Past winner and runner-up hunt 2017 singles title
A former winner and past runner-up are both in contention in the blue-ribbon men’s singles discipline of the 2017 Australian Open. The blue-ribbon men’s singles semi-finalists have been confirmed at the $250,000 Australian Open, with a former winner and runner-up still in the hunt for the $13,000 winner’s cheque.
Warilla’s Aaron Teys, who claimed the title when the event first moved to the Gold Coast in 2015, is just two wins away a second crown, but will come against one of the Australian Open’s most in-form players, in Modbury and Cabramatta’s Nathan Pedersen.
Teys produced a stunning come-from-behind victory against Nelson Bay’s Shannon Gittoes, pinching a 21-17 win after trailing for a considerable amount of the match, while Pedersen ended the run of local Paradise Point product Adam Lidell by the same margin.
Pedersen has had a scintillating run at the world’s richest event over the past three years, having claimed back-to-back fours silverware and an additional pairs crown last year, only narrowly missing out on the player of the tournament title.
On the opposite side of the draw, two international veteran teammates will go head-to-head to earn a berth in the golden decider.
South Australian world champion Wayne Ruediger was the first man through to the semi-final stages of the men’s singles event, with a 21-10 victory against Narooma’s Jay Breust on the Broadbeach greens this evening.
It could potentially be an all South Australian grand finale, with Ruediger and Pedersen well accustomed to each other’s games, having been teammates in their two men’s fours title triumphs in 2015 and 2016.
The man standing in Ruediger’s way is his Australian Jackaroos teammate Nathan Rice, who ended the hopes of a second Warilla Gorilla making it through to the semis; in Jesse Noronha.
Rice, who was a runner-up in the men’s singles event in 2012 to his club-mate Mark Casey, is in stunning form on his home region’s greens, and earned passage to the semis with a 21-17 victory.
The quarter will meet at the semi-final stages on Thursday, from 11.45 at Broadbeach, with the final to be showcased live on Fox Sports on Friday from approximately 2.00pm.
Men’s singles quarter-final results:
Nathan Pedersen (Modbury, SA) def Adam Liddell (Paradise Point, QLD) 21-17
Wayne Ruediger (Grange, SA) def Jay Breust (Narooma, NSW) 21-10
Nathan Rice (Helensvale, QLD) def Jesse Noronha (Warilla, NSW) 21-17
Aaron Teys (Warilla, NSW) def Shannon Gittoes (Nelson Bay, NSW) 21-17
Caption: 2012 men’s singles runner-up Nathan Rice is just two wins away from redemption and the sport’s most coveted title.