The Mote Classic
Pro-Am 2009 11-14 June, Maidstone, Kent, UK
14-Jun, Finals: RYDER ROCKS AUSSIE
FRANKCOMB IN MOTE FINAL Alan Thatcher reports
England's Chris Ryder overcame gritty Australian
Aaron Frankcomb in the final of The Mote Classic Pro-Am,
sponsored by Harrow and Shepherd Neame.
Top seed Ryder, who is ranked 36 in the world, won
a hugely entertaining final 11-13, 13-11, 11-2, 11-6 after
82 minutes of absorbing, high octane squash at The Mote
Squash Club in Maidstone.
No.2 seed Frankcomb showed no signs of the effects of
playing two marathon five-setters the previous day as he
clinched a tight opening game 13-11.
However, Ryder reversed the score in the second game,
clinching the tiebreak after Frankcomb had received
treatment to a bizarre hand injury caused when the two
players collided and Ryder stepped on the falling
Australian's racket, trapping his thumb underneath.
When the action resumed, the players produced the longest
rally of the match which Frankcomb won after 86 shots to
take the game to the tiebreak.
Ryder, 28, stepped up a gear in the third game and powered
home 11-2 as Frankcomb finally began to show signs of
fatigue after his two-hour semi-final the previous evening.
Tasmanian Frankcomb, 24, fought back to lead 4-2 in the
fourth game but could not maintain the momentum as Ryder
regained control, winning six points in a row from 5-4 down
to break his opponent's resistance and reach match ball.
World No.42 Frankcomb claimed one more point but Ryder
closed out the match in the next rally to clinch the £500
winner's cheque. He and Frankcomb, who received £350 for his
phenomenal efforts, certainly deserved to quench their
thirst with a variety of products from co-sponsors Shepherd
Neame, Britain's oldest brewery.
After the final Ryder paid tribute to The Mote for staging
the tournament and said: "All of the players have really
enjoyed the weekend and you have looked after us superbly,
so we look forward to coming back next year when the event
will hopefully be part of the PSA World Tour.
"This is a superb club and it is great to see so many new
tournaments on the calendar taking place in Kent. You really
are setting an example for other counties to follow and the
players appreciate it so much."
Frankcomb, meanwhile, left the club chewing over a contract
offer from Mote first team captain Adrian Humphries to play
number one for the side next season.
The Saturday session produced astonishing value for money
with four top-class quarter-finals and a doubles competition
slotted in before the semis, in which Frankcomb escaped from
match ball down against Scottish No.1 Alan Clyne.
The tournament reception featured music from London squash
legend Danny Lee, who has a top-class voice to match
his coaching ability.
The Mote also hosted coaching clinics for juniors and women
players, plus a radar gun challenge which was won by
Cambridge professional Galen Le Cheminant, who belted
the ball at 157mph.
PLATE FINAL
Paul Newvell (Mote) beat Adrian Humphries (Mote) 11-6, 11-8,
7-11, 11-6
HARROW WORLD JUNIOR CHALLENGE
Elliot Knight (Bexley) beat James Evans (Mote) 11-9, 8-11,
8-11, 11-7, 11-8
DOUBLES CHALLENGE SEMI-FINALS
Alan Thatcher & Simon Scott bt James Evans & Ashley Wentzell
15-12, 15-7
Joe Wheatley & Joe Magor bt Adrian Humphries & Paul
Adam 15-13, 15-12 FINAL
Thatcher and Scott beat Wheatley and Magor 15-13, 15-6, 15-12
13-Jun, Day Three: MARATHON MAN FRANKCOMB MEETS
EASY RYDER IN MOTE FINAL
Australian No.2 seed Aaron Frankcomb emerged from two
incredible marathon encounters in one day to reach Sunday's
final of The Mote Classic in Maidstone.
First of all he overcame Malaysian Jam Adnan in the
quarter-finals and then survived an astonishing two-hour
battle with Scottish No.1 Alan Clyne in the
semi-finals.
