Thierry Lincou and Daryl Selby had proved themselves the class of
the field for three straight days, losing only a game apiece in
three matches, and it was a fitting solution to the draw that they
should be the last two standing.
With
a ‘good start’ the common wish to any player in any match it was
only Lincou who would see his granted as the early points of the
first game were awarded. Selby was, to begin at least, a step slower
than he seemed in his semi-final versus compatriot Peter Barker. A
Lincou drop to the tin was the only blemish on a five point run to
5-1 up and it seemed that Selby was doing more reacting than
initiating. The Englishman was awarded a stroke for his second point
of the game but then suffered a rash of missed chances, collecting a
lot of tin and leaving Lincou with the points. The game winning shot
was a feathered drop at the front right that Lincou held perfectly
to take it 11-2.
Through this start, and most of the match, there was almost nothing
but the sound of shoes, racquets and a ball on court. Those three
things were heard at a frantic pace, along with an appreciative
crowd, but there was barely a sound from the players themselves,
completely absorbed by the task.
In game two a more confident Selby found his shots and began to step
up. Lincou was forced into a few more errors and the score sheet
demonstrated that parity with never more than a point between up to
5-4. A brilliant rally of alternating advantage was ended as Lincou
held a perfect length drive until the last moment, the depth of
which Selby couldn’t quite reach. Selby’s sportsmanlike call on his
own low shot was second in a run of four Lincou points to go to 8-5
and it seemed that the best of advantages, a 2-0 lead in games, was
within his sight. The prospect galvanized something in Selby and he
narrowed his sights with a number of inch perfect drops and volleys
that Lincou could not fend off more than once up to 10-9. Game ball
was earned by Selby on a volley drop to the nick and was punctuated
with an emphatic yell. Lincou immediately found the nick himself and
extra points beckoned. An unfortunate pop out to the centre from a
front wall nick cost Lincou a stroke and then an uncharacteristic
length-only rally ended with an errant tin by the Frenchman. For all
the work and tension of the game it was a muted winning point, but
not undeserved.
There is no such thing as an unimportant game three and both players
recognized it with their play right away. Offense and defense mixed
seamlessly and the rallies swung quickly back and forth. From an
even 3-3 score line then it was Lincou who generated his own good
fortune. He took the next six points, only one a gift by Selby
error, and was imposing his own ideas to end some really
entertaining rallies. As in the second game though the Englishman
mounted a comeback and, using up his one point buffer, was the one
threatening even while serving 8-10 down. It was a battering blow
then when he went for a sly midcourt boast during the next rally and
tinned it heavily. A relieved Lincou left the court up 2-1 while
Selby took a walk around the court to consider the advantage he had
surrendered.
Able
to collect his thoughts in the brief time allowed between games
Selby promptly jumped out to the lead in the fourth while it was now
Lincou sounding the tin. At 4-0 an observer might have guessed
Lincou was content to go to five games and at 6-2 it was beginning
to look like his start had cost him the choice of anything else.
What followed then was a shining example of diligent focus and
adherence to the old mantra of taking one rally at a time. Lincou
missed two drops but claimed six points of his own from a variety of
tight and lean shots. He tied things at 8-8 with an aggressive rally
that looked to have been his at least three times before it actually
was. Selby was always in it but wasn’t the determining touch on the
ball, for better or worse, until three lets worth of patience were
squandered on an open shot error to put Lincou at game ball, 10-8.
It was one more reversal that had Selby tie it up again at 10-10 but
Lincou’s second chance to close it out, at 11-10 on a volley winner,
was punctuated by a loud shout that gave rare voice to the tension
built up behind his focus. The ref’s judgment of a “no let” to Selby
in the next rally ended the suspense as the crowd erupted amid the
waves of jubilant relief and crushing disappointment that were
rolling off the court. Both players took a few seconds of
introspective consideration for the result and the 5th annual
Bluenose Squash Classic is now in the books.
The
5th annual Bluenose Squash Classic is again supported by
contributions from founding sponsor Zal Davar, also Eric Kitchen,
Paul Hopkins, Bill Presse and Martin Clouthier as well as returning
corporate sponsors: Truefoam Limited, Benchmark Investing, Dr. Chris
Petropolis Dentistry, Opa Taverna, National Leasing, Canadian
Diagnostic Centres, Domus Real Estate, Coady Filliter, Lifemark
Physiotherapy and Mil-Aero Electronics. The 2010 Bluenose Squash
Classic is now also generously sponsored by Marsh Canada Ltd., 20
Vic Management Inc., Owens MacFadyen Group, RoyCom Inc. and
Deloitte. Players and referees are staying at The Lord Nelson Hotel.
Squash Nova Scotia is the sponsoring provincial association and the
Bluenose is an official test event for the squash venue for the 2011
Canada Games.
Ref (for Lincou): "Yes let."
Selby: "That was a perfect shot. There was no way he was going to
get that back. Even if I wasn't in the way, there's no way he would
get that back."
Ref (at 10-8 Lincou in game 3): "Yes let."
Selby (thinking 'no let'): "That was so close."
Martin Knight (NZL) bt
Robin Clarke (CAN) 11-5, 11-9, 11-3 (50m)
Jan Koukal (CZE) bt Scott Arnold (AUS) 6-11, 13-11, 11-7,
11-9 (59m)
Ryan Cuskelly (AUS) bt Adil Maqbool (PAK) 11-4, 9-11, 11-0,
11-6 (41m)
Mohd. Nafiizwan Adnan (MAS) bt Wade Johnstone (AUS) 11-6,
7-11, 11-4, 9-11, 11-9 (79m)
02-Feb, Qualifying Day 1
Robin Clarke (CAN) bt Mike
Smeltzer (CAN) 11-6, 11-4, 11-3 (18m)
Martin Knight (NZL) bt Josh Rudolph (CAN) 11-8, 11-3, 11-3
(27m)
Jan Koukal (CZE) bt Maxym Leclair (CAN) 11-9, 14-12, 11-1
(22m)
Scott Arnold (AUS) bt Matthew Serediak (CAN) 11-5, 11-7,
11-3 (28m)
Ryan Cuskelly (AUS) bt Fred Reid (CAN) 11-6, 11-8, 11-8
(28m)
Adil Maqbool (PAK) bt Thomas Brinkman (CAN) 11-6, 9-11,
11-5, 11-8 (34m)
Wade Johnstone (AUS) bt David Vidal (ESP) 11-6, 11-13, 11-5,
11-7 (45m)
Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan (MAS) bt Matt Bishop (CAN) 11-6, 11-6,
11-8 (36m)
06-Feb, Semis Upset Times Two,
Selby and Lincou are Through
The PSA rankings system never rests and to maintain the top ten
status that the biggest names have so long defined requires a
constant diet of rankings points, the kind only available in the
latest stages of a tournament. The two semi-finals at this year’s
Bluenose were staffed by some of those names and all four
competitors could easily see themselves playing for the lion’s share
come Sunday. With Peter Barker and David Palmer on opposite sides of
the draw the prospect of a rematch championship was there, but Daryl
Selby and Thierry Lincou, confident in their own intentions, made
the day theirs.
