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 29-Jan,
PSA Semis, WISPA Final:
PSA Final:
[1] Peter Nicol bt
[2] Amr Shabana 11/6, 13/11, 11/2
WISPA Final:
[1] Linda Elriani bt
[2] Omneya Abdel Kawy
9/7, 9/5, 9/0
Nicol back on top in Ohio
Charlie Johnson from Dayton ...
 Top seed Peter Nicol today claimed his first PSA tournament
victory since last April, demonstrating in the process that he is
more than capable of reclaiming the world number one position he
held for so long.
The first game of the final against Amr Shabana, played in
front of a capacity crowd at the Dayton Squash Centre, was an
exhibition of great squash, a 'back and forth' game until the score
reached 7-6 for Nicol, at which point he reeled off four straight
points to close out the game and take the lead.
The second game was electrifying squash with great rallies
throughout, and the crowd saw Nicol reach 10-6 when Shabana
started an all out push to get back into the match. The Egyptian
former world champion won five straight points, many of them
after unbelievable rallies that left the packed gallery aghast, to
take an 11-10 lead.
The next point was, without a doubt, one of the most incredible
rallies I've ever seen (and I've seen a fair amount of pro squash),
with both players attacking and retrieving, back and forth, both
saving what seemed to be sure, absolute winning shots and continuing
the rally, until a drop by Shabana that was retrieved by Nicol was
just too much for the Egyptian.
Shabana picked up the ball, tinned it again in an act of surrender,
and the match was won right there. The crowd erupted in a standing
ovation after that point.
Nicol closed out the game and the third was a mere formality, as
Nicol claimed his first Dayton Open title in his 68th PSA tour
final. |
Men's Draw
Women's Draw
Reports
2004 Event
Elriani Double over Kawy ...
The gallery was packed for the women's final, with Linda
Elriani and Omneya Abdel Kawy playing their second final in a
week.
As in the Greenwich Open, Linda's experience and mature play was
just too much for the young Egyptian as she won in straight games. |
|
 EBS
Dayton Open 2005
Dayton, Ohio, USA,
$40k |
Round One
Jan 27 |
Quarters
Jan 28 |
Semis
Jan 29 |
Final
Jan 30 |
[1] Peter
Nicol (Eng)
11/8, 11/4, 11/7
Julian Wellings (Eng) |
Peter Nicol
11/9, 11/3, 9/11, 11/8
Simon Parke |
Peter Nicol
11/7, 11/6, 11/4
Karim Darwish |
Peter Nicol
11/6, 13/11, 11/2
Amr Shabana |
[6] Adrian
Grant (Eng)
8/11, 11/9, 8/11, 12/10, 11/9
Simon Parke (Eng) |
[4] Karim
Darwish (Egy)
11/8, 11/8, 5/11, 11/8
Graham Ryding (Can) |
Karim Darwish
11/5, 16/14, 13/11
Mohammed Abbas |
[8]
Mohammed Abbas (Egy)
7/11, 11/4, 11/5, 11/2
[Q] Wael El Hindi (Egy) |
[Q]
Cameron Pilley (Aus)
11/3, 11/4, 11/5
[5] Jonathon Power (Can) |
Jonathon Power
11/4, 11/3, 11/6
Laurens Jan Anjema |
Jonathon Power