Frankcomb, the 24-year-old world No.42 from Tasmania, looked
on course for a simple victory in the quarter-finals as he
led by two games but the determined Adnan covered the court
superbly and began to find a winning length. However
Frankcomb reasserted his authority in the fifth to win 11-9,
11-7, 6-11, 8-11, 11-7 in 65 minutes.
Five hours later he was back on court to face Clyne, who had
beaten Kent's Ben Ford 3-1 in the quarter-finals.
Clyne astonished the packed gallery at The Mote Squash Club
with his speed around the court and squeezed home 11-9 in an
opening game lasting 20 minutes. Frankcomb stayed in front
throughout the second but Clyne finished the third game
strongly, moving forward from 7-7 to win it 11-8 in 28
minutes.
The fourth game was a brutal battle of attrition lasting 33
minutes. Frankcomb kept his nose in front to lead 7-5 but
Clyne then strung four points together to move within a
whisker of victory. However, he struck a volley into the tin
with a shot that would have given him match ball.
Then, after Frankcomb had levelled at 9-9, Clyne gained that
elusive match ball only to fire a forehand drop shot into
the tin.
Frankcomb won the tiebreak 12-10 after a lengthy pause to
wipe the copious amounts of sweat from the court floor.
The Australian opened up a 5-1 lead in the fifth but Clyne
fought back to level at 5-5. However, Frankcomb's immaculate
length and control returned as he eased home 11-6 in one
hour and 59 minutes of brutal combat.
The packed crowd gave both players a massive ovation but the
happiest spectator was England's top seed Chris Ryder,
who now meets Frankcomb in the final after enjoying two
straightforward victories.
The 28-year-old world No.36, who is based at Wolverhampton,
eased past Galen Le Cheminant of Cambridgeshire and
then removed Nafiizwan Adnan, the No.3 seed, in the
semi-finals, impressing the audience with his superb court
coverage and immaculate ball control.
Results
Quarter-finals:
(1) Chris Ryder (England) beat Galen Le Cheminant (England)
11-3, 11-7,
11-4
(3) Nafiizwan Adnan (Malaysia) beat Joel Hinds (England)
11-6, 11-8,
11-7
(5) Alan Clyne (Scotland) beat Ben Ford (England)
11-8, 11-5,
2-11, 11-4
(2) Aaron Frankcomb (Australia) beat Nafzahizam Adnan
(Malaysia)
11-9, 11-7,
6-11, 8-11, 11-7
Semi-finals:
Aaron Frankcomb beat Alan Clyne 9-11, 11-7, 8-11, 12-10,
11-6
Chris Ryder beat Nafiizwan Adnan 11-7, 11-5, 11-8
12-Jun, Day Two:
FORD FIGHTS BACK AND NOW
HAS A MOUNTAIN TO CLYNE
Kent county squash captain Ben Ford came close to a shock
defeat in the first round of The Mote Classic Pro-Am in
Maidstone last night.
Ford, the experienced professional from Welling, survived a
battling fightback from the 19-year-old Ahmed El Refee
before booking his place in the quarter-finals.
Ford looked comfortable as he won the first two games but El
Refee, who was born in Cairo and is now being coached by
former world No.2 Peter Marshall in London, hit back to draw
level. However, the 33-year-old Ford regained control to
ease home 11-5 in the fifth.
Ford now faces a tough battle against Scottish No.1 Alan
Clyne in the quarter-finals.
El Refee was the only underdog to win a game as the eight
qualifiers took on the top eight pros in the main draw
following the previous night's elimination contest.
Kent junior Elliot Knight did himself proud as he enjoyed
his moment in the spotlight against top seed Chris Ryder,
and the 55-year-old Kent veteran Phill Crane was proud of
the three points he managed to acquire against Alan Clyne.
Kent county badminton player Peter Stock, who plays squash
for Fitness First Medway, ran and chased every ball against
Joel Hinds, the recent British Under-23 runner-up, but soon
became aware of the fitness levels required to compete at
this level as Hinds worked him from corner to corner.
Karim Safwat, son of Egyptian legend Ahmed Safwat, played
superbly against No.2 seed Aaron Frankcomb but was on the
receiving end of some brutal rallies as the Australian
secured his place in the quarter-finals.
