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12-Nov, Final:
[3] Gavin Jones (Wal) bt
[2] Ben Garner (Eng) 11/9, 11/7, 11/2
Ben's Final Bulletin ...
  Off
to the airport so having to write from Beth’s – didn’t want to not
write as may look like I was sulking!
Here goes…
Basically Gavin was too good today. I played reasonably well and
he played very well, that was the difference. Gav was hitting a
great length and flying around the court retrieving some
phenomenal balls, often frustrating me into errors. So no
complaints about the result, although that doesn’t mean I’m happy
about it.
We’re both off to the airport to fly back to London now so there’s
no escaping the Welshman for me, although I may have to try and
sit up the other end of the plane! Once home it’s 3 tournaments in
the next fortnight, no rest for the wicked…
Ben Garner
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10-Nov,
Semi-Finals:
Match reports from Beth Fenwick ...
Garner Gets Past
Stait
[2]
Ben Garner
(Eng) bt [4] Alex Stait (Eng)
9/11, 11/0, 9/11, 11/4,
11/5
Stait seemed to be in control at the start of the match, winning the
first game with well executed shots from all corners of the court.
However, the second was a different story, with Garner on top of his
game and Stait struggling.
The third was won by Stait, taking it 11/9 having been 10/2 up. As
the match progressed, Garner started to dictate the pace and hit
accurate volley drops. With errors more regularly coming from the
racket of Stait, Garner pushed hard and came out the winner of a
very closely contested five games.
Jones Deposed
Walker
[3]
Gavin Jones (Wal) bt [1] Alister Walker
(Eng) 11/7, 11/5, 3/11, 11/3
 The first game saw both players
fighting for position in the match with extended rallies. Mistakes
from Walker towards the end of the game created winning
opportunities for Jones. The second game was won in the middle
rallies with Jones displaying error free squash and improved length.
Walker rallied to take the third by controlling the T and taking
advantage as Jones struggled to find the back corners. However, the
tables turned in the fourth, 8 points on the spin for Jones. The
damage was done- a well deserved and highly contested victory.
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Ben's Bulletin:
Ben Garner in Baltimore
There was a packed gallery round the court yesterday with standing
room only, and fortunately both semis were close affairs which
hopefully entertained the crowd.
I managed to sneak past Staity in five games. It was a bit of a
Jeckyll and Hyde performance from Alex as he alternated between
playing some great squash and then having a patch where he'd become
very familiar with the tin. I managed to hang in when he was
dominating and take advantage of his lapses in concentration, so am
pleased to make the final.
In the 'championship match' as they like to call it over here, I'll
play Gavin who scored a minor upset in beating top seed Ali. Gavin
has a good previous record against his opponent and perhaps this
showed in an edgy start by Ali, who was making more errors than
usual. Gavin was looking very solid and moving himself and the ball
well. Only in the third did Ali relax and begin to play some of the
squash he is capable of but Gavin was in a determined mood and
closed out the match in four.
Special mention must go to Robbie Temple who looks like he
might come away from the tournament with the highest earnings of all
the players. Despite losing in the last round of qualifying he has
since then taken every opportunity to make a few dollars. This has
included refereeing as many matches as possible (a request to do two
courts at once was denied) and coaching members. I wouldn't be
surprised to see him working a shift behind reception when I next go
up to the club!
Ben Garner |
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10-Nov,
Quarter-Finals:
Ben's Bulletin:
It was a good day for the Brits, with all four semi-finalists being
from the island across the Atlantic. All the matches went to
seeding, with the top four remaining to compete for the title.
Ali looked impressive whilst dispatching Karim in 4 games. He now
faces Gavin, who got past Sam in four games without ever looking
entirely comfortable. There was some fantastic retrieving from both
players in a quite lengthy match, with Gavin managing to win the key
rallies at the end of the games.
I was just glad to get through in what was a pretty scrappy match.
Ian was playing some nice shots and I was just relieved to get off
the court with a victory – not pretty squash but into the next round
which is the main thing! Tomorrow I’ll play Staity who dominated
most of his match against Bernardo. It was an interesting contrast
between Staity’s excellent ball control and Bernardo’s speed and
agility. Staity got healthy leads in each game but a few errors
allowed Bernado back into them before some outrageous winners from
the Englishman finished things off.
Should be a couple of interesting matches tomorrow, and a sizeable
crowd is expected. One thing is for sure, there’ll be an all British
final…
Ben Garner
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Match reports from Beth Fenwick ... |
[1] Alister Walker (ENG) bt
Karim Yehia (EGY)
11/2, 11/3, 11/8 (35m)
Walker controlled the match from start to finish easing to a 3-0
victory. Yehia got his momentum going in the third moving Walker
around more than the previous two games, but it was all to little
too late.