Barker vs. Selby
Having
competed against one another several times over the course of junior
squash, British national play, and PSA events, countryman Daryl
Selby and Peter Barker are no strangers to each other’s style of
play. This was quite evident in game one of the semifinals of the
Bluenose Classic as the match began as a back and forth event with
long rallies and an even exchange of points. Early on, Selby pushed
the limits of Barker’s agility with precision length and accurate
shot placement while Barker tested Selby’s endurance through an
impressive display of anticipation and retrieval which contributed
to very long rallies. Midway through the first with the score at
5-5, Selby went ahead by one on a hold and drop that landed in the
front corner nick. Barker countered back with a crisp forehand drive
that caught the sidewall nick to again tie the score at 6-6. A
volley drive into the tin from Barker followed by a stroke against
Selby kept the score tied at 7-7. Over the next exchange of points
both players traded winning shots ending long rallies – again
bringing the score even at 8-8. During the next point, an aggressive
volley boast from Selby found tin to put Barker ahead 9-8. Over the
next two points, pressure from Barker forced both of Selby’s shots
into the tin for a marathon thirty four minute 11-8 game one win.
Similar
to the first, the second game began with long rallies comprising an
entertaining display of shots and retrievals as the score remained
close at 4-4. With a couple of strokes called against Barker
supplemented by well-placed winners, Selby claimed the bulk of the
next seven points as he took a 9-6 lead. Barker responded back with
a pair of boast and cross court winning shots to close the gap by
one point at 8-9. A drop into nick and “no let” call against Barker
moved Selby to 10-9 and serving for the game. Over the next point,
Barker hit a cross court ball that innocently caught the back wall
nick to even the score at 10-10. A pinpoint front court drop put
Selby ahead 11-10 and serving for the game. The next rally – Selby
clipped tin for 11-11. Over the next three exchanges, Barker
continued to stave off game point as the score remain tied at 13-13.
Selby pulled ahead 14-13 on a stroke called against Barker. In his
sixth game ball attempt, Selby slammed a forehand down the wall for
a marathon thirty five minute 15-13 game two win.
To
start game three, a sequence of tight upfront drops and pair of tin
errors from Selby, enabled Barker to quickly build a 5-1 lead. A
deceptive backhand drop and off-speed winner from Selby brought the
score to 3-5. Just past the midway point in the game, Barker
maintained a 7-4 lead. Both players continued to exchange points
with Selby making steady progress in catching up to Barker. At 9-8
for Barker, the momentum began to shift toward Selby – who had
trailed for the entire game – as he hit a sharply executed cross
court in the back corner for a 9-9 tie. The next point was a long
rally with Barker striking the tin for a 10-9 score. At game point,
Selby hit a tight-to-the-wall sidewall shot that handcuffed Barker
for an 11-9 game three win.
The fourth game saw Barker come out extremely flat as Selby mounted
a commanding 8-0 lead. Backed by encouragement from the crowd,
Barker took the next point to get on the score sheet. With increased
confidence and the lead, Selby stayed the course of solid and
consistent play as he exhibited throughout the match and muffled any
attempts by Barker to get back into the game. Selby took the fourth
by an 11-5 score to advance to the finals. -KB
Lincou vs. Palmer
At
the top of the mountain the differences between rankings are very
fine, reversible any given day. While ranked ahead of Lincou in the
world top ten as of the tournament seeding Palmer would not have
allowed himself the conceit of entitlement in this clash of marquee
names.
Palmer got the quick start, 2-0 up, then 4-2. Variety was his weapon
of choice at the outset, with drops, drives and volleys all
contributing to the bottom line, aided by a couple of misses as
Lincou struggled with his range. If it could be judged at this early
stage Palmer appeared quite relaxed, more so even than through
yesterday’s quarter-final match. Lincou’s focus remained on his own
needs and he never strayed further than two points off the pace,
recalibrating his instruments to meet the Australian at an even 6-6.
There was little time spent on one side of the court without a visit
to other, both players searching to force a gap between themselves
and their opponent. With Lincou now up at 8-7 a critical “no let” in
his favour put him two from Palmer and two away from the 1-0 lead.
In a moment of drama Palmer hid a beautiful boast under the guise of
a drive from mid-court and Lincou slipped on the way to the ball,
almost a full sprawl at the T. This didn’t unsettle the Frenchman as
it could have and instead it was Palmer who was wrong footed into
the back left. With a stroke against the Australian in the next
rally Lincou was up 1-0.
As
would happen more than preferred at various times in the match a
couple of front wall nicks started the second. These were both
judged to be strokes for Lincou and he went all the way to 5-1 in
relatively short order on the strength of that beginning. Needing a
reset Palmer clarified a few things with the officials and then
clawed back to only 6-4 down. There were a number of lets creeping
in to the fabric of the match and it was a shame at this point to
have a huge rally of equal recovery and attack be called as such. On
the restart, via a Palmer service from the left box, Lincou tested a
“change up” serve return that died short and wide ahead of the
server. It was a pattern to repeat itself three to four times
elsewhere in the match and a real momentum killer after a hard won
Palmer point. Three points adrift at 8-5 down the climb back was
made virtually impossible when Palmer tinned an open volley from
just off the T and then his frustration peaked with a stroke against
for Lincou game ball. The next rally was never played as the ref
judged Palmer’s reaction conduct stroke worthy – 2-0 for Lincou.
A quick collision to start the 3rd might have distracted Lincou but
Palmer, knowing his back was against the wall, pushed through to a
solid 7-1 lead. Lincou potted a hard volley for his second point of
the game but thoughts were already on the fourth game and the last
three points were well executed formality for Palmer.
The
fourth game was fast and hard out of the gate – both players
unloading. Palmer’s will to fight – never in question – was
aggravated by the many lets that were popping up in both directions
and betrayed by a couple of open volley errors. Lincou dented the
tin to sit only 5-4 to the good amongst it all but soon accepted a
couple of earned strokes and might have comfortably contemplated the
end. Palmer seized a flash of momentum to get to 8-7 down but an
error on a drop and then one of Lincou’s that was glued to the wall
put match ball in his hands. It was an attempt at a serve return
nick that Palmer couldn’t quite get to roll that Lincou then pounced
on and drove deep out of reach for the match. The crowd was thrilled
and the players tired – a great combination at a squash match.
Ref (after what seemed a full 3 minute
rally for the first point of the match): "1-0"
Barker (already dripping with sweat and smiling): "They're not all
going to be that boring, I promise."
Ref (at 13-12 Selby in the 2nd game and after a Selby miss): "Not
up."
Barker: "If that had been up what would have been your decisions?"
Ref: "We're not discussing that."
Barker: "Why not, it's only a bit of fun."
Call from a wit in the crowd during extra points in the 2nd game:
"Let's go England."
Palmer (in first minute of the match,
moving toward tight Lincou drop): "Let."
Ref: "Yes let."
Lincou (disbelieving, to Palmer): "Did you ask?"
Palmer: "Yeah."
Lincou: "Why?"
Palmer: "Not sure..."
Lincou (after a let to Palmer at 5-3 in the 1st): "That's three
mistakes already."