Malaysian brothers Wan and Jam Adnan cruised past Joe Magor
(Canterbury) and Dean Newbery (Bexley) and big hitting Galen
Le Cheminant, from Cambridgeshire, had too much firepower
for Martin Clark of Rodmersham.
FIRST ROUND RESULTS:
(1) Chris Ryder beat Elliot Knight 11-5, 11-1, 11-2
(5/8) Galen Le Cheminant beat Martin Clark 11-2, 11-6, 11-5
(5/8) Joel Hinds beat Peter Stock 11-5, 11-1, 11-1
(3) Wan Adnan beat Joe Magor 11-1, 11-6, 11-5
(4) Ben Ford beat Ahmed El Refee 11-9, 11-8, 9-11, 7-11,
11-5
(5/8) Alan Clyne beat Phill Crane 11-2, 11-1, 11-0
(5/8) Jam Adnan beat Dean Newbery 11-3, 11-4, 11-4
(2) Aaron Frankcomb beat Karim Safwat 11-1, 11-7, 11-5
PLATE FIRST ROUND:
Adrian Humphries (Mote) beat Eddie Aruede (Mote) 11-5, 11-8,
11-5
James Evans (Mote) beat Paul Adam (Mote) 4-11, 11-5, 11-9,
11-9
Simon Crowther (Tunbridge Wells) w/o v Nigel Tierney
(Brentwood)
Paul Newvell (Mote) beat Matt Fincham (Maidstone) 11-8,
11-6, 11-9
11-Jun, Day One: BIG DAY FOR KNIGHT
IN THE MOTE PRO-AM Alan Thatcher reports
Kent youngster Elliot Knight gained the ultimate
reward for winning through the qualifying round at The Mote
Classic Pro-Am in Maidstone, a first round tie with top seed
Chris Ryder.
The 15-year-old county junior, from Farningham, beat
Eddie Aruede from host club The Mote to book his place
on court on Friday with the
world No.36 from Hertfordshire.
Two other Kent juniors came close to springing surprise
victories.
The Mote's own James Evans, who is just 13, lost
13-11 in the fifth game after a 71-minute marathon match
against his vastly experienced opponent, Dean Newbery
from Bexley.
Evans, who has recently broken into The Mote Squash Club's
Kent League first team, fought back from two games down to
win the fourth 14-12 on a tiebreak and held four match balls
in the deciding fifth game before Newbery clawed his way
back from the brink of defeat to claim a coveted place in
the first round against Nafzahizan Adnan from
Malaysia.
Another Kent junior, Matt Fincham from the nearby
Maidstone Squash Club, also lost a fifth-game tiebreak to
The Mote's evergreen veteran Phill
Crane. Crane, a member of Kent's over-55 national
inter-county champions team, won the first two games
comfortably but struggled to stem the tide as the
18-year-old Fincham battled back to take the match the full
distance.
However, experience finally told as Crane squeezed home
12-10 in the decider to gain a place in the first round draw
against Scottish number
one Alan Clyne, the 22-year-old from Edinburgh.
There was a strong Egyptian flavour in the event as Karim
Safwat, son of the late Egyptian squash legend Ahmed
Safwat, and the Cairo-born Ahmed El Refee both booked
their places in the first round.
Both overcame players from the host club, Safwat beating
Adrian
Humphries and El Refee taking out Paul Newvell.
Safwat now meets No.2 seed Aaron Frankcomb from
Australia, while El Refee faces Kent county captain Ben
Ford, who has just returned from a successful trip to
Australia, where he won a world ranking event in Perth.
Canterbury's Joe Magor, a former student in Malaysia,
will enjoy meeting Malaysia's No.3 seed Nafizwan Adnan
after cruising home against Simon
Crowther from Tunbridge Wells.
Kent badminton player Peter Stock, who plays squash
for Fitness First
Medway, beat The Mote's club champion Paul Adam to
win a first round
clash with Joel Hinds, the recent runner-up in the
British Under-23
Championship.
