|
|
|
 |
|
25-Apr, Finals:
[1] Alison Waters (Eng) bt [3] Madeline Perry (Irl)
11/6, 11/9, 11/4 (37m).
[1] Thierry Lincou (Fra) bt [6] Mohamed El Shorbagy (Egy)
11/7, 11/6, 11/5 (34m) |
Top seeds take Irish titles
Dan Zilic@Fitzwilliam
 In
the women's final Alison Waters took the far better start out of the
two and raced to a 5:0 lead in a few minutes. She managed to remain
ahead for the rest of the game, but home favourite Madeline Perry
was able to to get into the match thanks to some spirited rallies at
2:7 and 4:7 down.
Waters' volleys are somewhat good though and she
set herself up with a gameball to 10:6 thanks to a fantastic
forehand kill, then to take the next point and first game with a
deceptive crosscourt volley-drop.
Second game was tight with Madeline hitting some wonderfully hard
and crisp drives but Alison recovering well. Madeline held an 8:7
lead and it was anybody's game, but some more good volleying by
Waters were enough to see the game out 11:9.
The third game was to be the last despite an encouraging 3:1 start
to Madeline. A mixture of mistakes and good-play by Alison helped
her win 7 points in a row. She didn't give away the lead anymore and
won the game and match.
It was a well-contested match, it did seem though that Alison had a
tad more to offer at the front court, playing some excellent short
volleys and drops. Alison was very light-footed, moved very well and
retrieved most balls Madeline threw at her.
Full house for the men's
I think the place got even fuller for the men's final and people
actually reverted to watching the match in the bar, which was
possible thanks to having some cameras and screens set-up. The
presenter reminded us that Shorbagy had indeed beaten Lincou last
time round in the World Open in an 81mins game and the crowd were
hoping for some of the same.
From the outset it became clear that Shorbagy would not be able to
play an as open game as he had done in previous rounds. Lincou was
looking really sharp and began to pick up all the short-balls
Shorbagy played with interest. Also, much to Shorbagy's frustration,
his short shots were just not coming off as they had done before and
he was making a good amount of mistakes. I guess this is what
happens if you play against Lincou, as you pretty much have to hit a
perfect shot not to get the ball whipped back at you.
Nonetheless, the squash was dynamic and you could see why Lincou is
still number six in the world. Shorbagy played some unbelievable
drops and Lincou would pick them up and play some feathery
counter-drops or terrific lobs. It was enough to take first game
11:7, 3 points down to strokes (at least one of them dubious
though).
The second game was much of the same and it became evident that
Lincou was close to unbeatable today, at least with the error rate
Shorbagy was playing at. The "Ooooh" and "Aaaah" rate therefore was
not quite as high as before, but nonetheless Shorbagy played some
delightful crosscourt drops that were close to unretrievable, but
not for Lincou of course, who even found the time to delay his shots
and make Shorbagy work tremendously hard. Lincou worked himself into
a lead of 9:2 and Shorbagy came back to 6:9, but a no let and winner
for Lincou won him the second game 11:6.
The third game, unfortunately, was the shortest of the lot but saw
one spectacular rally where Shorbagy gave it his all and picked up
balls like a mad man. This rally alone was worth coming down for,
but it did ultimately tire Shorbagy enough to lose the game and
therewith the match.
 Nonetheless, some great entertainment and a very deserved winner.
Lincou's movement, little holds on every shot and look-away kills,
were enough to beat the young Egyptian, who, as everyone knows, is a
future world-beater and someone who really gets a lot of people
excited. Thierry quipped that today it was the old guard against the
young guard and seemed to be very happy to get his revenge - and his
20th tour title.
Alex Gough, who made an appearance here in his new role within the
PSA, rightly pointed out that there are few tournaments as
hospitable and well-run as this, and the whole week, from a
Squash-fan perspective, has been just great. I am now off to try
that steak that everyone is eating!
 |
Getting there early ...
Finals day is here and I made sure to get into Fitzwilliam a good
25mins ahead of time, only to find the centre court absolutely
packed. I have been able to get a seat on the steps, which luckily
allows me to use my laptop.
To be honest, my guess is that the seating area should be enough for
a good 250 people but people are crammed in all over the place,
which I have not seen in years in any Squash tournament and is
testament to a great tournament and some exciting players to watch.
Of course the home-interest provided by Madeline really helps as
well. All of this is really great - especially for the sponsor:
www.cannonkirk.co.uk/ie
- who could not have wished for a better outcome (okay, Derek Ryan
could have made it to the final).
Anyway, on to the Squash. Alison Waters beat Madeline Perry in the
same event 3:1 last year, however, in the semi-finals that was
though. I have never seen Alison play before but she will have her
work cut-out against a determined looking and large-cheer-receiving
Madeline. Luckily, I am not Irish so I am totally neutral on this!
