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Results from the 2010 North American
Open
#3 Amr
Shabana def. #23 Olli Tuominen 11-3 11-7 11-8 (32m)
Reigning World Champion Amr Shabana produced a clinical display of precision
squash to end the run of Olli Tuominen. During the first two games Shabana
made his opponent run & turn, always in control and eventually finished the
ball with a deadly dropshot or flick crosscourt. It wasn't until 8-8 in the
3rd game that Tuominen looked to handle the short swing, precision &
deception of the Egyptian. From Tuominen's serve at 8-8, Shabana slotted a
dead crosscourt nick, received a mistake from the Finn on the next point and
ran out the next point to end the hopes of Tuominen and move onto the
semi-finals.
#6 James Willstrop def. #5 Gregory Gaultier 11-6 12-10 11-3 (53m)
This was billed as the potential match of the tournament. Gaultier reached
No.1 in the world only a few months earlier, while Willstrop won the last
Super Series event in New York.
Both players started out at a furious pace, with Willstrop managing to hit a
slightly better length, allowing him to dominate the middle of the court.
Gaultier didn't manage to move his opponent long and short, and any time he
did move his opponent into the front court, Willstrop would lunge and
produce a deft dropshot or a neutralizing lob. Gaultier never really
controlled any point in the match, though he is a great fighter. Through
sheer will he managed to win a few scrappy points towards the end of the 2nd
game to force a tie-break.
It was an "if-only" scenario - win the 2nd, Willstrop might tire, Gautier
might find his way into the match. It wasn't to be. Willstrop kept to his
plan, kept dominating the T, stretching for volleys and killing the ball
straight & short when he had half a chance. He snuck through the 2nd game
12-10 and at that point Gaultier looked as though he knew his fate. Gaultier
stuck to his natural game of fast paced hitting & counter-attack in the 3rd
game, though it was ineffective, Willstrop closing out the last few points
in a couple of minutes.
#1 Ramy Ashour def. #9 Thierry Lincou 8-11 12-10 11-9 11-8 (49m)
Lincou produced a fantastic display of fighting squash against the touch and
speed of Ashour. Like the match between Gaultier & Willstrop, the match
hinged upon the 2nd game. Lincou played tight squash and dominated Ashour in
the 1st game and up to mid-way throught the 2nd game. Ashour likes to step
forward and carve in crosscourt dropshots with alarming regularity, though
Lincou wasn't giving him any obvious opportunities. Lincou was keeping the
ball out of the middle and counter dropping Ashour straight & tight. At 10-8
to Ashour in the 2nd game, Ashour hit two crosscourt volley drops into the
tin, an unusual occurance. Normally relaxed and strolling around the court
as if it were a practice match, Ashour looked tense and rattled. He regained
composure and Lincou started to tire. Two more crosscourt dropshots and this
time they went in - game to Ashour 12-10.
The 3rd and 4th games were tight, though Ashour always had his nose in front
and always looked like the winner. He produced some spectacular shotmaking
and retrieving to carve out an impressive 3-1 victory.
#2 Nick Matthew def. #10 Adrian Grant 11-9 5-11 11-4 11-7 (67m)
Two friends playing far from home, this was played like a practice match on
the backcourt of Pontefract Squash Club. Neither player dominated the match,
and with no particular tactical plan from either player, the winner was most
likely going to be the player with better movement and the most confidence.
Matthew is great at winning the scrappy rallies and is certainly focused and
confident. To win when not playing well is a skill, and it was this one that
carried him through to the semi-finals yet again.
Martin Heath | Head Squash Coach
University of Rochester
Head Coach US Jr Men's Team
Goergen Athletic Center
Matthew Tested By Abbas In Virginia
News
from the Professional Squash Association World Tour
RESULTS: North American Open Squash Championship, Richmond, Virginia, USA
2nd round
(lower half of draw):
[7] James Willstrop (ENG) bt [12] Alister Walker (ENG) 11-6, 11-5, 11-6
(40m)
[4] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt [15] Joey Barrington (ENG) 11-7, 11-3, 11-3
(32m)
[10] Adrian Grant (ENG) bt [5] Karim Darwish (EGY) 6-11, 6-11, 5-0 ret.
(35m)
[2] Nick Matthew (ENG) bt [Q] Mohammed Abbas (EGY) 11-13, 11-9, 11-3,
11-7(54m)
Second
seed Nick Matthew claimed his anticipated place in the quarter-finals of
the $93,750 North American Open Squash Championship in Richmond – but the
world number two from England had to fight back from a game and 8-6 down to
overcome Egyptian qualifier Mohammed Abbas in the second PSA Super Series
2010 event of the year at the University of Richmond in Virginia.