Ref: "Careful."
Lincou (to the ref after Palmer just misses a pick up): "C'mon, ball
was down."
Ref (to Palmer after a couple of beats): "Your ball was down."
Palmer: "I know that, just wanted to see if you guys know it."
This evening the four
top seeds bore out the status they were accorded at the close of
registration for the 2010 Bluenose Squash Classic. The minefield of
the first two rounds was successfully navigated by Barker, Palmer,
Lincou and Selby, but nothing was taken for granted and their
opponents all took their shots at the unexpected.
Barker vs. Razik
The Bluenose quarter-finals are familiar territory to both Peter
Barker and Shahier Razik. Each has actually seen their way through
to the finals, albeit in different editions, but only one would have
that chance this year.
Barker
started the match by stepping into everything he took a swing at.
Two quick points by the Englishman served notice to Razik that this
was not intended to be a long night. To his credit though, Razik
weathered the early storm and went about the difficult work of
establishing some influence over the flow of the game. Drawing close
at 6-5 down Razik seemed to have struck a balance. Barker had
surrendered a couple of points on errors and things tightened up
with lets to either side now playing a part. The race to end it was
hard fought from both, Razik doing well to neutralize Barker’s
attempts to dictate pace by pushing him to the back corners more
than he wanted. Barker never slowed however and got the crucial
points to take it from 8-8 to an 11-9 win.
At 3-3 in the second Barker was doing the directing, cutting off
most of what was previously going deep. Razik had to make a stand,
took the upper hand at 7-6 and then suffered two tough “no let”
calls to reverse the advantage. From there the Canadian never
settled but ran out of room on the score sheet as Barker hit a serve
return nick for the game point at 11-9.
Having played positively and smartly for two games but with nothing
to show for it, Razik still pushed for a change in the tide. Things
had loosened somewhat over the break however and the precision that
was necessary to contain Barker had been breached. At 5-0, after
thoughts strayed to the possibility of replacing the ball, Razik was
victimized for four points in about a minute and a half and looking
at the wrong end of a 9-0 score line. 11-3 was the final game score.
The final match score of 3-0 doesn’t do the effort justice. -PK
Selby vs. Frankcomb
Daryl
Selby quickly began with a 3-0 start against Aaron Frankcomb. Selby
continued to build his lead to 7-2 as he maintained pace and
accuracy with a portfolio of crisp drives and well placed drops. The
Aussie held his own throughout the rallies, but only manage an
additional three points in the remainder of the game as Selby took
game one 11-5.
Again in game two, Selby had a positive start with the score at 3-1
in his favour. Frankcomb rallied back with a couple of winning cross
court drives combined with a pair of tins errors from Selby to take
a 5-3 lead. Over the course of several long rallies, Frankcomb was
able to outlast Selby by ending numerous points with tight boasting
and drops to maintain the lead at 9-7. An overly aggressive back
court drop from Frankcomb found tin to reduce the lead to 9-8. In
the next rally, Frankcomb again found tin to tie the game at 9
apiece. A perfectly hit drive from Selby and an errant tin shot from
Frankcomb ended game two 11-9 for Selby.
Selby
dominated the third game as he quickly jumped out to a 7-2 lead.
Having done the majority of running throughout the match, Frankcomb
was unable to shift the momentum as Selby continued to build his
lead to 10-2. At match ball, Selby and Frankcomb had an entertaining
exchange of lobs and upfront drops with Selby being one shot better
– an 11-2 score and 3-0 match win for a semifinal match up against
countryman Peter Barker. -KB
Lincou vs. Iskandar
Less than one week ago, Thierry Lincou of France and Mohd Azlan
Iskandar faced off in the semis at the Motor City Open where
Iskandar took the marathon match in five games. The quarter finals
of the Bluenose Classic saw the two players again cross paths in
what was built up to be an adrenaline filled rematch. With an
impressive display of power and accurate drives, Lincou was off to a
4-1 advantage early in game one. Iskandar matched Lincou shot for
shot as both attacked and countered attacked to exchange points with
Lincou able to maintain a three point lead at 8-5. Two of the last
three points of the game were loosely hit balls from Iskandar that
resulted in “stroke” calls for Lincou as he closed game one 11-6.
In
the second, Iskandar upped the pace as he began with a 3-0 lead.
Lincou responded back to tie the score 3-3. Throughout the game,
there were several long rallies where both players were pushing each
other to the limit of front and back court retrieval. The game
remained close as both players traded winners. At 7-7, Lincou hit a
blistering cross court winner just out of Iskander’s reach to bring
the score to 8-7. The next rally was long and eventually brought to
an end by Lincou with a perfectly executed hold and drop into the
front corner nick – Isklandar’s attempt to retrieve the shot
appeared hampered as he walked slowly back to the tee. At 9-7,
Iskandar hit the ball out as he was experiencing difficulty with
moving around the court. In the final point of the game, Lincou hit
a very retrievable backhand length shot that Iskandar could not
reach for an 11-7 game two win. At this point in the match, Iskandar
was in obvious discomfort from a leg injury and wisely decided to
retire. A match win for Lincou and berth in the semifinals against
David Palmer. -KB
Ong vs. Palmer
Game
one between Ong Beng Hee and David Palmer got off to a dream start
for the defending champion. Palmer was 7-1 up before the contest had
taken on any character. It was only during a period of lets and
strange bounces from 7-1 to 8-4 that Ong seemed to be taking a bit
of control back. Throughout this period was played some astounding
squash – pickups and reactions on full display as both players moved
effortlessly for some brilliant shots. The lets did taper off at the
end of the game and Palmer closed the door with a perfect drop for
the 11-6 win.
With the favorite ahead by one it was the second game that was Ong’s
chance to react. He got to 5-5 after some work in the trenches of
the court – all four corners in full use – and then the tension of
the effort became no less than 8 straight lets, a quick stroke in
either direction, then 4 more lets.
The
crucial nature of this point in the match was obvious to all in
attendance, and most acutely to the players, as a 1-1 tie was the
last thing Palmer wanted while a 2-0 hole would be deep enough that
Ong might never get out. As he had in the first, Palmer did his best
work at the end, sealing the 11-8 win on a no let to Ong.
His range must have been left outside the court at the break, Ong
could not find the handle on a number of drop shots in the third
that took the tin. These had been landing in the first two games but
he never recovered his touch as Palmer piled on with the advantage
in a relatively quick game that ended 11-3. -PK
Ref: "No let"
Barker: "I was there at the ball, and I took him with me."
Razik (stops, thinking the ball is broken, which it turns out not to
be): "Can we get a new one?"
Barker: "No thanks."
04-Feb, Round One Quarter-finals Decided for the 2010
Bluenose
Eight men into the
quarter-finals of the 2010 Bluenose, but only five nations
represented. There are strength in numbers for Malaysia, Australia
and England, two players in the last eight each – Canada and France
with one apiece rounding it out.
Barker vs. Koukal
Game
one saw Peter Barker take an early 4-1 lead over Jan Koukal. Koukal
rallied back to tie the game at 5-5. Over the next two points,
Barker patiently set up two upfront winners to go ahead 7-5. Koukal
managed to keep the score close, but it was Barker taking game one
11-8.
In the second game Barker got out to a solid 5-0 lead. Koukal
managed to pull within one point at 4-5 assisted by three unforced
errors from his opponent. Barker countered back by taking the next
three points and widening his lead to 8-4. Koukal managed just two
more points before Barker claimed game two by an 11-6 score.
Game three saw a shift in momentum. Although Barker began the game
with a 3-1 lead and held the lead throughout the majority of the
game, Koukal’s perseverance paid off. At 9-6 for Barker, Koukal went
on a five point run to take game three 11-9.
In the fourth, Barker quickly mounted a 5-2 lead. This time he would
not allow it to collapse as he controlled the majority of play
throughout the game to take the game by an 11-4 score for a 3-1
match win. -KB
Razik vs. Lavigne
Returning
to Halifax after a missed year in 2009, Canadian #1 Shahier Razik
was looking to upend the seedings somewhat by putting down French
stalwart Renan Lavigne. With a shared history stretching back over
ten years (to Albuquerque in 1999), but totaling only four matches,
there wasn’t any hard evidence on which to place a bet.
Lavigne got a great start against a sportsmanlike Razik, sitting 3-0
and 6-2 in front. Both players were playing deep into the corners
but accepted any opportunity to go short and it started to pay off
more and more for Razik, who finally drew even on a perfect boast at
7-7. Everything was up and down the backhand wall as Lavigne pushed
to regain his advantage but, despite some stellar rallies the points
went to Razik and he accepted a stroked at game ball.
Lavigne
brought energy into the second game but the start was more even,
then Razik went on a four point run at 6-3 to hold game ball.
Lavigne knew this was last real chance and held off for three more
points but then went down 2-0 on a Razik drop to the front left nick
from the center back of the court.
The final game was a formality as Razik got up quickly. Lavigne
played aggressively where he could but the points didn’t come –
final to Razik 11-1. -PK
Rodriguez vs. Frankcomb
There is usually a match up somewhere in the draw where the first
few rallies have you thinking it will be five games no matter what.
This was that match. After almost 100 minutes Aaron Frankcomb won
his first ever meeting with the higher ranked Miguel Angel
Rodriguez. Both players gave it all.
Rodriguez
can scramble when in trouble like few others and he found himself
that way for stretches, but gave as good as he got.
The two best
runs of the match belonged to the Columbian, six and five points
respectively in the 2nd and 3rd games, the two he won, but
everything else in both directions was singles and doubles for five
full games. No one could sustain momentum on the score sheet in the
face of the other’s will to resist and there were parts of the match
where the stalemate seemed permanent with more than a couple of
lets.
Although he was undone in the third by a brilliant Rodriguez
comeback from 10-7 down, Frankcomb stifled another in the fourth and
then cemented things in the fifth with his own solid play from 7-6
up to 11-7. The last two points were both no let decisions, one to
each player. Tense and exciting stuff – a lot of heart built on
exceptional skill and athleticism -PK
Selby vs. Knight
To
start game one, Daryl Selby and Martin Knight had several long
rallies with Selby registering the bulk of the winning shots to pull
ahead by 4-1. Knight found tin over the next three exchanges to
allow Selby to move into a comfortable 7-1 lead. Knight managed to
collect a few additional points on upfront winners before Selby
closed out the game by an 11-4 score.
Early in game two, Knight and Selby exchanged winners as the score
was tied a 4-4. In the second half of the game, Knight hit several
tin while Selby displayed notable accuracy with his drops and
volleys. Selby took the game by an 11-6 score.
In game three, Selby started off with a 3-1 lead. A stroke call
against Knight combined with a few errant tin moved Selby’s lead to
6-2. Late in the game Knight began to mount a comeback, however
counter pressure from Selby in the last rally forced Knight’s
backhand into the tin. Selby closed game three 11-8 for a 3-0 match
win. -KB
Lincou vs. Ryder
With crisp length and precision touch in the front of the court,
Thierry Lincou started game one with a 6-1 lead over Chris Ryder.
Ryder made several winning drops in the front, but attack pressure
from his opponent was immense as Lincou took the first by an 11-6
score.
The
second game was close as both players traded a series of winners and
unforced errors. At 6-6, Lincou pulled ahead by three points from
two cross court winners and a drop that brought the score to 9-6.
Ryder managed two more points before Lincou’s back hand drive up the
wall ended the game 11-8.
Similar to the previous game, game three remained close. At 4-3,
Ryder managed to grow his lead to 6-3. Two forehand winners from
Lincou cut Ryder’s margin to 6-5. At 9-8, Ryder was awarded a stroke
and in a position to serve game ball. At 10-8, Ryder’s shot found
tin and the next point saw Lincou hit an overhead drive into the
nick to tie things at 10-10. Both players then traded points for an
11 all score. The next two points belonged to Lincou as Ryder hit
the tin and Lincou finished the game with a drive into the back
corner for a 13-11 score and 3-0 match win. -KB
Iskandar vs. Cuskelly
As one of the qualifiers Cuskelly would not have been picked against
the Malaysian #2 but that didn’t dissuade him from standing in all
the way through the match. Early momentum was Iskandar’s as he
pushed the tempo faster than Cuskelly was ready for. The Australian
couldn’t seem to cut anything off as he did the necessary work in
the back corners, but that changed at 8-4 down when he plainly took
the initiative and stepped up to. His last point of the game was a
serve return to the nick to 7-10 down, but Iskandar replied with the
same to end it, 11-7.
It
was neck and neck in the second, some great counter-drops at the
front right by Cuskelly to 4-4, and then he sped out to a 7-4 lead
with some determined effort in trying to even things. The pendulum
headed back the way it came at that point, and an unintentional
drive that connected with Cuskelly’s knee left Iskandar very
apologetic but one point ahead at 8-7. Cuskelly refused to lie down
though and they battled up to 10-9 for Iskandar, who finally put it
away with a volley winner just above the tin.
Game 3 started poorly for Cuskelly and he couldn’t recover, 6-0 down
to begin – three game balls saved, but to no avail. Match to
Iskandar. -PK
Adnan vs. Palmer
In game one, David Palmer got off to a quick 6-1 lead as Mohd
Nafiizwan Adnan found several tin while trying to find his range
early on. Adnan rallied back with a combination of cross court,
boasts, and upfront winners to close Palmer’s lead by one with the
score at 7-6. Adnan kept the game close, however Palmer was able to
maintain his slight lead and close game one by an 11-9 score.
The
second game began with both players trading a pair of upfront
winners and tin as the score was tied at 2 apiece. At 4-4, Palmer’s
ability to retrieve and successfully counter attack pushed the score
to 7-4. Adnan made several tight shots that tested Palmer’s
quickness, but it was Palmer who took the game by an 11-6 score.
Throughout game three, the score remained close as Adnan and Palmer
exchanged points over several long rallies. At 6-6, a “no let” call
put Adnan ahead by one. Palmer won the next two rallies to go ahead
8-7. Not to be outdone, Adnan took the next two points to go ahead
9-8. The next three points belonged to Palmer as he claimed game
three 11-8 for a 3-0 match win.