The match I am looking forward to the most however is the men's
final, especially as Shorbagy has beaten Lincou before. Shorbagy has
been scintillating to watch but the way he has played looked too
energy-absorbing for Lincou not to take advantage of, but then again
he will not be in love with the idea of playing someone who hits
nicks at will.
 "Happy
with my victory tonight.
"I wanted this match for two reasons. One, to take my revenge from
the Worlds, and I also wanted a 20th PSA title. Also, my mates have
been pulling my leg so much for entering a two star event that I was
even more determined to win tonight...
"This tournament is good for me. Last time I played it, in 2000, I
was top 16, and I beat Paul Johnson who was no 4 at the time, to
then lost to Power....
"I'll sleep well tonight."
|
 Irish
Open 2009
20-25 April, Dublin, $25k |
Round One
22-Apr |
Quarters
23-Apr |
Semis
24-Apr |
Final
25-Apr |
[1] Thierry Lincou (Fra)
11/7, 11/3, 11/8 (37m)
[Q] John Rooney (Irl) |
[1] Thierry Lincou
11/4, 11/8, 11/5 (28m)
[8] Mark Krajcsak |
[1] Thierry Lincou
11/6, 11/3, 11/4 (44m)
[5] Daryl Selby |
[1] Thierry Lincou
11/7, 11/6, 11/5 (34m)
[4] Mohamed El Shorbagy |
[8] Mark Krajcsak (Hun)
11/7, 11/8, 9/11, 13/11 (51m)
Amr Swelim (Egy) |
[3] Alister Walker (Eng)
11/8, 12/10, 4/11, 4/11, 11/6
[Q] Nicolas Mueller (Sui) |
[Q] Nicolas Mueller
11/9, 4/11, 11/8, 11/3
[5] Daryl Selby |
[5] Daryl Selby (Eng)
11/5, 11/9, 7/11, 1/11, 11/6 (80m)
[Q] Mathieu Castagnet (Fra) |
[Q] Rob Sutherland (Wal)
11/4, 12/10, 7/11, 4/11, 11/8 (75m)
[7] Renan Lavigne (Fra) |
[Q] Rob Sutherland
11/9, 14/12, 11/7 (35m)
[4] Mohamed El Shorbagy |
[4] Mohamed El Shorbagy
12/10, 11/6, 8/11, 11/8 (51m)
[6] Joey Barrington |
Arthur Gaskin (Irl)
11/6, 7/11, 11/8, 11/7 (43m)
[4] Mohamed El Shorbagy (Egy) |
Liam Kenny (Irl)
9/11, 11/5, 11/3, 11/5 (60m)
[6] Joey Barrington (Eng) |
[6] Joey Barrington
12/10, 11/6, 11/9 (55m)
Julien Balbo |
Julien Balbo (Fra)
9/11, 11/8, 11/6, 11/3 (54m)
[LL] Yann Perrin (Fra) |
21-Apr, Qualifying Finals:
John Rooney (IRL) bt Jesse Engelbrecht (RSA)
3/0 (11/4, 9/1 rtd) 10m
Nicolas Mueller (SUI) bt Yann Perrin (FRA)
3/0 (11/8, 11/7, 11/5) 30m
Mathieu Castagnet (FRA) bt Gilly Lane (USA)
3/1 (8/11, 11/9, 11/8, 11/3) 65m
Rob Sutherland (WAL) bt Ben Ford (ENG)
3/1 (7/11, 11/5, 11/2, 11/9) 45m
20-Apr,
Qualifying round one:
Jesse Engelbrecht (RSA) bt Rory Byrne (IRL)
3/0 (11/7,11/4,11/3) 18 m
John Rooney (IRL) bt Derek Ryan (IRL)
3/0 (11/5, 11/6, 11/6) 36m
Yann Perrin (FRA) bt James Snell (ENG)
3/0 (11/0, 11/8, 11/9) 37m
Nicholas Mueller (SUI) bt Johan Bouguet (FRA)
3/1 (11/5, 4/11, 11/2, 11/4) 38m
Mathieu Castagnet (FRA) bt Keith Moran (IRL)
3/0 (11/4, 11/7, 11/8) 27m
Gilly Lane (USA) bt Niall Rooney (IRL)
3/1 (11/5, 11/4, 9/11, 11/4) 45m
Ben Ford (ENG) bt Gregoire Marche (FRA)
3/1 (11/8, 11/13, 11/6, 11/8) 61m
Rob Sutherland (WAL) bt Joe Lee (ENG)
3/1 (11/6, 11/8, 5/11, 11/9) 57m
|
|
 |
 Irish
Open 2009
20-25 April, Dublin, $25k |
Round One
22-Apr |
Quarters
23-Apr |
Semis
24-Apr |