11/8, 11/6, 2/0 rtd
Amr Shabana |
[Q]
Laurens Jan Anjema (Ned)
13/11, 7/11, 11/7, 11/7
[3] John White (Sco) |
Dan Jenson
(Aus)
11/4, 12/10, 6/11, 11/6
[7] Anthony Ricketts (Aus) |
Anthony Ricketts
11/4, 11/8, 11/5
Amr Shabana |
[Q]
Jonathan Kemp (Eng)
11/9, 11/5, 11/5
[2] Amr Shabana (Egy) |
|
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Qualifying 25/26 Jan:
Finals:
Wael El Hindi (Egy) bt Mark Heather (Eng)
11/8, 12/10, 12/10
Laurens Jan Anjema (Ned) bt Raj Nanda (Aus)
8/11, 11/7, 11/4, 11/4
Jonathan Kemp (Eng) bt Timothy Manning (Aus)
11/6, 11/7, 9/11, 11/5
Cameron
Pilley (Aus) bt Shahid Zaman (Pak)
11/4, 11/2, 11/5
First Round:
Wael El Hindi (Egy) bye
Mark Heather (Eng) bt Laurent Elriani (Fra)
7/11,
11/8, 7/11, 19/17, 11/5
Raj Nanda (Aus) bt Nicholas Kyme (Ber)
11/6, 9/11, 11/8, 11/8
Laurens Jan Anjema (Ned) bt Matthew Giuffre (Can) 11/7, 11/2, 11/5
Timothy Manning (Aus) bt Tommy Berden (Ned)
11/9, 3/11, 12/14, 11/3, 1-1 rtd
Jonathan Kemp (Eng) bt Stephane Galifi (Fra)
11/7, 11/1, 7/11, 2/11, 11/3
Cameron Pilley (Aus) bt Beau River (Usa)
11/1, 11/5, 11/3
Shahid Zaman (Pak) bt Jamie Crombie (Usa)
11/8, 11/8, 11/7
|
EBS
Dayton Open 2005
Dayton, Ohio, USA,
$14k |
Round One
Jan 26 |
Quarters
Jan 27 |
Semis
Jan 28 |
Final
Jan 29 |
[1] Linda
Elriani (Eng)
9/2, 9/1, 9/1
Marnie Baizley (Can) |
Linda Elriani
9/4, 9/3, 9/1
Samantha Teran |
Linda Elriani
9/4, 3/9, 9/6, 9/1
Isabelle Stoehr |
Linda Elriani
9/7, 9/5, 9/0
Omneya Abdel Kawy |
[7] Runa
Reta (Can)
9/3, 9/4, 9/1
Samantha Teran (Mex) |
[3]
Isabelle Stoehr (Fra)
9/1, 9/3, 9/7
[Q] Jana Smeralova (Cze) |
Isabelle Stoehr
9/2, 9/2, 8/9, 9/10, 9/3
Becky Botwright |
[5] Becky
Botwright (Eng)
9/6, 6/9, 9/4, 9/3
[Q] Tara Mullins (Can) |
[8] Kasey
Brown (Aus)
9/1, 9/2, 9/6
Manuella Manetta (Ita) |
Kasey Brown
9/6, 9/2, 9/3
Katie Patrick |
Kasey Brown
9/1, 1/9, 9/3, 9/3
Omneya Abdel Kawy |
Katie
Patrick (Can)
9/6, 7/9, 9/1, 9/7
[4] Eman El Amir (Egy) |
[Q] Lily
Lorentzen (Usa)
9/0, 9/4, 9/5
[8] Lauren Briggs (Eng) |
Lauren Briggs
9/4, 9/3, 9/0
Omneya Abdel Kawy |
[Q] Suzie
Pierrepont (Eng)
9/3, 9/3, 9/2
[2] Omneya Abdel Kawy (Egy) |
Qualifying:
Finals:
Lily Lorentzen (Usa) bt Jenna Gates (Eng)
9/3, 9/10, 9/4, 9/6
Suzie Pierrepont (Eng) bt Lisa Camilleri (Aus)
9/5, 9/3, 9/2
Jana Smeralova (Cze) bt Carlin Wing (Usa)
9/5, 9/0, 9/1
Tara Mullins (Can) bt Seanna Keating (Can)
7/9, 9/3, 9/4, 4/9, 9/5
First Round:
Seanna Keating (Can) bt Jemma Saxby (Aus) 9/5,
9/4, 9/2
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29-Jan,
PSA Semis, WISPA Final:
WISPA Final:
[1] Linda Elriani (Eng) bt [2] Omneya Abdel Kawy (Egy)
9/7, 9/5, 9/0
PSA Semis:
[1] Peter Nicol (Eng) bt [4] Karim Darwish (Egy)
11/7, 11/6, 11/4
[2] Amr Shabana (Egy) bt [5] Jonathon Power (Can)
11/8, 11/6, 2/0 rtd
Standing room only as
Nicol shows his best
Charlie Johnson in Ohio ...