Ong vs. Phillips
The second Canadian in the main draw, and now five time Bluenose
entrant, David Phillips, of Montreal, was the event wildcard and
foil for the final piece of the Malaysian Invasion, Ong Beng Hee.
Both
players started their way into the match slowly with some length
amid the adjustment of it being the first match for both. Phillips
was faster to get oriented with the three first points as Ong fought
to get up to speed. When he did things started happening faster and
it was 4-4 soon after.
An unfortunate run of three errors for
Phillips punctuated equally damaging winners off the racquet of Ong
as he took the rest of the game’s points to an 11-4 win.
The second game would have to be where Phillips made his case for an
upset – getting ahead at the start and then matching the Malaysian
all the way up. Ong looked to be pulling away when he lost his
racquet, recovered it and still won the point to go 9-7 up.
Phillips
held his resolve and three rallies later was holding game ball,
10-9, on a perfect counter-drop. Unable to close with that one he
gave himself two more chances at 11-10 and 12-11 with some brilliant
movement from both. That proved to be the last opening though as two
errors and a stroke to Ong sealed a 2-0 lead in games.
The final game was all Ong, starting with some inch perfect boasting
and reaching 9-1 on the way to a final score of 11-4. -PK
The 5th annual
Bluenose Squash Classic is again supported by contributions from
founding sponsor Zal Davar, also Eric Kitchen, Paul Hopkins, Bill
Presse and Martin Clouthier as well as returning corporate sponsors:
Truefoam Limited, Benchmark Investing, Dr. Chris Petropolis
Dentistry, Opa Taverna, National Leasing, Canadian Diagnostic
Centres, Domus Real Estate, Coady Filliter, Lifemark Physiotherapy
and Mil-Aero Electronics.
The 2010 Bluenose Squash Classic is now also generously sponsored by
Marsh Canada Ltd., 20 Vic Management Inc., Owens MacFadyen Group and
RoyCom Inc.
Players and referees are staying at The Lord Nelson Hotel. Squash
Nova Scotia is the sponsoring provincial association and the
Bluenose is an official test event for the squash venue for the 2011
Canada Games.
The Bluenose Squash Classic, a not for profit event and part of the
Canadian Squash Circuit, is being initiated and organized by the
Nova Scotia squash community in memory of Marcella Davar (May 8,
1954 – July 21, 2004).
Marker: "Not up."
Razik: "Appeal. 100% appeal."
Ref: "Play a let."
Lavigne: "No! ... That's too easy, to do that."
Fan (after Lavigne dominated a rally for the point): "Let's go
Shahier."
Lavigne: "I'm not Shahier."
Frankcomb (body language asks for let, expectation of stroke given
obvious)
Ref: "Yes, let."
Frankcomb: "What?"
Ref: "Side wall."
Frankcomb: "Winner."
Ref: "Let."
Frankcomb: "I'll show you."
(Goes and gets the ball, demonstrates the winning shot he thought he
had to the front wall.)
Ref: "Play on please."
Ref: "Yes, let"
Frankcomb (expecting a stroke to be given): "No. How do you want me
to play that ball?"
Ref: "By taking another step towards it. Play on please."
Ref (to Cuskelly after a pause): "No let."
Cuskelly: "Why don't you call it straight away?"
Ref: "Okay, I will."
Ref (for Iskandar): "Yes, let."
Both players (in disbelief): "What?"
Cuskelly: "Why is it a let?"
Iskandar: "I thought it was a stroke!"
03-Feb, Qualifying Finals Four Top Qualifiers Through to Main Draw
at Bluenose
Eight qualifiers started the day with a chance to make an appearance
in the main draw at the 2010 Bluenose and world rankings were borne
out as the top four ranked qualifiers claimed the available spots.
Knight vs. Clarke
Two Bluenose veterans started the night off – Martin Knight of New
Zealand, and Robin Clarke, the last Canadian left in qualifying.
Clarke got off to a quick start, up 2-0 on a cross court and some
tight length.
He
seemed to be reading the ball a little better than Knight at the
beginning of game one, making the Kiwi do a little more scrambling
than he would have liked. Both players were satisfied to hit to the
back corners almost exclusively, with maybe one or two drops and
boasts through to 5-5 when Clarke caught Knight with a drive from
the back right.
That was the last point of the game for the Ottawa native as a
couple of errors, a couple of winners for Knight on well held
drives, as well as a sportsmanlike call by Clarke that he had
carried the ball trampled the score sheet to an 11-5 win for Knight.
Knight continued his steady play in the second, getting out ahead to
4-2, with a couple of uncertain Clarke errors helping along the way.
Up to 5-4 for Knight there were two very long and even rallies in a
row that signaled that something in the rhythm had changed. Clarke
chose to make a stand here to prevent digging a 2-0 hole in the
match and found the right mix of easy movement and pressure on
Knight to pot the next five points – including an uncharacteristic
reverse boast.
With momentum and parity in games beckoning Clarke got too
optimistic with a backhand drop, caught the tin, and while nothing
was given for free in the rallies it was Knight who took things back
to even at 9-9 and then ultimately sealed the game with a tight
re-drop that Clarke couldn’t pull out.
Game three was hard fought but Knight had the upper hand and
completed runs of three and six points in a row, to Clarke’s single
markers each time, and the final game score rested at 11-3. Knight
floated the serve return on match ball into the nick and it was time
to shake hands. The match was fair tempered to the end with
complementary movement the norm and few lets overall. Knight
advances to face Daryl Selby. - PK
Koukal vs. Arnold
In game one, Scott Arnold quickly advanced to a 7-1 lead as his
boasts and front court drops were pinpoint accurate. Jan Koukal had
many opportunities to win rallies, however several of his shots
found tin. Late in the game, Koukal’s accuracy began to improve as
he rallied for three points, but it was too late as Arnold took game
one 11-6.
Similar
to game two, Arnold got off to an early lead at 3-1. A backhand
drive from Koukal into the nick coupled with an Arnold miss hit
brought the score to 3-3. Throughout numerous long rallies, both
players exchanged a series of impressive shots and displayed high-caliber
retrieval skills that kept the game close. At 10-10, Arnold hit a
deceptive cross court drop to serve for the game. Koukal countered
with a winning forehand drive that was just out of Arnold’s reach to
tie the score. At 12-11 Arnold hit a loose ball that Koukal rocketed
up the wall for a 13-11 game two win.
Game three began with Koukal taking a 3-0 lead. Arnold countered
back and the score was soon tied at 4 all. Koukal rallied for four
points on two well placed front corner drops combined with two
errant tin shots from his opponent to take an 8-4 lead. Koukal
continued to add to his lead while taking game three by an 11-7
score.
The fourth game started slowly for Koukal as Arnold got off to a 4-1
lead. Koukal managed to pull within one point at 3-4 before Arnold
again pushed his lead to 8-4. Three consecutive tin shots from
Arnold followed by a winning cross court drive from Koukal tied the
game at 8-8. At 9-9, Arnold clipped the tin on a drop – Koukal now
had a 10-9 lead. During match point, Arnold made an incredible
diving lunge to return a Koukal cross court drive – unfortunately he
lost the grip on his racket resulting in losing the point. Koukal
won game four 11-9 for a 3-1 match win to earn his place in the main
draw.
