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26-Sep-06:
Final
Was it an all-Australian battle, Oz v Scotland, or would a
US-resident win .... in the end it was Bozza who
claimed his first major title since his comeback from injury ...
Draw & Results
 Results,
Reports and photos from David Barry ... |
PS: just click on most photos to see a larger version ... |
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Final, 26-Sep
[4] Stewart Boswell (Aus)
bt [2] John White (Sco)
11/6, 11/2, 11/10(2-0) (41m) |
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Boswell beats White
Eddie Pohrer
reports
The evening kicked off with a doubles match between the Current Pan Am
Gold Medallist Mike Puertas and the 2006 British Open Over 35 Champion
Alex Gough versus the colourful Egyptian El “Eminem” Hindi and the
recently hired Missouri Athletic Club Pro Scott Denne. (Youth
prevailed in this rummy game.)
 Then
it was on to the main action as Australian Stewart Boswell took on
Aussie/Scot/US-resident John White.
Playing in front of an excited crowd in St. Louis, Boswell was able to
grind out the first game 11/6. The first several points were give and
take but Boswell found his form taking the game to 6-3. White was able
to slow things down by winning the longest point of the match thus far
with a tight drop in the front left corner. Things began to heat up as
White delivered his first nick of the night to cut Boswell’s lead to
one. Boswell was not to be outdone and got to game ball, which was
followed by three lets against White which were then followed by a
stroke on White in the eleven minute opener.
In the second, Boswell continued his form with several backhand drop
winners that seemed to steal what wind White had left in him. The
second seeded former World Number one made one more push, keeping
himself in a long point only to be outlasted by the fit Boswell. On
his first game ball, Boswell played a slow boast winner to close out
the second.
In another long point to begin the third, Boswell fought
slightly harder to start the match to take the first lead at 1-0. A
dejected White assisted Boswell in his task by hitting the tin on
three straight occasions to bring the 4-0. The hard hitting White
regained his composure and levelled the match to 4-all but Boswell
would not give in - taking control once again to bring it to 8-4. On
Boswell’s first match ball with a score of 10-8, White produced a
perfect backhand drop nick to take it to 9-10. Just as it looked like
Boswell was going to run away with the match, White was able to even
the score to 10 all. Both players began to show signs of fatigue but
Boswell seemed to have a little more left in the tank tonight closing
out the forty-one minute thriller 12-10.
The crowd rose to its feet and applauded both players for an exciting
night in the show-me state.
|
 "I
was pleased that yesterday's John White wasn't playing tonight.
"Ramy and John probably open the court up more than most, and
really go for it, so it was important for me to try to shut down
John's options, without being too negative. John can often start
badly, but once he hots up, you need to look out.
"In the third it looked as though he was getting pretty warm ,
but fortunately, he didn't quite find his game. I'm very happy
to have my first win in a major tournament for quite a while.
Coming back from 7 - 2 down to Goughie in the third, and now
winning the tournament, it's hard to believe."
 |
 "I
tried to continue on from yesterday, but as I said after last
night's match, if you play 3/4 length balls then you end up
doing all the work, and that's what happened at the start
tonight. He played really well, keeping the ball so tight to the
backhand wall that it was difficult to return. In the second he
was just all over me.
"During the third, I managed to get back on my game and brought
it back to 10 all, but then he came back strongly again and put
the match away.
"It's demoralizing not to have been able to play like yesterday.
I followed exactly the same routine, but somehow I felt flat.
Maybe it was the pressure of being in the final, but I was never
in control.
"I'll do better next time."
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Someone has to do it ...
Events like the St Louis MPM Open take a great deal of
preparation, planning, and sheer hard work. Sometimes the driving
forces sit behind the scenes, sometimes they’re very hands-on.
Alastair Pringle, Tournament
Co-Director with Mike Puertas, is both, beavering behind the scenes
on the organisation and also taking on duties such as cleaning the
ball and sweeping the court between games ... it all needs doing!
Steve Cubbins had a chat with him …
So, another tournament ?
 Yes,
this is the third year we’ve had the event, the first was held at
the Missouri Athletic Club, organised by David Barry, and we treated
it almost like a training event, ready for moving out into the mall
last year which was a great success, and we’re trying to build on
that this time around.