 Top
seed Peter Nicol was really on form tonight, as he beat Egypt's
Karim Darwish 3-0 in 46 minutes, denying the Egyptian a second
successive Dayton Open title.
Viewing was standing room only as we started play and the crowd was
treated to a Nicol back on top form. He was on the ball quickly the entire
match and the pressure he exerted brought many errors from Darwish.
According to Julian Wellings, who was the referee, and even Darwish
himself in our post match conversation, it was like seeing the Peter Nicol
who dominated the tour at number one for so long. Maybe losing in the
first round in Chicago has made him eager to show he still has the talent
to be at the top of the world rankings.
The second semi-final was a little anti-climatic as Jonathon Power
started having back spasms early in the first game against Amr Shabana.
The Canadian tried to tough it out, and the first game was close. But
Shabana poured on the pressure in the second and didn't let up, knowing
that Power was less than 100%, as he kept his focus on the task at hand.
After a couple of points in the third, Power was forced to retire.
Elriani does the double over Kawy
The gallery was still packed when the women's final started, with Linda
Elriani and Omneya Abdel Kawy playing their second final in a
week. As in the Greenwich Open, Linda's experience and mature play was
just too much for the young Egyptian as she won in straight games. Steve Cubbins
©2005 SquashSite |
Elriani Double over Kawy ...
Two names stand out on the WISPA tour
in 2005 - Linda Elriani and Omneya Abdel Kawy.
Kawy, Egypt's world junior champion, won the Apawamis Open to start
the year, and reached the finals in
Geenwich and Dayton to be denied both times by Elriani.
Next up on the WISPA tour is the Vassar
Class of 32, where Kawy, the defending champion, is seeded
three.
Omneya will be pleased to see that Linda is not in the draw ... |
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28-Jan,
PSA Quarters, WISPA Semis:
Normal Order
restored in Dayton ...
Charlie Johnson in Ohio
PSA Quarters:
[1] Peter
Nicol (Eng) bt Simon Parke (Eng)
11/9, 11/3, 9/11, 11/8
[4] Karim
Darwish (Egy) bt
[8]
Mohammed Abbas (Egy)
11/5, 16/14, 13/11
[5] Jonathon Power (Can) bt
[Q]
Laurens Jan Anjema (Ned)
11/4, 11/3, 11/6
[2] Amr Shabana (Egy) bt
[7] Anthony Ricketts (Aus)
11/4, 11/8, 11/5
WISPA Semis:
[1] Linda Elriani (Eng) bt [4] Isabelle Stoehr (Fra)
9/4, 3/9, 9/6, 9/1
[2] Omneya Abdel Kawy (Egy) bt [8] Kasey Brown (Aus)
9/1, 1/9, 9/3, 9/3
Huge crowds turned up at the Dayton Squash Center tonight, with over 200
people enjoying the men's quarter-finals and the women's semis, on a night
when the top seeds re-established their authority after a series of upsets
in earlier rounds.
 Nicol
does the business
The best match of the night was the all-English clash between top seed
Peter Nicol and Simon Parke, which took 66 minutes to complete
and often left the crowd gasping at the incredible athletic display.
Nicol took a very long first game, with Parke showing his incredible
retrieving skills and Nicol matching the talent. What followed seemed to
be a rest game for Parke in the second and then a long hard fought third
game that went Parkie's way. Parke had chances in the fourth and they went
back and forth until Parke reached 7-6. At this point Nicol seemed to
raise it up a notch and whipped off three straight points to go up 9-7.