[3] Gavin Jones bt Sam Miller
11/8, 11/7, 9/11, 11/7 (60m)
This was a match featuring two quick players who battled away in a
fairly attritional manner. All four games were tight with Jones’
greater experience seeing him through in the crucial points. |
[2] Ben Garner (ENG) bt Ian
Power (CAN)
7/11, 11/6, 11/2, 11/9 (50m)
Power played well, moving the ball from corner to corner. However
Garner, who was not on top of his game, managed to grind the victory
out in a close match, sneaking the fourth 11-9.
[4] Alex Stait (ENG) bt Bernardo Samper
(COL) 11/9, 11/4, 11/9 (40m)
Stait dominated most of the match, moving the ball well. However
Samper was very tenacious and showed great speed whilst retrieving
the ball, frustrating Stait into making a few errors which kept the
games close. Some timely winners though enabled Stait to close out
the match in three. |
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 Baltimore
City Open 2005
Baltimore, USA, 07-12 November, $10k
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Round One
Nov 09 |
Quarters
Nov 10 |
Semis
Nov 11 |
Final
Nov 12 |
[1]
Alister Walker (Eng)
11/9, 11/6, 11/5
Wade Johnston (Aus) |
Alister Walker
11/2, 11/3, 11/8 (35m)
Karim Yehia |
Alister Walker
11/7, 11/5, 3/11, 11/3
Gavin Jones |
Gavin Jones
11/9, 11/7, 11/2
Ben Garner |
[5] Aaron
Frankcomb (Aus)
3/11, 5/11, 11/4, 11/6, 11/7
[Q] Karim Yehia (Egy) |
[3] Gavin
Jones (Wal)
11/6, 11/9, 11/6
Mike Corren (Aus) |
Gavin Jones
11/8, 11/7, 9/11, 11/7 (60 m)
Sam Miller |
[7] Sam Miller (Eng)
11/9, 8/11, 11/4, 4/11, 11/4
[Q] Regardt Schonborn (Ger) |
Bernardo
Samper (Col)
11/6, 11/4, 11/5
Dylan Patterson (Usa) |
Bernardo
Samper
11/9, 11/4, 11/9 (40m)
Alex Stait |
Alex Stait
9/11, 11/0, 9/11, 11/4, 11/5
Ben Garner |
Lucky Odeh
(Nig)
11/6, 11/4,11/5
[4] Alex Stait (Eng) |
[Q]
Arthur Gaskin (Irl)
11/7, 11/5, 5/0 (retired injury)
[8] Ian Power (Can) |
Ian Power
7/11, 11/6, 11/2, 11/9 (50m)
Ben Garner |
[Q]
Jesse Engelbrecht (Zim)
11/10 (3-1), 11/6, 6/11, 11/5
[2] Ben Garner (Eng) |
Qualifying 07/08 Nov:
Finals:
Karim Yehia bt Robby Temple
12/10, 9/11, 11/4, 11/8 Plays Aaron Francombe
Regardt Schonborn bt Luke Margan 11/13, 11/1, 5/11,
11/7, 14/12 Plays Sam Miller
Jesse Engelbrecht bt Dylan Patterson 11/9, 6/11, 11/8, 11/7
Plays Ben Garner
Arthur Gaskin bt Bertrand Tissot
11/7, 11/6, 12/10 lays Ian Power
First Round :
Dylan Patterson (USA) bt Sam Martin (USA)
11/1, 11/4, 11/5 (20 min)
Robbie Temple (ENG) bt Patrick Chifunda (ZAM) 11/5,
5/11, 11/10(2-0), 11/8 (55 min)
Jesse Engelbrecht (ZIM) bt Ryan Donegan (USA) 11/2, 7/11,
11/5, 11/5 (50 min)
Regardt Schonborn (RSA) bt Michael Reid (CAN) 11/7,
11/0, 11/4 (35 min)
Luke Margan (AUS) bt Dave Bennett (USA)
11/7, 11/5, 11/10(3-1) (30 min)
Arthur Gaskin (IRE) bt Jude Odeh (NIG)
11/5, 11/3, 11/7 (30 min)
Bertrand Tissot (FRA) bt Lefika Regontse (BOT)
7/11, 11/7,11/7, 7/11, 11/3 |
ROUND
ONE:
TOP HALF
[1] Alister Walker bt Wade Johnstone
11/9, 11/6, 11/5
This was a well contested match,
with Johnstone producing some excellent squash for his supporters
who had come over from the Meadow Mill club in Baltimore where he is
the assistant pro. However the top seed proved too strong and won in
3 games.
Karim Yehia bt [5] Aaron Frankcomb
3/11, 5/11, 11/4, 11/6, 11/7
Down 2-0, Yehia mounted an inspired comeback moving Frankcomb to all
four corners of the court. Karim’s error-plagued squash quickly
disappeared and Frankcomb was the one who began to make errors and
tire.
[3] Gavin Jones bt Mike Corren
11/6, 11/9, 11/6
This was a well fought and entertaining match with both players
going for their shots. However Jones’ superior fitness and
retrieving skills proved decisive.