You’ve been building up to this week for a while then ?
We have a great team, the organising committee consists of myself
and Mike Puertas, plus Mike Donio, Jonathan Heyel, David McKay,
Laurie Miller, Phil Pfeiffer, Bruce Springer and Keith Vidal. It
takes four to five solid weeks of work before the event, and we’ve
all been working hard to put it together. We’ve been pretty stressed
out for the last two weeks, but now it’s here it all seems worth it.
Your accent isn’t entirely American, how did you come to St
Louis?
I was born in Newcastle in England and lived in Whitley Bay [just a
mile from me!] , went to Trent University in Nottingham and
graduated from Bath University. In 1978 I came over to do a post
doctorate at the University of Kansas, planned to stay a year but
haven’t managed to come back yet!
And now?
I’m a research director for Anheuser-Busch. So in my day job I make
Budweiser, go home, maybe eat a bit, then go out and play squash in
the evening. I started playing at 18 and played squash at every
university I went to, just at team level, nothing special, but still
love playing.
What's the audience been like?
We’d love to carry on promoting squash in St Louis, you can’t bring
the game to the people in clubs the way you can here, it exposes the
game to lots of people, fans and passers-by who stop and watch. A
lot of them maybe don’t sit and watch, but we’re on two levels, and
there’s usually 100 or more people just watching from the galleries.
How have you promoted the event locally?
We’ve had a lot of local TV and radio coverage, particularly trying
to promote it to the kids. We’ve been on City 10 TV, Fox News 2, who
have had interviews and features with Mike and Scott Denne, and
Mike’s been on a talk show on KMY. ESPN radio are one of our
sponsors and they’ve been carrying a 30-second advert eight times a
day. We hired a PR company to do that for us, you have to know what
you’re doing on these things, it doesn’t come by accident.
If it's not an unfair question, favourite player?
My favourite is Jonathon Power, not just the way he plays, but the
way he promotes the game. But all the players are such gentlemen,
easy to work with, they come early and give their time freely for
our promotional events, it’s just a pleasure to be able to put on a
tournament for them.
What about tonight’s final?
We’re hoping for a good crowd for the final, the last day always
seems to bring people out. I’d like to give a big thanks to all the
players for coming to St Louis and putting on such a great show.
There have been thrilling matches every day, and the standard just
seems to get better as they get used to the court and the
conditions, and it’s all been very good natured.
If John and Stewart play as well tonight as they have so far we’re
really in for a great final …
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It's just one job ...
... after another
Alastair and daughter Keara, ball girl
...
A well-earned break ... |
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White powers into final
Eddie Pohrer reports
 The contrasting style from the first match to the second was a nice
change for the crowd as John White disposed of Abbas in the first in
less than six minutes. By my count, there were more nicks in the first
game by White alone than in the entire previous 50-minute match.
The fifth seeded Egyptian seemed to recover as he took control of the
second game racing out to a 6-1 lead. Somehow White was able to bring
it back to 9-all and regained the serve putting yet another nick into
the sidewall off the serve for his first game ball.
 After
a near winner boast by White, Abbas made a miraculous recovery only to
find White right behind him for the easy put away.
In the third and final game White kept the pressure on by playing a
deceptive hold sending Abbas in the wrong direction.
White continued to control the game and went up 9-5, winning the
contest on his third match ball with a backhand drop.
For the squash enthusiast it proved that there is more than one way to
play the game, but only one can play like John White. |
"I
knew he likes to play at a mid pace, and control the tempo of
the rallies, and he was probably a little tired after yesterday,
so I came out determined to use my power to dominate and force
the pace.
"In the first game I couldn't do anything wrong. I had four or
five cross-court nicks, my drops were working, everything. I
tried to do the same in game two, but it didn't work and I found
myself 6 - 1 down.
"So it was back to basic squash, keeping length and direction
and that allowed me to pull back to 8 and then 9 all, and I was
able to finish the game with two strong rallies. In the third I
was able to go back to hitting length with pressure and pace.
"The big advantage of hitting so hard is that a shot that comes
off at a strange angle, which when hit softly would pop straight
up to be put away by the opponent, comes off so fast that it
doesn't give him time to adjust from where everyone was
expecting it to go, and it dies so fast that he can't get to it.
