-9, 7-11, 11-6, 6-11, 11-5 (76m)

[4] Lucas Serme (FRA) bt Nathan Lake (ENG) 3-2: 11-4, 7-11, 11-3, 9-11, 11-7 (74m)

[3] Declan James (ENG) bt [5] Mohamed Reda (EGY) 3-1: 11-9, 9-11, 11-8, 15-13 (74m)

Joel Makin (WAL) bt [6] Ben Coleman (ENG) 3-1: 11-6, 9-11, 11-6, 11-6 (69m)


Draw - First Round

[1] Nick Matthew (ENG) v Ryan Cuskelly (AUS)

[Q] Joel Makin (WAL) v [8] Cameron Pilley (AUS)

[6] Daryl Selby (ENG) v [Q] Charles Sharpes (ENG)

Paul Coll (NZL) v [3] Simon Rösner (GER)

[4] Fares Dessouky (EGY) v Tom Richards (ENG)

[WC] Lyell Fuller (ENG) v [5] Mathieu Castagnet (FRA)

[7] Borja Golan (ESP) v [Q] Declan James (ENG)

[Q] Lucas Serme (FRA) v [2] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY)