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 Motor City Open 2012
25-30 Jan, Detroit, Usa, $50k |
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30-Jan, Final:
Ong Beng Hee (Mas) bt [2] Hisham Ashour (Egy)
11/8, 11/9, 11/7
Beng Hee takes the title
by A.J. Hakim
 After
a difficult 2011 that brought him to the brink of retirement, a
rejuvenated Ong Beng Hee completed back-to-back upsets of the two
top seeds to win The 2012 Motor City Open, presented by The Suburban
Collection. The Malaysian's shocking finals victory Monday night was
his first major pro squash tour championship since 2008.
In front of a sold-out Birmingham Athletic Club crowd, the unseeded
Beng Hee completed a wild four days by sweeping #2 seed and World
#14 Hisham Ashour, 11-8, 11-9, 11-7. The win netted the veteran a
Rolex Explorer II watch, courtesy of sponsor Greenstone Jewelers, a
first place check of $8,000, and a standing ovation from the packed
house.
“After I won the last point, I was very emotional,” said the
31-year-old who in December contemplated retirement following
first-round exits in 10 of his 13 tournament appearances in 2011.
“It’s been a very long road up to here.”
 The
road to the championship was an exhausting one for the World # 34.
Beng Hee survived five-game marathons against Gregoire Marche and
Cameron Pilley in the first two rounds before sweeping defending
champion and World # 6, Mohamed El Shorbagy, in the semifinals.
Executing a flawless game plan against the talented Ashour, Beng Hee
capped his week with another three-game sweep.
“For me, this tournament has been everything and luck,” Beng Hee
said. “Managing to beat Cameron Pilley in five while having cramps -
and Cameron cramping as well - that’s never happened before. And to
be able to beat Shorbagy yesterday and then back it up to beat
Hisham today. . . . Luck played a big part.”
The Egyptian Ashour, famed for his deft racket and crafty shots,
struggled with the bouncy club court - often forcing shots out of
frustration. In the first game alone, he made nine unforced errors.
“The (expletive) ball was bouncing like a like a tennis ball,” the
colorful Ashour said afterwards. “I couldn’t put it anywhere. Every
time I was putting it somewhere it was popping up again, so I
couldn’t make him do the work. It was all in his favor. He
controlled the whole situation. I’m a bit disappointed. I feel pain.
But I’ll live.”
For Beng Hee, who as a 19-year old advanced to the 2000 MCO
semifinals and a World #7 ranking, it’s now about returning to form
and ending his career on a high note.
“It took me a long time and I wanted to justify my retirement. I’m
going to retire as high as I can," he said. “I’ve given myself
another year, hopefully two. And to be able to win this tournament -
what a feeling.”
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 Motor
City Open 2012
25-30 Jan, Detroit, Usa, $50k |
Round One
27 Jan from 17.00 |
Quarters
28 Jan |
Semis
29 Jan |
Final
30 Jan |
[1] Mohamed El Shorbagy (Egy)
11-4, 11-9, 11-9
[Q] Mathieu Castagnet (Fra) |
[1] Mohamed El Shorbagy
11-5, 11-9, 11-8
Miguel Angel Rodriguez |
[1] Mohamed El Shorbagy
11-9, 11-7, 13-11
Ong Beng Hee |
Ong Beng Hee
11/8, 11/7, 11/9
[2] Hisham Ashour |
Miguel Angel Rodriguez (Col)
11-8, 11-6, 11-5
Alan Clyne (Sco) |
Ong Beng Hee (Mas)
10-12, 11-3, 11-8, 7-11, 11-8
[Q] Greg Marche |
Ong Beng Hee
8-11, 13-11, 11-8, 7-11, 11-5
[4] Cameron Pilley |
Shahier (Razik (Can)
11-6, 11-3, 11-9
[4] Cameron Pilley (Aus) |
[3] Alister Walker (Bot)
8-11, 11-8, 11-7, 8-11, 11-8
Aamir Atlas Khan (Pak) |
[3] Alister Walker
9-11, 11-3, 11-9, 11-7
Steve Coppinger |
Steve Coppinger
8-11, 11-6, 11-9, 11-9
[2] Hisham Ashour |
Steve Coppinger (Rsa)
11-5, 11-13, 13-11, 11-5
[Q] Mohammed Abbas (Egy) |
Nafiizwan Adnan (Mas)
11-7, 12-10, 11-5
[Q] Max Lee (Hkg) |
[Q] Max Lee
11-9, 11-8, 11-5
[2] Hisham Ashour |
Adrian Grant (Eng)
11-6, 11-4, 4-11, 11-5
[2] Hisham Ashour (Egy) |
26-Jan, Qualifying Finals:
Gregoire Marche (Fra) bt Zac Alexander (Aus)