One or two lucky ones like that and it can demoralize your
opponent.
"I was never tired in the game. When you're playing like I was
in the first two games, you're never tired."
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Quarter-Finals, 24-Sep
David Barry
reports from St Louis
[8]
Ramy Ashour (Egy) bt
[1] Karim Darwish (Egy)
11/10(2-0), 11/1, rtd sick (22m)
[4] Stewart Boswell (Aus) bt [6] Alex Gough (Wal) 5/11,3/11,11/9,11/10(2-0),11/1 (71m)
[5] Mohammed Abbas (Egy) bt
[3] Ong Beng Hee (Mas) 5/11, 12/10,12/10, 9/11, 11/7(83m)
[2] John White (Sco) bt [7] Wael El Hindi (Egy)
10/11(3-5), 11/3, 11/8, 11/9 (60m) |
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An Egyptian Semi-Finalist ... guaranteed
Eddie Pohrer reports
The first quarterfinal match in St. Louis between two Egyptians, Ramy
Ashour and Karim Darwish, and on paper looked like the one to watch.
In a display of shotmaking in the sixteen minute first game, top seed
Darwish fell behind 9-6, and although he battled back to 10-all, he
lost the game 12-10 on a stroke, the fourth that the elder Egyptian
had conceded in the game.
Ramy dominated the second game, which was less than four minutes long,
closing it out 11-1.
Unfortunately, Karim was not feeling 100% and forfeited the match as
the second game ended.
 |
 "I
had been feeling sick before I even arrived and was never able
to get over it."
 "I’m
very happy with the results. Karim is like a big brother to me
and I hope he’s feeling better soon.
I feel very fit at the
moment and look forward to the semis tomorrow."
 "Ramy
was so sharp today, I'm not sure that any of us could have
beaten him!"
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Boswell comeback beats Gough ... only just...
Eddie Pohrer reports
The second quarterfinal between fourth seed Stewart Boswell and sixth
seed Alex Gough, the new British Open over 35 Champion, began with an extremely entertaining eighteen minute
see saw game with Gough edging out Boswell 11-9.
Veteran Gough was down 6–8 and clawed his way back to close it out
with a one two punch; a tight deep drive winner and then a drop winner
to the front right side of the court.
In the second game, Gough was always in control and won 11-3 in less
than nine minutes, with the last few points awarded to the Welshman in
strokes.
The third started out even, but Gough ran away with a quick few
points, only to give up the momentum to a stroke to Boswell. At 4-7
Gough let Boswell back into the game as the Australian levelled at
9-all. Gough missed a drop to the front left to create game ball for
Boswell only to have the same shot fail him to lose the third 11-9.
Down 10-8 in the fourth,
Gough asked his coach du jour, and Pan Am Gold Medallist Mike Puertas,
for a Coke and proceeded to level the game 10-all. Boswell was able to
turn
the momentum around and pulled through with a 12-10 victory to take it
to the first five setter of the tournament.
Boswell hit his stride in the fifth to win 11-1 in this entertaining
71-minute match.
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Abbas outlasts Bengy
Eddie Pohrer reports
The fit Malaysian Ong Beng Hee took the first game 11-9 in nineteen
minutes, from the fifth seeded Mohammed Abbas.
In the second game Abbas raced out of the gates with a quick 6-2 lead.
Beng Hee was able to fight his way back to 8-all with a series of
perfect lobs that had the tall Egyptian twisting and turning for each
shot. After countless lets given to each player, Abbas was able to
pull away to win the game 12–10.
The third was similar to the second with several lets going each way,
as well as a short stoppage as Abbas slipped while attempting to
retrieve a tight rail by Beng Hee. At 10–9 with a game ball in hand,
it looked as though Beng Hee would close out the game, but the
resilient Egyptian came back and finished the game 12-10 with a flick
of the wrist from the front court, sending Beng Hee in the wrong
direction.
The fourth game was an exciting eighteen-minute affair that looked
like Beng Hee would win much quicker than he did. Abbas staged a
comeback after being down 5-8 in what became a very physical game. At
8 all, Beng Hee received a stroke to take it to 9-8, then followed it
up with a long rally to win the next point for his first game ball.
