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Bankers Hall Club Pro-Am 2016
28-31 Jan, Calgary, Canada, $10k |
31-Jan, Final:
[2] Raphael Kandra (Ger) bt [4] Shawn Delierre (Can)
11/5, 11/5, 11/9 (37m)
Third time's a charm for Kandra ....
 The
final of the 2016 Bankers Hall Club Pro Am in Calgary featured the
#2 seed and twice runner up here, Raphael Kandra of Germany, going
for his 11th PSA title.
In his way would be Canada's #1 player and the #4 seed in this
tournament Shawn Delierre, who was seeking his 14th PSA world title.
Sadly for the Canadian crowd here it was not going to Delierre's day
as he went down in straight games to a very precise and dominating
performance on the day from Kandra.
The first two games were identical in terms of not only the scores
of 11-5 but pretty much the same number of unforced errors from the
German star which was next to zero!
 The
third game saw Delierre stay with Kandra throughout the game score
wise but it did seem despite the even score that Kandra was still
the dominate player in the decisive game. A no let call on match
point Kandra sealed the deal for him and pretty much summed up
Delierre's day here.
An appreciative crowd applauded both players before, during, and
after the match while in return the players both acknowledged the
crowd, the venue, and the tournament itself.
So another Pro Am is in the books here in downtown Calgary in what
was one of the toughest PSA10 events likely ever held here with
Raphael Kandra joining the list of great champions at the Bankers
Hall Club Pro Am!
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BankersHallSquash |
  Bankers
Hall Club Pro-Am 2016
28-31 Jan, Calgary, Canada, $10k |
Round One
28 Jan |
Quarters
29 Jan |
Semis
30 Jan |
Final
31 Jan |
[1] Shaun Le Roux (Rsa)
bye |
[1] Shaun Le Roux (Rsa)
4/11, 11/3, 11/9, 13/11, 11/4 (85m)
[7] Martin Knight |
[1] Shaun Le Roux
11/8 rtd (20m)
[4] Shawn Delierre |
[4] Shawn Delierre
11/5, 11/5, 11/9 (37m)
[2] Raphael Kandra
11th PSA title for Raphael
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[7] Martin Knight (Nzl)
11/6, 11/8, 11/4 (40m)
Shahjahan Khan (Pak) |
[8] Eric Galvez (Mex)
11/7, 16/14, 11/9 (52m)
Addeen Idrakie (Mas) |
[8] Eric Galvez
11/8, 11/8, 3/11, 7/11, 12/10 (71m)
[4] Shawn Delierre |
[4] Shawn Delierre (Can)
11/9, 11/7, 4/11, 11/2 (52m)
James Huang (Tpe) |
Matias Tuomi (Fin)
11/6, 11/3, 11/6 (33m)
[3] Ben Coleman (Eng) |
[3] Ben Coleman
3/11, 11/6, 13/11, 11/7 (56m)
[6] Arturo Salazar |
[6] Arturo Salazar
12/10, 11/9, 11/8 (33m)
[2] Raphael Kandra |
Andrew Schnell (Can)
11/5, 5/11, 11/8, 7/11, 11/7 (54m)
[6] Arturo Salazar (Mex) |
Matthew Serediak (Can)
11/5, 11/4, 11/5 (20m)
[5] Reiko Peter (Sui) |
[5] Reiko Peter
11/8, 11/6, 11/8 (38m)
[2] Raphael Kandra |
Chi Him Wong (Hkg)
11/3, 7/11, 11/9, 11/6 (47m)
[2] Raphael Kandra (Ger) |
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30-Jan, Semis:
Semi finals in Stampede City
Bob Ballinger reports
It was semi final Saturday here in Calgary which produced finalists
in two different manners here at the 2016 Bankers Hall Club Pro Am.
Both matches were highly anticipated ... top seed and former top 30
player Shaun Le Roux from South Africa versus Canada's best
player Shawn Delierre and two time champion of the Pro Am
Mexican Arturo Salazar against two time Pro Am finalist
Raphael Kandra of Germany.
Le Roux and Delierre were first up and engaged in a very tactical
first game with both players keeping a fairly neutral pace of play
which was seemingly setting the tone for what could be a long match.
Sadly in the latter part of the first game a possible old injury
surfaced for the talented South African and he was not himself for
the last four points resulting in a first game win for Delierre.
After a combination of the rest game rest plus a 3 minute injury
break a very disconsolate Le Roux was forced to shake hands giving
the win to Canada's top player.
Only two other players other than sixth seed Salazar have won this
event twice - England's Chris Simpson twice and Hong Kong's
Leo Au three times. Salazar was hopeful to have a chance to join
these two but would have to overcome the always impressive and two
time runner up here, Kandra.
The first game may very well have been the turning point and
difference in the match with Salazar taking a solid first game lead
at 10-5 only to see Kandra storm back to win seven straight points
to snatch the game from him at 12-10. The second game was tight all
the way with Kandra just a bit more in control all the way and took
it 11-9.
The third game saw Kandra seize control early only to see Salazar
make a last push from 9-5 down to bring it 9-8 Kandra who then
closed it out with an 11-8 third game win and with it a place in his
third final here.
So the last day of January at this 15th edition of the Pro Am is
going to produce a first time winner for either the #4 seeded
Canadian star Shawn Delierre or the #2 ranked Raphael Kandra of
Germany ... should be a great finish!!
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BankersHallSquash |
29-Jan, Quarters:
Salazar breaks the seeds' hold in Calgary
Bob Ballinger reports
The streak of no upsets in this years Bankers Hall Club Pro Am in
Calgary was close to staying alive today with four great quarter
final matches here.
The first two matches were played over the lunch hour and as usual
here that does not deter the club members and downtown squash crowd
from coming to watch as it was a full house.
First up was top seed Shaun LeRoux from South Africa going up
against long time crowd fave here, Kiwi Martin Knight. The likeable
South African had the luxury of a first round bye but it perhaps
caused him to start off slow in the match as Knight easily won the
first game before Le Roux balanced things out with an equally one
sided second game win. Things were very tight over the next two
games as Knight stormed back to win game three 11-9 and held a match
ball in the fourth before Le Roux won that one 13-11. The fifth was
fairly unthreatening for Le Roux as he went out to early leads and
held on for a 11-4 final game win to secure his semi final spot.
Canada’s number one player Shawn DeLierre then took the court with
Mexican star Eric Galvez in an ebb and flow five gamer that saw the
Canadian star relatively routinely win the first two games before
Galvez dug in to win games three and four fairly routinely himself.
These two have had their share of battles between them and it was a
battle for them today here as well as the officials with some tough
calls going on throughout. The fifth game was exciting all the way
DeLierre holding off a late charge from Galvez to take the game
12-10 and the match.
Into the evening session and two time champion of the Pro Am Arturo
Salazar going up against the winner of last weeks tournament in
Medicine Hat, third seeded Englishman Ben Coleman. Not many would
have picked a Mexican win in this match after his tough first round
match AND the one sided first game 11-3 win by Coleman. Salazar was
able to weather that first game storm and settle in to win the next
three games to produce the only upset so far winning three games to
one over Coleman.
Last evening match was the second see Raphael Kandra of Germany who
has had great success here in the Pro Am despite not winning the Pro
Am title. He was up against the impressive Reiko Peter seeded #5 in
the event. Kandra looked very good in tonights match and never let
Peter really settle in producing a straight game win for the
athletic German player.
Soooo onto the semis with Canadian hopes alive as Shawn DeLierre
goes up against top seed Shaun Le Roux while two time champ Arturo
Salazar will test second seed Raphael Kandra … both should be great
matches!!
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BankersHallSquash |
28-Jan, Round One:
Seeds through to Quarters in sunny Calgary
Bob Ballinger reports
Above seasonal weathering has greeted the players this week for the
2016 Bankers Hall Club Pro Am in downtown Calgary.
Thursday’s round of 16 daytime session saw no upsets as the seeded
players found there way through but not always easily. New Zealand’s
Martin Knight playing in one of his favorite tournaments went
through in relatively easy fashion winning in straight games over
Shahjahan Khan of Pakistan.
Eric Galvez of Mexico who has been a crowd favorite here years ago
took out Malaysian player Addeen Idrakie in an entertaining three
games.
Lastly Canadian #1 Shawn DeLierre who is long overdue to be back
here at this tournament took out the ever improving James Huang of
Taiwan in four games.
The four evening matches were played before more great crowds in
downtown Calgary with the trend of all seeds winning continuing.
For the local crowd and Canadian squash fans in general they were
hoping for this trend to not continue because that saw local pro and
world #87 Andrew Schnell go down to veteran Mexican Arturo Salazar
in five back and forth games. It was about six years ago that these
two squared off here in the first round as Schnell was fairly new on
the circuit while Salazar was starting his run to a second
consecutive title here ... different year but same result yet this
was close all the way.
Other seeds that continued the winning trend were #2 seed German
Raphael Kandra winning in four very entertaining games over the
skillful Chi Him Wong of Hong Kong; the very steady third seed
Ben Coleman of England took out Finnish player Matias Tuomi in
straight games; and in the last match of the night Canadian Matthew
Serediak could not hold off #5 seed Reiko Peter of
Switzerland also in straight games.
So the quarter finals have all eight seeded players
through…..Canada’s top player Shawn DeLierre carries the torch for
the locals the rest of the way with a lot of great squash to come!
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BankersHallSquash |
Welcome to the 2016 Bankers Hall Club Pro-Am squash tournament. The
tournament is being held January 27 to 31, 2016 and is hosted
by Bankers Hall Club in Calgary, Canada.
Past champions in the long history of the Bankers Hall Club Pro-Am
have been Viktor Berg from Canada (2001), Borja Golan
from Spain (2003), Cameron Pilley from Australia (2004), Tommy Berden from Netherlands (2005),
Matt Giuffre from
Canada (2006), Daryl Selby from England (2007), Shahier
Razik from Canada (2008), two time champion Arturo Salazar
of Mexico (2009/2010), two time champion Chris Simpson of
England (2011/2012), and current three time champion Leo Au
of Hong Kong (2013/2014/2015).
The tournament will once again be a part of Mens PSA International
pro circuit and the 16 players will be competing at the $10,000 US
prize level.
Canada’s top two players are featured in this years event as
Shawn DeLierre comes in as the #4 seed and will play James Huang
who is no stranger to the Pro Am having competed here many times
now. Also local star Andrew Schnell #2 in Canada is always to
be watched here and he has a tough first round match with two time
Pro Am champion Arturo Salazar who is the #6 seed.
Players that have competed in this event over the years have gone on
to have successful pro careers rising to top 10 in the world
rankings including Miguel Rodriguez, Omar Mosaad, Simon Roesner,
Peter Barker, and Max Lee to name a few. In fact 19 of the current
top 50 in the mens world rankings have played in the Pro-Am here.
As well as the highlighted Mens PSA event there is a full slate of
amateur events for Men and Women to enter into and it has
become the most popular tournament to enter into pretty much
anywhere!
For further information please contact Bob Ballinger
bballinger@bankershallclub.com
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