Hong Kong’s world No. 30 Max Lee claimed his twelfth career PSA Tour title—and first career U.S. Pro Series title—when he lifted the $25,000 Three Rivers Capital Pittsburgh Open trophy this weekend at the Rivers Club.
The first round included a number of major upsets. Egyptian qualifier Karim El Hammamy upset Scotland’s one seed Alan Clyne in four games. 2011 Pittsburgh Open champion Alister Walker returned to the Steel City as the Wild Card and made the most of the opportunity with a first-round upset against Campbell Grayson, and just falling short in the quarterfinals against three seed Tsz Fung Yip, 14-12 in the fifth.
England’s Ben Coleman began his surprise run to the final with a first-round upset against Qatar’s four seed Abdulla Al-Tamimi. Coleman, world No. 51, then dispatched Team USA’s eight seed Todd Harrity in the quarterfinals, and reached the final courtesy of another upset against six seed Joel Makin.
Lee progressed through the draw as the two seed, including a difficult four-game semifinal against Hong Kong teammate Yip. in the final against England’s Coleman, it was Lee who decisively claimed the title 11-2, 11-7, 11-5 in forty-three minutes.
The Pittsburgh Open concludes a busy week of squash in western Pennsylvania following the SDA Pittsburgh Golf Club Challenger the previous weekend. The Pittsburgh Open was first held in 1993.