Abbas was not finished as he hit a nick off the serve to bring the
score to 10–9 only to be outdone by Beng Hee returning the favour with
his own overhead winner to take it to five.
In the fifth, Abbas started strongly with a 7-2 lead, but made an
error on his cross-court drop to give the serve back to Beng Hee. At
8-6 Beng Hee seemed to be back in the match but lost on the first
match ball to the resilient Egyptian in an 83-minute display of squash
that was appreciated by the St. Louis squash community.
|
 "I
gave it everything today. We've played played each other since
the juniors, this was my chance and I had to take it.
"My body was a bit painful today, it really ached. I twisted my
leg twice during the match. I hope it will be OK."
 |
 "This
was a tough match to lose. I was unlucky to lose 12/10 games,
but he played really well.
"I didn't play badly at any point. We both play a similar game,
and know each other's game so well that it makes it difficult."
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White gets past Wael
Eddie Pohrer reports
The final match of the night began with Wael El Hindi taking the
first game 15-13 in a tight and fast paced game between two of the
taller competitors in the field.
 The
US-Based John White, sporting a red, white and blue kit, was too tough
in the second game, not giving an inch away on the court. Unlike the
first, El Hindi was unable to keep up with the pace and touch of White
who levelled the match with a second, easier, 11-3 victory.
The third game was filled with lets and disagreements with the referee
by El Hindi to no avail as White won on his second game ball at 11-8.
White was able to close out the night in a very physical match that
saw a “stare down” at 4–2 in the fourth as both players were fighting
as though it was the final of the World Open. White was able to
extend the lead to 6–2 and it looked like El Hindi was finished, but
he was able to come back to 7-all after more than five lets were given
halfway through the fourth game.
On his first match ball, White was able to finish off the evening and
is looking forward to his match tomorrow against Mohammed Abbas.
 |
 "The
front wall on this court grips the ball and holds it, so the
drop shot is really effective. We both wanted to play the shot
more and more as the match went on, and it inevitably pulls both
of you to the front corner.
"And with two tall guys, there is no way to get to the ball
other than directly. There isn't a chance to go around, and
things get physical.
"You just learn to deal with the pushing and shoving. I was up
6-2 in the fourth and thought that I had it then, but he really
picked it up. He started volleying from in front of the T, and
all I could do was to hang in and grind it out to the win.
"If you play well the court treats you well, if not, you end up
doing a lot of work. I never got tired during the game, and I'm
quite up to dealing with the physical side of the game."
 |
 "On
a personal note, I must thank John for his consideration in the
last game when in a moment of frustration he was about to thrash
the ball into the front corner of the court to relieve his
feelings, but looked up, saw me behind the glass, took pity on
my ears, and gently lobbed the ball off the front wall.
"Believe me, the shock wave created from the glass, by one of
his kill shots just above the tin, in the second game, was
physically painful, and I wasn't looking
forward to a repeat performance!"
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Round ONE ... part
two, 23-Sep:
David Barry
reports from St Louis
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Move moves LJ out of St Louis
The opening match of the second section of the
first round of the main draw pitted Mohammed Abbas against LJ
Anjema. While the number five seed Abbas was the favourite to win,
we wondered whether Anjema could reprise last year's upset of the
tournament, when he defeated the second seed Lee Beachill in three
straight games.
 Alas
for LJ, history did not repeat itself. Mohammed played his typical,
unpretentious, game that somehow dominates without seeming to.
It is only when you force yourself to watch who is the mover and who
the movee (if there is such a word) that you realize what control he
has. The first two games inexorably flowed to Abbas, but in the
third Anjema found a little more length and established a lead, only
to see it gradually whittled away, but he held on to bring it back
to
2/1.
Could this be the start of a major comeback and upset? No.
In the fourth, Anjema fell off the pace a fraction and Mohammed was
able to close the match out. An excellent game with two big players
showing how it is possible to play a strongly competitive game
without bumping into one another all the time.
When asked how he manages to control the game without really
appearing to, Mohammed replied "I just try to always be in the
middle, to play short and long, make him move and keep him behind
me. I only go short when he is tired or to force him to suddenly
move faster than he wants to."
 |
 "The
court is wonderful, it plays a little bouncy, but I like it like
that, as I can keep moving the ball around.