11-4, 11-3, 11-8
Max Lee (Hkg) bt Siddharth Suchde (Ind)
13-11, 11-8, 14-12
Mathieu Castagnet (Fra) bt Ryan Cuskelly (Aus)
11-8, 11-7, 11-5
Mohammed Abbas (Egy) bt Aurangzeb Mehmund (Pak)
11-5, 11-2, 11-5
25-Jan, Qualifying Round One:
Grégoire Marche (Fra)
bt Keith
Pritchard (Can)
11-1, 11-4, 11-3
Zac Alexander (Aus) bt
Fred Reid (Can)
11-7, 11-9, 11-6
Siddarth Suchde (Ind) bt Scott Arnold (Aus)
12-10, 11-9, 11-8
Max Lee (Hkg) bt Wade Johnstone (Aus)
13-11, 11-6, 10-12, 6-11, 11-5
Ryan Cuskelly (Aus) bt Julian Wellings (Eng)
11-6, 11-6, 11-7
Mathieu Castagnet (Fra) bt Matthew Karwalski (Aus)
6-11, 11-2, 12-10, 11-5
Aurangzeb Mehmund (Pak)
bt
Jan Koukal (Cze)
11-9, 9-11, 12-10, 4-11, 11-7
Mohammed Abbas (Egy) bye
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29-Jan, Semis:
Beng Hee stuns top seed Shorbagy
by A.J. Hakim
 Bloomfield
Hills, Mich. — Thirty one-year old World #34 Ong Beng Hee may be in
the twilight of his career but the veteran still has some gas in the
tank. The Malaysian shocked the Motor City Open, presented by The
Suburban Collection, Sunday by upsetting defending champion and top
seed Mohamed El Shorbagy, 11-9, 11-7, 13-11.
He will face another Egyptian, two-seed Hisham Ashour, in Monday's
finals.
The first time Beng Hee competed at the MCO in 2000, he was a
19-year-old up-and-comer on the Professional Squash Association
circuit. That year, he advanced to the semifinals, losing to
then-World #9 Alex Gough in four games. Since then he has risen as
high as #7 in the world rankings and been a steady presence in the
Top 20 before injuries slowed him up in the last year.
He won Sunday playing a fresher, younger Shorbagy. Beng Hee was
playing just 24 hours after a five-game, 122-minute marathon quarter
against Cameron Pilley - and two nights after another five-game
endurance-test against Gregoire Marche.
“I’m extremely happy I made the finals this time,” Beng Hee said.
“I’ve been struggling the last season, so to start this year being
in the finals - I’m extremely happy.”
After executing his game plan, pushing the shot-making Egyptian deep
in the court, and playing a near-perfect first two games, Beng Hee
started to feel fatigue late in Game Three.
“I don’t think Shorbagy played his best, maybe a bit nervous because
he’s the defending champion and I had no pressure,” Beng Hee said of
his opponent, the World #6. “When I went 10-7 up, I got a bit tired
because I think I played really well until then. And Shorbagy
started to pick up his momentum. He's a young guy, so he’s obviously
extremely fit and very strong. And he started to play a lot better."
“I think towards the end I got a bit lucky," continued the
Malaysian. "Eleven-all is anyone’s game. Had he won it, it would
have definitely gone to five because I was getting a bit tired.”
 His
opponent in the final, Ashour, was also feeling tired with legs
heavy from competing in his third straight tournament. Still, Ashour
defeated Stephen Coppinger in four, 8-11, 11-6, 11-9, 11-9.
“I know he’s been playing really well lately,” Ashour said of
Coppinger, ranked #34. “The thing is, my legs are so heavy today,
and he takes the ball so early too. He’s a half-volleyer. He takes
the ball early so I knew my legs are not super fast, so I had to
hold the ball a lot and try to always keep him behind me."
The 29-year-old advances to his second final in 2012, having reached
the championship at the Comfort Inn Open in Vancouver. He hopes his
fast start in 2012 — and possible MCO championship — will help him
achieve a childhood dream.
“I’m pretty happy I’m in the finals,” said the current World #14.
“If I win this tournament I think I move from 14 to into the Top
Ten, which has been my dream since I was 10 years old. I’m almost 30
now.”
Ashour and Beng Hee met previously in November at the Cathay Pacific
Sun Hung Kai Financial Hong Kong Open 2011, with Ashour winning in
four. “May the best player win," said Beng Hee. "I think it’s going
to be a tough match.”
The championship match begins at 6:30 p.m.