Cuskelly vs. Maqbool
To start game one, Adil Maqbool was slow to find his range as
unforced errors from drives into the tin put Ryan Cuskelly out to an
early 4-0 lead. Maqbool rallied for two points on a crisp length
shot and front sidewall drive that caught the nick to close the gap
by two. The next five points were dominated by Cuskelly with Maqbool
continuing to find tin as the lead grew to 9-2. Cuskelly closed game
one with a cross court drive for an 11-4 win.
In
the second game, Maqbool and Cuskelly had several long rallies where
both players equally exchanged winners and unforced errors as the
score remained close and neither player lead by more than a point.
At 8-8, Maqbool pulled ahead to 10-8 on two crisply hit and well
placed shots. Cuskelly again managed to pull within a point before
Maqbool hit another sharply hit ball up the side wall that caught
Cuskelly anticipating in the opposite direction. Maqbool took game
two by an 11-9 score.
The third game was witness to a significant swing in momentum as
Cuskelly’s shot selection and execution was flawless as he quickly
handed Maqbool an 11-0 loss.
With confidence and momentum in his favour, Cuskelly picked up from
where he left off and began game four with a 4-1 lead. Throughout
several rallies Maqbool upped the pressure on Cuskelly – however
many of his shots continued to find tin. Cuskelly won game four 11-6
for a 3-1 match win to secure a place in the main draw. - KB
Adnan vs. Johnstone
Match of the day, for duration and determination on both sides, came
in the 8:00 timeslot. Wade Johnstone of Australia fought his way
into the main draw of the 2009 Bluenose with a dogfight of a match
that ended 11-8 in the fifth. He came close to duplicating the feat
tonight, just losing a squeaker to the higher ranked Mohd Nafiizwan
Adnan 11-9 in the fifth.
It
was back and forth for the whole 79 minutes as first Adnan would
have the advantage and then Johnstone would find his attack. Both
players found a couple of strings of errors in the four games they
split and these directly affected the outcome. For Johnstone, when
his boasts were working they were sometimes outright winners and
certainly pressure producing shots, but when they deserted him for
stretches of a given game it was an uphill battle. For Adnan the
biggest rash of unforced errors came in the second when he gave two
easy ones back for every hard one he earned.
At 7-4 down in the fourth game, trailing the match 2-1, Johnstone
looked to be done but put together a solid comeback to tie it up,
only to yield two more points to rest at 9-7 down. There were some
contentious discussions between players and ref at this point and
the fourth was heavy with lets, but it was a string of four errors
that left Adnan shaking his head after losing 11-9 and headed for a
fifth game.
The fifth was nothing but effort from both sides. Exchanging points
evenly all the way up Adnan seemed to get the boost he needed with a
stroke for a 7-6 advantage, but then three straight Johnstone
winners brought him within two of finishing it. Adnan promptly
turned the tables and ended things with three straight of his own –
the last a hold and snap drive for the win - a heartbreaker for the
Aussie faithful.
The 5th annual
Bluenose Squash Classic is again supported by contributions from
founding sponsor Zal Davar, also Eric Kitchen, Paul Hopkins, Bill
Presse and Martin Clouthier as well as returning corporate sponsors:
Truefoam Limited, Benchmark Investing, Dr. Chris Petropolis
Dentistry, Opa Taverna, National Leasing, Canadian Diagnostic
Centres, Domus Real Estate, Coady Filliter, Lifemark Physiotherapy
and Mil-Aero Electronics.
The 2010 Bluenose Squash Classic is now also generously sponsored by
Marsh Canada Ltd., 20 Vic Management Inc., Owens MacFadyen Group and
RoyCom Inc.
Players and referees are staying at The Lord Nelson Hotel. Squash
Nova Scotia is the sponsoring provincial association and the
Bluenose is an official test event for the squash venue for the 2011
Canada Games.
The Bluenose Squash Classic, a not for profit event and part of the
Canadian Squash Circuit, is being initiated and organized by the
Nova Scotia squash community in memory of Marcella Davar (May 8,
1954 – July 21, 2004).
Koukal: "Was his pick up good?"
Ref: "Yes."
Koukal: "You don't know which one I was talking about."
Ref: "They were all good."
Cuskelly: "Let?"
Ref: "No let."
Cuskelly: "Why?"
Ref: "You have to go get that."
Cuskelly: "I did get it."
Ref: "No let."
(next rally)
Cuskelly: "Let?"
Ref: "Yes, let."
Cuskelly: "That was the same one."
Ref: "Nope."
Ref (after obvious stroke): "Stroke to Adnan."
Johnstone (turning around and looking straight past Adnan, smiling):
"Where is he?"
02-Feb, Qualifying Round One Canadian Luck Runs Thin
Ottawa’s Robin Clarke was the only Canadian to make it to the
second round of qualifying as the Bluenose Squash Classic opened
play in Halifax, Nova Scotia. All matches followed the seeding via a
draw which spread home hopes almost evenly across the eight match
lineup.
Knight vs. Rudolph One
of the first matches of the qualifying round of the 2010 Bluenose
Squash Classic featured local player Josh Rudolph against Martin
Knight of New Zealand. Knight was last year’s wild card entry in the
main draw and has participated in every Bluenose event since its
inception in 2006.
With support from the local crowd, Rudolph held his own against
Knight as both players traded winning front court shots with Rudolph
getting out to an early 4-2 lead. Rudolph continued to work the
front of the court as he pulled further ahead 7-3. In response,
Knight maintained the model of textbook squash – hitting tight
length, moving his opponent around the court, and patiently waiting
to execute opportune winners. His approach worked – the next eight
of nine points belonged to Knight as he closed off game one 11-8.
In games two and three, Knight continued where he left off taking
quick 3-0 leads. Throughout numerous rallies Rudolph was able to
maintain pace and counter attack, however Knight’s ability to
retrieve and up the pressure with each swing of the racket lead to
his domination of points throughout the match. Knight claimed games
two and three with the same 11-3 score for a 3-0 match win. - KB
Clarke vs. Smeltzer
The other opening slot of the evening put local player Mike Smeltzer
against Robin Clarke of Canada. In game one, Smeltzer jumped to a
2-0 lead on a winning volley and drive in the first two rallies.
Clarke responded back with a series of winning volley drops and
drives as he moved into a commanding 8-4 lead in the second half of
the first. Momentum continued as Clarke closed out game one 11-6.
Game two was similar to the first with Smeltzer taking a 2-0 lead.
Again, Clarke countered back with a sequence of winning drops and
length to take a 4-2 lead. Smeltzer was able to earn two additional
points with Clarke taking game two 11-4.
