Coll takes win over Elias for US Open title
New Zealand squash player Paul Coll has won the US Open title coming back from a set down to beat Peru's Diego Elias 3-1 in the final at Philadelphia.
World No2 from Greymouth, finally bettered his opponent in a decider, after falling short in their four previous title matches.
LATEST HEADLINES:
"Today was huge for me," said Coll. "I had every excuse in the book to get tired, which I did, but my mind took over and I couldn't be more proud of myself this week.
"I've got the best team in the world behind me and we put in some work, which paid off."
The win marks Coll's 35th title on the PSA tour and his second of the season.
"When it gets down to it against those top boys, I need to believe that I'm better than them and that my game is good enough to compete. That was a key factor for me today."
Elias, the 2022 champion and current world No.3, started the sharper of the pair. He tightened his grip on the opening set from the midway point and took it 11-8, after a lengthy 23-minute struggle.
However, the longer the rallies went, the more the match swung in the Kiwi's favour. Coll won three of the four rallies that went beyond 35 shots in the second game and hit eight winners to Elias' three, levelling the match 11-5.
Momentum stayed with Coll in the third. He repeatedly targeted Elias in the front-left corner and took the game 11-6 to move within one game of the title.
Elias pushed hard in the fourth, but Coll kept up the pressure at the front of the court and closed it out 11-8 to claim the trophy adding to his 2023 title.