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27-Jan, Round One:
Walker and Beng Hee
survive five-set marathons
by A.J. Hakim
Bloomfield Hills, Mich. — Defending champion and top seed Mohamed
El Shorbagy cruised as expected, but qualifier Max Lee shook up
the 2012 Motor City Open, presented by The Suburban Collection, with
the lone upset in Round One Friday night.
Hisham Ashour, Cameron Pilley, Miguel Angel Rodriguez, Stephen
Coppinger, Alister Walker, and Ong Beng Hee also advanced to
Saturday's quarterfinals - with Walker and Beng Hee both winning in
grueling five-game matches.
Qualifier Lee continued to be the talk of the tourney as the World
#39 from Hong Kong upset World #32 Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan in three
straight (11-7, 12-10, 11-5) - also his first career victory over
the Malaysian.
“Same court, same time,” Lee said jokingly about his lucky Court #2
where he has won all his matches this week. “This is just a really
great start for me. The first time getting to [Tournament of
Champions] last week and now this tournament, getting into into the
second round.”
Lee, who trains with Adnan in London, England, said his friend
wasn’t playing at his usual level. “He made too many unforced
errors. I just keep it simple, and when the space came, I take it
in.”
 World
#6 Shorbagy appeared in top form against feisty qualifier Mathieu
Castagnet of France. The Egyptian swept (11-4, 11-9, 11-9) the World
#46 in a tight, often testy match.
A determined ball hound, Castagnet lunged and dived at every
possible return, even after suffering a hamstring injury midway
through Game Two.
“I’m really happy I won today,” Shorbagy said. “I wanted to win 3-0
and I did. Normally, it’s 3-1, 3-2. I mean, you saw the way he was
in the second and third games - he was almost killing himself.”
Despite the injury, Castagnet acknowledged, Shorbagy’s skills were
too much. “I’m disappointed in my hamstring,” he said. “It was
difficult for me to push off on my forehand. But if I was in good
shape, it still would’ve been difficult for me. He was better than
me today.”
 Gregoire
Marche both Aamir Atlas Khan nearly pulled off Day One upsets, as
both were within a few points of victory against Beng Hee and
Walker, respectively.
World #34 Beng Hee jumped out to a 7-2 lead in the final game before
narrowly escaping defeat, beating his French opponent, 3-2 (10-12,
11-3, 11-8, 7-11, 11-8). Khan has had past victories against World
#1s like Gregory Gaultier (current World #3) and Nick Matthew (soon
to recapture World #1), and gave Walker a battle. The
dreadlock-sporting star from Botswana eked out a 3-2 (8-11, 11-8,
11-7, 8-11, 11-8) victory.
 “The
depth in squash at the moment is really, really something special,”
Walker said afterwards. “I don’t think there’s ever been as much
quality and depth as there is now. Aamir - he’s ranked between 20
and 30, but he’s beaten everyone. I didn’t play that well in New
York last week, so this is a bit of a relief."
“I just had to be consistent in trying to keep the ball straight
because he’s very good with the angles," he continued. "When you
sort of think he’s getting a bit dejected, suddenly he goes for a
few shots and rolls a few, gets some winners and suddenly he’s back
in it. It’s just about mentally being steady, but I managed in the
end.”
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À LA FRANÇAISE...
salut Fram !
Je sors de mon match contre Beng Hee et malheureusement pour la 3eme
fois en 2 mois, je n'arrive pas à en venir à bout !
Il joue vraiment bien dans les moments importants et c'est ce qu'il
me manque, j'étais encore un peu trop " up and down ".
C'était mieux que la semaine dernière mais pas encore le top.. un
peu déçu oui parce que je passe vraiment tout prés mais on va dire
que c'est des bons matchs pour la suite !
En tous cas, il m'impressionne encore parce que même en étant
fatigué dans le 5eme, il a réussi à rentrer ses coups et jouer le
jeu qu'il fallait pour me battre.. mais bon j'ai pas dit mon dernier
mot !
Maintenant un peu de repos et reprise de l'entrainement pour les
Frances dans 2 semaines !
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26-Jan, Qualifying Finals
French filet Aussies:
Abbas in fine form
by A.J. Hakim
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan - Four qualifiers advanced in convincing
fashion Thursday night to take their place in the main draw of the
2012 Motor City Open, presented by The Suburban Collection.
Frenchmen Mathieu Castagnet, World # 46, and Gregoire
Marche (#45), Hong Kong’s Max Lee (39) and Egyptian
Mohammad Abbas (35) will play in the first round which begins
Friday at the Birmingham Athletic Club (BAC).