"This court helps you to play a good length, and the ball stays
tight to the wall. I like to play the short touch rallies in the
corners as the ball dies off the glass front wall and it gives
you a good chance of winning the rally.
"I have been training hard this summer. I'm 25 now and I realize
that I need to make my mark in the next five years. I've enjoyed
being on the tour so much that I had forgotten about winning. No
more!!
"From here on I'm going to go out and win! I'm tired of hearing
people say "You played well, hard luck losing," I don't
want to hear it any more."
And if he continues to play like he did tonight, he won't
have to ... |
 "He
is a great player. His drop shot from the back of the court was
working really well. I couldn't make him work enough and he took
advantage of it.
"He was just too good on the day."
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Bengy rallies to oust Razik
The first game of this match was the best for Razik, and probably
for the spectators. It had a terrific range of shots and changes of
both pace and dominance.
Early on Beng Hee was commanding the court , but Razik slowed it
down and fought back to level. If you don't think that the lob is an
attacking shot, then you should have seen some of the ones in this
game.
Rallies were hugely long with both players moving well and both
content to wait for an error from their opponent, or a chance at a
clear winner. It finally came down to Razik.
Beng Hee recovered from losing the first and began to use his power
to attack more, and move Razik around.
The next three games were hard fought (the four game match taking 66
minutes, the longest of the tournament so far) but Beng Hee had the
edge throughout.
 |
 "I
expected it to be a tough match, and it was. We grew up together
in the squash community, playing Juniors, and on up through the
circuit, so we know each other's games pretty well and we always
have tough matches.
"I will be playing him in Qatar in a couple of weeks so it's
nice to get one up.
"I attacked a bit more today, and it helped. It would have been
an easier match for me if I had won the first, rather than
losing after being up.
"But as the match went on I got more confident and used to
the court. It's always good to get through a hard first round."
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Round ONE ... part
one, 22-Sep:
David Barry
reports from St Louis
[1]
Karim Darwish (Egy) bt Cameron
Pilley (Aus)
11-7, 10/11(0-2), 11/7, 11/5 (39m)
[8] Ramy Ashour (Egy) bt [Q] Matthew
Giuffre (Can)
11/5, 11/3, 11/3 (22m)
[4] Stewart Boswell (Aus) bt [Q]
Hisham Ashour (Egy)
11/9, 11/10(6-4), 11/5 (45m)
[6] Alex Gough (Wal) bt Michael
Puertas (Usa)
11/7, 5/11, 11/7, 11/6 (36m)
[7] Wael El Hindi (Egy) bt [Q]
Jean-Michel Arcucci (Fra)
10/11(0-2), 11/3, 11/3, 11/8 (53m) |
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Top Seed keeps it tight
The first round of the main draw opened with a match that showed the
difference in level between qualifying and the higher echelon
players.
The ball was tighter to the wall, the length was consistently
better, there were drops that really dropped and the proportion of
nicks and dead length balls was higher than luck would allow.
Karim came on and immediately started hitting touch shots, always a
bad sign for his opponent. Pilley was not intimidated and the
rallies rapidly became tight to the backhand wall with each player
fighting to make an opening.
Karim gradually edged away to take the first, but Pilley stepped up
his game and never gave anything up to win the second.
Karim's touch continued to improve and the third and final game went
to him, not easily, but convincingly.
|
 "I
made so many mistakes, my head wasn't there at the start.
"I have a bit of a cold and it is slowing my game a little.
I tried to tighten things up, to force him deeper, to move him
around and gain some control.
"He played well and didn't give me any openings.
"The court is a bit bouncy, but not too bad."
 |
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Ramy Races Through
This match gave St. Louis squash fans their first chance to see the
Junior Men's World Champion Ramy Ashour in action, and if tonight's
match is any indication, they are going to hear a great deal more of
him on the PSA circuit over the coming years.
Ramy played steady, accurate squash with delicate touch shots
whenever he needed them.
Giuffre's earlier matches hadn't prepared him for the devastating
drop shots that left him struggling to come forward from behind the
T. He is no slouch around the court but he just couldn't keep pace
with the younger player.
 |
 "I
played in the World Open a few weeks ago in Cairo and there was
a lot of pressure from the whole country for us to do well,
especially since it was the first time for years that the
tournament had been in
Egypt.
