Binnie Lifts Biggest Title in Atlanta

(l-r): David Baillargeon, Andre Maur, Chris Binnie (image: Matthew Pace)

Jamaica’s Chris Binnie captured the largest PSA World Tour title of his career without dropping a game at the Life Time Atlanta Open Sunday, February 9, at Life Time Athletic in Sandy Springs, Georgia.

The Greenwich, Connecticut-based world No. 88 entered the $12,000 draw as the two seed, opposing top seed and fellow Trinity graduate Juan Camilo Vargas. Canada’s world No. 100 David Baillargeon made the surprise run of the tournament as the five seed, knocking out American four seed Faraz Khan in a four-game quarterfinal. In semifinals, the twenty-three-year-old Canadian upset Vargas 9-11, 11-9, 11-9, 7-11, 11-3 in eighty-minutes to make a surprise final appearance.

Binnie’s title reached the final with three 3-0 scorelines including an 11-3, 11-7, 11-6 semifinal win over three seed and Rochester graduate Tomotaka Endo. In his first career match up against Baillargeon, Binnie came back from 9-3 down in the first game to clinch the title 14-12, 11-8, 11-6 in forty-two minutes.

The Atlanta Open marks Binnie’s fourth career PSA title and first since the 2017 Meadow Mill Open. All three off the thirty-year-old’s previous titles were at the $5,000 level.

2020 celebrated the Atlanta Open’s twentieth year since the tournament began in 2000.