Parke got the next point, but then Nicol closed it out in business like
fashion, showing determination to get the job done and move on.
 Power
ends LJs run
Jonathon Power and Laurens Jan Anjema followed on the same
court and Jonathan ended Laurens' impressive run in three straight games.
I sat with LJ after the match and he was clearly showing the effects of
lots of high caliber squash and the physical exertion associated with it.
Hats off to him because he's been a giant killer for two straight weeks.
 Egyptians
do it again
In a re-match of last year's Dayton Open final, defending champion
Karim Darwish dispatched fellow Egyptian Mohammed Abbas. Abbas
seemed to get off to a slow start but then found his form and the squash
was very impressive as the second game went to an extended tie-break and
the third game was also close, but Darwish took them both to set up a
semi-final against Nicol.
In the final men's match there was more success for Egypt, as Amr
Shabana took care of Anthony Ricketts in impressive style.
Ricketts just couldn't seem to get it going, despite trying all his "self
motivation" techniques. Steve Cubbins
©SquashSite |
Elriani & Kawy
in another final
In the Women's semi-finals both top seeds advanced but were tested
as both matches went to four games. Linda Elriani showed why
she's a strong competitor when after dropping the second game to
Isabelle Stoehr and winning a close third 9/6, she came out
strong in the fourth to close the match out.
It was a similar story for Omneya Abdel Kawy, who dropped the
second game against young Aussie Kasey Brown, but then reeled
off the last two games to make the final.
It will be the pair's second meeting in a week, after contesting the
final in last week's Greenwich Open.
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Another busy day in Dayton
We had our big amatuer event start tonight, with 130 players due to
play 168 matches over the next 48 hours, plus the men's
quarters and the women's semi's tonight ... |
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27-Jan,
PSA Round 1,
WISPA quarters:
Anjema on the march
again in Dayton ...
Charlie Johnson in Ohio
 A
great evening of squash took place tonight in front of large crowds at the
Dayton Squash Center, with Laurens Jan Anjema contining to roll as
he beat the new Windy City champion John White 3-1, reversing their
result in the Chicago quarters.
 This was a
"prime-time" match, before dinner was served for the 100+ sponsors on hand
for "patrons night." Once again, 10-15 of our junior players camped
out in front of his court to get the best seats to watch "their player,"
who added White's scalp to that of Peter Nicol, who the young Dutchman
beat last week in Chicago.
The evening opened with Karim Darwish beating Graham Ryding
3/1, followed by the 'match of the day', Simon Parke versus
Adrian Grant.
 The
two Englishmen traded the first two games, Parke saving three match balls
in the fourth to set up a nail-biting finale. Grant went up 6-2 in the
deciding fifth game, but then Parke rattled off 6 straight points, many of
them in long rallies, to go up 8-6. Grant battled back to tie it at 8-all,
and then back & forth to 9-all, with several long rallies ending in lets,
before Simon prevailed 11-9 in 92 minutes.
Parke now meets top seed Peter Nicol, who had little difficulty in
beating local pro Julian Wellings, while Darwish faces fellow Egyptian
Mohammed Abbas. In the bottom half Anjema meets the in-form
Jonathon Power and Amr Shabana faces Anthony Ricketts.
Stoehr stems
Botwright comeback
In the WISPA quarter-finals, Isabelle Stoehr & Rebecca Botwright
entertained the crowd with a battle that saw Stoehr go up 2-0 quite
easily.
Rebecca fought back in two closely-contested games ending in
tie-breaks, both going to the Englishwoman. But then she ran out of gas
and Isabelle prevailed.
In the other women's quarters, the higher seeds easily dispatched their
opponents.
Top seed Linda Elriani meets Stoehr in the semis, and in a battle
of the youngsters second seed Omneya Abdel Kawy faces Australia's
Kasey Brown.
Happy sponsors ...