"I played Lee Beachill in the second round and I was so tense. I
decided that I needed to learn to relax a bit and not let the
pressure get to me.
"That doesn't mean that I won't continue to be prepared to kill
myself physically on the court to win a match, I'm just not
going to let myself get that anxious."
"I had a lot of confidence in the match and my shots were going
in well. I'm eating healthily and I'm much fitter now, thanks to
my fitness coach Difo.
"I'm looking forward to playing Karim who has been like a big
brother to me, giving advice and encouragement. I'm really
hungry to play and do well."
 |
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[6] Alex
Gough (Wal) bt
Mike Puertas (Usa)
11/7, 5/11, 11/7, 11/6 (36m) |
Alex bridges the Age gap
This match brought a wealth of experience on to the court, and it
showed in the variety and subtlety of the play.
In front of the biggest audience of the tournament so far, Gough and
Puertas put on a highly entertaining match.
What it lacked in naked power and lightning speed, it more than made
up for in rugged determination, subtle angles and all around the
court play.
A competition between long time friends and PSA tour veterans, this
match pitted the British Open Over 35 Champion against the US Team
player and local Squash Pro.
It was clear after the first game that Alex had the edge on fitness,
but Mike gave it all he had in the second, and with the help of some
unforced errors from his opponent was able to level the score to the
audible delight of the partisan crowd.
Though the remaining two games were closely fought, Alex always had
the edge and too often Mike was half a step short of making the shot
he wanted. A great spirited match between two true sportsmen. |
 "The
match was good fun. We haven't played one another on the tour
for eleven years, and I believe my win tonight makes up for my
loss in the last game!
"It's been a long time since I played in a PSA tournament
against someone older than me!!"
Alex Gough |
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[7] Wael El Hindi (Egy)
bt [Q]
Jean-Michel Arcucci (Fra) 10/12, 11/3, 11/3, 11/8 (53m) |
Wael battles through
The last match of the day was a marked contrast to the virtually
referee interference free Gough - Puertas match.
From the outset the referee (John White) was calling let after let
as the players failed to clear or took the path through their
opponent rather than around.
The first game was 23 minutes of contact squash, with Arcucci
fighting through what looked like extreme fatigue at some points in
the game, and emerging the winner. From there on, El Hindi had the
edge and in three quicker, slightly more open games with fewer lets
went on to take the victory.
 |
 "I
was very late getting into the first game, but I thought that I
could have won it after coming back from behind, but it didn't
quite happen.
"He was tired after the first game, so I was able to slow it
down and get used to the angles on the court.
"I am feeling very strong and very fit which is reassuring. I am
looking forward to my next match.
"I like the venue here in the St. Louis Galleria with all the
shops, and something to do between matches."
 "I'm
not used to such a physical game. It got me very tense and tired
me out."
 |
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St Louis MPM Open 2006
St Louis, USA, 20-26 Sep,$50k |
Round One
Sep 22/23 |
Quarters
Sep 24 |
Semis
Sep 25 |
Final
Sep 26 |
[1] Karim
Darwish (Egy)
11/7, 10/12, 11/7, 11/5 (39m)
Cameron Pilley (Aus) |
Karim Darwish
11/10(2-0), 11/1, rtd sick (22m)
Ramy Ashour |
Ramy Ashour
11/7, 11/3, 8/11, 11/5 (50m)