The hard-hitting Martin Clark, from the Rodmersham
club near
Sittingbourne, overcame Neil Tierney from Brentwood
3-1 to claim a first
round tie with Cambridgeshire's Galen Le Cheminant in
what promises to
be a real test for the radar gun.
Qualifying results:
Peter Stock (Fitness First Medway) beat Paul Adam (Mote)
12-10, 11-7, 6-11, 11-8
Elliot Knight (Bexley) beat Eddie Aruede (Mote)
11-5, 11-8, 8-11, 11-8
Joe Magor (Canterbury) beat Simon Crowther (Tunbridge Wells)
11-1, 11-1, 11-7
Karim Safwat (Egypt) beat Adrian Humphries (Mote)
11-8, 11-5, 11-8
Ahmed El Refee (Cambridgeshire) beat Paul Newvell (Mote)
11-3, 11-2, 11-2
Martin Clark (Rodmersham) beat Nigel Tierney (Brentwood)
11-3, 11-7, 8-11, 11-4
Dean Newbery (Bexley) beat James Evans (Mote)
11-6, 6-11, 11-8, 12-14, 13-11
Phill Crane (Mote) beat Matt Fincham (Maidstone)
11-9, 11-5, 4-11, 8-11, 12-10
THE MOTE CLASSIC PRO-AM
Venue: The Mote Squash Club, Willow Way, Maidstone
Dates: June 11-14
Sponsors: Harrow and Shepherd Neame
Tournament Director: Alan Thatcher
SCHEDULE
Thursday, June 11:
Qualifying competition
Friday:
First round (main draw and plate)
Saturday:
Main draw Quarter-Finals 11am and 12 noon; Semi-Finals 5pm
and 6pm followed by Tournament Party. Plate semi-finals,
doubles competition and junior/ladies clinics
Sunday:
Doubles Semi-Finals and Final; Plate Final; Junior
Challenge;
Mote Classic Final
Aussie ace Aaron is No.2 seed at The
Mote
Australian squash star Aaron Frankcomb has entered
this week's £2,000 Mote Classic Pro-Am and goes into the
draw as No.2 seed.
The talented Frankcomb, 24, is ranked 42 in the world and is
based in the UK for much of the year. He is seeded to meet
Herts ace Chris Ryder, the world No.36, in Sunday's
final at The Mote Squash Club in Maidstone, the county town
of Kent.
He said: "The summer is usually a quiet time in squash but
not this year. There are so many new tournaments on the
calendar and I'm really looking forward to my first event in
Maidstone. The draw looks very strong and I'm getting used
to playing Chris in events these days.
"We are seeded to meet each other in the final of two
upcoming tournaments at Ilkley and Wimbledon so the
Maidstone result will be a good indication of our form -
that's if we get to the final! The standard in the game is
so strong at the moment that you can't take anything for
granted."
Kent captain Ben Ford, from Welling, has just
returned home after winning a PSA world ranking tournament
in Perth, Western Australia. He will be assured of
considerable local support in an international line-up that
includes Malaysian brothers Wan and Jam Adnan,
Scotland No.1 Alan Clyne, Derbyshire's Joel Hinds
and Galen le Cheminant of Cambridge.
With Egyptian stars currently holding down three of the top
four places in the world rankings, tournament organisers are
delighted to inject an Egyptian flavour into the event.
Cairo-born Ahmed El Refee, based in London and
coached by Peter Marshall, and Karim Safwat, son of
the late Egyptian squash legend Ahmed Safwat, will be
competing in the qualifying tournament which begins at the
club on Thursday with eight places up for grabs in the main
draw first round on Friday.
The quarter-finals and semi-finals take place on Saturday,
with the final scheduled for Sunday at 3pm.
The weekend also includes a Plate competition, doubles event
and a Junior Challenge featuring The Mote's 13-year-old
James Evans and fellow Kent player Elliot Knight,
from Bexley.
The
tournament is sponsored by Harrow and Japanese lager Asahi,
courtesy of Kent brewery Shepherd Neame (the world's oldest
brewery). Former company chairman Bobby Neame was a star
player at Maidstone Squash Club in the 1960s and frequently
played in tournaments in London.
