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Koukal takes Sudbury title
Mike McCue reports
 Second
seeded Czech Jan Koukal claimed the first Northern Ontario Open
crown with a five game win over qualifier Shawn Delierre. Koukal
came into the match having not surrendered a game all week, while
Shawn already had 5 matches under his belt, including a 140 minute
epic with top seed Shahier Razik.
Shawn showed no ill effects of his prior work early on, and the
first game was a pretty standard opener. There were a few let calls
in that unnerved spectators who knew Shawn often engages in
extremely physical matches that can be painful to watch. Koukal was
not seeing the ball particularly well, and a few errors cost him the
game. He came out much more assertive for the second and never let
Delierre get a hold of the T. He played some delicate cross court
kills that left the Canadian nothing to work with, complimented by
perfect drops running onto both walls. The last few points were a
formality and we were left with a best of three situation.
The third game marked the beginning of some tension on court, as
well as the shift of crowd support from the Canadian to the Czech.
Koukal became increasingly frustrated with Delierre's refusal to
clear the ball or play the ball in tight situations. Despite a few
unfocused errors, both fought hard for the crucial 2-1 lead. Shawn
implemented his tactics more effectively, and there was a sentiment
that the match was tilting in his favour. Jan once again fought back
though to start the penultimate game, and Delierre decided to save
his legs for the fifth once he went down 5-1. One game left and the
title to play for.
The fifth was exemplary of how the whole match should have been
played. Far fewer lets, no disruptions, just pure squash. Shawn
showed tiny bits of fatigue in the middle of the game and was soon
down 6-4. The five best rallies of the week ensued- requiring an
absolute dead nick or lucky bounce to be won. Delierre hung on
desperately but Koukal showed no weakness in the final stages. He
made no errors from that point on and reached matchball at 10-7. A
quick backhand tin and the title was his. The crowd gave both
players a massive ovation and everyone is already hoping to be back
bigger and better for next year!
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 Northern
Ontario Open 2010
Sudbury, Canada, 13-18 Apr, $10k |
Round One
15 Apr |
Quarters
16 Apr |
Semis
17 Apr |
Final
18 Apr |
[1] Shahier Razik (Can)
11-5, 11-5, 11-3 (37 mins)
Fabien Verseille (Fra) |
[1] Shahier Razik
12-10, 11-3, 11-1 (33m)
[7] Aqeel Rehman |
[1] Shahier Razik
11-7, 11-13, 11-5, 5-11, 11-5 (140m)
[Q] Shawn Delierre |
[Q] Shawn Delierre
9-11, 11-3, 5-11, 11-1, 11-7 (70
[2] Jan Koukal |
[7] Aqeel Rehman (Aut)
11-6, 11-3, 11-3 (28 mins)
Mike McCue (Can) |
[4] James Snell (Eng)
11-5, 11-6, 11-8 (33 mins)
[Q] Shawn Delierre (Can) |
[Q] Shawn Delierre
11-5, 11-5, 11-4 (27m)
Matthew Serediak |
[8] Tyler Hamilton (Can)
11-7, 12-10, 11-2 (29 mins)
Matthew Serediak (Can) |
Rory Pennell (Eng)
11-8, 11-13, 11-8, 11-5 (48 mins)
[6] Andrew McDougall (Can) |
[6] Andrew McDougall
11-2, 11-7, 11-3 (39m)
[3] Zac Alexander ( |
[3] Zac Alexander
12-10, 16-14, 11-7 (43m)
[2] Jan Koukal |
[Q] Dane Sharp (Can)
10-12, 11-6, 11-9, 11-3 (51 mins)
[3] Zac Alexander (Aus) |
[Q] Olivier Pett (Eng)
11-9, 9-11, 11-1, 11-6 (51 mins)
[5] Neil Hitchens (Eng) |
[Q] Olivier Pett
12-10, 11-9, 11-5 (51m)
[2] Jan Koukal |
[Q] Dave Glass (Can)
11-4, 11-4, 11-8 (30 mins)
[2] Jan Koukal (Cze) |
14-Apr, Qualifying Finals:
David Glass bt Fred Reid
11-2, 11-5, 11-6 (24 mins)
Dane Sharp bt Khayal Khan
11-7, 11-3, 6-0 ret. (26 mins)
Shawn Delierre bt Lucas Serme
11-3, 11-6, 11-8 (34 mins)
Olivier Pett bt Thomas Brinkman
7-11, 11-6, 11-9, 6-11, 11-3 (50 mins)
13-Apr,
Qualifying Round One:
David Glass (CAN) bt Jonathan Ramos (MEX) 8-11, 11-5, 13-11,
11-7 (63 mins)
Fred Reid (CAN) bt Justin Todd (CAN) 11-9, 11-5, 7-11, 11-4
(35 mins)
Khayal Khan (CAN) bt Josh Cardwell (AUS) 6-11, 13-11, 11-9,
8-11, 11-7 (53 mins)
Dane Sharp (CAN) bt Adam Murrils (ENG) 11-5, 11-6, 10-12,
11-7 (46 mins)
