England’s world No. 87 Jaymie Haycocks took the plaudits at the Kiva Club Open, $5, 000 U.S. Pro Series tournament after an assured display saw him defeat United States player Dylan Cunningham in straight games in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Fifth-seeded Cunningham was making his PSA final debut fifteen months after making his PSA Tour debut. The Philadelphia-based twenty-two-year old reached the final with quarterfinal upset over the two seed, Adam Murrills, and a semifinal walkover.
In the top half of the draw, one seed Haycocks breezed into the final without losing a game.
In Sunday’s final, a patient approach from Haycocks in the opening game saw the Birmingham-based thirty-two-year-old go 6-3 ahead, before Cunningham settled into the match, and the pair were neck and neck until Haycocks triumphed on the tie-break.
The early stages of the second game saw the scores delicately poised until Haycocks pulled away from 7-7, taking four successive points to double his advantage.
Haycocks then dominated a six-minute third game for the loss of just three points, powering to a 12-10, 11-7, 11-3 victory to claim the fourth PSA World Tour title of his career.
Result – Final: Kiva Club Open 2016
[1] Jaymie Haycocks (ENG) bt [5] Dylan Cunningham (USA) 3-0: 12-10, 11-7, 11-3 (35m)