Hong Kong's Lee never escaped the qualies in his first two MCO
appearances (2010 and 2011). Turns out, all he needed was a court
change.
Lee lost both his previous matches on Court 3, but this year his two
matches on Court 2 yielded positive results - including Thursday's
3-0 (13-11, 11-8, 14-12) victory against World # 48 Siddharth Suchde
of India.
“Last two times I lost in second round qualifying in the same court,
so this time I changed the court,” Lee said afterwards. Who says
athletes aren't superstitious?
Also making their debut in the main draw are Frenchmen Castagnet and
Marche who defeated Aussies Ryan Cuskelly, World #36, and Zac
Alexander (43), respectively.
Unlike his two-hour marathon against Cuskelly at last year's North
American Open in Richmond, Virginia, Castagnet needed only 45
minutes and three games to down the Aussie (11-8, 11-7, 11-5).
 “I’m
really happy to win my match today,” said Castagnet who let out a
whoop after taking match point. “Ryan Cuskelly is one of the top
players in the world. I was happy to win 3-0 because normally we are
supposed to play 122 minutes like last year.”
Neither competitor was 100 percent for the match, with Castagnet
recovering from a hamstring injury suffered last week and Cuskelly
from mental and physical exhaustion after a grueling 19-tournament
tour last year. The combination of Castagnet’s return skills and the
ball’s lively bounce off the BAC courts proved the difference.
 “He gets the ball back all the time,” Cuskelly said after the match.
“It’s like you’ve got to get four or five winners just to win a
point. I just didn’t really feel all that fit or strong, just a
little flat. I had a big year last year, so I haven’t got that big
push at the moment like I had last year. The body just feels a bit
run down.”
Cuskelly's fellow Aussie, Alexander, struggled with fitness too in
his match against the sharper, stronger Marche who won in three
(11-4, 11-3, 11-8). “He was too sharp at the start,” Alexander said.
“I always felt like I was going to need a bit of luck to get through
this week, just the way I was feeling, and he was too sharp, too
good.”
 Egyptian
Abbas, playing his third MCO, ended 18-year-old Aurangzeb Mehmund's
Cinderella run, defeating the Pakistani 3-0 (11-5, 11-2, 11-5).
Mehmund had upset Jan Koukal in round one of qualifying.
Abbas’ experience and craftiness in the short game trumped Mehmund’s
aggressive, hard-hitting style.
“He's really fast and hits it really hard and always aiming for the
nicks inside,” Abbas said.
“What I’m trying to do all the time is try to get it back to the
wall and limit a little bit his shots and wait for any opening so I
can go short with it. Most of the time I was defending, waiting for
a mistake or an opening so I can go at it with a winner.
Friday's First Round play at the BAC begins at 5:00 p.m.
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À LA FRANÇAISE...
salut Fram !
Je sors de mon match contre Beng Hee et malheureusement pour la 3eme
fois en 2 mois, je n'arrive pas à en venir à bout !
Il joue vraiment bien dans les moments importants et c'est ce qu'il
me manque, j'étais encore un peu trop " up and down ".
C'était mieux que la semaine dernière mais pas encore le top.. un
peu déçu oui parce que je passe vraiment tout prés mais on va dire
que c'est des bons matchs pour la suite !
En tous cas, il m'impressionne encore parce que même en étant
fatigué dans le 5eme, il a réussi à rentrer ses coups et jouer le
jeu qu'il fallait pour me battre.. mais bon j'ai pas dit mon dernier
mot !
Maintenant un peu de repos et reprise de l'entrainement pour les
Frances dans 2 semaines !
QUALIFICATIONS
J'ai passé le premier tour des qualifs
hier soir sans trop de difficultés, mais ce soir ç'est complètement
différent, je joue Zac, qui est très solide en ce moment alors va
falloir que je joue à mon plus haut niveau !
Alors goooo !!
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QUALIFICATIONS
Salut Framboise,
Je t'envoie ce petit message des Etats-Unis. Je viens de me
qualifier dans le tableau final du Motor City.
Bien évidemment, je suis très satisfait de m'en sortir 3/0 contre
Ryan. Ayant joué 122 minutes contre lui l'année dernière à Richmond,
je connaissais la tactique à employer pour passer.
Aujourd'hui, mon tirage est difficile par rapport aux 4 joueurs
proposés, puisque je vais rencontrer Shorbagy. Je mettrai toutes les
chances de mon côté.
A bientôt.
J'ai passé le premier tour des qualifs
hier soir sans trop de difficultés, mais ce soir ç'est complètement
différent, je joue Zac, qui est très solide en ce moment alors va
falloir que je joue à mon plus haut niveau !
Alors goooo !!
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