Shawn Delierre (CAN) bt Anthony Graham (ENG) 11-3, 11-8,
12-10 (37 mins)
Lucas Serme (FRA) bt Luke Forster (AUS) 11-6, 11-8, 11-9 (39
mins)
Oliver Pett (ENG) bt Maxym Leclair (CAN) 11-5, 11-1, 11-3
(15 mins)
Thomas Brinkman (CAN) bt Paul Mathieson (ITA) 11-6, 11-6,
11-2 (21 mins)
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Delierre wins marathon in Sudbury
Mike McCue reports
The first semi was always going to be a long, drawn out affair.
Shahier Razik and Shawn Delierre have a history of
long matches with lots of interference and discussion. The vocal
disruptions were minimal today, but there was still plenty of
bumping and blocking going on. To be honest, the points took so long
to complete that it was almost impossible to detect any patterns of
play.
Each rally was a game within itself, and with so little difference
between the two countrymen, it was surprising that only one of the
five games was really close score-wise. Delierre imposed himself
from the start, bouncing around the court with very little effort.
Razik refuses to be engaged in a fast game though, and the match
soon settled into a fairly slow rhythm.
I am not fully qualified to explain what exactly happened in the
ensuing 140 minutes, partly because of complex subtleties in the
players' tactics, and partly because it is remarkably difficult to
stay attentive for two hours and twenty minutes. Neither player
showed any sign of noteworthy fatigue at any point, and there were
no "turning point" rallies that clearly changed the momentum.
A brief blood break took up 12 minutes during the fourth game, and
another 10 minutes were probably taken up by arguments. After all
was said and done, Delierre reached 9-4 in the fifth game and soon
found himself with five match balls. Razik put himself out of
position with a crosscourt drop to the forehand, and Shawn smashed
one final straight kill to clinch the victory.
The crowd was enthralled by the mental and physical battle and
stayed full until the end of the match. About half had left when
Zac Alexander and Jan Koukal finally served up their
first point. The pace was seemingly light years faster than the
first semi, and Zac soon found himself with three game balls at
10-7. A few tins and a few Koukal winners later, the momentum
flipped entirely and Jan was up 1-0.
The second was much the same as the first, with Zac playing some
terrifically creative shots from the back court in an effort to
change the rhythm. Along with a few spectacular winners came a few
tins though, and Jan remained steadier throughout the tie break. He
wasn't showing any signs weakness or fatigue, which made a 0-2
comeback even more difficult than it already is mathematically. The
Aussie was still initiating the attack in game three but too often
found the tin. The Czech #1 eventually won 11-7 and clinched his
spot in the final.
So we've finally arrived at the final, featuring a qualifier and the
#2 seed. Shawn beat Jan 3-1 in Williamstown last week- but he didn't
have a two and half hour battle in his legs that time. The companion
event is also approaching its climax, and everyone is buzzing about
who will take home the winner's cheque. Both players have creative,
at times unorthodox games that leave their foes with few options. A
great final is guaranteed.
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Business end of the draw in
Sudbury
Mike McCue reports, photos from Meghan McCue
Quarters night in Sudbury and we are starting to reach the business
end of the draw.
Strong favourite Shahier Razik quickly found himself 9-3 down
to fit and fast Austrian Aqeel Rehman in the evening's first
tussle. Aqeel was hitting some nice length and carving in drops when
the opportunity arose, and Razik was a half step behind the pace.
However, he quickly righted the ship to reach 9-all, 10-all and
finally 12-10. He really found his rhythm after that, and proceeded
to take the final two games to the loss of just four points. Aqeel
was a bit frustrated that he didn't make Shahier work harder in the
final two games, and Razik was happy to reach the final four without
too much exertion.
