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17May-09:
Knight & Kitchen triumph in Auckland
Gary Denvir reports
Martin Knight and Shelley
Kitchen have been crowned champions at the Auckland Open at the
Remuera Rackets Club.
Knight has taken out the men's title in straight games against
Campbell Grayson, but the victory was anything but straight forward.
The second seed's 11-5 11-8 11-5 triumph took an energy sapping 73
minutes to complete.
Kitchen was similarly challenged in the women's final by rising New
Zealand star Joelle King. The world number 10 was taken to four in
the title decider, eventually edging to an 11-7 5-11 11-5 11-9
victory.
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 Auckland
Open 2009 |
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Round Two |
Quarters |
Semis |
Final |
1. Kashif Shuja
11-6, 11-4, 11-4
Joseph Watts (Central) |
1. Kashif Shuja
11/9, 11/6, 11/8
Lance Beddoes |
1. Kashif Shuja
11/4, 11/9, 7/11, 10/12, 11/9
3. Campbell
Grayson |
3. Campbell Grayson
11/5, 11/8, 11/5
2. Martin Knight |
Lance Beddoes (Auckland)
5-11, 11-9, 11-7, 1-11, 11-6
Andre Wagenaar (Auckland) |
3. Campbell Grayson (Auckland)
11-6, 11-8, 11-9
Jared Conning (Auckland) |
3. Campbell Grayson
11/6, 11/6, 13/11
Lui Ngakuru-Syder |
Lui Ngakuru-Syder (Auckland)
10-12, 11-3, 11-7, 11-3
Bryce Redman (Eastern) |
Gary Duberly (Auckland)
11-7, 11-5, 14-12
James Skiffington (Bay of Plenty) |
Gary Duberly
11/7, 11/8, 13/11
4. Christopher Lloyd |
Gary Duberly
11/2, 11/3, 11/4
2. Martin Knight
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4. Christopher Lloyd (Waikato)
11-8, 3-11, 11-8, 13-11
Scott Harrison (Auckland) |
George Crosby (Auckland)
11-9, 11-6, 11-4
Matiu Te Kani-McQueen (Bay of Plenty) |
George Crosby
12/10, 11/9, 11/0
2. Martin Knight |
2. Martin Knight (Wellington)
11-5, 11-5, 12-10
Mark Dunwoodie (Waikato) |
First Round
1. Kashif Shuja BYE
Joseph Watts (Central) dev Izaac Williams (Auckland)
walkover
Lance Beddoes (Auckland) def Richard Lyne (Auckland) 11-9
11-6 9-11 11-8
Andre Wagenaar (Auckland) def Aaron Smail (Auckland) 16-14
11-3 11-5
3. Campbell Grayson (Auckland) BYE
Jared Conning (Auckland) def Mark Waldin (Auckland) 11-5
5-11 12-10 12-10
Bryce Redman (Eastern) BYE
Lui Ngakuru-Syder (Auckland) def John Cheesman (Auckland)
11-4 11-5 11-7
Gary Duberly (Auckland) def Brent Lewis (Auckland) 11-4 11-8
11-9
James Skiffington (Bay of Plenty) BYE
Scott Harrison (Auckland) vs Tate Matson (Northland) 11-6
11-6 10-12 11-4
4. Christopher Lloyd (Waikato) BYE
George Crosby (Auckland) def Preshin Manmindar (Auckland)
11-8 7-11 12-10 11-8
Matiu Te Kani-McQueen (Bay of Plenty) BYE
Mark Dunwoodie (Waikato) def Richard Van Rynbach (Auckland)
11-9 11-9 11-5
2. Martin Knight (Wellington) BYE
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Auckland
Open 2009 |
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Round One |
Quarters |
Semis |
Final |
1. Shelley Kitchen (Auckland)
11-3, 11-5, 11-5
Georgina Shelton-Agar (Auckland) |
1. Shelley Kitchen
11/2, 11/6, 11/7
8. Lauren Gray |
1. Shelley Kitchen
11/5, 11/6, 11/6
4. Lana Harrison |
1. Shelley Kitchen
11/7, 5/11, 11/5, 11/9
2. Joelle King |
8. Lauren Gray (Auckland)
9-11, 11-8, 11-7, 11-7
Kathryn Austin (Bay of Plenty) |
5. Lisa Cowlard (Auckland)
11-8, 11-8, 11-7
Tanya Laurence (Auckland) |
Lisa Cowlard
11/9, 11/6, 11/6
4. Lana Harrison |
4. Lana Harrison (Auckland)
walkover
Danielle Fourie (Central) |
3. Leilani Rorani (Waikato)
11-3, 11-5, 11-5
Holly Donnelly (Auckland) |
3. Leilani Rorani