Final
25-Apr |
[1] Alison Waters (Eng)
11/1, 7/11, 11/8, 11/2 (34m)
Aisling Blake (Irl) |
[1] Alison Waters
11/5, 11/9, 11/4 (28m)
[6] Samantha Teran |
[1] Alison Waters
11/4, 11/1, 13/11 (31m)
Sarah Kippax |
[1] Alison Waters
11/6, 11/9, 11/4 (37m)
[3] Madeline Perry |
[6] Samantha Teran (Mex)
8/11, 11/8, 11/9, 12/10 (45m)
[Q] Annelize Naude (Ned) |
[4] Isabelle Stoehr (Fra)
12/14, 11/3, 11/3, 7/11, 11/9 (46m)
Sarah Kippax (Eng) |
Sarah Kippax
11/9, 12/10, 11/7 (32m)
[8] Tania Bailey |
[8] Tania Bailey (Eng)
11/7, 8/11, 11/7, 11/7 (33m)
[Q] Manuela Manetta (Ita) |
Delia Arnold (Mas)
12/10, 11/5, 11/9 (39m)
[5] Vanessa Atkinson (Ned) |
Delia Arnold
11/5, 11/8, 11/8 (33m)
[3] Madeline Perry |
[3] Madeline Perry
9/11, 11/7, 11/8, 11/3 (55m)
[7] Jaclyn Hawkes |
[Q] Lauren Siddall (Eng)
11/6, 11/4, 11/4 (32m)
[3] Madeline Perry (Irl) |
Dominique Lloyd-Walter (Eng)
11/2, 14/12, 16/14 (56m)
[7] Jaclyn Hawkes (Nzl) |
[7] Jaclyn Hawkes
4/11, 6/11, 12/10, 12/10, 11/9 (70m)
[2] Laura Lengthorn-Massaro |
[Q] Orla Noom (Ned)
11/6, 11/5, 12/10 (35m)
[2] Laura Lengthorn-Massaro (Eng) |
21-Apr, Qualifying Finals:
Manuela Manetta (ITA) bt
Dipika Pallikal (IND) 3/2 (11/4, 11/7, 9/11, 7/11, 11/5) 43m
Annelize Naude (NED) bt Adel Weir (RSA)
3/0 (11/6, 11/6, 11/5) 25m
Orla Noom (NED) bt Alexandra Norman (ENG)
3/2 (5/11, 11/7, 9/11, 11/9, 11/5) 47m
Lauren Siddall (ENG) bt Joshna Chinappa (IND)
3/0 (11/8, 11/9, 11/5) 24m
20-Apr,
Qualifying Round One:
Manuela Manetta (ITA) bt
Dagmar Vermeulen (NED)
3/0 (11/7, 11/7, 11/8) 25m
Dipika Pallikai (IND) bt Kerri Lancaster (IRL)
3/0 (11/8, 11/6, 11/6) 23m
Annelize Naude (NED) bt Siyoli Lusaseni (RSA)
3/0 (11/4, 11/3, 11/5) 29m
Adel Weir (RSA) bt Lovisa Forstadius (SWE)
3/0 (11/2, 11/0, 11/5) 18m
Alexandra Norman (ENG) bt Anna-Carin Forstadius (SWE)
3/0 (11/7, 11/5, 11/9) 27m
Orla Noom (NED) bt Birgit Coufal (AUT)
3/0 (11/4, 11/7, 15/13) 30m
Lauren Siddall (ENG) bt Carla Khan (PAK)
3/2 (11/7, 6/11, 11/5, 6/11, 11/9) 36m
Joshna Chinappa (IND) bt Carrie Hastings (ENG)
3/0 (11/4, 11/7, 11/5 ) 21m
|
|
24-Apr,
Semi-Finals:
[1] Alison Waters (Eng) bt Sarah Kippax (Eng)
11/4, 11/1, 13/11 (31m)
[3] Madeline Perry (Irl) bt [7] Jaclyn Hawkes (Nzl)
9/11, 11/7, 11/8, 11/3 (55m)
[1] Thierry Lincou (Fra) bt [5] Daryl Selby (Eng)
11/6, 11/3, 11/9 (44m)
[6] Mohamed El Shorbagy (Egy) bt [4] Joey Barrington (Eng)
12/10, 11/6, 8/11, 11/8 (51m) |
Perry makes final as
Shorbagy shines again
The home crowd were delighted to see Madeline Perry reach the final
of the women's event with a hard-fought win over Jaclyn Hawkes,
while Mohamed El Shorbagy, quickly becoming a Fitzwilliam favourite,
beat training partner Joey Barrington to reach the men's final.
Both will face the top seeds in tomorrow's climaxes after Alison
Waters and Thierry Lincou both prevailed in straight games.
|
Perry powers to another Cannon Kirk Irish Open
final
Ireland’s Madeline Perry was a convincing winner over New
Zealander, Jaclyn Hawkes in today’s semi final match at Fitzwilliam
Lawn Tennis club.