[7] Sam Miller bt Regardt Schonborn
11/9, 8/11, 11/4, 4/11, 11/4
A close contest full of long rallies and cagey squash. The players
alternated games and fortunately for Miller it was his turn once the
fifth came round!
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BOTTOM HALF
Bernardo Samper bt Dylan
Patterson
11/6, 11/4, 11/5
Tonight Bernardo was too steady for Patterson as Samper applied
constant pressure throughout the match. Patterson was forced to play
“catch up” as Bernardo started each game fast and built quick leads.
Samper hit an array of volley kills and Patterson was unable to
apply enough pressure.
[4] Alex Stait bt Lucky Odeh
11/6, 11/4,11/5
Stait looked comfortable in dispatching the wild card. Odeh played
some good squash but this was mixed with too many errors.
[8] Ian Power bt Arthur Gaskin
11/7, 11/5, 5/0 (retired injury)
Ian Power’s soft hands and deception took their toll as Gaskin was
unable to mount consistent pressure on the Canadian. Gaskin pulled
up in the third game as a leg injury that was visibly affecting his
movement became too painful.
[2] Ben Garner bt Jesse Engelbrecht
11/10 (3-1), 11/6, 6/11, 11/5
The first game proved to be the decisive one for the match, with
Garner clinching it on his third game ball. Engelbrecht played some
fine squash but was unable to finish off the rallies with a winning
shot. |
09-Nov, Round One:
Ben's Bulletin:
It
was generally a good day for the higher ranked players. The only
upset occurred when Karim Yehia fought back from two games
down to overcome Aaron Francomb, who was a little low on confidence
once he got into a winning position.
However there were still some competitive matches, with Sam
Miller needing 5 games to get past qualifier Regardt Schonborn
in a long match full of extended rallies containing many lengths.
On a personal note I was pleased to get past Jesse, who has improved
considerably and had a good tour of North America in recent weeks.
Always nice to get the first match under your belt. There Was an
excellent crowd at the Merritt Club and they seem to be thoroughly
enjoying their first taste of professional squash. Hopefully
there'll be plenty more good matches to come this week.
Ben Garner
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08-Nov, Qualifying finals:
Qualifying Complete
in Baltimore
Beth Fenwick reports
All four of tonight's matches were extremely close.
The most suspenseful match was the Schonborn/ Margan match which
seemed to never end. They displayed patient squash changing the
pace, using the lob effectively on a hot court and moving each other
to all four corners.
The spectators were on the edge of their seats as Margan dove for a
ball in the front of the court, only to retrieve the next shot in
the back corner.
Margan and Schonborn both seemed to get everything,
with the last few rallies displaying the essence of squash, physical
chess.
Margan had several match balls, but Schonborn refused to lose.
Robbie Temple put in another impressive performance, combining
discipline with some fantastic racket skills. However his opponent
Karim Yehia showed his experience to win the crucial points and
emerge the victor in a close match.
The other two qualifiers were Ireland’s Arthur Gaskin and Jesse
Engelbrecht from Zimbabwe.
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Official site from Baltimore
Ben's Bulletin
The
qualifying rounds produced some good squash and fierce competition
as the players battled for spots in the main draw. Match of the
night was Luke Margan and Regardt Schonborn which went
down to a tie-breaker in the last. This is the first year the event
has been on and the crowd were enthralled by the match, with the
tie-breaker producing lets, dives, winners, you name it. Regardt
eventually prevailed with the slightly more patient squash.
Robbie Temple showed much promise despite losing to Karim
Yehia. Robbie is extremely talented and is a bit of an
entertainer - despite being left handed, if the ball is lobbed up to
the right hand side of the court he switches hands and volleys the
ball with his right hand, often to much effect!
Arthur Gaskin and Jesse Engelbrecht (who is producing
a different outrageous hat each day) both scored slightly more
comfortable wins but were still made to work hard.
There is much interest in the new event from the club members, and
the profile was raised yesterday by the attendance of Baltimore
Raven's player Anthony Weaver. It was certainly easy to spot
him, with his forearms being considerable bigger than my legs!
Cheers
Ben Garner
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Jesse Engelbrecht, Ben Garner and Alex
Stait in Baltimore |
07-Nov, Qualifying round one:
Locals bow out in Baltimore
Beth Fenwick reports
Everything started well in the qualifying rounds of the Baltimore
City Open. The match of the night was Robbie Temple’s win
over Patrick Chifunda in four close games. There was an interesting
contrast between Robbie’s ball control and Patrick’s retrieving,
with the Englishman’s shot-making eventually coming out on top.
Regardt Schonborn played well against Michael Reid to win
3-0.
Head pro at the Baltimore Country Club, Lefika Regontse,
battled hard but lost in five to Bertrand Tissot. The two
local amateur qualifiers, Sam Martin and Dave Bennett, put up an
entertaining fight against their respective opponents, Dylan
Patterson and Luke Margan.
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