"One of the reasons I support this event, besides how it helps
benefit the youngsters in the Dayton area learning to play squash,
is where else can you see world-class athletes compete and then sit
down to dinner with them ?"
A long-time, non squash-playing, sponsor ... |
Steve Cubbins
©SquashSite |
Reports:
Doubles Challenge
The Dayton Squash Centre has an ASB moveable wall system for
softball doubles, so we held a $500 winner take all MIXED-DOUBLES
exhibition for players out of the main draws.
The format was one game, to 15, with 6 teams, one of which was
to be the husband and wife team of Julian & Kelly Wellings.
Kelly and Julian, who was "less than fresh" off a respectable 8,4,7
loss to world #3 Peter Nicol and then refereeing the next match,
were due on court against Graham Ryding and his fiancé
Marnie Baizley (who convinced Graham to play after his loss and
refereeing duties - how, we're still not sure!).
Julian & Kelly's baby daughter Eva, however, had seen enough squash
for one evening and was not about to let mommy play! So Julian
teamed up with Lauren Briggs and lost 16-17 in an exciting
exhibition of shot-making and retrieving: not sure where Julian
found the energy, helping to run both the PSA & WISPA events all
week and playing his first competitive squash in months.
Graham & Marnie went on to win the semi-final round and then lost to
two players who didn't make it through their respective qualifying
draws.
Jenna Gates (ENG) & Tim Manning (AUS) beat Graham and
Marnie 17-16 in the finals, in front of an enthusiastic crowd, to
pocket and extra $250 each for their trouble.
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26-Jan, Qualifying:
A busy day in in Dayton
Charlie Johnson in Ohio
A
Packed house of well over 150 were on hand at the Dayton Squash Centre
over the course of the afternoon & evening to watch the WISPA first round
matches & men's final qualifying.
There two surprises on the women's side, as Mexican Samantha Teran
cruised past Canada's seventh seed Runa Reta, and Katie Patrick took only
4 games to win over fourth seed Eman El Amir. Noticed as well,
Becky Botwright's
win over Tara Mullins.
They were great bookends for the day as the former began the day at 4:00pm
with a large crowd and the latter closed the day with the crowd at
capacity.
For the men's qualifying draw, matches went quickly with Laurens Jan
Anjema in particular draw quite a crowd from the junior squash players
as he beat Raj Nanda in four to set up a first round clash with John
White, the new Windy City champion.
Elsewhere Wael El Hindi came through in four against Mark Heather
and now meets fellow-Egyptian Mo Abbas, Jonathan Kemp saw off
Timothy Manning and is rewarded with a match against second seed Amr
Shabana, and Cameron Pilley easily beat Shahid Zaman before drawing
Jonathon Power.
25-Jan, Qualifying:
Qualifying under way in Dayton
Charlie Johnson reports from Ohio
A
good crowd turned up to watch the first full day of qualifying play at the
EBS Dayton Open, a $40,000 PSA tournament and $10,000 WISPA tournament.
Match results attached.
On the women's side, Tara Mullins' nail-biting 3-2 defeat of
Seanna Keating in an all-Canadian match drew lots of attention from
the crowd, while on the men's side, the Mark Heather and Laurent
Elriani served up a treat.
Mark seemed to have more gas in the tank, and after levelling the match in
a long fourth game, Elriani just couldn't keep it going as Heather
advanced to the finals.
EBS Dayton gets bigger again ...
Now in its fourth season, the EBS Dayton
Open is one of the fastest growing events on the burgeoning US
circuit, with a women's event added for the first time this year.
Defending champion Karim Darwish is back, but this time the
Egyptian finds himself as fourth seed, with Peter Nicol, Amr
Shabana and John White ahead of him, and Jonathon Power,
who beat Darwish in the Apawamis final, is heading for Ohio too.
In the women's event England's Linda Elriani is seeded to face
Apawamis champion Omneya Abdel Kawy in the final.
Steve Cubbins
©SquashSite
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