Shawn Delierre was playing his fourth match of the week
tonight, and in his first three hadn't dropped a single game or been
kept on court for over 40 minutes. His opponent was Matt Serediak,
which meant we would have at least one unseeded semifinalist. Shawn
looks extremely comfortable on court, attacking at will and then
escaping trouble with lobs when needed. His opponents get very
little time on the ball, in turn giving them little opportunity to
hit "working" shots. Matt competed gamely, and at all times looked
in the match, but just couldn't push Shawn out of his comfort zone
long enough to do damage. A sub-30 minute match will leave Shawn
with all the reserves he will surely need tomorrow against Razik.
Two fantastic athletes were up next, in the form of Zac Alexander
and Andrew McDougall. One look at both men warming up tells
you all you need to know about their physical condition. Very little
separated them in the first game, but Alexander was just a little
more controlling in the middle of the court. This obviously makes a
huge difference and he was soon up a game. The second was much the
same as the first. The ball went drastically dead in the third,
which brought out more of the players' racquet skills. Zac went from
4-1 to 7-1 on the back of three straight errors from Andrew, and
this gave him the green light to hit some outrageous winners, and
eventually close the match out 3-0.
The other qualifier to reach round 2, Olivier Pett was on
last against #2 seed Jan Koukal. The rallies in the first two
games were incredibly long even for this level of squash. There were
about 10 lobs per rally, each having a hang time averaging 30
seconds (or so it seemed...). Koukal hits perfectly weighted length
with almost no effort, most effective when he can take his space in
the midcourt and work his opponent right into the back corner. Pett
willingly ran these balls down though and played some great front
court attacks to stretch Jan. The total points after two games were
23-19 to the Czech, as small a differential as possible. The third
continued in the same pattern until 6-5 when the Englishman hit five
tins in succession. He fully stretched Koukal and deserved at least
one game, if not more.
Tomorrow's semifinal round features a rematch of the longest-ever
PSA match since PAR-11 was introduced. Delierre and Razik played a
150 minute ultra-marathon in 2008. A match of similar length might
wreak havoc on the companion event schedule- although I'm sure they
wouldn't mind being delayed by these two. Neither has been pushed
yet, so there will certainly be more fireworks than in previous
matches. Koukal and Alexander present contrasting styles of play.
Both have progressed quietly thus far, so tomorrow promises a new
level of squash.
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Pett & Delierre
upset seedings in Sudbury
Mike McCue reports, photos from Meghan McCue
The main draw got under with Jan Koukal taking on Dave Glass. Koukal
has an interesting backhand swing and moves the ball around the
court beautifully. His drives always seem to bounce an inch tighter
than Glass would have liked, which pushed him out of his comfort
zone. A comfortable enough passage through to the quarters, and
Glass will be pleased to have qualified.
At the same time, dangerous qualifier Oliver Pett was taking on 5th
seed Neil Hitchens. The first two games were played at a furious
pace, with Neil often initiating the attack only to see Pett counter
with a floating lob. Midway through the third game, Pett caught
Neil's hand with his racquet which seemed to throw the fifth seed
off his game. It was smooth sailing for Oliver from then on, as he
continues his comeback tour.
Oliver's thoughts on the match: "I was still feeling a bit dodgy
after some stomach problems yesterday but I managed to play well.
The ball was a flier and the court was hot, but I was able to settle
in after the second."
Andrew McDougall subdued the tall and powerful Rory Pennell in four
games. Both very fit and strong, it became a tactical battle and
whoever stayed off the tin had the upper hand.
McDougall's thoughts: "It was a close match. The court was hot and I
was able to outlast him. Looking forward to playing Zac tomorrow.``
Dane Sharp continued his good form from the qualies, going 1-0, 6-2
up on third seeded Zac Alexander. The pace seemed to get to Sharp at
this point though, possibly a side effect of teaching 25 lessons a
week. He came close in the third game, but the extremely solid
Aussie booked his spot in the quarters.
At the same time, countrymen Matt Serediak and Tyler Hamilton were
doing battle. Serediak was quick on the ball and Tyler made some
uncharacteristic errors from the back court.