In game three, Clarke began with a 2-0 lead and was able to hit
several winning drops and length combined with some inopportune
errant tins from Smeltzer on his way to an 11-3 game and 3-0 match
win. - KB
Koukal vs Leclair
The 7:00 match time pitted Bluenose returnee Jan Koukal of the Czech
Republic against Maxym Leclair of Montreal, Quebec. Leclair started
strong, jumping to a 3-0 lead as Koukal was a bit slow out of the
blocks. He then got going with a bit of luck in a mishit winner off
the rim to get to 3-2 down but Leclair pressed back to a 5-2
advantage. The game was aggressive and fast, Leclair pushing and
Koukal made to hurry and respond, up to 8-8. Two more for Koukal
gave him game ball, which Leclair staved off with a great pickup for
9-10, but a cross court drive put the game away for Koukal, 11-9.
The
second game then was where Leclair sought to make his stand, the
game beginning with an all-corners-all-shots rally, Leclair
retrieving everything but still finding himself down 4-2 on a
perfect Koukal lob that died at the back. The Canadian scraped his
way up the scoreboard though, drawing even at 9-9 and then getting a
quick winner from a reaction shot at the front that went off the rim
of the racquet. Koukal won parity but then gave game ball back to
Leclair on a serve out of court. The Czech #1 was able to even yet
again and this time carry the momentum through to a 14-12 win.
Leclair would have felt unlucky not to have brought the match back
to level with three game balls that couldn’t be capitalized on.
The court tilted the way of the higher seed in the third game as
Koukal was able to reap the rewards of Leclair having put everything
into the first two. Final score was 11-1 and Koukal moves on. - PK
Arnold vs.Serediak
In a repeat match up from last year’s qualifying round, Scott Arnold
from Australia faced Matthew Serediak of Canada. The first rally of
game one was long as both players tested each other’s ability in the
front and back of the court.
Arnold’s
notable ability to retrieve well placed shots from Serediak
contributed to his 3-0 start in game one. Arnold continued to be one
shot better at the end of several extended rallies to grow his lead
to 7-3. Serediak made some deceptive winning drops which caught his
opponent flat footed, however not enough to make a difference as
Arnold took game one 11-5.
Game two began with Serediak obtaining a 3-1 lead. The game remained
close as Arnold was able to hit back-to-back winning drops up front
to even the score at 3-3. At 5-4, Serediak hit three balls into the
tin to hand Arnold an 8-4 lead. Again at 9-7, Serediak found the tin
twice and Arnold closed game two 11-7.
With momentum from the first two games in his favor, Arnold started
game three with a commanding 4-0 lead. Serediak could find no payoff
on the longer rallies but managed three points in the final game as
Arnold went on to take the third 11-3 and match 3-0. -KB
Cuskelly vs Reid
With 165 ranking positions between them Ryan Cuskelly of Australia
had the upper hand on paper over Ontario’s Fred Reid. The match
started on a much more even footing though, as Cuskelly sought to
get comfortable and Reid tried to be aggressive right out of the
gate.
Things
were neck and neck up to 5-5 before Cuskelly put together four in a
row. A drop to the tin was his only error in the back half of the
game, putting it away at 11-6.
Reid maintained his high pace / high risk / high energy strategy up
to a 6-4 advantage in the second game. There were a couple of nick
winners that he looked for and found to get the upper hand to that
point but a carbon copy four point run by Cuskelly turned the
tables. While it took work to realize it, the Australian found
himself again with game point and slotted home a drop to the front
left to go up 2-0.
With the longest possible road via which to come back Reid started
the third optimistically by taking a 5-1 lead on three clear
winners. The lower percentages were on his side but switched
allegiances for a couple of points to keep Cuskelly in range to 5-3
down. The give and take carried on to an 8-6 lead for Reid but an
energy drop ultimately surrendered momentum and Cuskelly took the
last five points for the match – entertaining stuff. - PK
Maqbool vs. Brinkman
From the start of game one it was clear that the match up between
“hard hitting” Khawaja Adil Maqbool and “quick retrieving” Thomas
Brinkman from Canada was going to be entertaining. In the opening
game, Maqbool displayed his hitting and placement skills as he
thoroughly tested Brinkman’s retrieval agility. Early in game one
Maqbool hit several crisp winners to take a 5-2 lead. Brinkman made
several impressive retrievals on near winners from his opponent to
keep many rallies going, but could not prevent Maqbool from closing
game one 11-6.
To
start the second game, Brinkman countered with a combination of
winning drops and deceptive boasts to for a 5-0 lead. Maqbool
responded with a series of well placed shots as he cut the lead to
5-3. Throughout the majority of the game, Brinkman was able to hold
the lead – attributable to his ability to anticipate, retrieve, and
successively counter attack against Maqbool’s crisp shots. Brinkman
took game 2 by a score of 11-9.
Game three saw Maqbool rely on accurate shot placement as he moved
Brinkman around the court to begin game three with a 2-0 lead.
Brinkman was able to tie the score at 3-3, however Maqbool
controlled the game as he kept moving Brinkman around the court
throughout several rallies to patiently set up winning
opportunities. Maqbool won game three by an 11-5 score.
Similar to game three, Maqbool relied on his shot placement
abilities to run his opponent and start game four with a 5-1 lead.
Maqbool never surrendered the lead throughout the game and held a
9-5 lead late in the match. Despite a late comeback effort from
Brinkman, Maqbool was able to close out game four 11-8 for a 3-1
match victory. -KB
Adnan vs. Bishop
Provincial #1 Matt Bishop was always going to have his hands full
and Mohd. Nafiizwan Adnan, the second seed qualifier, made it
apparent when he went up 5-0, then 8-1 in the first game. Bishop was
trying to find his range and pace while working to stay in the side
to side rallies, finally getting a foothold for recovery on a
misdirect winner to get to 2-8 down. A mini comeback on an Adnan
error and Bishop nick brought cheers from the partisan crowd who
made no bones about openly supporting the cause of the home
underdog. Optimism spiked as Bishop saved two match balls on cross
court drives to get to 10-6 down, however, Adnan took the one game
lead at the break.
The
positive trend for Bishop at the end of the first was short lived as
he pushed one out of court to start the second. Things didn’t get
any better for home hopes up to 5-0 for the Malaysian #3, but Adnan
was working for his points and the match as a whole was the second
longest of the night. As with the first Bishop was able to get his
game going on the score sheet only at 8-1 down, after Adnan had the
inside track. The Canadian did well on a drop from the back center
to the front left, then sent Adnan the wrong way for another. With
plenty of breathing space at game ball, 10-3, Adnan gave up three
quick errors – boast, drop, drop, all too low – but put a flat boast
just above the tin for a winner and ultimately went for a drink 2-0
up.
The third game started with the full support of the crowd urging
Bishop to the task but Adnan stayed on script and built a generous
cushion. As with the first two games there was no lack of
competition in the rallies, but the points fell to only one side. At
10-2 up, match ball beckoned and Adnan stayed patient. Then, after a
lots of work and little reward came Bishop’s best run of the match.
He took four pure winners – hold and flick, hold and flick, drive,
drop – added a couple of opportune Adnan boast errors on top of
those and was quickly in range, 8-10 down. The crowd ate it up but
the higher seed saw his opening on an angled drive and ended the
match with a nick. 3-0, Adnan advances. -PK
Johnstone vs. Vidal
The first game between Wade Johnstone of Australia and David Vidal
of Spain began as a seesaw battle with both players evenly
exchanging winners as the score was score was tied at 6-6. In the
second half of the game, Johnstone hit four consecutive winning
shots followed by a drive into the tin from Vidal to claim game one
11-6.