Hawkes, the victor over the number 2 seed, Laura. Lengthorn-Massaro
in yesterday’s quarter finals, put up a brave display but just could
not match Perry’s steely determination and consistency. Despite
conceding 6 strokes in the opening game and losing 11/9, Perry went
on to establish her authority and was a convincing winner to take
the match 9/11, 11/7, 11/8, 11/3 in 55 minutes.
Perry meets number 1 seed Alison Waters in tomorrow’s final.
Waters looked to be cruising to victory at 2-0 and 10/4 in the
third, but fellow Englishwoman Sarah Kippax saved six match balls
before finally succumbing to the top seed.
Perry is going for her fourth Irish open title and it will take some
thing special to stop her!
Rising star Mohamed El Shorbagy of Egypt ( 22) again
put on an exciting display of wizardry to defeat Joey Barrington
(28). Barrington was well in the match but had to work extremely
hard to win a point.
Winning shots were returned by Shorbagy with amazing athleticism and
skill not seen on the squash courts for some time. Barrington had a
great chance to take the opening set, leading 8/10, but Shorbagy
replied with 3 consecutive nick shots to take the set 12/10.
In the second game, Shorbagy continued his nick spree and finished
the game with an incredible backhand high volley into the nick to
take it 11/6.
Barrington’s hard work paid off and he took the third game with some
panache to win it 11/8.
Shorbagy wrapped up the fourth game 11/8 and will play his first
Irish Open final against the number 1 seed and former world
champion, Thierry Lincou of France.
|
Dan
Zilic@Fitzwilliam
Daryl v Thierry
Unfortunately I got in late due to work and only caught some
glimpses of the match. At the bar I talked to my friend Ed who
wasn't watching the match any longer and said "the English guy lost
his head a bit in the first game" - a fact I cannot confirm since I
hadn't witnessed any of it.
I came in and Daryl was 10:4 down in the third and I thought it
would be all over in the next rally, however, I got it wrong and the
match went on for another 10mins and saw Daryl get back to 9:10,
thanks to some great rallying and patient play.
The crowd, who turned out in great numbers today, really appreciated
Daryl's fightback and were disappointed when the referee called a
cruel no-let at 10:9.
From what I could see Thierry seemed to be playing well - I actually
really like watching him since he looks so committed to each and
every shot he plays, and his movement is as slick as ever.
"I benefited from Daryl's concentration
up and downs, which allowed me to lead 2/0. Then a big scare to try
and convert my match balls, with Daryl coming back into the match,
playing superb, clean, efficient, error free squash.
"Happy to get through in three. Tomorrow, well, another day...."
Madeline v Jaclyn
Madeline started the better of the two going 4:1 up with Jackie
looking a bit nervous. She settled in well though and the match was
pretty open. However at 9 all it was Jackie who prevailed, aided by
an easy mistake by Madeline, and she took the game 11:9. Jackie has
really been playing well as far as I have seen here and I have
rarely seen a woman retrieve so well as her, the amount of balls she
picks up is really quite deceptive.
The second game started well for Jackie and Madeline seemed to have
lost a whole bunch of confidence, going 0:4 and 1:6. However,
Madeline came back strongly, stepped up the court and started
volleying with confidence and staged a great comeback to win the
game 11:7.
There was a bit of controversy after Jackie got two relatively easy
strokes in a row before - it did look as if she was able to play a
ball but stepped back into her opponent a bit. When she did it a
third time the referee only awarded a let and Madeline had a short
word to Jackie about this, nothing major though really.
The third game started in similar vein and Madeline remained
dominant, although getting herself in trouble once in a while by
tinning a few drop-shots. Particularly her cross-court
kills/drop-shots seemed to be letting her down a bit.
On went Perry to set four and she proved my last sentence (which I
wrote in the break) to be totally wrong - suddenly she hit some
sublime cross-court drops. Jackie staged a small comeback at 2:8
down and never gave up, receiving a conduct stroke during the
process, but Madeline finished things up to win the match 3:1.
Shorbagy v Joey
The next match was the one everyone had waited for, as Shorbagy has
proven to be a bit of a crowd favourite. And the young man did not
disappoint.
He actually started a tad slower than yesterday I felt, but then
again Barrington also played a more contained game than Robbie
Temple, Shorbagy's previous opponent. Anyway, Shorbagy started
ramping up the nicks and outrageous shots but mid-way through the
game made a few mistakes and Barrington played good, tidy Squash.
The Englishman went 10:7 up, but Shorbagy had none of it and scored
five points in a row to win the game in the tie-break.
Set two was more straight-forward and Shorbagy was really in the
zone. He hit at least five dead cross-court nicks, several off the
serve and a few unbelievable ones mid-rally. Apart from hitting
ferocious nicks he was bouncing around the court anticipating every
second ball and retrieving those he anticipated wrongly at lightning
speed. Joey in the meantime did his best to weather the storm but
went down 11:7.