Stewart Boswell |
Stewart Boswell
19.00
John White
|
[8] Ramy
Ashour (Egy)
11/5, 11/3, 11/3 (22m)
[Q] Matthew Giuffre (Can) |
[4]
Stewart Boswell (Aus)
11/9, 16/14, 11/5 (45m)
[Q] Hisham Ashour (Egy) |
Stewart Boswell
5/11, 3/11, 11/9, 11/10(2-0), 11/1 (71m)
Alex Gough |
[6] Alex
Gough (Wal)
11/7, 5/11, 11/7, 11/6 (36m)
Mike Puertas (Usa) |
Laurens Jan Anjema (Ned)
11/8, 11/5, 9/11, 11/9 (64m)
[5] Mohammed Abbas (Egy) |
Mohammed Abbas
5/11, 12/10, 12/10, 9/11, 11/7 (83m) Ong Beng Hee |
Mohammed Abbas
11/3, 11/9, 11/7 (33m)
John White
|
Shahier
Razik (Can)
9/11, 11/6, 11/3, 11/9 (66m)
[3] Ong Beng Hee (Mas) |
[Q]
Jean-Michel Arcucci (Fra)
10/12, 11/3, 11/3, 11/8 (53m)
[7] Wael El Hindi (Egy) |
Wael El Hindi
10/11 (3-5) 11/3 11/8 11/9 (60m)
John White
|
[Q] Mark
Heather (Eng)
11/10(2-0), 11/5 rtd (19m)
[2] John White (Sco) |
|
Qualifying, 20/21 Sep:
Qualifying Finals,
21-Sep:
Hisham Ashour (Egy) bt Shawn DeLierre (Can) 11/7, 10/11(4-6), 11/7, 11/4 (40m)
Mark Heather (Eng) bt Aaron Franckomb (Aus)
11/5, 11/7, 6/11, 11/7 (50m)
Jean-Michel Arcucci (Fra) bt Dylan Bennett (Ned) 11/7, 11/9,
11/5 (51m)
Matthew Giuffre (Can) bt Simon Rosner (Ger)
11/5, 7/11, 11/9, 11/8 (52m)
Qualifying Round One, 20-Sep:
Hisham Ashour (Egy) - Bye
Shawn De Lierre (Can) bt Greg La Mude (Rsa)
11/4, 11/3, 11/6
(29m)
Mark Heather (Eng) bt Pat Bedore (Can)
8/11, 11/5, 11/8, 11/2 (35m)
Aaron Frankcomb (Aus) bt Friedrich Scheel (Ger) 11/10(2-0), 11/6, 11/2 (30m)
Dylan Bennett (Ned) bt Tony James (Aus) 11/9, 2/11, 11/6, 11/5 (31m)
Jean-Michel Arcucci (Fra) bt
Ahmed Hamza (Egy) 11/2, 11/8, 11/2 (36m)
Simon Rosner
(Ger) bt
Scott Denne (Aus) 11/7, 11/6, 11/3 (27m)
Matt Giuffre (Can) bt Gilly Lane (Usa)
11/9, 11/6, 10/11(3-5), 11/7 (45m)
Photos and reports from David Barry
|
|
Giuffre grits it out
The evening finished with the longest match of the tournament so far.
Four, hard fought games with good tight play.
 "I
was really up for this match. I knew I had to win it.
"He is such a tall player, he gets a lot of balls back, so on a
bouncy court like this it means long rallies. And they were.
"It is surprisingly warm on the court considering how cool it
feels in other parts of the mall, and the ball is really staying
up.
"Matches are going to be long, and the fittest guys will be the
ones to make it through."
 |
|
Matthew Giuffre (Can) bt
Simon Rosner (Ger)
11/5, 7/11, 11/9, 11/8 (52m) |
 |
|
Arcucci Outlasts Bennett
Jean-Michel Arcucci (Fra) bt
Dylan Bennett (Ned) 11/7, 11/9,
11/5 (51m) |
That this game took 51
minutes for only three games, and not a tie breaker amongst them,
shows how long the rallies were.
This wasn't entirely due to phenomenal feats of retrieval, though
neither player would give up on anything. More, it was an inability
to make consistently tight enough shots to put the other player
under sufficient pressure to force an error or create an opening for
a winning shot.
In the end Arcucci's higher accuracy overcame Bennett's power.
 |
"I came into the
match very tense. I need the points, and I very much wanted to
qualify. I didn't want to take any risks, just keep the ball
away from him. That made the rallies very long,
and the match much longer than it probably should have been.
"Sometimes you just have days where the tension gets to you.
"Hopefully I'll be better tomorrow."
 |
 |
|
Hisham joins
Ramy in main draw
Laurie Miller reports
In this four game match, what separated the two players was Shawn's
inability to end the point. He had as physical a game as Ashour, with
both players willing to play the waiting game, but it was the Egyptian
who had the edge when the opportunity arose.