To
start the second, the score remained close at 4-4. A winning reverse
boast by Vidal and two unforced errors from Johnstone moved Vidal
into a 7-4 lead. Vidal continued to run up his tally and held a
commanding 10-5 lead. This was short lived as Johnstone turned the
momentum in his favour and evened the score at 10-10. The last four
points of the game comprised several long rallies and amazing
retrievals from both players with Vidal managing to recover from his
earlier collapsed lead and take game two 13-11.
Game three saw Johnstone get off to a commanding lead and work the
score to 9-5 as he dominated many rallies and hit several well
placed mid and front court drops that often caught nicks. Johnstone
took game three by an 11-5 score.
In game four, there was an increased pace to the rallies as both
players were in attack mode. Johnstone built a 3-1 lead before
proceeding to hit four consecutive tin to hand over a 5-3 lead to
Vidal. Over the next two points, Johnstone countered back with drop
and cross court winners to tie the score at 5 all. Both players
continued to exchange winners as the score remained tied a 7-7. The
last four points belonged to Johnstone as his two volley drop
winners combined with two errant tin shots from Vidal gave Johnstone
an 11-7 game and 3-0 match win.
The 5th annual
Bluenose Squash Classic is again supported by contributions from
founding sponsor Zal Davar, also Eric Kitchen, Paul Hopkins, Bill
Presse and Martin Clouthier as well as returning corporate sponsors:
Truefoam Limited, Benchmark Investing, Dr. Chris Petropolis
Dentistry, Opa Taverna, National Leasing, Canadian Diagnostic
Centres, Domus Real Estate, Coady Filliter, Lifemark Physiotherapy
and Mil-Aero Electronics.
The 2010 Bluenose Squash Classic is now also generously sponsored by
Marsh Canada Ltd., 20 Vic Management Inc., Owens MacFadyen Group and
RoyCom Inc.
Players and referees are staying at The Lord Nelson Hotel. Squash
Nova Scotia is the sponsoring provincial association and the
Bluenose is an official test event for the squash venue for the 2011
Canada Games.
The Bluenose Squash Classic, a not for profit event and part of the
Canadian Squash Circuit, is being initiated and organized by the
Nova Scotia squash community in memory of Marcella Davar (May 8,
1954 – July 21, 2004).
With only two days to the start of qualifying there isn’t much left
to do at the Saint Mary’s University courts here in Halifax but play
some squash.
Some of the best male squash players on the planet will be taking
their spots February 4th in the 16 man main draw that features 11
players from the top 40, Canadian wildcard entry David Phillips
and the four to-be-determined qualifiers.
The squash pedigree of world #8 David Palmer, returning
champion, pride of Australia, and France’s world #9 Thierry
Lincou has been cast over a decade plus at the top of the men’s
pro game. They will need to draw on all of that experience to topple
top seed, and world #6, Peter Barker of England.
Barker’s countryman, world #13, Daryl Selby rounds out the
top four slated to make it to Saturday’s semi-finals, but it is
earned passage only for all concerned. Atlantic Canadian squash fans
are primed to bear witness ...
Exceptionally Strong Draw
for 2010 Bluenose
Three of the world’s top ten ranked squash players will be heading
the main draw at the 2010 Bluenose Squash Classic this February 4–7
in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
The fifth edition of the Bluenose is looking forward to its
strongest field ever with England’s Peter Barker, finalist in
2009 and current world #6, arriving in Canada at the head of the
list to pursue a share of the $40,000 US prize pool.
Projected
to meet top seed Barker in the event’s final match is the defending
Bluenose Champion, David Palmer. The Australian’s 2009 trip
to Halifax showed off a progressively stronger brand of tight
attacking squash through the week to take the title, and he will be
gunning for a repeat performance.
France’s Thierry Lincou, world #9, is scheduled to make his
first trip to the competition, and he will have his own expectations
to satisfy.
As core members of each of their country’s perennially strong
national programs Barker, Palmer and Lincou are of the sport’s elite
with resumes to match. Barker has been a World Men’s Team Champion
with England while Palmer and Lincou have both held the world #1
ranking and been World Champions. This year’s Bluenose will be
squash at its highest caliber.
Always planning for an upset the rest of the draw runs deep with
international talent as well.
Past World Junior Champion Ong Beng Hee of Malaysia, and
countryman Azlan Iskandar will be representing the other side
of the planet against the likes of French veteran Renan Lavigne
and Canadian stalwart, and 2007 Bluenose Champion, Shahier
Razik.
A full draw of 16 qualifying players will compete on February 2-3 to
vie for one of the four remaining spots in the main draw. These
matches will be free to public viewing.
Tickets for the main draw are available for pre-paid purchase at The
Tower at Saint Mary’s University – 902-420-5555.
Prices, availability and match times are featured on the event
website at www.squashns.ca
The 5th annual
Bluenose Squash Classic is again supported by contributions from
founding sponsor Zal Davar, also Eric Kitchen, Paul Hopkins, Bill
Presse and Martin Clouthier as well as returning corporate sponsors:
Truefoam Limited, Benchmark Investing, Dr. Chris Petropolis
Dentistry, Opa Taverna, National Leasing, Canadian Diagnostic
Centres, Domus Real Estate, Coady Filliter, Lifemark Physiotherapy
and Mil-Aero Electronics.
The 2010 Bluenose Squash Classic is now also generously sponsored by
Marsh Canada Ltd., 20 Vic Management Inc., Owens MacFadyen Group and
RoyCom Inc.
Players and referees are staying at The Lord Nelson Hotel. Squash
Nova Scotia is the sponsoring provincial association and the
Bluenose is an official test event for the squash venue for the 2011
Canada Games.
The Bluenose Squash Classic, a not for profit event and part of the
Canadian Squash Circuit, is being initiated and organized by the
Nova Scotia squash community in memory of Marcella Davar (May 8,
1954 – July 21, 2004).
5 Years of Top-Flight Pro Squash in Atlantic Canada
The 2010 Bluenose Squash Classic is bringing pro squash to the edge
of the Atlantic for the 5th consecutive year.
This year’s competition will be a 4 Star PSA event, to be held
February 4th - 7th at the brand new squash courts of The Tower at
Saint Mary's University in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Competitors from around the world will take their places in the 16
player field to fight for the winner’s share of the $40,000 US prize
pool.
Last year’s final pitted two of the world’s top ten against each
other in a clinical display of world class squash. David Palmer,
Australian legend of the sport and two-time World Open Champion,
defeated England’s Peter Barker to add his name to the growing
history of the event as the 2009 Bluenose Champion. Local hopes have
Palmer returning to defend his title – a steep proposition at the
tip of the pyramid of men’s professional squash.
General admission tickets for this year’s event went on sale
December 14th and are available for pre-paid purchase at The Tower
(in person or by credit card, 902-420-5555).
Prices, availability and match times are featured on the event
website at www.squashns.ca .
The two qualifying rounds are open for free to public viewing on
February 2-3rd.