In game three Shorbagy made a few more mistakes than before and Joey
surprised him with some low and hard cross-courts, hitting it inches
past Shorbagy's knees. Every second rally was a total crowd pleaser
though and I think everyone was happy that Joey took game three to
see some more sublime Squash.
And they were treated to some more in game four. Shorbagy took an
early lead and won the crucial point at 8:7 to go ahead 9:7, and did
not lose another point after that.
The thing is, with him you never know how serious he really is, at
one point he was pumping himself up but it almost looked as if he
were doing so for fun, although I did think he meant it. He is a
real showman on-court, his repertoire including some jumps and yelps
mid-rally, but despite some serious looks Joey took it well and the
game was a showpiece of fair squash, I think in all there were no
more than 5 or 6 lets called.
@Fitzwilliam
Anyway, it has been great sitting next to some gobsmacked spectators
for the day and the finals should be something special tomorrow.
People reading this in Dublin should consider coming early though,
because the place is going to be jam-packed and the squash, my
friends, should be nothing short of amazing.
Also, despite having not tried it yet, Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club
make an amazing steak that you see sizzling on almost every plate
you see in the bar area. Not that it beats the Guinness though...
 |
23-Apr, Quarters:
Quarters in
Dublin
Dan Zilic pops into Fitzwilliam
for a Guinness ... or maybe two ...
 Watched
the last game between Madeline Perry and Delia Arnold.
Madeline seemed a bit too strong and although Delia had her chances
she hit about four drops in the tin. Madeline played well, hitting
the ball hard and purposeful, and looked like she was in no great
danger. It was great to see the crowd really get behind her, despite
a 6 o'clock start which means many people came straight from work.
I was really looking forward to the next match between Shorbagy
and Sutherland. I used to play Rob when he was about 14 or 15
and I was at university in
Cardiff so I am happy he went on to be such a good player and I can
claim to have beaten him back in the early days (I lost towards the
end of my uni-career though). And I had read a lot about Shorbagy,
and what should I say, I was not disappointed.
Rob went 5:1 down in first game but got back due to settling in and
hitting two fine winners in a row, one sensational forehand straight
kill. The Welshman was 8:6 up but Shorbagy got three points in a
row, grabbing the game with a perfect forehand crosscourt that hit
the nick. Rob had his chances and will be disappointed to lose the
game.
 The
second started off in a blast and Shorbagy tried to volley every
single shot Rob hit and to play a cross-court nick off it. Not all
of them succeeded and Rob managed to dig some of them out. The best
rally was the second one, which saw some sensational pick-ups and
outrageous attempts by Shorbagy, but Sutherland took the point after
an unbelievable pick-up.
The game slowed down a bit and Shorbagy tried to disrupt the game by
throwing in some great skid-boasts. Rob once again had his chances,
holding his own with some great kills, but Shorbagy claimed the most
important rallies and saw the game out 14:12, looking quite casual
doing so.
Third game started a little slower but featured some more fantastic
rallies. This time though Rob wasn't able to keep things quite as
tight and while the crowd enjoyed more scintillating rallies, it
seemed clear half-way through that Shorbagy was to run this out to a
3:0 win.
A highly enjoyable match that the crowd really got into, I heard
loads of "Oooohs" and "Aaaahs" and despite losing 3:0, Rob will have
been happy with his performance. Playing Shorbagy seems to be quite
intimidating as he hits the ball so hard, but Rob did really well.
 I
watched Lengthorn v. Hawkes, which proved to be a real nail
biter. I came in and Hawkes was 6:0 down in the first, without
really doing much wrong. It was the first time I watched Lengthorn
play and I was really impressed - anything the Kiwi threw at her she
played back with interest. Her boasts were working especially well
and despite Hawkes playing good squash and retrieving almost lost
balls, Lengthorn was in command.
It tightened up in the second which Lengthorn won and the third saw
Lengthorn finally lose control. I cant really say what it was but
she just lost a bit of commitment and focus and Hawkes kept on
retrieving. At 10:6 for Hawkes, Lengthorn got back to 10:10, only to
tin an easy shot and lose the next rally. I really thought Lengthorn
was going to get back and win the fourth but she kept on going from
really focussed to being a bit passive and Hawkes just seemed that
bit more determined.
After another tie-break to Hawkes it was anyone's game and at 8:6 I
once again believed Lengthorn had it, but I have to compliment
Hawkes for her relentless retrieving, which played a big part in
winning the match for her in another tight last game. If Lengthorn
had kept up her rock-solid game from the first and second game I
truly believe she was going to win the tournament - so credit to
Hawkes for really digging in and pulling out a huge upset.
 The
last game was between Joey B. and Julien B. It started off as
expected with Joey hitting the ball to the back-court and Julien
being a bit more experimental and showing some great touches. He was
ahead for some time and it was a close set that Joey won 11:9.