Austrian #1 Aqeel Rehman then stepped on against wildcard Mike
McCue. This was McCue's first PSA, and the 17-year old managed to
hold his own in the first game. Rehman's relentless retrieving and
pace began to take their toll on McCue in the second, and he cruised
through untroubled from midway through the second. A good warmup for
the Austrian, and a great experience for the junior.
The highest seed to go out was #4 James Snell. Shawn Delierre
continued his recent habit of upsetting seeded players, and looks to
be regaining the form that took him to the top 50 in the world a few
years ago. He had too much firepower for the Englishman and was off
the court in 33 minutes.
The evening's final match featured #1 seed Shahier Razik and Fabien
Verseille of France. A tough draw for the Frenchman, who would have
undoubtedly done some damage had he received a friendlier draw. This
match would best be described as "artistic squash". Both smooth
movers, sweet swings and few errors. Razik was always that little
bit more consistent, and he was safely through after 37 minutes.
The quarters are set and some terrific matches are ensured.
McDougall/Alexander and Pett/Koukal in the bottom half seem to have
the most potential fireworks, while Rehman, Delierre and Serediak
will all be looking to cause havoc in the top half. |
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Qualifying complete in Sudbury
Mike McCue reports, photos from Meghan McCue
Dave Glass was first up again tonight, this time playing the smooth
and talented Fred Reid. I honestly didn't see much of this match as
I was doing an emergency racquet stringing, but I gathered that Fred
didn't have his greatest day, and Mr. Glass was too solid. He took
just 24 minutes to book his place in tomorrow's main draw.
 Dane
Sharp was next on against Pakistan-born Khayal Khan. The two have
played a few times in the past and there are always fireworks. This
encounter was relatively subdued by comparison. Dane's physical
presence was overwhelming and Khan's back injury became more evident
with each passing point. He was eventually forced to concede at 0-6
down in the third.
Third on, and perhaps the most intriguing matchup of the night,
Shawn Delierre and Lucas Serme took to the court in front of a
growing audience. Delierre plays an extremely fast game and hits
some unorthodox angles to twist his opponents. Serme tracked down
everything on the bouncy court, but was forced to play some low
percentage shots and clipped the tin too many times. The third game
was the most hotly contested, but Shawn is an experienced character
and safely navigated his way into the main draw.
Englishman Olivier Pett filled out the final 16-man lineup with a
five-game win over young Canadian Thomas Brinkman. The first two
games were split evenly, and the third was crucial as ever. Pett
nipped it 11-9 and looked to be on his way to a four game win. He
began to feel the effects of a rogue pre-match chicken sandwich in
the fourth game, and Brinkman duly capitalized to set up a decider.
Pett slowed the game right down in the fifth and quickly built an
insurmountable 7-1 lead. A grinding win for Olivier and a
performance to be proud of for Brinkman. |
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Northern goes PSA
Preview from Mike McCue
The first Northern Ontario Open kicks off in Sudbury this week and
features a strong draw headed by current Canadian no. 1 Shahier
Razik.
Razik has been enjoying renewed success of late and has climbed back
up to 25th on the PSA rankings. He has spent time in Sudbury before
and is definitely the heavy favourite to take the title.
His expected final opponent is Czech no. 1 Jan Koukal, who
has already won a PSA title in Canada this year, taking the White
Oaks Pepsi Open in February. Both men play a methodical game and
would certainly make for a tactically intriguing final.
Zac Alexander of Australia and James Snell from
England, seeded 3 and 4 respectively , will be doing everything in
their power to upset the seedings. Two young and hungry stars who
have been climbing up the rankings lately, they will be trying to
upend the established veterans.
The qualifiers should prove very interesting as well, featuring
Shawn Delierre who recently beat Koukal and Miguel Rodriguez, as
well as Englishman Olivier Pett. Pett has had some success
coming through the qualifying and causing havoc in main draws in
Europe.
Qualifying begins Tuesday night and the main draw commences Thursday
evening. The pros will be accompanied by around 100 amateurs taking
part in the companion event. This is the first PSA Tour event ever
held in Northern Ontario.
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David
Glass and the speedy Jonathon Ramos were the first, and longest
match of the night as qualifying got under way in the first PSA
Northern Ontario Open.
Shawn
Delierre, the former world #40 who is coming back from injury
overcame former Euro Junior Champ Anthony Graham in a fierce three
game battle. Played at the highest pace of the night, Delierre's
experience and wily shot making paid dividends. 