Top seed Karim Darwish was on hand to give Hisham the benefit of his
experience between games, as Hisham advanced to join his younger
brother Ramy in the main draw.
 |
Hisham Ashour
(Egy) bt
Shawn DeLierre (Can)
11/7, 14/16, 11/7, 11/4 (40m) |
|
"I had a really hard game in the second. From the beginning I
wasn't focussed, I wasn't playing my shots. It is my first
game on the court as I had a bye yesterday.
"My natural game is to play the touch shots, and I wasn't
comfortable with the drop this afternoon, so the rallies went
long.
"I was pleased to be able to tough it out against a good
player."
 |
|
|
Qualifying Round One |
|
Giuffre advances past Lane |
Matt Giuffre (Can) bt
Gilly Lane (Usa)
11/9, 11/6, 13/15, 11/7 (45m) |
The final match of the night was also the longest and toughest.
|
"I came on feeling heavy and fuzzy. it was a good match to sharpen
up and to get used to the court. In the fourth, I picked up the
pace. I didn't want it to go to five games."
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
|
Racquet Club Pro Scott Denne: "Damn, I'm Old!" |
|
Simon Rosner (Ger) bt
Scott Denne (Aus) 11/7, 11/6, 11/3 (27m) |
In the shortest match of the day, Simon Rosner eliminated the second
"Local Pro", Scott Denne. Scott recently took over from Mike Puertas
when Mike moved on to the Racquet Club.
Simon Rosner's description of the match as "Quite a comfortable
game" might be true from his point of view. However, Scott's initial
comment was "Damn I'm old!!"
He went on to say "But it's great to be
part of this spectacular event in St. Louis, my new home as the
Squash Pro at the Missouri Athletic Club." |
 |
|
 |
|
Shawn De Lierre (Can) bt Greg La Mude (Rsa)
11/4, 11/3, 11/6 (29m) |
In the first of the "Local Pro" matches, Greg La Mude, Assistant Pro
at the Racquet Club couldn't cope with the De Lierre's speed and
power.
Greg was just "happy to put an end to all the running" at the
end of the game.
|
DeLierre disappoints home fans as Greg struggles with a glued drive
...
 |
Dylan Bennett (Ned) bt
Tony James (Aus)
11/9, 2/11, 11/6, 11/5 (31m) |
"So, Dylan, what
happened in the second game?"
 "I got a good start in the game and was up two zero, but I made
seven unforced errors in a row and I knew that game was gone.
"I decided to focus on the third game and I knew that I had the
skill to capitalize on my opponents errors.
"The glass court is so much more difficult to play on, but if we
want to take part in the top tournaments, we need to be able to
play on them as they are all on them.
"This is great experience."
 |
|
Tony keeps his eyes on the ball ...
 |
|
Heather finishes strong
Mark Heather won
the second game of the day in convincing fashion. He looked the
stronger player from the beginning but made too many errors in the
first to let Bedore back into the rallies. As the game wore on,
Heather gradually dominated, and Bedore began to show some signs of
impatience with his game. By the fourth, Heather had the game under
control.
 |
Mark Heather (Eng) bt
Pat Bedore (Can)
8/11, 11/5, 11/8, 11/2 (35m) |
"I played the first game too casually. I knew I had to tighten
things up in the second as he is much too good a player to
give him
that much court. In the second I gradually worked my way back
into the game, concentrating on playing more patiently and
keeping it tight.
"I was happy to see some errors from him in the second, and
in the third I was getting more relaxed with my game. I
enjoyed the fourth as I felt completely happy on the court."
 |
|
|
"I
didn't have the motivation that I had yesterday, I was much too
relaxed. I was pleased to have made it to the semis and wasn't
keyed up for this match. 
"I
was ill all day yesterday. I felt a bit better today, but the
work rate needed to stay with John left me weak at the end of
the first, and unable to continue after the second. 
"On
the one hand it's good to get an easy win to be relaxed for the
next round, but on the other, I would have liked a better work
out to prepare for that next round. 
"I
was down 6-1 in the first. He started well, and I couldn't get
going, but as the game went on I was able to get back into it to
finally take the game. 
"I
was taken a bit by surprise in the first game, being held to a
slow pace, and he was playing very tight on the backhand wall. I
forced the pace from the second on and got used to the court.
"I'm
happy to have made a good start to the tournament, and to find
my legs working well. 