11-8, 12-10, 11-5
Jackie Laurenson |
3. Leilani Rorani
11/2, 11/4, 11/4
2. Joelle King |
6. Jackie Laurenson (Auckland)
11-7, 11-3, 11-2
Michelle Heron (Auckland) |
7. Amanda Landers-Murphy (Auckland)
7-11, 11-9, 17-15, 11-8
Sarah Agi (Auckland) |
7. Amanda Landers-Murphy
11-2, 11-4, 11-2
2. Joelle King |
2. Joelle King (Waikato)
walkover
Crystal Tahata (Auckland) |
16-May-09:
Shuja shut out of Auckland final
Campbell Grayson has
produced the biggest upset in the semifinals of the Auckland Open at
the Remuera Rackets Club.
The third seed is through to the men's final after a titanic battle
with top seed Kashif Shuja, winning in 66 minutes. He will face
second seed Martin Knight in the title decider.
Knight had a far easier passage through to the final, downing
surprise semifinalist Gary Duberly.
In the women's draw, top seed Shelley Kitchen has breezed into the
final with victory over top kiwi junior Lana Harrison. The world
number 10 will meet Joelle King in the title decider, after the
second seed downed former world number one Leilani Rorani.
15-May-09:
Seeds sail through in Auckland
No major dramas on the opening two days of the PSA Tour's Auckland
Open in Remuera.
The four seeded players have cruised into the quarterfinals - top
seed Kashif Shuja leading the charge with an 11-6 11-4 11-4
victory over Central's Joseph Watts. Shuja will play fellow
Aucklander Lance Beddoes in the last eight.
Second seed Martin Knight has also won his opening match in
straight games, downing Waikato's Mark Dunwoodie 11-5 11-5 12-10,
while third seed Campbell Grayson followed suit with an 11-6
11-8 11-9 win over Auckland's Jared Conning.
However, fourth seed Christopher Lloyd had to fight a little
harder to defeat Auckland's Scott Harrison 11-8 3-11 11-8 13-11.
In the women's draw, top seed Shelley Kitchen rattled up an
11-3 11-5 11-3 win over Auckland's Georgina Shelton-Agar and will
face another Aucklander, Lauren Gray in the second round
tomorrow.
Second seed Joelle King is already through to the
semi-finals, after a walkover in the opening round, followed by an
11-2 11-4 11-2 victory over Auckland's Amanda Landers-Murphy in the
quarters.
Kiwi stars on show in Auckland
New Zealand's top three touring professional men's squash players
will be in action on home soil this weekend, when they line up in
the PSA World Tour's Auckland Open at the Remuera Rackets Club.
World number 40 Kashif Shuja is top seed and will be eager to
regain the title he won in 2007, but was forced to relinquish last
year when he withdrew on the eve of the tournament due to illness.
However, standing in his way is second seed and defending champion
Martin Knight who has been in great form on the world stage
this year, climbing to 59 in the world rankings, while 61st ranked
Campbell Grayson will also fancy his chances, after knocking
Knight over in the final of the Waikato Open two weeks ago.
Meanwhile, Shelley Kitchen makes a welcome appearance on home
soil in the women's draw. Not surprisingly, the world number 10 is
top seed, and will face fellow Aucklander Georgina Shelton-Agar in
the opening round on Friday.
Waikato's Joelle King is seeded second, and comes into the
event with form under her belt after winning the Waikato Open in
Hamilton, while there will again be plenty of interest in the
performance of former world number one Leilani Rorani, who is
seeded third after making a semifinal exit two weeks ago.
The Auckland Open gets underway on Thursday.
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