Abbas has
spent most of the past 12 months struggling with plantar fasciitis, a
debilitating injury of the bottom of the foot. The 29-year-old from Giza
was as high as No13 in the world, and currently lies at 60. Title success
in December's Edmonton Open showed that he is getting back on track.
Matthew,
winner of the Swedish Open earlier this month, played patient squash - up
and down the backhand wall, waiting for the opportunity to attack Abbas
short. The experienced Egyptian stayed with Matthew's pace, frustrating
the Englishman by playing textbook glass court squash.
The
29-year-old from Sheffield slightly increased the pace, and was able to
stand forward – but Abbas eventually started to show signs of lack of
belief towards the end of the second game and then signs of fatigue in the
third. Thereafter Matthew was in control and wrapped up the match 11-13,
11-9, 11-3, 11-7 to earn a surprise last eight clash with fellow countryman
Adrian Grant.
Londoner
Grant, the 10th seed, faced Egypt's former world number one Karim Darwish,
seeded five. Darwish was in control the first two games, using his racket
head speed to cut the ball straight into the front corners on any
opportunity. Grant is a great athlete, though could not break Darwish's
metronomic rhythm and silky touch.
The
Englishman found his way into the game in the third, stepping up the court,
hitting the ball with a little more pace to build up a 5-0 lead. But,
taking a ball in the front corner, Darwish rolled over his ankle. After a
three-minute time out, Darwish then conceded the third game for another two
minutes - though his efforts were to prove fruitless. A recurrence of an
old injury forced Darwish to concede the match: Grant was gracious in
victory, though nonetheless looking forward to competing in another
quarter-final. The other second round matches produced a quarter-final clash
which is the repeat of the Davenport Professional Championship final in
Richmond in 2008 - between long-time European rivals James Willstrop and
Gregory Gaultier.
Seventh
seed Willstrop, winner of the JP Morgan Tournament of Champions, the first
PSA Super Series 2010 event in New York, produced a workmanlike performance
to dispose of fellow Englishman Alister Walker 11-6, 11-5, 11-6. Frenchman
Gaultier, the fourth seed, faced 15th seed Joey Barrington. The Englishman
put up a good fight in the opening game, but Gaultier ultimately took
control and moved through to the quarters unscathed after an 11-7, 11-3,
11-3 victory.
Quarter-final line-up:
[1] Ramy Ashour (EGY) v [9] Thierry Lincou (FRA)
[3] Amr Shabana (EGY) v [14] Olli Tuominen (FIN)
[4] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) v [7] James Willstrop (ENG)
[2] Nick Matthew (ENG) v [10] Adrian Grant (ENG)
Abbas Ends US Interest In North
American Open
RESULTS: North American Open Squash Championship, Richmond, Virginia, USA
1st round
(lower half of draw):
[12] Alister Walker (ENG) bt [Q] Nicolas Mueller (SUI) 11-9, 11-4, 11-8
(34m)
[7] James Willstrop (ENG) bt Aaron Frankcomb (AUS) 11-4, 11-4, 11-8 (36m)
[15] Joey Barrington (ENG) bt Rafael F Alarcon (BRA) 10-12, 11-5, 11-7,
9-11, 11-6 (85m)
[4] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) bt [Q] Yasir Butt (PAK) 11-6, 11-9, 11-6 (38m)
[10] Adrian Grant (ENG) bt Simon Rosner (GER) 11-9, 11-9, 6-11, 10-12, 11-6
(70m)
[5] Karim Darwish (EGY) bt Amr Swelim (ITA) 11-6, 11-5, 11-2 (27m)
[Q] Mohammed Abbas (EGY) bt [16] Julian Illingworth (USA) 8-11, 11-7, 11-7,
11-6 (45m)
[2] Nick Matthew (ENG) bt Esteban Casarino (PAR) 11-3, 11-3, 11-8 (33m)
Egyptian
qualifier Mohammed Abbas produced the only upset on the second day of first
round action in the $93,750 North American Open Squash Championship in
Richmond when he beat 16th seed Julian Illingworth to end US interest in
the second PSA Super Series 2010 event of the year at the University of
Richmond in Virginia. The 29-year-old from Cairo is fighting back to
top form after spending most of last year sidelined by injury.
Illingworth, the five-time US champion from Portland ranked 32 in the
world, took the opening game – but Abbas, a former world No13 bounced back
to claim his 8-11, 11-7, 11-7, 11-6 upset after 45 minutes.
Abbas
will now face second seed Nick Matthew, the in-form Englishman who arrived
in Richmond following successive title successes in the Swedish Open and
the British National Championships.