I think most people felt that Julien really needed that first game
to stand a chance, as Joey is known for his fitness and I would
think does not lose many matches when ahead - and so it proved to
be. Joey went 8:1 up and although Julien hit a purple patch to get
back 5 points from 1:8 to 6:9, it was not to be and he found himself
2:0 down.
It was never easy and Joey showed great determination, awesome
retrievals and some fine backhand dropshots - and it ultimately
proved to be enough for Julien, who is a pleasure to watch but is
one of those players who I feel needs to be in front and thrive on
his confidence, rather than be on the backfoot.
Talking to the crowd Shorbagy was the big topic, everyone was
talking about his match and skill and is looking forward to watching
him play tomorrow.
There is a good buzz around here and the matches are well attended,
which is great to see. This year they even have a TV with instant
replay - mixed in with the fine Guinness it makes for a great
tournament!
 |
Perry through to semis as Egyptian Entertains in Dublin
Kevin Moore reports
Ireland's Madeline Perry
continued to impress as she won through to the semi final of the
$25,000 Cannon Kirk Homes Irish Open in Dublin.
The world number nine from Banbridge defeated Malaysia's Delia
Arnold in a comprehensive three nil win to set up a semi-final spot
with New Zealand's Jaclyn Hawkes, after the Kiwi produced a
remarkable come-back to defeat number two see Laura
Lengthorn-Massaro of England.
Hawkes had been two games down but fought back to take the match
11/9 in the deciding set. Perry's semi-final against Hawkes now
presents a real opportunity for Perry who is looking to climb back
up the rankings towards her previous best of world number six.
In the other half of the draw, top seed Alison Waters beat
Mexico's Samantha Teran three nil to set up a semi-final clash with
her English compatriot, Sarah Kippax. World number 28 Kippax
upset the odds to beat both the world number 10 and 12 on her way to
the semi-final.
Shorbagy shines ...
A packed Fitzwilliam were treated to a fantastic night of squash
which included a superb display from one of the brightest talents in
world squash, as 18 year old Egyptian Mohamed El Shorbagy
entertained the appreciative crowd.
El Shorbagy is the current world junior champion and one of a host
of up and coming players from a country that possesses the top three
men in world squash. He took on the impressive qualifier Rob
Sutherland from Wales and both players contributed to an
entertaining match with El Shorbagy producing winners from seemingly
impossible situations.
His combination of power and touch was too much for Sutherland on
the night as he won 11/9, 14/12, 11/7 in 34 minutes.
Top seed and world number seven Thierry Lincou looked in good
form also as he eased past Hungary's Mark Krajcsak three nil in just
28 minutes. He now faces England's Daryl Selby after the
English number five seed overcame another big talent, Switzerland's
Nicolas Mueller who had come through the qualifiers.
|
22-Apr, Round One:
Top seeds safely through ...
Kevin Moore reports
The Cannon Kirk Irish Open main draw has got off to a great start in
Fitzwilliam with a good crowd enjoying some fine squash already and
plenty of upsets.
In the shock of the day men's third seed Alister Walker, world
number 16, was beaten by Swiss qualifier Nicolas Mueller 3/2.
The English favourite fought back from two games down to take it to
a deciding set but Mueller pulled off an unlikely upset to take the
last 11/6 and book his place in the quarter-final.
Fellow qualifier Rob Sutherland of Wales also won through to
the quarter-final defeating France's Renan Lavigne. At world number
74, Sutherland produced a great performance to beat an opponent 35
places ahead of him 3/2 in a 75 minute marathon.
The women's first round has seen the demise of both the fourth and
fifth seeds in a day of upsets in Dublin.
England's Sarah Kippax defeated fourth seed and world number
10 Isabelle Stoehr from France 11/9 in the deciding set. In another
upset, Malaysia's world number 24 Delia Arnold beat world
number 12 and fifth seed Vanessa Atkinson in a comprehensive 3/0 39
minute match.
Not all the seeds were tumbling however as both top seeds progressed
past their Irish opponents to book a place in the quarter finals.
In the men's event France's world number seven Thierry Lincou
beat Galway's John Rooney who came through the qualifiers. Rooney
found the going much tougher against the former world number one and
went down 3/0 in 37 minutes.
Sligo's Aisling Blake, at a career high world ranking of 27, was
unlucky to draw top seed Alison Waters of England in round
one but Blake put up a great fight against the world number six
taking the second game to level the match. Waters then squeezed past
Blake to take the third 11/8 before increasing the pace to ease
through the fourth 11/2 and take the match in 34 minutes.
Ireland's biggest hope Banbridge's Madeline Perry booked her
place in the quarter final with an impressive 3/0 win over English
qualifier Lauren Siddall. Perry is currently world number nine and
will take on Malaysia's Delia Arnold for a place in the semi-final.
Ireland's two remaining male competitors Liam Kenny and Arthur
Gaskin both bowed out to leave Irish Hopes with Perry.
Irish number one and world number 55 Kenny lost to sixth seed
Joey Barrington from England. Barrington, son of Irish legend
and former world number one, Jonah, looked very solid despite
dropping the first game to an impressive Kenny. Barrington's
strength and pace proved too much in the end as he went onto win 3/1
in 60 minutes.
Carlow's Arthur Gaskin took on current world junior champion and
another of EgypMohamed El Shorbagyt's growing list of squash
stars, . Gaskin looked a match for his opponent as the first two
games were shared but the Egyptian showed his class at the vital
stages to take the next two games and the match. |
Bailey aims for Irish Cream before Op
From Peterborough Today
Tania Bailey is seeded eighth in Dublin, which will be one of her
last events before undergoing a hip operation early next month.
She will play in Dublin, then represent England at the
European Team Championships in Sweden
next week and the
National League final for Duffield on May 5 before having an
operation a day later.
She begins against qualifier Manuela Manetta of Italy today in
Dublin, hoping to build on her impressive display last month when
she defeated top seed Madeline Perry of Ireland in the final.
Bailey has returned to good form following a knee operation that
kept her out for most of last year and she'll be looking to impress
in Dublin – although she admits her forthcoming operation is on her
mind.
 "To
be honest my frame of mind is quite strange right now with needing
an operation on my hip in a few weeks time.
"They are going to repair the torn cartilage as it is gradually
getting worse and there is no other option. The surgeon and physio
are very positive that the outcome will be good and that I can
resume training and playing fully.
"I will know more about the amount of time I will be out once the
operation has been done but I am excited about the end of the year
as there are a lot of big tournaments.
"I still feel I have many good years ahead of me. I know I've had a
few setbacks but the best thing is my knee is good and that was my
biggest worry.
"I am willing to work really hard to get back playing again. I have
learned a lot about myself and my game and I feel I will be be a
better player for it."
The operation comes at a time when Bailey is getting back to her
best, her victory in the NSC Series in Kuala Lumpur last month being
the biggest of her career.
She added: "I felt really good after Malaysia and it was great to
prove to myself that I can play at the top level again. It has also
given me the hunger to win more events.
"I am going to do my best in Ireland and over the next few weeks. I
am going to take each day as it comes and try to enjoy it as much as
possible then I will have the operation and I will look forward to
getting back on court again." |
|
|
21-Apr, Qualifying Finals:
Rooney reaches main draw
 John
Rooney joined Irish Players Liam Kenny and Arthur Gaskin in the
men's main draw of the Cannon Kirk Homes Irish Squash Open taking
place in Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club tomorrow.
After beating compatriot Derek Ryan in his first qualifier, Rooney
started strongly against top qualifying seed, Jesse Engelbrecht of
South Africa. After taking the first game 11/4 it became apparent
the South African was suffering from a strain picked up in round one
and after Rooney took a 9/1 lead in game two Engelbrecht had to
withdraw. Rooney's reward was a place in the main draw against top
seed, Thierry Lincou of France, world ranked seven.
Swiss man Nicolas Mueller (ranked 89 in world) caused another
upset when he beat the higher ranked French man, Yann Perrin (ranked
76 in world) 11/8,11/7,11/15 in 30 Minutes. He now faces third seed,
the talented Englishman Alister Walker.
The big news of the day was the withdrawal of number two seed,
England's Adrian Grant through injury. This now opens up the
bottom half of the draw and presents current world junior champion,
Mohammed El Shorbagy, another of Egypt's rising squash stars
with a great chance to progress. Grant's place is taken by 'Lucky
Loser' Yann Perrin, who meets Julien Balbo in an all-French
matchup.
In the women’s qualifiers, Manuela Manetta (Italy) Number 1
seed had a tough battle with young Indian Girl Dipika Pallikal. The
more experienced Manetta eventually pulled through in the 5th set
11/9, 11/7, 9/11, 7/11, 11/5 in 43 minutes. Annelize Naude of
the Netherlands beat Adel Weir of South Africa 11/6,11/6, 11/5 (25
Minutes).
In one of the strongest draws in
recent times the Cannon Kirk Irish Open first round main draw boasts
a strong Irish presence in both the men's and women's draws with
Ireland's most successful female, Madeline Perry seeded
three. The world number nine plays England's Lauren Siddall
in round one at 7.00pm.
Play in the main draw begins on Wednesday at 2pm with Ireland's
Aisling Blake (27 in world) playing the number 1 seed, Alison
Waters (World number 6). Top men's seed Thierry Lincou,
former world number 1 plays Ireland's John Rooney also at
2.00 in the opening round in Fitzwilliam LTC, Dublin. Admission is
free.
|
20-Apr, Qualifying Round One:
No shocks on day one in Dublin
Play is underway at the Cannon Kirk Irish Squash Open in Dublin as
the players have arrived from far and wide to attempt to qualify for
the title and some valuable world ranking points. The atmosphere is
building in host venue, Fitzwilliam, as the public filter in to see
squash played at the highest level. While day one has gone to form
with most seeded player progressing with relative ease, the
galleries have been treated to some clinical squash already.