The
29-year-old world No2 from Sheffield despatched Paraguayan wild card
opponent Esteban Casarino 11-3, 11-3, 11-8. Matthew led a group of five
Englishmen through to the second round. Indeed, James Willstrop and
Alister Walker will meet in an all-English last 16 battle after successes
in the opening round. Willstrop, the seventh seed who lifted the trophy in
the year's first PSA Super Series 2010 event at the JP Morgan Tournament of
Champions in New York, defeated Australian Aaron Frankcomb 11-4, 11-4,
11-8. Alister Walker was after revenge when he faced qualifier
Nicolas Mueller, a rising star from Switzerland to whom he lost in last
year's Irish Open.
"Mueller
came out of the blocks like a bullet from a gun and went 8-2 up in a matter
of minutes, firing in some excellent winners to the front," said a
tournament spokesman. "Walker finally found his composure and started to
gain his range and rhythm and clawed his way back to 8-9. From here he was
matching Mueller's aggressive volleying and continued through to take the
game 11-9."
The
27-year-old 12th seed from Leeds continued his assault to claim a
well-deserved 11-9, 11-4, 11-8 victory – and a second round clash with
Willstrop, who is also from the same Yorkshire city.
2nd round
line-up:
[1] Ramy Ashour (EGY) v [13] Aamir Atlas Khan (PAK)
[6] Peter Barker (ENG) v [9] Thierry Lincou (FRA)
[3] Amr Shabana (EGY) v [11] Wael El Hindi (EGY)
[8] David Palmer (AUS) v [14] Olli Tuominen (FIN)
[7] James Willstrop (ENG) v [12] Alister Walker (ENG)
[4] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) v [15] Joey Barrington (ENG)
[5] Karim Darwish (EGY) v [10] Adrian Grant (ENG)
[2] Nick Matthew (ENG) v [Q] Mohammed Abbas (EGY)
For more
tournament details, please go to www.naosquash.com
PSA's
SquashTV is the official live and video on-demand website of the
Professional Squash Association.
Watch
all the live action and highlights at www.psasquashtv.com
KING RAMY RETURNS TO RICHMOND
2010 North American Open attracts stellar field
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Ramy Ashour helping to change a flat
tyre in Chicago, watched by a local cop! |
Egyptian squash superstar Ramy Ashour returns to Richmond, Virginia, for the
forthcoming North American Open as reigning champion and top seed, having
entered 2010 as the PSA world number one. At just 21 years of age, he is the
youngest player to top the world rankings since the days of Pakistan’s
all-powerful Khan era. Ashour’s claiming of the number one spot came in
dramatic circumstances as he and England’s Nick Matthew contested the final
of the Saudi International one week before Christmas Day.
Whoever won the match would enter the new decade on top of the rankings and
it was Ashour who emerged victorious, triumphing 11-7, 7-11, 11-9, 9-11,
11-8 in a battle lasting one hour and 50 minutes, the longest match of his
career. That epic battle was a rematch of the 2009 North American Open final
in Richmond, where Ashour clinched another brutal five-setter, again 11-8 in
the fifth. He and Matthew also met in the final of the PSA Masters in India,
one week before their showdown in Saudi, with Ramy winning 11-6, 9-11, 11-9,
11-9.
The 2010 North American Open boasts a spectacular draw, with all of the
world’s top ten players entering this PSA (Professional Squash Association)
Super Series Silver event with a prize fund of almost $100,000. This year’s
tournament boasts a new title sponsor in Quantitative Investment Management,
based in Charlottesville, Virginia. The event is hosted by Virginia Squash
and the high-speed action takes place on the all-glass McWil exhibition
court which will be erected in the Millhiser Gymnasium on the campus of the
University of Richmond.
The tournament runs from February 21-27 and will be preceded by a two-day
qualifying tournament as the sport’s rising stars bid for a coveted place in
the main draw.
Tournament Director Gus Cook said: “We are delighted to welcome Ramy back to
Richmond. He and the other top professionals are wonderful ambassadors for
the sport and they can always be guaranteed to provide spectacular
entertainment for the audiences.
“We
are overjoyed to have attracted such a high-quality draw. We have enjoyed
some magnificent squash in this tournament in recent years but this year
promises to be the best yet.” Cook got to see a different side of Ramy
Ashour during the US Open in Chicago in September when they were returning
from a tournament reception.
Cook
explained: “The car hit a pothole in the road and suffered a puncture. As it
was around midnight, our lady driver was very keen for Ramy to jump in a
taxi to get back to the hotel but he was having none of it and so we changed
the tyre together. “It took a while because we did not have any tools until
a friendly neighborhood policeman stopped to see what was happening and lent
us what we needed.
“All told it took over 30 minutes and we were both filthy by the end. It
just goes to show what kind of guy he is, though, and I hope he stays that
way.
“I
can’t think of many world champions from other sports who would behave in
such a humble and helpful manner, and long may it continue in our wonderful
game.” |