The Rooney brothers from Galway have given Ireland's most
impressive performances so far with elder brother John being
the only Irish representative to make it to round two of the
qualifiers.
Irish number two John currently holds a world ranking of 91 and took
on Irish legend Derek Ryan, a former world number seven in
the tie of the round. Word spread quickly once the two Irish rivals
had been drawn together in round one of the qualifiers and a sizable
crowd gathering arrived in Fitzwilliam to watch the match. Rooney
however proved far too strong for the 38 former professional from
Dublin who struggled with the high pace.
Ryan did display some of the touch that saw him compete with the
worlds best in previous years but Rooney's mix of pace and quick
drop shots worked Ryan hard in the early stages and took the sting
out of the tie.
After a 3/0, 36 minute win John will now take on world number 65
Jesse Engelbrecht from South Africa, who took out Carlow's
Rory Byrne 3/0 in just 18 minutes, for a place in the main draw.
John's younger brother Niall, who had a brief spell on the
professional circuit, went down to world number 79, Gilly Lane
from the United States but the Galwegian put up a good fight losing
3/1 in a tough 45 minute match.
The final Irish representative, Keith Moran from Sligo, went
down three nil to France's Mathieu Castagnet, current world
number 77, in 27 minutes.
Some of the other ties proved a lot closer with 33 year old Ben
Ford producing a very solid performance to defeat France's
Gregoire Marche 3/1 in a very entertaining 61 minute match. In
another four set match, Switzerland's Nicolas Mueller
defeated France's Johan Bouquet in 38 minutes.
The women's qualifying first round proved a very one-sided affair
with all seeds winning three games to nil bar a very close encounter
with England's Lauren Siddall beating Pakistan's Carla
Khan 3/2 in 36 minutes.
Indian players Joshna Chinappa and Dipika Pallikal
looked in very impressive form as they despatched opponents
Carrie Hastings from England and Ireland's only female in the
qualifying draw, Kerri Lancaster. Top qualifying seed
Manuela Manetta dispatched Holland's Dagmar Vermeulen 3/0
and will now face Pallikal.
|
|
|
|
IRISH OPEN DRAWS
WORLD STARS TO DUBLIN
Preview from Kevin Moore
The Cannon Kirk Irish Squash Open takes place later this month in
Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club from Monday 20th April - Saturday 25th
April, and the professional male and female draws have attracted
many of the world's top 20 players from across the globe.
The men's draw is headed by world number seven Frenchman, Theirry
Lincou. The former world number one is seeded to meet Englishman
Adrian Grant in the final. The field contains several top 20
players including talented English players Grant at 11 and
Alister Walker, world number 16. One to watch out for is
Mohamed El Shorbagy, the 18 year old former world junior
champion, who has raced up the world ranking to number 21.
Such is the quality of the entry that Irish number one and world
number 55 Liam Kenny is not even seeded. His first round
match will attract significant attention from an Irish perspective
as his opponent is Joey Barrington, world no 28 and son of
former world and Irish champion Jonah Barrington. Kenny is joined in
the main draw by Carlow man Arthur Gaskin, who has achieved a
career high ranking of 86.
The women's draw is headed by world number six, England’s Alison
Waters who is seeded to meet Laura Lengthorn-Massaro, the
world number seven in final. Before that Alison will have to
overcome Ireland's Aisling Blake in the first round, Aisling
has recently made a hugely significant leap in the ranking to break
the world’s top 30, currently at number 27 and continuing on an
upward path.
All the women's seeds one to eight are in the world’s top 15,
including Madeline Perry, Ireland's highest ranked woman
player who has recovered from injury and regained her place in the
top 10, currently ranked nine. Perry is seeded to meet
Lengthorn-Massaro in the semi-finals but would have to overcome her
long-term rival and former Irish Open Champion Vanessa Atkinson
from the Netherlands in a potential quarter-final clash first.
Several Irish players will battle it out with other hopefuls for the
four remaining slots in both the men’s and women’s main draws.
Galway’s John Rooney, world ranked 88, along with former
world number seven, Derek Ryan from Dublin head up the Irish
qualifier list along with Rory Byrne (Carlow), Keith Moran
(Sligo) and Niall Rooney (Galway). Ulster’s Kerri
Lancaster, ranked at 105 is the sole Irish woman attempting to
qualify.
Qualifying matches begin on Monday 20th April with the main draw
finals taking place on Saturday 25th in Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis
Club, Dublin. Entry is free to all matches, starting on Monday 20th
at 2.00 pm. The qualifying draw for last four places in the male and
female tournament proper takes place from Wed 22nd April at 2.00pm
|
|
|
